Press statement | A victory of unity and collective action

A statement from the NXPSCIWU-NAFLU-KMU29 September 2014

​

We are glad to inform the public, especially our supporters, that last September 26, we workers of NXP-Philippines signed a Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) with the management of NXP-Philippines, effective for the years 2014-2016. The signing of the CBA marks the end of our recent struggle to secure improvements in our working conditions by securing improvements in the CBA, which was met by the management with the illegal dismissal of 24, or almost all, of our union leaders last May 5, 2014.

This is a victory against the management’s attempt to bust the NXP Semiconductors Cabuyao Incorporated Workers’ Union-National Federation of Labor Unions-Kilusang Mayo Uno (NXPSCIWU-NAFLU-KMU). It was also clear that the management was provoking us into carrying out actions which it could use as a pretext for outrightly busting our union. It wanted to deny us NXP workers of what we deserve: an improved CBA which contains a significant wage hike and the regularization of contractuals.

This is a victory of the Filipino workers and people. The NXPSCIWU-NAFLU-KMU is one of the oldest and biggest unions in the country. It is also one of the few unions in the country’s special economic zones, which are known for being havens for contractual employment and being very repressive of workers. With this victory, an important union is strengthened and steeled, serving as an inspiration to Filipino workers hoping to unionize. Our struggle underscores the necessity and possibilities of forming unions.

Twelve out of the 24 illegally-dismissed union leaders will be reinstated while the 12 who will not be reinstated will be given a decent separation package. The wage hike for the workers will be as follows: 5.25% for the first year, 3.5% for the second year, and 3.5% for the third year. Less than two hundred contractuals will be regularized. An agreement was reached stating that all cases that were filed in relation to this labor dispute will be dropped and no retaliatory actions will be undertaken by both parties.

We wanted more with regard to the number of officials who will be reinstated, to the wage hike that will be implemented, and to the number of contractuals who will be regularized. It is clear, however, that what we got constitutes a significant improvement from what the management was willing to give at the start. It also became clear to us that the management would go no further in acceding to our demands and that sacrifices had to be made on our part to get the best deal given the existing conditions.

We salute the rank-and-file members of NXPSCIWU-NAFLU-KMU without whose unity in principle and action, courage, and determination, this victory would not have been possible. Our heartfelt “Thank you!” goes to our supporters: our families, fellow workers and union members, progressive sectoral organizations and partylist groups, pro-worker institutions and legislators, Filipino migrant communities in various countries, workers and unions in various countries, and global workers’ organizations.

Many lessons were affirmed in the course of this struggle. Foremost among these is the need for unity and collective action in defending and upholding workers’ rights. Struggling against a multinational giant like NXP Semiconductors indeed entails unity and collective action at so many levels and in so many forms. This struggle is a most memorable experience which we will draw inspiration from for the rest of our lives – inspiration in continuing to work for unity and collective action for workers’ rights.

We know that under the present socio-economic system, victories of workers and ordinary people are always temporary and fragile and can be taken back by the ruling elite. We vow to be vigilant in guarding this victory and to continue consolidating and strengthening our ranks. We vow to help other workers form unions and fight for their rights. We vow to develop broader and stronger unity with fellow workers and other sectors of society in fighting for workers’ rights and for fundamental social change. #

Luisita farmers decry DAR disqualification

Posted by Belarmino Dabalos Saguing

Rome, Italy 30/09/2014

Luisita farmers decry DAR disqualification

No land, no justice. Farmers suffer more violence, deception and land grabbing under the Aquino administration’s bogus land reform in Hacienda Luisita.

Atty. Jobert Pahilga of the Sentro para sa Tunay na Repormang Agraryo (SENTRA), counsel of Hacienda Luisita farmers under the alliance AMBALA, recently filed a motion before the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) protesting the agency’s disqualification of  125 farmworkers-beneficiaries (FWBs) from becoming awardees of Hacienda Luisita lands covered by government’s Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP).

The DAR sent out disqualification notices to 125 FWBs, composed mainly of AMBALA leaders and members who consistently fought for the revocation of the Stock Distribution Option (SDO) scheme and for land distribution in Hacienda Luisita since 2003, when AMBALA lodged its historic petition and joined the Hacienda Luisita People’s Strike in 2004 along with the United Luisita Workers Union (ULWU) and the Central Azucarera de Tarlac Labor Union (CATLU).

In an order dated August 26, 2014 the DAR cited the FWBs’ failure to sign a promissory note, the Application to Purchase and Farmers’ Undertaking (APFU), as basis for disqualification. The APFU binds FWBs to pay amortization for the farmlots over a period of 30 years.

Luisita farmers, however assert that they should not be obliged to pay for the land because their ownership was affirmed when farmworkers were declared “stockholders” of  the Hacienda Luisita, Inc. (HLI) in 1989, and entered agricultural lands as their share, composing 33% of the corporation. Moreover, FWBs have already paid HLI for the value of the land by their labor and “mandays.”

“We are in fact, the rightful owners of Hacienda Luisita,” said Florida Sibayan, AMBALA chairperson. Sibayan  also lambasted the DAR for consistently ruling against the interests of Luisita farmers. “The Supreme Court affirmed that the Cojuangcos still owe us our share of the whooping Php 1.33 Billion-peso sale of Hacienda Luisita land assets – agricultural lands cunningly sold to the Luisita Industrial Park Co., RCBC and the BCDA for the SCTEX right-of-way. The DAR must work to have the Cojuangcos pay us immediately, and not the other way around,”  said Sibayan.

“There should be no need to require farmworkers to apply for the purchase of lands that they already own. There is therefore, no basis for DAR’s imposition to FWBs to sign the AFPU,” said Pahilga.

Atty. Pahilga also pointed out that the disqualification of the 125 FWB’s is unwarranted because “the said order has no factual and legal basis and was issued in violation of the rights of the said FWBs to due process of law.  It was also issued while the Motion of AMBALA questioning the validity of the ‘tambiolo system’ of land reform implemented by the DAR and the order to sign the AFPU under pain of disqualification is still pending with the Supreme Court.”

The CARP law, RA 6657 as amended by RA 9700, does not provide as basis for disqualification of a beneficiary, the failure or refusal of the farmer to sign the AFPU. “In the same vein, their failure to claim their lot allocation certificate or even their Certificate of Land Ownership Award (CLOA), is not a ground to disqualify farmers,” said Pahilga.

Aside from this latest move, officials of the DAR have been directly involved in displacement of farmers and destruction of crops in Barangays Mapalacsiao and Asturias.

“The DAR’s lot allocation via ‘tambiolo’ (raffle draw) was designed to attack our land cultivation program bungkalan and facilitate the reconcentration of lands back to the Cojuangco-Aquinos,”  said Sibayan.

The DAR also condoned the violent assaults of Cojuangco-Aquino firm Tarlac Develoment Corporation (TADECO) by denying the Cease and Desist Order (CDO) filed by AMBALA to stop illegal eviction of the farmers and destruction of crops and properties in barangays Balete and Cutcut. From November 2013 to March 2014, TADECO ordered the bulldozing and destruction of more than a hundred hectares of palay and other food crops, burning of homes, and fencing off of some 360 hectares of agricultural lands. The attacks resulted in the death of one AMBALA member, Dennis dela Cruz,  mauling and unlawful arrests, and the filing of harassment suits to hundreds of farmers.

More recently, the DAR acted favorably on the appeal by TADECO to exempt the 358 hectares of lands from land reform by planning to conduct a special hearing on Oct. 28 – 30, 2014 at the Office of the DAR  Regional Director in Pampanga.

In a decision issued by Atty. Roland Cua OIC-Director of the Bureau of Agrarian Legal Assistance (BALA), also last August 26,  the DAR put the burden of proof on AMBALA as to why the above-mentioned agricultural land must be distributed to beneficiaries. Even if it was the DAR which issued a Notice of Coverage (NOC) for the said lands in December 17, 2013, for eventual land distribution.

“Disqualification and consistent attacks against organizations and individuals who fought for land and justice in Hacienda Luisita – this is how the government honors the memory of those who were killed fighting for our rights,” said Sibayan, referring to the seven farmworkers who died during the infamous Hacienda Luisita massacre of 2004.

Farmers point to President BS Aquino, who was then a congressman and manager of the Luisita estate, as one of the perpetrators of the massacre.

Luisita farmers and their supporters are preparing international solidarity activities in the weeks leading to the 10^th year commemoration of the Hacienda Luisita massacre (HLMX) on November 16, 2014.

---------------------------------------------------------------

Unyon ng mga Manggagawa sa Agrikultura

(Agricultural Workers Union)

Philippines

​CHRA Statement | RESIST AND DEFY STATE TYRANNY AND FASCISM

Posted by Belarmino Dabalos Saguiung
Eome, Italy 24 Sept 2014

publicinfo: Sep 23 01:24PM +0800  ​​ September 21, 2014 *​​RESIST AND DEFY STATE TYRANNY AND FASCISM <http://karapatan.org/CHRA+SELDA-NL+State+tyranny+fascism+lacub+abra+military+operation>* ​ We commemorate Martial Law declaration today by remembering the sacrifices of those who defied the dark period in our history. They taught us that it is the rightful and just obligation of the nation’s children to collectively rage against, resist and defy State tyranny and fascism, in the pursuit of a society built on justice, peace, and freedom. Martial Law is upon us. It is not declared like it was 42 years ago by then Dictator Ferdinand Marcos. It is upon us with Benigno Simeon Aquino Jr.’s Oplan Bayanihan that continues to unleash State fascism and terror. We commemorate Martial Law Declaration today as we fully condemn and seek justice for the atrocities – grave human rights and international humanitarian law violations, committed this September in Abra by the 41st Infantry Battalion under 5th Infantry Division and the Northern Luzon Command of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and under the command responsibility of Commander-in-Chief Benigno Simeon Aquino Jr. We hold them fully accountable for the extrajudicial killing of Engineer Fidela Salvador, 50 years old, and a mother of three children - a consultant of the Cordillera Disaster Response and Development Services Inc. (CorDisRDS) and the Center for Development Programs in the Cordillera (CDPC). She was on a monitoring visit for various socio-economic projects implemented by CorDiSRDS and CDPCin Lacub, Abra when she was killed by the AFP in their operations this September. The autopsy report conducted by the National Bureau of Investigation states that she suffered from 9 gunshot wounds, multiple contusions and lacerations and a head injury caused by a blunt object. We hold the 41st IB fully accountable for endangering the civilians of Lacub in their combat operations, coercing 24 civilians to be human shields, the use of Nicasio Asbucan as civilian guide in military operations and the extrajudicial killing of Lacub resident, Noel Viste. The extrajudicial killings of Salvador and Viste make the 41st IB accountable for five of six extrajudicial killings perpetrated this year alone in the Cordillera region. They are accountable for the massacre of Ama Licuben, Eddie and Fermin Ligiw in Baay Licuan, Abra last March. Their notoriety and bloody record are more than enough reasons for them to be pulled out from Abra and the Cordillera and for them to be brought to the bar of justice, punished to the full extent of the law and not rewarded medals as the Philippine government did. We commemorate Martial Law with the call for the urgent resumption of the peace talks and for previous agreements to be fully respected especially the Comprehensive Agreement on the Respect for Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law. We hold the State to their obligations to this, which the AFP violated in their combat operations where 7 members of the New People’s Army (NPA) were killed in Abra. The state of the bodies of civilians and the members of the NPA killed by the AFP, as observed during the retrieval, bore signs and strong indications of probable torture and desecration of remains. There is strong probability as well that rules of engagement were violated. There could have been excessive use of force. Even if the members of the NPA had no more capacity to fight back, they were still slain or no quarter was given during the conduct of the AFP military operations. These are grave international humanitarian law violations. The 41st IB and the operating troops of the 5th Infantry Division of the AFP and the Northern Luzon Command in Abra have to be made accountable for these. The roots of this civil war have to be addressed now as these have not changed since the Martial Law declaration 42 years ago. Social injustice, repression and the plunder of the nation’s resources brought about by imperialism, bureaucrat capitalism and feudalism remain. For those of us who have suffered through the dictatorship and who remember this dark period clearly, we remember that repression was faced with organized resistance, fear was met with courage, and human dignity was reclaimed even in the darkest and most difficult times. Peace can only be built based on social justice. We commemorate Martial Law today and urge the people to rise up and continue to defy State tyranny and repression. For reference: Brenda Dacpano Secretary General SELDA –NL Mobile number: +639203688284 Audrey Beltran Deputy Secretary General CHRA Mobile number: +639189199007​

PRESS RELEASE | More protests vs. human rights and corruption continue to hound BS Aquino in Paris, Berlin, Rome and Vienna; Activists in Paris say “oui!” to oust Aquino; Spanish organizations assail Aquino

Posted by Belarmino Dabalos Saguing
Rome, Italy September 21, 2014

PRESS RELEASE
20 September 2014

 

 

More protests greeted BS Aquino as he swings around Europe, this time in Paris, France.

 

According to Cora Guibernas, a member of the Nagkakaisang Pilipino Sans Papier (NPSP) in Paris, France, which belongs to the MIGRANTE Europe network, Aquino was taken aback when several French solidarity activists for the Philippines and NPSP members raised posters and a big tarpaulin of Aquino's face with the words “Human rights violator” and “Pork barrel king” as he was greeting compatriots outside the church venue where he was to deliver a speech.

 

A major Philippine TV network showed Aquino surprised and was immediately whisked away by his security when he saw the protesters.

 

"Aquino was exposed for his lies about his human rights record and his scandalous corruption as he swings around Europe. Our problems and plight are not in the agenda of Aquino, especially us Filipinos here in France who always face the threat of arrest and deportation because many of us are undocumented", Guibernas stressed.

 

To emphasize the point that the situation in the Philippines is even worse now under Aquino, Guibernas cited records from the Philippine Overseas Employment Agency (POEA) report that 1.8 million Filipinos left the country for work in 2013 which is equivalent to a record 5,031 leaving the country every day. This is more than the daily average of 4,937 leaving in 2012, she said.

 

Filipinos protest even in Italy and Austria

 

Even in countries such as Italy and Austria which BS Aquino avoided during his European junket, Filipinos conducted protest actions. In Rome, Italy, members of Umangat-MIgrante held a picket infront of the Philippine embassy in Rome last September 19, to protest OWWAs anti-migrant policies, Aquino's human rights record and continued use of pork barrel which the Supreme Court has declared unconstitutional.

 

In Austria, Migrante Austria wrote an open letter to the Filipino people to coincide with the Europe visit of Aquino.

 

In the letter, copies furnished to the European Parliament president Martin Shulz, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, and Belgian Prime Minister Elio Di Rupo, Migrante Austria denounced BS Aquino’s European tour as “a costly junket, an absolute waste of time and money”. It said Aquino lacks the dignity and integrity needed to effectively foster better relations with foreign governments.

 

“He has a human rights record that is incompatible with democracy. From July 2010 to March 2014, Karapatan, a Philippine-based human rights watchdog, has documented cases of 192 victims of extrajudicial killings, 21 cases of enforced disappearance, 94 of torture and 631 cases of illegal arrests and detention. Included in these figures are twenty-six journalists reportedly murdered since President Aquino took office. It is no wonder that the Asian Human Rights Commission ranked the Philippines as the 3rd most dangerous place for journalists and activists – from trade union activists to human rights defenders alike. We underscore the fact that up to now there is still no justice for two European citizens murdered under Aquino’s counterinsurgency scheme -- missionaries Fr. Pops Tentorio of Italy and Willem Geertman of the Netherlands. All of these are attributable to his Oplan Bayanihan,” Migrante Austria said.

 

Migrante Austria adds: He remains deaf and blind to the plight of an ever-growing number of Filipinos who are exploited cruelly as undocumented domestic helpers here in Europe and any other place imaginable or even risk their lives in war- torn countries rather than return to the Philippines. This is the harsh indication of Aquino's Labor Export Policy (LEP) failure to uplift the economy and solve unemployment and poverty in the Philippines.

 

Biggest organizations in Spain express concern over human rights and corruption under Aquino

 

In Spain, nine big national organizations, led by the APDHE (Human Rights Association of Spain), which holds consultative status to the ECOSOC of the United Nations, wrote a strongly-worded letter to BS Aquino in time for his visit in that country last September 14-15.

 

The letter was personally delivered to the Philippine embassy in Madrid by Hon. Mauricio Ots, a member of the regional parliament in Madrid representing the Izquireda Unida political party, on the day of Aquino's visit.

 

In the letter, the Spanish organizations expressed deep concern about the human rights situation in the Philippines.

 

“From July 2010 (the year of his presidential inauguration) until June 2014, 204 extrajudicial executions; 21 forced disappearances, 99 cases of torture; 207 of frustrated extrajudicial killings, 664 illegal arrests and detentions; 39,800 forced evictions; 65,712 cases of threats, harassment and intimidation; 141,490 cases of using civilians as a human shield or guide for the armed or security forces; 141,490 cases of military use of public places such as schools, medical or religious centers, were documented,” the Spanish organizations said.

 

They asked Aquino to ratify the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance, end pork barrel corruption and account for the monies his government received for the victims of typhoon Haiyan.

 

The organizations that signed the letter were: APDHE (Human Rights Association of Spain), COMADEHCO (Committee for the Defense of Human Rights in Colombia), ICID (Initiatives for International Cooperation for Development), IEPALA (Institute of Political Studies for Latin America and Africa), IU (United Left), Justice for Colombia, OSPAAL (Organization of Solidarity with the Peoples of Africa, Asia and Latin America), GM-Greens Confederation, CDHHG (Human Rights Commission Hispano-Guatemala).

 

Filipinos and Germans in Berlin join protests

 

Filipinos and Germans in Berlin, Germany also joined the bandwagon of protests during Aquino's visit to Germany, Sept. 19-20, the last leg of his Europe junket. The German-Philippine Solidarity Group, the MLPD party, the Concerned Filipino-Germans in Berlin and Filipino Scholars in Berlin conducted the protests.

 

BS Aquino leaves Europe Sept. 20 for the United States leg of his foreign junket where more protests are expected to greet him there.#

 

Reference:

 

Grace Punongbayan
MIGRANTE Europeoffice@migrante.eu
+31633056411

 

Photos:

1) Hon. Mauricio Ots of Izquierda Unida at the Philippine embassy in Madrid

2) Umangat-Migrante Rome picketing the PE in Rome

 

POLO. OWWA slammed by OFWs in Rome, Italy

Posted by Belarmino Dabalos Saguing
 Rome Italy September 18, 2014

The OFWs in Rome, staged a protest rally against abusive POLO officials in Philippine Emassy of Rome Italy this afternoon. Particularly hit was thge POLO officer with her self-styled regulations and additional requirements for acquiring OWWA membership and OEC certificate. The groups also called for the recall of the Rome POLO head or her resignation from her post.

The move was attended by the groups UMANGAT- MIGRANTE, Makabayang Atas ng Supremo Andres Bonifacio (MASA), Federation of Women in Italy, Guardian Brotherhood and concerned OFWs.

The rally was noticeably peaceful and orderly. The POLO officials did not confer with the protesting groups' leaders who promise to return with more protest actions until the POLO head confer with them or until she is recalled by the Manila head office

Press Release | Protesters hound BS Aquino with his dirty record on human rights and corruption during his Belgium visit

Posted by Belarmino Dabalos Saguing
Rome, Italy September 17, 2014

PRESS RELEASE

17 September 2014

Progressive Filipinos and their Belgian solidarity friends picketed President BS Aquino as he delivered a speech at the Egmont Royal Institute for International Relations in Brussels, Belgium yesterday Sept. 16.

The protest picket was spearheaded by Migrante Europe International and joined by members of the Ugnayang Pilipino sa Belgium, International Coalition for Human Rights in the Philippines and the Belgian solidarity organization INTAL. The protesters carried placards that stated: BS Aquino human rights violator, Aquino king of thieves, Keep off disaster funds, Justice for Willem Geertman and Fr. Pops Tentorio, and No to EDCA!

They also distributed the statement “Enough of BS Aquino, Corrupt and Brutal Ruler! Never again to another Marcos dictatorship”, which was signed jointly by several human rights, solidarity and Filipino organizations across Europe.

Queried by the media covering the event, Reverend Taguba asserted: “We are here to raise concerns over the corruption, human rights abuses and tyranny of Aquino.” He said Aquino is misinforming the EU and that the protest is one way of exposing this.

According to Rev. Cesar Taguba, spokesperson of MIGRANTE Europe International, BS Aquino obviously took the backdoor to enter the venue to avoid the protesters. The meeting, he said, was supposed to start at 6:30 pm, but Aquino's entourage was only able to enter the venue at around 6:50 pm.

The protesters greeted Aquino as he arrived at the institute, with such slogans as “Noynoy, shame on you!” BS Aquino, Taguba stressed, could not hide his regime's corruption, human rights violations, puppetry to the US and trying to follow Marcos with his term extension scheme, during this Europe visit.

Inside the Egmont Institute, members of Intal Brussels Philippine Group who listened to BS Aquino's speech, questioned Aquino on his human rights record, during the question and answer that followed.

"I am delighted to hear that the protection of human rights is part of your government program. Because the numbers are not good: 204 activists murdered, 208 others in prison, 21 cases of enforced disappearances ... all since the beginning of your presidency,” Johan of Intal said.

Another Intal participant in the Egmont meeting, Fanny, writing on her blog afterwards said: “He (Aquino) also answered to another question about the economic partnership agreement, ensuring us of his will to accelerate it. This is not really something we are looking forward to, when we see the social damages such a policy would give rise to.....” She said critical leaflets for distribution titled “Time for President Aquino to tackle the Philippines' dirty, open secret” and “Stop torture”, made their way on the registration table at the Institute.

A team of Belgian policemen tried to disperse the picket, but the protesters stood their ground and asserted their right to express their views over serious developments in the Philippines. Major Filipino news channels covered the protest, however, one Filipino media person was harassed and almost prevented from entering the Egmont Institute by Aquino's security personnel after she was allegedly observed “sympathizing” with the protesters.

Reference:

Grace Punongbayan

MIGRANTE Europe-International

office@migrante.eu

+31-6-33056411

Public Information | An open letter to the Filipino people

Posted by Belarmino Dabalos Saguing
Rome, Italy September 16, 2014

copy furnished: 

Philippine Embassy in Austria at office@philippine-embassy.at 

Office of the President atcorres@op.gov.ph / opnet@ops.gov.ph 

Office of the Philippine Senate President at fmdrilon@yahoo.com 

Office of the Speaker of the House of Representatives at https://www.facebook.com/HouseSpeakerFelicianoBelmonteJr, 

European Parliament President Martin Shulz at https://www.facebook.com/PresidentEP, 

Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany, Dr. Angela Merkel at internetpost@bundeskanzler.de and 

Belgium Prime Minister Elio Di Rupo atinfo@premier.fed.be )

We at Migrante Austria denounce BS Aquino’s current European tour as a costly junket, an absolute waste of time and money.
 
BS Aquino definitely lacks the dignity and integrity needed to effectively foster better relations with foreign governments.
 
Here are just a few of the issues of concern to us, Filipinos in Europe:
 
He has a human rights record that is incompatible with democracy. From July 2010 to March 2014, Karapatan, a Philippine-based human rights watchdog, has documented cases of 192 victims of extrajudicial killings, 21 cases of enforced disappearance, 94 of torture and 631 cases of illegal arrests and detention.  Included in these figures are twenty-six journalists reportedly murdered since President Aquino took office. It is no wonder that the Asian Human Rights Commission ranked the Philippines as the 3rd most dangerous place for journalists and activists – from trade union activists to human rights defenders alike. We underscore the fact that up to now there is still no justice for two European citizens murdered under Aquino’s counterinsurgency scheme -- missionaries Fr. Pops Tentorio of Italy and Willem Geertman of the Netherlands. All of these are attributable to his Oplan Bayanihan.
 
Since he "took over, what can be seen is the indisputable trend of worsening poverty and living condition...
From 2010 to 2014 (first quarter), the number of Filipino families that consider themselves poor is growing by 700,000 a year (or 3.5 million Filipinos annually at 5 members per family)
From 2010 to 2013, the number of Filipino families that experience hunger is increasing by 200,000 a year (or 1 million Filipinos annually)
From 2010 to 2013, the number of jobless Filipino workers is expanding by 500,000 a year." http://arnoldpadilla.wordpress.com/2014/05/06/poverty-trends/
 
He remains deaf and blind to the plight of an ever-growing number of Filipinos who choose to be exploited cruelly as undocumented domestic helpers here in Europe and any other place imaginable or even risk their lives in war- torn countries rather than return to the Philippines. This is the harsh indication of Aquino's Labor Export Policy (LEP) failure to uplift the economy and solve unemployment and poverty in the Philippines. 

He has been rightfully accused of the “highest betrayal of Philippine sovereignty” with the signing of the defense agreement, which it called “the resurrection of US military bases in the Philippines using the Chinese incursion hysteria to justify the return of (more) troops and nuclear-powered war vessels …“
 
He stubbornly refuses to give up the system of discretionary funds despite the decision of the Supreme Court declaring the Disbursement Acceleration Program (DAP) unconstitutional. He willfully and knowingly disbursed the astronomical amount of P174B through the Disbursement Acceleration Program (DAP), his very own scheme that "became a source of corruption and a tool to control other branches of government.".
 
Almost one year after the vast devastation caused in the Philippines by the tropical cyclone Haiyan (Yolanda),  he takes a mendicant gesture and continues to ask assistance from international donors (including Europe) while snubbing survivors demanding the delivery relief and rehabilitation... there are still  around 15,000 survivors living in tent cities, bunk houses and evacuation centers and hundreds of farmers are still asking for the relief while waiting for the harvest of their rice and other products... Hundreds of workers are unemployed because the business and commerce have not been fully restored..."
 
Contrary to his claims, he has failed to negotiate in good faith and to honour the ground rules of the peace talks between the government and the NDFP that is being mediated by the Kingdom of Norway: the Comprehensive Agreement on Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law (CAHRIHL), the Joint Agreement on Safety and Immunity Guarantees (JASIG) and other agreements since 1992.
 
BS Aquino has no business going on junkets - the Filipino people need public funds for social services, national industrialization and genuine land reform!

It is clear that BS Aquino is undeserving of the office he holds -  we need an honorable President to lead, represent and uphold the rights and interests of the Filipino people! 
 

 Migrante Austria 
 Email: migrante.austria@gmail.com

Remittances of overseas Filipinos up 7.1% to $2.3B in July this year

Posted by Belarmino Dabalos Saguing
Rome, Italy September 15, 2014

Written by  Tribune Wires
Tuesday, 16 September 2014 00:00

 

Personal remittances from overseas Filipinos rose by 7.1 percent year-on-year to $2.3 billion in July 2014.

 

On a cumulative basis, personal remittances reached $15 billion in January to July 2014, up by 6.4 percent relative to the level registered in the same period last year, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas said yesterday.

 

The continued expansion in personal remittances during the first seven months of 2014 was mainly due to the steady increase in remittance flows from both land-based workers with long-term contracts (by five percent) and sea-based and land-based workers with short-term contracts (by 8.4 percent).

 

Likewise, cash remittances from overseas Filipinos coursed through banks grew by six percent year-on-year to $2.1 billion in July 2014.

 

This brought cash remittances for the period January to July 2014 to $13.5 billion, higher by 5.8 percent than the $12.7 billion recorded in the comparable period in 2013.

 

In particular, cash remittances from land-based and sea-based workers rose by five percent (to $10.3 billion) and 8.5 percent (to $3.2 billion), respectively.

 

The bulk of cash remittances (about 79 percent) came from the United States, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, Singapore, Japan, Canada and Hong Kong.

 

Remittances remained robust on the back of stable demand for skilled Filipinos abroad.

 

Latest data from the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration showed that for January to July 2014, job orders reached 540,037, of which 41.1 percent were processed job orders intended for service, production, and professional, technical and related employment in Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Taiwan and Qatar.

 

Meanwhile, the continued efforts of bank and non-bank remittance service providers to expand their international and domestic market coverage through tie-ups and establishment of remittance centers abroad provided support to the sustained flow of remittances.

Tragedy at sea of migrants | As many as 700 migrants feared drowned in Mediterranean

Posted by Belarmino Dabalos Saguing
Rome. Italy September 15, 2014

Reuters, 15 september 2014

 

GENEVA (Reuters) - More than 700 people fleeing Africa and the Middle East may have drowned in the latest shipwrecks in the Mediterranean, bringing the death toll this year to almost 3,000, the International Organization for Migration said on Monday.

 

In the worst incident, as many as 500 migrants are believed to have died after traffickers rammed their ship off Malta's coast last week, an event that only came to light this weekend in testimony from two of the nine survivors.

 

The survivors said the traffickers ordered the migrants to change vessels in the middle of the Mediterranean. The migrants refused, leading to a confrontation that ended when traffickers rammed the ship carrying the migrants, IOM spokeswoman Christiane Berthiaume told Reuters in Geneva.

 

"Some 500 people were on board - Syrians, Palestinians, Egyptians and Sudanese. They were trying to reach Europe," Berthiaume said.

 

"That means that 700 people perished at sea these last days in the Mediterranean, the deadliest incidents in the space of a few days," she said.

 

The vessel had set off on Saturday, Sept 6 from Damiette, Egypt, and sank off Malta's coast on Sept 10th, she said. The U.N. refugee agency also learned of the shipwreck, but said its information was the wreck occurred on Friday. 

"In all, nine people survived and were picked up boats," Berthiaume said. IOM officials interviewed two Palestinian survivors who were taken to Sicily, Italy, while other survivors were taken to Malta and to Crete, Greece, Berthiaume said.

 

Four days later, another ship packed with up to 250 African emigrants sank off the Libyan coast, and most of them are feared dead, a spokesman for the Libyan navy said late on Sunday. Some 26 people survived.

 

The U.N. refugee agency UNHCR said the situation in the Mediterranean was unclear and it was trying to get confirmation of five shipwrecks in all. "At least 500 people have died or are missing in the last three days", UNHCR spokesman Francis Markus said in an email.

 

"It was without any doubt the deadliest weekend ever in the Mediterranean," Carlotta Sami of the UNHCR said.

 

Some 130,000 people have arrived in Europe by sea so far this year, compared with 60,000 last year, according to the UNHCR. Italy has received more than 118,000, most of them rescued at sea under its naval operation Mare Nostrum.

 

U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees Antonio Guterres and UNHCR special envoy Angelina Jolie visited the naval rescue headquarters in Malta on Sunday, meeting survivors, the agency said in a statement issued on Monday.

 

"Amidst concerns about the sustainability of the Italian Mare Nostrum operation, they also called for increased efforts by European nations to contribute to rescue efforts and reduce deaths at sea," the UNHCR said.

 

Half of those arriving in Europe by boat are refugees from Syria and Eritrea, according to the agency.

 

"We all need to wake up to the scale of this crisis. There is a direct link between the conflicts in Syria and elsewhere and the rise in deaths at sea in the Mediterranean. We have to understand what drives people to take the fearful step of risking their children's lives on crowded, unsafe vessels; it is the overwhelming desire to find refuge," Jolie said.

 

"It is also part of a bigger problem - the soaring numbers of people displaced by conflicts around the world today, which now stands at over 51 million. Unless we address the root causes of these conflicts, the numbers of refugees dying or unable to find protection will continue to rise," she said.

 

(Reporting by Stephanie Nebehay; Editing by Larry King)

Press Statement ! Continuing impunity rains on Aquino’s ‘good governance’ parade in Europe—Karapatan

Posted by Belarmino Dabalos Saguing
Rome, Italy September 15 2014

publicinfo: Sep 15 10:40AM +0800  Press Statement September 15, 2014 Reference: Cristina “Tinay” Palabay, Secretary General, +63917-3162831 Angge Santos, Media Liaison, +63918-9790580     Press Statement <http://www.karapatan.org/Continuing+impunity+rains+on+Aquino%E2%80%99s+parade+in+Europe>   Days before BS Aquino’s scheduled ‘good governance’ parade during his four-nation European-trip, several Europe-based organizations sent a letter to Malacañang on the prosecution of notorious general Ret. Maj. Gen. Jovito Palparan Jr. "While BS Aquino boasts his so-called achievements before the leaders of Spain, Belgium, France and Germany, he also has to answer issues such as human rights and impunity," Karapatan Secretary General Cristina Palabay said. London-based organization, Haldane Society of Socialist Lawyers wrote to BS Aquino: The abhorrent nature of the offences, and Gen. Palparan's alleged involvement whilst holding position as a high-ranking military official, mean that we, and many other international legal, judicial and political organizations, will be watching the progress of the trial with great interest. "We also urge the Philippine Government to grasp this opportunity to take further steps in finding the many hundreds and thousands of people in the Philippines who, like Ms. Empeño and Ms. Cadapan, have been disappeared and to bring the perpetrators of such crimes to justice," said the letter signed by Liz Davies, chair of Haldane Society of Society Lawyers. Meanwhile, Netherlands Philippines Solidarity Association also wrote the Philippine President saying, "We are aware that these crimes were committed before you became president. But, as current Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Philippines and incumbent President of the Republic of the Philippines, you have the power and responsibility to ensure that genuine justice and rule of law will prevail." The Dutch organization also brought up the issue of human rights violations against farm workers of Hacienda Luisita, an issue BS Aquino is easily piqued. "These human rights violations were committed, according to the independent human rights investigations, during the time Palparan was assigned as commanding general of the 7th Infantry Division of the Philippine Army assigned in Central Luzon," the letter said. It cited the killing of labor leader Ricardo Ramos, Florante Collantes and the disappearance of Ronaldo Intal. "We expect to see decisive actions and concrete steps from you to see to it that justice is served and the impunity ended," the letter stated. "The BS Aquino can paint a picture of the Philippines using words such as 'good governance is good economics,' to distract his audience but the citizens of the European countries are aware of the situation the Filipinos are in—the poverty, the social injustice, human rights violations and impunity. They are watching and acting on the situation, unlike BS Aquino," Palabay ended. ###

AN OPEN LETTER | To His Excellency Benigno Simeon Aquino III

Belarmino Dabalos Saguing
Rome, Italy September 13,2014

September 12, 2014

RE:  Justice for the Killing of Engr. DELLE  SALVADOR, a people’s engineer, a community development worker and a woman of courage

Dear President Aquino III,       

The Canada-Philippines Solidarity for Human Rights (CPSHR), joins the Filipino human rights defenders, environmental advocates, people’s organizations, and international rights groups in strongly denouncing the killing of Engr. Fidella “Delle” Salvador, a people’s engineer, a community development worker and a woman of courage. 

She was killed by soldiers of the 41^st Infantry Battalion in Lacub, Abra in a pursuit operation against the New People’s Army on September 5, 2014. Engr. Salvador was on a project monitoring trip in the locality as part of her work as an independent consultant of the Cordillera Disaster Response and Development Services, when the incident happened.

We send our deepest condolences to her family and the communities and people she worked with. We give our highest salute to Engr. Salvador, committed, selfless and empowering woman.

We note, that the killing Engr. Salvador is the latest extra-judicial killing perpetrated against an environmental advocate, specially a disaster responder. A total of seventy-seven (77) environmental advocates have been killed since 2001, of which thirty-nine (39) killings occurred under your administration.

CPSHR demands justice for Engr. Salvador and other victims of extrajudicial killings , those who have experience enforced disappearances, illegal detention for their principled stand against systemic oppression through repressive State policies such as Oplan Bayanihan. We take into account that to this day, the perpetrators of these human rights abuses remain free and no one has been prosecuted, not even Ret. General Jovito Palparan, known as “The Butcher” for his ruthless architect of political killings.

Finally Mr. President, we urge your government to resume the Peace Talks with the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDF) to earnestly address the root causes of armed conflict in issues affecting the majority of the Filipino people: landlessness, poverty and hunger, environmental destruction, human rights violations to name a few. It is only through addressing these basic issues that are affecting the majority of the population, you call your “bosses,” could a nation achieve a just and lasting peace.

Thank you and we hope for your immediate attention and action on this case.

Respectfully yours,

The Canada-Philippines Solidarity for Human Rights (CPSHR)

 

H.E. Benigno C. Aquino III

President of the Republic

Malacañang Palace,

JP Laurel St., San Miguel

Manila Philippines

Voice: (+632) 564 1451 to 80

Fax: (+632) 742-1641 / 929-3968

E-mail: op@president.gov.ph

 

Sec. Teresita Quintos-Deles

Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process

Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPAPP)

7th Floor Agustin Building I

Emerald Avenue

Pasig City 1605

Voice:+63 (2) 636 0701 to 066

Fax:+63 (2) 638 2216

stqd.papp@opapp.gov.ph

 

Ret. Lt. Gen. Voltaire T. Gazmin

Secretary, Department of National Defense

Room 301 DND Building, Camp Emilio Aguinaldo,

E. de los Santos Avenue, Quezon City

Voice:+63(2) 911-6193 / 911-0488 / 982-5600

Fax:+63(2) 982-5600

Email: osnd@philonline.com, dnd.opla@gmail.com

Atty. Leila De Lima

Secretary, Department of Justice

Padre Faura St., Manila

Direct Line 521-1908

Trunkline 523-84-81 loc.211/214

Fax: (+632) 523-9548

Email: lmdelima@doj.gov.ph, lmdelima.doj@gmail.com,lmdelima.doj2@gmail.com

 

Hon. Loretta Ann P. Rosales

Chairperson, Commission on Human Rights

SAAC Bldg., UP Complex

Commonwealth Avenue

Diliman, Quezon City, Philippines

Voice: (+632) 928-5655, 926-6188

Fax: (+632) 929 0102

Email: chair.rosales.chr@gmail.com, lorettann@gmail.com