www.chinaview.cn 2008-09-09 23:34:57
MANILA, Sept. 9 (Xinhua) -- Despite all disputes, American troops will continue to stay in Mindanao unless the Philippine government ask them to leave, the U.S. embassy in Manila said on Tuesday.
Rebecca Thompson, spokesperson for the U.S. Embassy, said that American troops are in the Southeast Asian country because they are "invited" by Manila and that their presence is covered by the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA), a bilateral defense agreement signed by the Philippines and U.S. governments.
"I can only emphasize that U.S. forces serve here at the request of your government," said the spokesperson.
"U.S. troops are here at the invitation of the government of the Philippines and they're here to support and share information with the Armed Forces of the Philippines," she added.
Thompson made the statement amid criticism that the "visiting" U.S. troops have "overstayed" in the country's southern region of Mindanao.
The United States in 1992 ended nearly a century of military presence in its former colony when it left the Subic naval base after the Philippine Senate refused to renew the two countries' military bases treaty.
In 2002, under the panoply of the Visiting Forces Agreement, U.S. special forces numbering about 200 men arrived in Zamboanga, Mindanao with a mission of training Philippine soldiers in fighting terrorists on nearby Basilan island. Over the years, their numbers have swollen to 600, with some units focusing on what officials described as "humanitarian missions."
The U.S. troops have been in Mindanao for six years, rather than a "temporary" stay of six months in accordance with the agreement involved, said Renato Reyes, head of Bayan, or New Patriotic Alliance. Bayan is a Philippine political coalition of over 1,000 grassroots and progressive organizations.
Reyes said that Bayan has already filed a petition questioning the constitutionality of the agreement and that the Philippine Supreme Court has set oral arguments about it for Sept. 19.
"The problem with the VFA is that it does not define in clear and uncertain terms the scope, duration of stay and the extent of the engagement of U.S. troops. In some ways, it is worse than the previous U.S. bases agreement because of its vagueness. For all intents and purposes, an unlimited number of U.S. troops can stay here for an unlimited period of time, even if there are no joint military exercises," Reyes said.
"If that isn't virtual basing, then what is?" he added.
Last week, leading newspaper Philippine Daily Inquirer reported that the so-called "visiting forces" seem to have become a permanent deployment in the southern Philippines.
Edgar Araojo, a political science professor at the Western Mindanao State University, told the newspaper that he had found several U.S. military facilities established by the Americans in Zamboanga, Mindanao.
On Tuesday, Thompson reiterated that the United States is not maintaining a permanent military base in Mindanao.
She said that the U.S. soldiers assigned in Mindanao are not based there permanently, but are assigned on "short tours of duty."
"Everything they do is coordinated with or at the request of the AFP (Armed Forces the Philippines). Everything they do is according to the Visiting Forces Agreement and troops here are on short tours of duty," said the spokesperson.
American officials in Manila admitted that U.S. military structures in Mindanao do exist. However, they said those are only for "temporary" use.
They are being utilized only for "medical, logistical, administrative services" and as facilities for American soldiers "for them to eat, sleep and work," according to the U.S. embassy.
They said that U.S. troops "train, advise, and assist" the Philippine military in their war against terror and denied that they are engaged in actual combat.
Foreign troops are prohibited under the Constitution to engage in combat operation in the Philippines.
The continued presence of U.S. forces in Mindanao, a region constantly plagued by war, have come under fire recently from critics and militant groups, saying the Americans have already established a de-facto military base in the South.
They said that the U.S. military has never left the country and continues to maintain small, discreet units in the Philippines even after their bases were shut down in 1992.
Editor: Yan
Showing posts with label Philippines. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Philippines. Show all posts
Philippine People Want U.S. Troops Out Now But See No Change Coming
Obama will still pursue US imperialism – CPP
11/08/2008 | 05:07 AM
MANILA, Philippines - US imperialism will still be the same even under new President-elect Barack Obama, the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) said late Friday.
In a statement, the CPP said it is an irony because Obama's victory reflects the American people's rejection of the militarist and neo-conservative Bush regime.
"Imperialism's continuing policies of global hegemony, plunder and war, however, blur the line of demarcation between Democrats and Republicans--between Obama and Bush--and show that they simply represent two factions of the US monopoly bourgeoisie. The current deepening recession and desperation in the US and the world capitalist system is pushing the US to intensify imperialist exploitation, plunder and oppression in its home country and its semi-colonies, covet more areas for expansion and wage wars of counter-revolution and aggression," it said on its website, http://www.philippinerevolution.net/.
Based on the imperialist tenet, Obama will continue to expand US military-industrial complex, flex its military muscle and wage big and small wars to pursue the thrust for hegemony.
Hegemony dictates that rivals must be shut off from encroaching into US’ vast empire, and that new markets and territories must be seized for greater plunder and clout.
"The escalation of US imperialist aggression is a matter of fact, especially in the face of the global economic crisis," it said.
The CPP's scathing remarks against Obama came a day after US ambassador to the Philippines Kristie Ann Kenney said the US will not likely withdraw its troops from the Philippines, as demanded by left-leaning militant groups.
Yet, the CPP noted that Obama, who ran under the Democratic Party, presented himself purportedly as an antithesis of Republican George Bush Jr.
"He took advantage of the current intense and widespread disenchantment of the American people, especially in the face of the US political and military disasters in Iraq and Afghanistan and the worst economic crisis in the US since the Great Depression," the CPP said.
It said, Obama would only serve as US imperialism's new lead instrument for all this.
"Shrouded in his Democratic Party and populist rhetoric, US hegemonic thrust and aggressiveness only become more devious that ever. This is not unprecedented, even among US rulers from the Democratic Party. The populist US president John F. Kennedy launched the Bay of Pigs invasion of Cuba in 1961. He and his successor Lyndon B. Johnson escalated the Vietnam war throughout the 1960s. 'New Deal' president Franklin Delano Roosevelt employed World War II to revive the US economy from the Great Depression," it said.
Obama has repeatedly vouched for the Bush-initiated war of terror and is actively gathering support for continued US military interventionism especially in the oil-rich regions of the Middle East, Central and Southeast Asia, the CPP said.
It added he has specifically advocated sending an additional 10,000 troops to Afghanistan and carrying out unilateral strikes at its borders with Pakistan, on the pretext of going after the al-Qaeda.
While calling for the eventual withdrawal of American troops in Iraq, he has also made clear that the US would continue to exert its military presence there in order to ensure that the puppet Iraqi government would carry out US dictates, it said.
Last June, the CPP recalled Obama also advocated continuing military intervention in the Philippines saying that he would support the Balikatan military exercises in the mane of "friendship" between the US and its neo-colonial client state.
"He has completely disregarded the fact that the Balikatan is used to camouflage the building up of permanent US military presence and interventionism in the country in outright violation of Philippine sovereignty. He has called for the further expansion of programs to supply weapons to the Philippine military, in utter disdain of the several hundreds of thousands victimized by the Arroyo administration’s Oplan Bantay Laya being waged under the tutelage and support of the US military," the CPP said.
The CPP urged Filipinos and Americans "not to allow themselves to be beguiled by the deceptions of the newly elected American president."
"The CPP is confident that the working class and people of the world will persist with resoluteness in their struggle against imperialism and reaction, and for the attainment of national and social liberation, democracy and progress," it said. - GMANews.TV
11/08/2008 | 05:07 AM
MANILA, Philippines - US imperialism will still be the same even under new President-elect Barack Obama, the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) said late Friday.
In a statement, the CPP said it is an irony because Obama's victory reflects the American people's rejection of the militarist and neo-conservative Bush regime.
"Imperialism's continuing policies of global hegemony, plunder and war, however, blur the line of demarcation between Democrats and Republicans--between Obama and Bush--and show that they simply represent two factions of the US monopoly bourgeoisie. The current deepening recession and desperation in the US and the world capitalist system is pushing the US to intensify imperialist exploitation, plunder and oppression in its home country and its semi-colonies, covet more areas for expansion and wage wars of counter-revolution and aggression," it said on its website, http://www.philippinerevolution.net/.
Based on the imperialist tenet, Obama will continue to expand US military-industrial complex, flex its military muscle and wage big and small wars to pursue the thrust for hegemony.
Hegemony dictates that rivals must be shut off from encroaching into US’ vast empire, and that new markets and territories must be seized for greater plunder and clout.
"The escalation of US imperialist aggression is a matter of fact, especially in the face of the global economic crisis," it said.
The CPP's scathing remarks against Obama came a day after US ambassador to the Philippines Kristie Ann Kenney said the US will not likely withdraw its troops from the Philippines, as demanded by left-leaning militant groups.
Yet, the CPP noted that Obama, who ran under the Democratic Party, presented himself purportedly as an antithesis of Republican George Bush Jr.
"He took advantage of the current intense and widespread disenchantment of the American people, especially in the face of the US political and military disasters in Iraq and Afghanistan and the worst economic crisis in the US since the Great Depression," the CPP said.
It said, Obama would only serve as US imperialism's new lead instrument for all this.
"Shrouded in his Democratic Party and populist rhetoric, US hegemonic thrust and aggressiveness only become more devious that ever. This is not unprecedented, even among US rulers from the Democratic Party. The populist US president John F. Kennedy launched the Bay of Pigs invasion of Cuba in 1961. He and his successor Lyndon B. Johnson escalated the Vietnam war throughout the 1960s. 'New Deal' president Franklin Delano Roosevelt employed World War II to revive the US economy from the Great Depression," it said.
Obama has repeatedly vouched for the Bush-initiated war of terror and is actively gathering support for continued US military interventionism especially in the oil-rich regions of the Middle East, Central and Southeast Asia, the CPP said.
It added he has specifically advocated sending an additional 10,000 troops to Afghanistan and carrying out unilateral strikes at its borders with Pakistan, on the pretext of going after the al-Qaeda.
While calling for the eventual withdrawal of American troops in Iraq, he has also made clear that the US would continue to exert its military presence there in order to ensure that the puppet Iraqi government would carry out US dictates, it said.
Last June, the CPP recalled Obama also advocated continuing military intervention in the Philippines saying that he would support the Balikatan military exercises in the mane of "friendship" between the US and its neo-colonial client state.
"He has completely disregarded the fact that the Balikatan is used to camouflage the building up of permanent US military presence and interventionism in the country in outright violation of Philippine sovereignty. He has called for the further expansion of programs to supply weapons to the Philippine military, in utter disdain of the several hundreds of thousands victimized by the Arroyo administration’s Oplan Bantay Laya being waged under the tutelage and support of the US military," the CPP said.
The CPP urged Filipinos and Americans "not to allow themselves to be beguiled by the deceptions of the newly elected American president."
"The CPP is confident that the working class and people of the world will persist with resoluteness in their struggle against imperialism and reaction, and for the attainment of national and social liberation, democracy and progress," it said. - GMANews.TV
US Troops Deployed In Southern RP (Philippines) Due For Rotation
The Mindanao Examiner, Sept. 22, 2008
"It's same process with AFP tour of duty" — WesMinCom chief
ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines - The United States armed forces being temporarily deployed to southern Philippines are due for rotation for the next two to three weeks.
This is the statement of Marine Lt. Gen. Nelson Allaga, chief of the Western Mindanao Command, in a phone interview. Allaga stressed that "the US forces are here on a temporary basis, and upon invitation of the Philippine Government."
"There really is nothing suspicious about it. It is a simple turn-over of personnel who have been on tour of duty here in the Philippines for a short time, and for personnel who will be on tour of duty also for a short period," the 3-star Marine general said. "It's the same process with the AFP, actually, and is just a normal replacement of troops."
The WesMinCom commander, who is now in the country's capital region, shared that he was called to appear before the Senate by Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago.
Allaga said Task Force Comet chief Marine Maj. Gen. Juancho Sabban has already sent him facsimiles of resolutions from some Jolo-based groups resisting the presence of US forces in Sulu province.
"The issue here is transparency, and the US military has been transparent in their assistance and support not only to the AFP but even to the PNP," he said.
The WesMinCom chief the cited the training conducted by the US military for the Philippine National Police forces twice in Jolo, and once in Zamboanga City for the entire Police Regional Office 9.
"We soldiers and policemen are benefiting from the trainings that the JSOTFP is conducting for us. We do projects for communities together, and in some places, there are many civilians helping us out. In fact, there are more supporters than critics," Gen. Allaga stated.
In a separate interview, Joint Special Operations Task Force-Philippines commander Col. William Coultrup said, "During the next couple of weeks, the people of Zamboanga will notice more US military cargo aircraft flying in and out of the airport in Zamboanga City."
"This is the end of the short-term deployment for some of the US military that have been here in Mindanao assisting the AFP," he added.
The Western Mindanao Command yesterday issued a general statement stating that, "In the course of the standard rotation of temporarily deployed US military personnel, a number of US troops in the southern Philippines will be changing over. This normal rotation is necessary due to the temporary nature of the US military presence in the Southern Philippines.
During this time, there will be an increase in the number of US aircraft flying in and out of the airport in Zamboanga City. This rotation will not affect the overall number of US troops in the Philippines. The troops arriving in the Philippines will replace the same number of troops returning to their home bases."
"There will be other troops coming in to start their temporary stay here at the request of the Government of the Philippines in order to support new projects that we have jointly planned with WestMinCom," Coultrup, a US Army colonel, said.
US TROOPS MERELY REPLACED
In a separate interview at the WesMinCom Headquarters, WesMinCom deputy spokesman Captain Rommel Miguel elaborated that "the rotation policy of the US military is always done every six months."
Some of the American soldiers will be arriving on board a C-17, others on the C-130 along with some of the equipment that the Philippine Armed Forces have requested to facilitate the infrastructure and engineering projects that are projected to be done as part of the two military allies' joint support for education in southern Philippines. Other soldiers will also be coming in on board commercial flights, he said.
"We are going through our normal troop rotation, so from now until October 3, there will be US military cargo aircraft coming and going," added JSOTFP Public Affairs Officer Maj. Kenneth Hoffman who is himself leaving the Philippines as he too will be replaced.
"Some of the US troops will be leaving and their equipment will also be getting out, so they will be replaced by the same number of troops and equipment relieving them," said WesMinCom deputy spokesman Captain Rommel Miguel.
The US military has been providing support to the Philippine Armed Forces for decades now. Such alliance was established under the Mutual Defense Treaty of 1951, and affirmed by the Visiting Forces Agreement.
The US has similar support with some other Asian nations, and has also manifested alliance in providing regional support to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), especially following the ASEAN Convention on Terrorism.
"I am grateful for all the support and help that Lt. Gen. (Nelson) Allaga and the AFP have provided to the US military. Our troops look forward to working with and learning from the AFP in the future," JSOTFP commander Col. Coultrup concluded. (Frencie L. Carreon)
"It's same process with AFP tour of duty" — WesMinCom chief
ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines - The United States armed forces being temporarily deployed to southern Philippines are due for rotation for the next two to three weeks.
This is the statement of Marine Lt. Gen. Nelson Allaga, chief of the Western Mindanao Command, in a phone interview. Allaga stressed that "the US forces are here on a temporary basis, and upon invitation of the Philippine Government."
"There really is nothing suspicious about it. It is a simple turn-over of personnel who have been on tour of duty here in the Philippines for a short time, and for personnel who will be on tour of duty also for a short period," the 3-star Marine general said. "It's the same process with the AFP, actually, and is just a normal replacement of troops."
The WesMinCom commander, who is now in the country's capital region, shared that he was called to appear before the Senate by Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago.
Allaga said Task Force Comet chief Marine Maj. Gen. Juancho Sabban has already sent him facsimiles of resolutions from some Jolo-based groups resisting the presence of US forces in Sulu province.
"The issue here is transparency, and the US military has been transparent in their assistance and support not only to the AFP but even to the PNP," he said.
The WesMinCom chief the cited the training conducted by the US military for the Philippine National Police forces twice in Jolo, and once in Zamboanga City for the entire Police Regional Office 9.
"We soldiers and policemen are benefiting from the trainings that the JSOTFP is conducting for us. We do projects for communities together, and in some places, there are many civilians helping us out. In fact, there are more supporters than critics," Gen. Allaga stated.
In a separate interview, Joint Special Operations Task Force-Philippines commander Col. William Coultrup said, "During the next couple of weeks, the people of Zamboanga will notice more US military cargo aircraft flying in and out of the airport in Zamboanga City."
"This is the end of the short-term deployment for some of the US military that have been here in Mindanao assisting the AFP," he added.
The Western Mindanao Command yesterday issued a general statement stating that, "In the course of the standard rotation of temporarily deployed US military personnel, a number of US troops in the southern Philippines will be changing over. This normal rotation is necessary due to the temporary nature of the US military presence in the Southern Philippines.
During this time, there will be an increase in the number of US aircraft flying in and out of the airport in Zamboanga City. This rotation will not affect the overall number of US troops in the Philippines. The troops arriving in the Philippines will replace the same number of troops returning to their home bases."
"There will be other troops coming in to start their temporary stay here at the request of the Government of the Philippines in order to support new projects that we have jointly planned with WestMinCom," Coultrup, a US Army colonel, said.
US TROOPS MERELY REPLACED
In a separate interview at the WesMinCom Headquarters, WesMinCom deputy spokesman Captain Rommel Miguel elaborated that "the rotation policy of the US military is always done every six months."
Some of the American soldiers will be arriving on board a C-17, others on the C-130 along with some of the equipment that the Philippine Armed Forces have requested to facilitate the infrastructure and engineering projects that are projected to be done as part of the two military allies' joint support for education in southern Philippines. Other soldiers will also be coming in on board commercial flights, he said.
"We are going through our normal troop rotation, so from now until October 3, there will be US military cargo aircraft coming and going," added JSOTFP Public Affairs Officer Maj. Kenneth Hoffman who is himself leaving the Philippines as he too will be replaced.
"Some of the US troops will be leaving and their equipment will also be getting out, so they will be replaced by the same number of troops and equipment relieving them," said WesMinCom deputy spokesman Captain Rommel Miguel.
The US military has been providing support to the Philippine Armed Forces for decades now. Such alliance was established under the Mutual Defense Treaty of 1951, and affirmed by the Visiting Forces Agreement.
The US has similar support with some other Asian nations, and has also manifested alliance in providing regional support to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), especially following the ASEAN Convention on Terrorism.
"I am grateful for all the support and help that Lt. Gen. (Nelson) Allaga and the AFP have provided to the US military. Our troops look forward to working with and learning from the AFP in the future," JSOTFP commander Col. Coultrup concluded. (Frencie L. Carreon)
CRIMINALIZING POLITICAL DISSENT: THE WAR ON TERROR & THE PHILIPPINE SCENARIO
Sunday, September 9, 2007, 2-4 pm
Revolution Books
9 West 19th Street (between 5th and 6th Ave.)
212.691.3345
Since 9/11, The War on Terror, led by the United States, has taken on several terrifying dimensions. Images of black hooded prisoners in Abu Ghraib, news stories about wiretapping journalists, the exposure of the CIA's network of detention facilities in "black sites" all over the "democratic" govenments of Europe and Asia and the insurgencies in Iraq and Afghanistan are all part of its aftermath.
While these events are covered by the mainstream media, other -- more insidious acts -- are being perpetrated by governments around the world, under the guise of the War on Terror. The Philippines, known as the War's "Second Front" and America's "closest ally" in the Pacific region, has become a hotbed of political kilings and repression. As a result, the Philippines is today the most lethal place for journalists, second only to Iraq, and one of the most dangerous countries for lawyers and judges.
Join GABRIELA Network and the Alliance for a Just and Lasting Peace in the Philippines as they discuss how the government of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo -- with the full support of the United States government -- has cracked down on its dissenters to purge the country of opposition, extending its reach even beyond its borders in placing US activists on its "terror watch" lists and masterminding the arrests and raids of Filipinos working and living in countries abroad, including that of the recent detention of Jose Maria Sison, a beloved leader of the Philippine people who has tirelessly worked for peace for his homeland.
The forum will include:
~ Reportback from a member of the GABNet 3 (group of US-based women's activists held on a "watchlist" by the Philippine government)
~ Reportback from a Filipina-American Youth Activist about her experience of being included in the Philippine government's "hold-order list"
~ Multi-media presentation on the Philippine situation and the Human Security Act 2007
~ Launching of the Hands Off Joma Sison Campaign
This event is free and open to the public. Seats are limited. Light snacks and drinks will be served. For more info, please contact nynj@gabnet. org or ugnayan_nyc@ yahoo.com.
GABRIELA Network NYNJ
PO Box 403
Times Square Station
New York, NY 10108
1.212.592.3507
www.gabnet.org
www.myspace.com/gabnetnynj
http://gabnetnynj.blogspot.com/
Revolution Books
9 West 19th Street (between 5th and 6th Ave.)
212.691.3345
Since 9/11, The War on Terror, led by the United States, has taken on several terrifying dimensions. Images of black hooded prisoners in Abu Ghraib, news stories about wiretapping journalists, the exposure of the CIA's network of detention facilities in "black sites" all over the "democratic" govenments of Europe and Asia and the insurgencies in Iraq and Afghanistan are all part of its aftermath.
While these events are covered by the mainstream media, other -- more insidious acts -- are being perpetrated by governments around the world, under the guise of the War on Terror. The Philippines, known as the War's "Second Front" and America's "closest ally" in the Pacific region, has become a hotbed of political kilings and repression. As a result, the Philippines is today the most lethal place for journalists, second only to Iraq, and one of the most dangerous countries for lawyers and judges.
Join GABRIELA Network and the Alliance for a Just and Lasting Peace in the Philippines as they discuss how the government of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo -- with the full support of the United States government -- has cracked down on its dissenters to purge the country of opposition, extending its reach even beyond its borders in placing US activists on its "terror watch" lists and masterminding the arrests and raids of Filipinos working and living in countries abroad, including that of the recent detention of Jose Maria Sison, a beloved leader of the Philippine people who has tirelessly worked for peace for his homeland.
The forum will include:
~ Reportback from a member of the GABNet 3 (group of US-based women's activists held on a "watchlist" by the Philippine government)
~ Reportback from a Filipina-American Youth Activist about her experience of being included in the Philippine government's "hold-order list"
~ Multi-media presentation on the Philippine situation and the Human Security Act 2007
~ Launching of the Hands Off Joma Sison Campaign
This event is free and open to the public. Seats are limited. Light snacks and drinks will be served. For more info, please contact nynj@gabnet. org or ugnayan_nyc@ yahoo.com.
GABRIELA Network NYNJ
PO Box 403
Times Square Station
New York, NY 10108
1.212.592.3507
www.gabnet.org
www.myspace.com/gabnetnynj
http://gabnetnynj.blogspot.com/
FREE PROF. JOSE MARIA SISON !
Sign the online petition and send emails to Dutch, Filipino, U.N. and U.S. officials and members of the media!
Joma Sison Questions & Answers Fact Sheet
What you can do to demand the release of beloved Philippine leader falsely arrested and in detention
On August 28, 2007 Professor Jose Maria Sison, a Filipino political refugee living in exile for 20 years in Utrecht, Netherlands, was lured by Dutch police under false pretenses, arrested and unjustly detained. As the chief political consultant of the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP), Professor Sison has been an instrumental force in pursuing peace talks between the Government of the Philippines and the Philippine underground movement. Sison was a political prisoner under the Marcos dictatorship and has since been exiled and suffers continuous harassment and persecution by the Philippine Government.
At the age of 68, Professor Sison is one of the most influential figures in Philippine politics, highly regarded by millions of Filipino workers, peasants, women, students, national minorities, and other segments of Philippine society seeking national sovereignty and genuine democracy for their homeland.
Internationally, he is a renowned writer and poet and a highly respected anti-imperialist intellectual providing incisive analysis on the crisis of the world capitalist system. He is currently the chairperson of the International League of Peoples Struggle (ILPS), an alliance of over 100 peoples organizations from over 20 countries in the world advancing national independence, democracy and social liberation.
At the same time as his arrest, the Dutch police, in Gestapo-like fashion, raided the homes and seized the property of 7 other NDF personnel, This bolsters our belief that Prof. Sison is not the only target of the attacks. The entire NDFP Peace Panel based in the Netherlands are also being subjected to harassment and repression.
According to Netherlands authorities, Sison is being charged with incitement to murder in the Philippines. Dutch prosecutors allege that he ordered the killings of Filipinos Romulo Kintanar and Arturo Tabara. This is only the latest in the long list of politically-motivated false charges being levied against Sison. Recently, the Philippine Supreme Court dismissed the rebellion charges against Sison and 50 other personalities including progressive members of the Philippine Congress and leaders of the mass movement. The court ruled that the pieces of alleged evidence used in the rebellion cases, including the Kintanar and Tabara deaths, can no longer be used in other legal proceedings against Sison and his co-accused.
The attacks on Sison are part of the continuing political repression being implemented by the US-backed Arroyo regime. In the past, this has included extrajudicial kilings, abductions and the filing of false charges against activists and critics of the Arroyo regime.
As Sison is one of the sharpest critics of US imperialism and Philippine President Arroyo's puppetry to the Bush regime, the Bush-Arroyo clique have worked hand and hand to criminalize him, even going as far as placing him on the U.S. list of Foreign Terrorists. Just last month, the Court of First Instance of the European Court of Justice nullified the Council of the European Union’s inclusion of Sison on their "Terrorist List" and they found no basis or due process for the original listing.
The solitary confinement and treatment of Sison, not allowing visitors such as his wife, children, or his doctor to see him, while in detention violates provisions of the United Nations High Comission on the Rights of Refugees. Sison is a recognized political refugee in the Netherlands.
We again call on all truth and freedom seeking people to help defend Professor Sison's rights and demand that the Netherlands authorities release him at once.
Sign the online petiton and send emails to public officials
CALL, FAX, MAIL, AND/OR VISIT ACCOUNTABLE BODIES IN THE NETHERLANDS, PHILIPPINES, UNITED STATES, & UNITED NATIONS TO DEMAND IMMEDIATE AND UNCONDITIONAL JUSTICE NOW!
(Phone numbers, fax numbers, emails and addresses of officials are listed at freejomapetiton.org/freejomapetition.html along with the text of the petition, which can also be used as a script for call-ups or visits to officials. The text can also be printed as a petition and names gathered in support.)
FREE JOMA SISON!
DROP ALL THE FALSE CHARGES!
STOP THE POLITICAL PERSECUTION OF FILIPINO PROGRESSIVES!
FreeJomaPetition.org
Solidarity Center - 5C
55 West 17th St
New York, NY 10011
For further information call: (212) 633-6646
FreeJomaNow@gmail.com
Important Links for More Information:
Joma Sison Questions & Answers Fact Sheet
www.josemariasison.org - Personal website for Prof. Jose Maria Sison, including biographical information, list of literary works, poems, and multimedia.
migrante-europe.net - Website for Europe chapter of Migrante, the largest alliance of Filipino organizations overseas for the protection of Filipino immigrants
defendsison.be - Official for the International Committee to Defend the Democratic Rights of Prof. Jose Maria Sison
www.zumel.com - Home of the Antonio Zumel Center for Press Freedom, in honor of the late Filipino journalist, political exile, and modern-day revolutionary Antonio Zumel
www.bayan.ph - Official website for Bagong Alyansang Makabayan, or BAYAN, a national alliance of Filipino organizations advancing the struggle for genuine sovereignty and democracy in the Philippines
www.bayanusa.org - official webpage of the US Chapter of BAYAN Philippines - the only overseas chapter
bulatlat.com - Progressive and pro-people news media source in the Philippines
arkibongbayan.org - Archives of rallies, demos, and forums advancing the Philippine people's movement for genuine sovereignty and democracy
Joma Sison Questions & Answers Fact Sheet
What you can do to demand the release of beloved Philippine leader falsely arrested and in detention
On August 28, 2007 Professor Jose Maria Sison, a Filipino political refugee living in exile for 20 years in Utrecht, Netherlands, was lured by Dutch police under false pretenses, arrested and unjustly detained. As the chief political consultant of the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP), Professor Sison has been an instrumental force in pursuing peace talks between the Government of the Philippines and the Philippine underground movement. Sison was a political prisoner under the Marcos dictatorship and has since been exiled and suffers continuous harassment and persecution by the Philippine Government.
At the age of 68, Professor Sison is one of the most influential figures in Philippine politics, highly regarded by millions of Filipino workers, peasants, women, students, national minorities, and other segments of Philippine society seeking national sovereignty and genuine democracy for their homeland.
Internationally, he is a renowned writer and poet and a highly respected anti-imperialist intellectual providing incisive analysis on the crisis of the world capitalist system. He is currently the chairperson of the International League of Peoples Struggle (ILPS), an alliance of over 100 peoples organizations from over 20 countries in the world advancing national independence, democracy and social liberation.
At the same time as his arrest, the Dutch police, in Gestapo-like fashion, raided the homes and seized the property of 7 other NDF personnel, This bolsters our belief that Prof. Sison is not the only target of the attacks. The entire NDFP Peace Panel based in the Netherlands are also being subjected to harassment and repression.
According to Netherlands authorities, Sison is being charged with incitement to murder in the Philippines. Dutch prosecutors allege that he ordered the killings of Filipinos Romulo Kintanar and Arturo Tabara. This is only the latest in the long list of politically-motivated false charges being levied against Sison. Recently, the Philippine Supreme Court dismissed the rebellion charges against Sison and 50 other personalities including progressive members of the Philippine Congress and leaders of the mass movement. The court ruled that the pieces of alleged evidence used in the rebellion cases, including the Kintanar and Tabara deaths, can no longer be used in other legal proceedings against Sison and his co-accused.
The attacks on Sison are part of the continuing political repression being implemented by the US-backed Arroyo regime. In the past, this has included extrajudicial kilings, abductions and the filing of false charges against activists and critics of the Arroyo regime.
As Sison is one of the sharpest critics of US imperialism and Philippine President Arroyo's puppetry to the Bush regime, the Bush-Arroyo clique have worked hand and hand to criminalize him, even going as far as placing him on the U.S. list of Foreign Terrorists. Just last month, the Court of First Instance of the European Court of Justice nullified the Council of the European Union’s inclusion of Sison on their "Terrorist List" and they found no basis or due process for the original listing.
The solitary confinement and treatment of Sison, not allowing visitors such as his wife, children, or his doctor to see him, while in detention violates provisions of the United Nations High Comission on the Rights of Refugees. Sison is a recognized political refugee in the Netherlands.
We again call on all truth and freedom seeking people to help defend Professor Sison's rights and demand that the Netherlands authorities release him at once.
Sign the online petiton and send emails to public officials
CALL, FAX, MAIL, AND/OR VISIT ACCOUNTABLE BODIES IN THE NETHERLANDS, PHILIPPINES, UNITED STATES, & UNITED NATIONS TO DEMAND IMMEDIATE AND UNCONDITIONAL JUSTICE NOW!
(Phone numbers, fax numbers, emails and addresses of officials are listed at freejomapetiton.org/freejomapetition.html along with the text of the petition, which can also be used as a script for call-ups or visits to officials. The text can also be printed as a petition and names gathered in support.)
FREE JOMA SISON!
DROP ALL THE FALSE CHARGES!
STOP THE POLITICAL PERSECUTION OF FILIPINO PROGRESSIVES!
FreeJomaPetition.org
Solidarity Center - 5C
55 West 17th St
New York, NY 10011
For further information call: (212) 633-6646
FreeJomaNow@gmail.com
Important Links for More Information:
Joma Sison Questions & Answers Fact Sheet
www.josemariasison.org - Personal website for Prof. Jose Maria Sison, including biographical information, list of literary works, poems, and multimedia.
migrante-europe.net - Website for Europe chapter of Migrante, the largest alliance of Filipino organizations overseas for the protection of Filipino immigrants
defendsison.be - Official for the International Committee to Defend the Democratic Rights of Prof. Jose Maria Sison
www.zumel.com - Home of the Antonio Zumel Center for Press Freedom, in honor of the late Filipino journalist, political exile, and modern-day revolutionary Antonio Zumel
www.bayan.ph - Official website for Bagong Alyansang Makabayan, or BAYAN, a national alliance of Filipino organizations advancing the struggle for genuine sovereignty and democracy in the Philippines
www.bayanusa.org - official webpage of the US Chapter of BAYAN Philippines - the only overseas chapter
bulatlat.com - Progressive and pro-people news media source in the Philippines
arkibongbayan.org - Archives of rallies, demos, and forums advancing the Philippine people's movement for genuine sovereignty and democracy
Release Jose Maria "Joma" Sison!
BAYAN USA News Release, Aug. 28, 2007
RELEASE JOMA SISON!!! --- BAYAN USA
Fil-Am Alliance Condemns Dubious Arrest of NDF Political Consultant
The US Chapter of Bagong Alyansang Makabayan, or BAYAN USA, an alliance of over 12 Filipino organizations in the US, vehemently condemned the arrest of the National Democratic Front Chief Political Consultant Jose Maria Sison last night by the Dutch Police on false charges of multiple murders.
The alliance further condemned the raiding of homes by the Dutch police of the NDF personnel.
Sison was arrested last night for multiple murders of Romulo Kintanar and Arturo Tabara. Police say Sison ordered the murders from the Netherlands back in 2003. Sison will be put on trial in the Netherlands, not the Philippines.
While the New People's Army has already come forward with admittance to the killings, Sison maintains he is not in the leadership of the NPA nor the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP).
BAYAN USA maintains the real reasons for Sison's arrest are political not criminal. Emergency actions will also be set at Dutch consulates across the country calling for Sison's immediate release.
"Behind the actions of the Dutch police is the Arroyo government, which since its ascendency has been in pursuit of Joma Sison and worked tirelessly to subdue his meaning to the people," states BAYAN USA Chair Chito Quijano.
The alliance, a member of the International League of Peoples Struggle, an international organization of which Sison serves as Chair, has been calling for a de-listing of Sison from the US and EU terrorist lists.
"It is in every interest of the US and Arroyo governments to confine Professor Sison for his politics. As the Chief Political Consultant to the organization that comprises one half of the stalled NDF-GRP peace negotiations, the Arroyo government is declaring to the world it is not interested in resuming peace talks," Quijano added.
BAYAN USA has also supported the resumption of peace talks between the NDF and GRP. The Arroyo administration just recently called to intensify the all-out war in Mindanao under the auspices of the US War on Terror as a measure to raise its annual pork barrel of military aid from the US government.
BAYAN USA also asserted it's been a year of hot water for the Arroyo administration, with isolation from human rights watchdogs such as the UNHRC, Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, and even a US Senate hearing that may influence US military aid to the Philippines. Sison, a political refugee in the Netherlands for nearly 20 years, has been one of the most famous and vocal critics of the Arroyo regime.
Earlier this year, a European court nullified Sison's terrorist listing. Since his listing of 2001, Sison had his assets frozen and right to work stripped. Sison remains on the US State Department's terrorist list.
For more information, contact BAYAN USA at info @ bayanusa.org.
EMERGENCY ACTION ALERT!!!!
Release Jose Maria "Joma" Sison!!!
Arrested Last Night!!!
Condemnation Picket in Front of the Dutch Consulate in New York
Wednesday, August 29th, 4pm
11 Rockefeller Center in Manhattan
Trains: B/D/F/V/N/R to Rockefeller Plaza
please bring your statements and placards
DEFEND JOSE MARIA SISON and ALL FILIPINO PROGRESSIVES!
organized by Committee Defend in New York, NY Committee for Human Rights in the Philippines, and BAYAN USA
RELEASE JOMA SISON!!! --- BAYAN USA
Fil-Am Alliance Condemns Dubious Arrest of NDF Political Consultant
The US Chapter of Bagong Alyansang Makabayan, or BAYAN USA, an alliance of over 12 Filipino organizations in the US, vehemently condemned the arrest of the National Democratic Front Chief Political Consultant Jose Maria Sison last night by the Dutch Police on false charges of multiple murders.
The alliance further condemned the raiding of homes by the Dutch police of the NDF personnel.
Sison was arrested last night for multiple murders of Romulo Kintanar and Arturo Tabara. Police say Sison ordered the murders from the Netherlands back in 2003. Sison will be put on trial in the Netherlands, not the Philippines.
While the New People's Army has already come forward with admittance to the killings, Sison maintains he is not in the leadership of the NPA nor the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP).
BAYAN USA maintains the real reasons for Sison's arrest are political not criminal. Emergency actions will also be set at Dutch consulates across the country calling for Sison's immediate release.
"Behind the actions of the Dutch police is the Arroyo government, which since its ascendency has been in pursuit of Joma Sison and worked tirelessly to subdue his meaning to the people," states BAYAN USA Chair Chito Quijano.
The alliance, a member of the International League of Peoples Struggle, an international organization of which Sison serves as Chair, has been calling for a de-listing of Sison from the US and EU terrorist lists.
"It is in every interest of the US and Arroyo governments to confine Professor Sison for his politics. As the Chief Political Consultant to the organization that comprises one half of the stalled NDF-GRP peace negotiations, the Arroyo government is declaring to the world it is not interested in resuming peace talks," Quijano added.
BAYAN USA has also supported the resumption of peace talks between the NDF and GRP. The Arroyo administration just recently called to intensify the all-out war in Mindanao under the auspices of the US War on Terror as a measure to raise its annual pork barrel of military aid from the US government.
BAYAN USA also asserted it's been a year of hot water for the Arroyo administration, with isolation from human rights watchdogs such as the UNHRC, Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, and even a US Senate hearing that may influence US military aid to the Philippines. Sison, a political refugee in the Netherlands for nearly 20 years, has been one of the most famous and vocal critics of the Arroyo regime.
Earlier this year, a European court nullified Sison's terrorist listing. Since his listing of 2001, Sison had his assets frozen and right to work stripped. Sison remains on the US State Department's terrorist list.
For more information, contact BAYAN USA at info @ bayanusa.org.
EMERGENCY ACTION ALERT!!!!
Release Jose Maria "Joma" Sison!!!
Arrested Last Night!!!
Condemnation Picket in Front of the Dutch Consulate in New York
Wednesday, August 29th, 4pm
11 Rockefeller Center in Manhattan
Trains: B/D/F/V/N/R to Rockefeller Plaza
please bring your statements and placards
DEFEND JOSE MARIA SISON and ALL FILIPINO PROGRESSIVES!
organized by Committee Defend in New York, NY Committee for Human Rights in the Philippines, and BAYAN USA
337 U.S. deaths in Afghanistan, region
AP - As of Friday, June 22, 2007, at least 337 members of the U.S. military have died in Afghanistan, Pakistan and Uzbekistan as a result of the U.S. invasion of Afghanistan in late 2001, according to the Defense Department. The department last updated its figures June 16, 2007.
Of those, the military reports 216 were killed by hostile action.
Outside the Afghan region, the Defense Department reports 61 more members of the U.S. military died in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. Of those, two were the result of hostile action. The military lists these other locations as: Guantanamo Bay Naval Base, Cuba; Djibouti; Eritrea; Jordan; Kenya; Kyrgyzstan; Philippines; Seychelles; Sudan; Tajikistan; Turkey and Yemen.
There were also four CIA officer deaths and one military civilian death.
___
The latest deaths reported by the military:
• No deaths reported.
___
The latest identifications reported by the military:
• Army Sgt. Dustin J. Perrott, 23, Fredericksburg, Va.; died Thursday in Miri of wounds suffered when an explosive detonated near his vehicle; was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, N.C.
___
On the Net:
http://www.defenselink.mil/news/
Of those, the military reports 216 were killed by hostile action.
Outside the Afghan region, the Defense Department reports 61 more members of the U.S. military died in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. Of those, two were the result of hostile action. The military lists these other locations as: Guantanamo Bay Naval Base, Cuba; Djibouti; Eritrea; Jordan; Kenya; Kyrgyzstan; Philippines; Seychelles; Sudan; Tajikistan; Turkey and Yemen.
There were also four CIA officer deaths and one military civilian death.
___
The latest deaths reported by the military:
• No deaths reported.
___
The latest identifications reported by the military:
• Army Sgt. Dustin J. Perrott, 23, Fredericksburg, Va.; died Thursday in Miri of wounds suffered when an explosive detonated near his vehicle; was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, N.C.
___
On the Net:
http://www.defenselink.mil/news/
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