Peasant group reveals Ombudsman's fertilizer scam case record missing

The militant peasant group Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP) scored the Office of the Ombudsman Feb. 10 for reportedly losing the records of the plunder charges the group filed on June 3, 2004 against President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo in relation to the P728-million fertilizer scam. The group found it out on Feb. 9 when its members went there to check the status of the case.

“This is gross neglect of duty and reflective of the kind of justice to be expected from an Ombudsman appointed by Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo,” said KMP secretary general Danilo “Ka Daning” Ramos. “Administrative and criminal charges should be filed against Merceditas Gutierrez for this monumental blunder.”

Ramos also doubted that the group will “get a fair shake on the charges” it filed when “such a simple task as keeping and recording documents cannot be done properly.”

He added that even the Ombudsman’s office would not have known that the records of the plunder case were missing if they had not inquired about it. Bulatlat

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Big rally to mark 20^th anniversary of People Power I

The Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan) is now working with other anti-Arroyo groups in the hopes of holding another massive protest on the 20^th anniversary of the EDSA 1 People Power uprising that toppled the Marcos dictatorship. The planned protests will be held at EDSA and in Manila. 

Bayan chairperson Dr. Carol Araullo said that the commemorative rally will be an occasion to reaffirm the lessons of People Power as a means of removing “tyrants and oppressive regimes.”

“At the end of the day, it is still the people who hold the key to removing Mrs. Arroyo,” she said. “This is becoming clearer even for the reformists in the military who are disgusted with the Arroyo regime.” 

Bayan is coordinating with various opposition groups on the possibility of joint and coordinated actions for the week-long observance of the 20^th anniversary of EDSA 1.

Bayan secretary-general Renato M. Reyes, Jr. meanwhile said they expect 30,000 to attend the commemorative activity and rally.

The Feb. 24 rally will probably be the first big coordinated action of anti-Arroyo forces for this year, Reyes added. Bulatlat 

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ProGay calls on Indian president to repeal anti-gay laws

The Progressive Organization of Gays in the Philippines (ProGay) appealed to visiting Indian President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam to call on his country men to conform to global human rights standards by repealing its anti-sodomy law.

Kalam left the Philippines on Feb. 6 to fly to Korea on a sixteen-country visit.

ProGay secretary general Mykel Falguera said Kalam’s proposals for economic partnership in e-commerce, space technology and energy generation in Asia fall flat on the account of India's continuing repression of its minorities such as homosexuals, the poor transexuals called hijras and the lower-caste people.

The gay rights group stated that it continues to support global efforts to pressure India into repealing the dreaded Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code, titled “Of Unnatural Offences,” which punishes “carnal intercourse against the order of nature” with up to ten years’ imprisonment.

Meanwhile, the New York City-based Human Rights Watch said in a letter to Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh that India’s colonial-era sodomy law continues to threaten human rights and encourage the spread of HIV among gay men. Bulatlat

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Solon presses for urgent probe on GSIS E-card anomaly

Anakpawis Rep. Crispin Beltran pressed Feb. 7 for an “urgent” probe into suspected anomalies related to the Government Service and Insurance System (GSIS) E-card policy, as the House Committee on Good Governance hearing cited difficulties by government employees in using the electronic card issued by the government agency as proof of more irregularities.

Beltran filed House Resolution No. 299 on October 4, 2004, calling for a House probe into the E-card policy. Beltran has 11 resolutions pending at the Committee, all calling for separate probes into various anomalies related to the GSIS.

Government employees in Sorsogon and Masbate were unable to use their E-cards in January after the automated teller machines (ATMs) of Union Bank branches in Legazpi City rejected the E-cards. The employees also reported that the E-card also meant additional expenses for them as they had to travel to Union Bank's branch in Legazpi City from different parts of the province, and have had to wait for hours for the processing of hundreds of transactions.

"This happened after the controversial E-card policy permitted the anomalous transfer of GSIS funds from Land Bank of the Philippines to Union Bank," Beltran said.

"It is the government rank-and-file employees who suffer the most from these anomalous policies, because of the unjust delays," the activist lawmaker added. Bulatlat

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Solon files bill to earmark RVAT for basic services

"If there is no stopping VAT, then the people should be assured that at least 50 percent of it really goes back to them through basic services," said Bayan Muna Rep. Teddy Casiño as he filed a bill Feb. 6 allotting half of all additional RVAT revenues for education, health, housing and the environment.

House Bill No. 5096 aims to amend the Internal Revenue Code so that 50 percent of the total revenues from the implementation of RA 9337 (also known the Restructured Value-Added Tax or RVAT) will fund government programs for education, health, housing and environmental protection.

This would involve approximately P38.5 billion from the total expected RVAT revenues of P77 billion for 2006. This amount will be distributed as follows: P5.775 billion for education; P3.85 billion each for health and the environment; and, P1.925 billion for housing projects for the urban poor.

The young solon clarified that these allocations shall be over and above the annual appropriations for similar purposes. At present, Section 288 of the National Internal Revenue Code (RA 8424) requires local government units to allocate 50 percent of their share of the RVAT revenues to education, health and the environment.

But he said that this is a mere 10 percent of total RVAT revenues.

"If government is truly serious in making RVAT work for the people, then at least half of it should go to direct social services,” said Casiño. “It is immoral and unacceptable for the additional tax burden to go to the payment of loans or for projects of dubious intent while the people suffer.” Bulatlat

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Bayan scores solons' flip-flop on VFA

The Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan or New Patriotic Alliance) questioned Feb. 10 why members of the Legislative Oversight on the Visiting Forces Agreement (Lovfa) deferred the junking of the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) after their ocular visit of the detention center of the four U.S. Marines accused of raping a Filipina. 

“If the Philippines wants to make a strong case, then the Lovfa should have stuck to its original position of scrapping the VFA,” said Bayan secretary-general Renato M. Reyes, Jr. 

Reyes said that the seemingly soft position taken by the US embassy could be tied to the upcoming Balikatan exercises, especially since 5,000 U.S. troops are due this month.

“There is nothing benevolent with the moves of the U.S. embassy,” Reyes said.  

The Bayan leader also warned Philippine authorities not to fall for the usual “sweet talk” offered by U.S. officials. Embassy officials assured the Lovfa that the four accused will remain in Philippine territory during the trial period and will appear during the arraignment. They also said they were open to negotiations on the VFA.  

However, Reyes said “the six-month deadline doesn’t give any assurances that the issue will be resolved in favor of Philippine interests.” Bulatlat  

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Migrant groups urge repatriation of OFWs in Taiwan

The Asia Pacific Mission for Migrants (APMM) and the Migrante Sectoral Party (MSP)-Taiwan Chapter said Feb. 9 that the Manila Economic and Cultural Office (MECO) should take care of Ramil Sanchez's repatriation expenses of NT$11,000 and make sure that the conditions of the workers at Formosa Plastics Corporation (FPC) are improved.

The groups said that MECO, the “de-facto” embassy of the Philippines in Taiwan, has not heeded the complaints of Sanchez and the workers of FPC.  They had been airing these complaints even before their strike in July 2005. Sanchez, who was arrested by the Taiwanese police on Feb. 5, was one of the workers who resigned and/or ran away during the strike. Up to now, he has yet to pay the remaining P45,000 of the P110,000 placement fee to JEJ International Manpower Service.

According to the groups, more than 70 Filipino migrants filed a complaint before the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) against the alleged unjust fee that already resulted in the sending home of two Filipino workers.

MECO reportedly transferred P30 million to the campaign fund of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo in 2003 and allegedly gave P12.5 million as initial three-month payment to Venable LLP, a U.S. lobby firm involved in a controversial deal with the Philippine government, last year.

“But it does not give a single cent to migrant workers who are in need,” said the groups in a statement. Bulatlat

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