Filipinas Relive 'Alay Lakad' in The Netherlands

Special Features (as of 1:17 AM)

Filipinas relive 'Alay Lakad' in The Netherlands

By LOUI GALICIA
ABS-CBN Europe News Bureau

Filipinas got to taste a little bit of home after finishing a five-kilometer walkathon “Alay Lakad” style in The Hague, Netherlands.

The "Duinenmars Walkathon" is held every year in order to support the activities of the youth particularly the scouts, as well as to strengthen the relationship of kins through a familial five-kilometer and ten-kilometer walk-for-a-cause.

It started in 1952 with 3,100 participants and among this year’s 12,500 marchers were 60 senior citizens in their 70s or 80s, who were part of the very first event.

The medals, marked 56 (for the 56th walk), which hung on these senior citizens' chests were certainly a source of inspiration to all the marchers.

Eric Weawal, a 78-year-old Dutch, didn’t mind battling five kilometers of rocky and sandy paths, as he walked with the help of a cane.

“I started walking for a cause in 1952. This is my 56th year and I will continue for my health and to help support the scouts,” he proudly said.

Another 83-year-old who did not want to be identified, walked in formal attire wearing a crisp, white long-sleeved shirt and beige trousers.

He wanted to look his best when he gets his 56th medal which may be his last as he feels his age is starting to catch up on him.

He explained that the walkathon can be done for two days, four times.

“I did 56 times. Walk everyday two. You can walk two days then you have four. In my case I walked different years two days, four marches, therefore at this moment, I have now 56. I didn’t walk 56 years, I have walked 56 times,” he said.

The chairman of Duinenmars, Louis Vander Pal, said that there are a lot of families walking.

“So people who have walked here for the eleventh time are now walking as grandparents with their grandchildren,” Vander Pal said.

The fund generated from the registration fees are allocated to benefit the different associations of scouts of South Holland and to the charities helping the handicapped youth.

Two Filipinas, remembering the Alay Lakad in the Philippines, which is also a walk-for-a-cause event organized in 1972, started the Duinenmars last year.

It wasn’t beginner’s luck for them because it rained the whole day with a temperature of 13 degrees Celsius.

Jimenez and Ebeo with daughters at the finish line.But that didn’t stop Rose Jimenez from dragging her two half-Dutch daughters, aged 12 and 10, to Duinenmars again this year.

“Actually second time na naming sumama dito sa Duinenmars. But this time it’s better because it’s dry. Last year it was really raining. Basang basa kaming lahat but it was fun. Bakit ginagawa? For a cause and for fun,” Jimenez said.

For another Filipina, it was déjà vu for mother and daughter.

Margie Ebeo has tons of amusing anecdotes to tell her 12-year-old daughter about her Alay Lakad days in Manila, from going home barefoot because of very sore feet to passing out because of the sweltering heat.

But she finds Duinenmars as an easy way to explain Alay Lakad to her daughter who crossed the finish line in her socks, also due to sore feet.

These Filipinas joined this charitable event not only to solidify their bondings with their daughters and share with them the experience of Alay Lakad, but also to inculcate in them the value of walking for a cause.

Indeed they are able to relive the sacrifices of their youth in such a far away continent as Europe, the Alay Lakad way.

SOURCE: WWW.ABS-CBNNEWS.COM

http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/storypage.aspx?StoryId=75546

Only Four Filipinos Cast First Seafarers Vote in Rotterdam

Only four Filipinos cast first seafarers vote in Rotterdam

By LOUI GALICIA
ABS-CBN Europe News Bureau

Only four seafarers were able to cast ballots in the first seafarers’ personal voting in Rotterdam, Netherlands, ABS-CBN Europe News Bureau reported.

Three COMELEC-deputized officials of the Philippine Embassy headed by Consul Leila Lora-Santos conducted the field voting for seafarers on April 25, aboard the "Pride of Rotterdam," a cruise ferry of the Dutch company P&O Ferries.

The embassy estimated around 80 Filipino seafarers on board the ship but as the voting procedure began, many turned out to be unregistered as Overseas Absentee Voters (OAVs) or are only registered in the Philippines.

It was quite a disappointing figure for the Embassy staff who traveled from The Hague to Europe’s largest port, bringing with them 80 ballots.

Lora-Santos told ABS-CBN’s Balitang Europe that "it is very sad that these seafarers took the time to line up in the hope of casting their ballots but only to find out that they were not on the list."

She added that it’s overwhelming to see and feel their eagerness to vote.

Media wasn’t allowed on board but the four seafarers who were able to vote sent hand-written testimonials to express why they had made the extra effort to vote.

Jonathan Bael said, "Ako si Jonathan Bael, may asawa at isang anak. Nakatira sa Mendez Crossing, Tagaytay City. Masarap ang pakiramdam ko kasi nagamit ko ang aking karapatan bilang Pilipino sa paraan ng pagboto (I’m Jonathan Bael, married and with 1 child. I live in Mendez Crossing, Tagaytay City I feel great since I was able to exercise my right as Filipino through my vote)."

Danilo Cordova said, "Ako po si Danilo Cordova, may asawa at tatlong anak, taga Batangas City. Malaking bagay po sa amin na makaboto ng sa ganoon ay mapili namin ang karapat-dapat na maging senador (I’m Canilo Cordova, married and with 3 children, from Batangas City. It’s a big deal to us to be able to vote and elect those who deserve to be senators)."

Dan Rey Madrigal said,"I’m Dan Rey San Miguel Madrigal, a proud Filipino seafarer-voter. It’s so nice to use my right to vote for the people that will lead my/our Philippines. Hail to all Filipino seafarers."

Larry Reyes said, "Ako po ay taga San Pedro Saug, Lubao, Pampanga. Ako po’y isang seafarer na nagta-trabaho dito sa Netherlands bilang isang steward. Natutuwa po ako na nakaboto ako dito sa ibang bansa (I’m from San Pedro Saug, Lubao, Pampanga. I’m a seafarer working in the Netherlands as a steard. I’m glad to have been able to vote here [even] in another country)"

Lora-Santos estimates around 1,500 registered seafarers for the Netherlands.

She said that the system of voting for seafarers is organized in such a way as to avoid double voting, should a seafarer attempt to vote again in another port.

"They go to us, then we report the same day to the COMELEC and also to the other ports sa buong mundo, etong seafarer na to bumoto na dito kaya (worldwide, this seafarer has already voted here) don’t allow him to vote. But the good thing in the system is that seafarers can now vote anywhere around the world di tulad nung dating eleksyon na pwede lang sila bumoto kung saan sila nag-register (unlike in the previous elections when they were only allowe to vote where they registered). Now they can just vote everywhere," Lora-Santos said.

In other news, postal voting continues to be sluggish in the Netherlands. After two weeks, only 38 ballots had been received by the Embassy from the 2,100 registered OAVs.

The Embassy started an information dissemination effort on OAV by hooking up with a popular Filipino radio program aired in Amsterdam. The radio program is a community service program of the Commission of Filipino Migrant Workers which can also be reached by Filipinos via the Internet.

Through "Atin To," the Embassy hopes to encourage a wider participation in the election during the last two weeks of voting.

SOURCE: WWW.ABS-CBNNEWS.COM

http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/storypage.aspx?StoryId=75257

ASEAN Must Hurry Toward Integration

Special Features (as of 3:27 AM)

'ASEAN must hurry toward integration '

By LOUI GALICIA
ABS-CBN Europe News Bureau

Rodolfo Severino said that the Association of Southeast Asian Countries should keep up with the fast pace of regionalization and globalization.

"It has at this point with the current trend of regionalization and globalization [it has to] move faster than what it has done," the former ASEAN secretary-general told ABS-CBN's "Balitang Europe."

Severino said that ASEAN has so far been a huge success.

"I think it has succeeded well in that it has adopted certain norms for the relations between states and also it had managed to engage the great powers to the affairs of Southeast Asia in a balanced and constructive way. At the same time it has laid the foundations for regional and economic integration," he said.

He added: "And it has formed the habits of the cooperation so that it is able to deal with problems that are transnational in nature like environmental pollution, pollution of the seas and the atmosphere, spread of contagious diseases, the combatting of transnational crime and so on."

But Severino said that ASEAN should start implementing fast the measures it has committed itself to, in integrating the economy by making the trading of goods and services easier and more free as well as the movements of capital and labor so that investments can pour into the region.

"Investments as we all know are necessary for the creation of jobs and the raising of standards of living," Severino said.

Severino was a keynote speaker at the 6th Asia-Europe Young Parliamentarians Meeting held in The Hague, Netherlands from Feb. 26-March 2, 2007.

The AEYPM gathered 51 young parliamentarians from 55 member countries in Asia and Europe. It was established from the Asia-Europe Meeting of heads of state and government against a backdrop that from among the younger members of the legislative bodies of ASEM partners will emerge the future leaders who would be charting the future course of their respective countries.

The Philippines was represented by Rep. Juan Edgardo Angara of Aurora while Paolo Benigno Aquino IV was the meeting’s special rapporteur.

The meeting aims to strengthen relations between Asia and Europe through people-to-people contact and exchange of ideas via working groups, on current important issues such as migration, terrorism and global warming.

In his keynote address, Severino said, "This gathering is very necessary because it’s very important for the understanding between the two continents of Asia and Europe. I think we have similarities and differences between the two continents. Asians and Europeans, despite many differences that are evident obviously have very much in common."

Severino envisions that the ASEAN is still very far from becoming a union like the European Union, which has adopted a one currency called the euro, for its 27-member countries.
The Europeans expressed full support for Asia.

The chairman of the meeting, Dutch parliamentarian Diederik Samson, is very optimistic that Europe and Asia will develop very solid relations.

"It’s just the beginning. We have 30 years of history of cooperation, of initiatives, but the real cooperation has to begin. I hope this meeting will spark a new era of cooperation between parliament and ultimately between people. Normal people to start cooperating because I still think that Europe and Asia can’t be separated. We will work together in the future," Samsom said.

Samsom also hopes that in the future, there will be free flow of migrants to Europe from Asia and vice versa.

"I do hope that there will be a time when Asians will move to Europe and Europeans to move to Asia. Because that would mean that both countries have something to offer for people that would like to spend their lives or create chances for themselves and families… I hope that we will develop ourselves towards a two-way migrating continent, the Europeans move towards Asia and Asians move backwards to Europe," Samsom said.

The AEYPM was inaugurated in Cebu in 1998.

SOURCE: WWW.ABS-CBNNEWS.COM

http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/storypage.aspx?StoryID=75189

Front Page (as of 4:42 AM)

5 ballots cast on first day of absentee voting in Netherlands


Last April 21 in China, Senior Accountant Roger Herrera sealed an envelope containing his ballot for the 2007 Philippine Senatorial and Partylist elections at the Philippine Embassy in Beijing, China, having traveled a 321 kilometers (200 miles) to exercise his right of suffrage.

Herrera took a six-hour bus ride to Beijing from Shanxi Province unmindful of the fact that in the Netherlands, only five overseas Filipino workers in the Netherlands cast their ballots last April 14, the opening day of overseas absentee voting for the mid term elections, ABS-CBN News reported.

The first two ballots came from Fritzy de Castro of Doordrecht and Josephine Franke of Deuringen, according to the Philippine Embassy at The Hague.

Another voter identified as Maridee Borja encouraged other OFWs to participate in the elections.

"’Pag gusto mong i-exercise ‘yung right mo, wala namang mahirap gawin (If you want to exercise your right, it won’t be hard to do," she said.

Borja, however, admitted that she only decided on the final list of her choice of candidates on the day she voted.

She said there is not enough information regarding the senatorial candidates.

This is the same reason why Mai-Mai Alanzano decided not to vote. "Wala akong kilala kung sino ang iboboto. Walang impormasyon kung sino mga candadates sa Pilipinas ngayon (I do not know who to vote. There is no information on who are the candidates in the Philippines)," she said.

Aside from the lack of background on the candidates’ identities, some of the OFWs in Netherlands are even unaware that there is an election going on.

"The problem is who disseminates the information. I know but COMELEC (Commission on Election) is not represented in Holland. Problema ng COMELEC ‘yun (It’s the COMELEC’s problem), one Filipino said.

Despite these problems, the Philippine Embassy in The Hague remains confident that voter’s turn out will be high by the time the voting closes on May 14.

With reports from DFA and Loui Galicia

SOURCE: WWW.ABS-CBNNEWS.COM

http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/storypage.aspx?StoryID=74993

OFWs Urge Senate Bets to Use the Internet

Front Page (as of 8:15 PM)

OFWs urge Senate bets to use the Internet

The Internet and the Filipino Channel are the only option of overseas Filipino voters living or working in The Netherlands to know what they need to learn about candidates running in the coming mid-term polls in the Philippines.

"Karanasan dito, malayo ang mga kababayan. Hindi natin kilala kung sino ang tumatakbo. Minsan iboboto na lang tayo kung sino ang sinabi ng mga kamag-anak natin na iboto natin," OFW Jun Saturay said.

They said that only party-list groups are making an effort to reach overseas voters located around the world.

For their part, representatives of some candidates explained that it is too difficult to do traditional campaigning like buying advertisement on television or putting up posters.

Meanwhile, senatorial bets Edgardo Angara and Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino urged overseas Filipinos to take advantage of the Internet and watch The Filipino Channel to know the qualities and platform of government of their candidates.

Overseas Filipinos said that national candidates in the coming mid-term polls are not giving them much importance setting aside the fact that a big portion of votes are coming from them.

They added that not all senatorial candidates are maintaining their websites that can be accessed through the Internet.

With a report from Loui Galicia and Balitang Europe

SOURCE: WWW.ABS-CBNNEWS.COM

http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/topofthehour.aspx?StoryId=73317

Christmas in the Spring

Special Features (as of 3:33 AM)

Christmas in the Spring

By LOUI GALICIA

ABS-CBN Europe News Bureau

Filipinos who have just arrived to work in Europe are in extreme culture shock to find that Holy Thursday and Good Friday are normal working days here.

But those who have been here for quite a while look forward to the joyous Easter celebration and the long three-day weekend.

Because here in Europe, Easter or the Day or Resurrection is the most important religious event observed by Roman and non-Roman Catholics. For the latter, it is more of an opportunity for a three-day breather from the very hectic life.

In fact, Monday after Easter is when almost all countries in Europe close for a holiday.

Unlike in the Philippines, there is no holy feeling during the Holy Week in Europe.

How can you do the traditional "Visita Iglesia" when churches are closed by the time one gets out of work?

How can one spend a day of reflection and prayers on Good Friday when one has to complete a 9-to-5 routine?

Very much like Christmas, Holy Week in Europe is more of a time of celebration and feasting. Shops are packed with people taking advantage of the Easter sale that offers as much as 30 percent discount.

Since Easter Monday is a big holiday, people do their shopping and groceries on either Holy Thursday or Good Friday to refill their pantries for the long weekend. At 5 in the afternoon of Black Saturday, there is a mad rush for Easter chocolate eggs, a traditional gift for children and loved ones.

Easter is very much like Christmas here. People decorate their homes with bunny figures, chicks and eggs. There is even an Easter tree adorned with grass and eggs instead of tinsels. And as red, silver, green and gold are the colors of Christmas, Easter takes on pastel green and yellow.

It is also the time for family reunions. Activities are organized for children and the young at hearts. Tradition calls for kids to wake up early on Easter morning to search for the Easter eggs hidden by the Easter bunny. Then the whole family goes to hear mass before partaking of a lavish lunch.

So what do the Filipinos in Europe, so used to the religious rites of Lent, do during Holy Week?

Nothing much.

Some join the pilgrimage to Lourdes, France praying for a miracle. Others attend out of town retreat and hold spiritual bonding with the members of their church. In many churches, a special mass for the Filipinos is celebrated complete with the rituals of "salubong." Many others go to Rome to attend the Easter mass celebrated by the Pope.

And there are those who come home to the Philippines to really experience the unique rituals of Holy Week.

To the rest of the bread-winning Filipinos in Europe, the Holy Week is just another work week.

But Easter weekend becomes their Christmas in the spring.

SOURCE: WWW.ABS-CBNNEWS.COM

http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/storypage.aspx?StoryId=72971

Holy Week in Europe

National (as of 2:43 PM)

Holy Week in Europe


By LOUI GALICIA

ABS-CBN Europe News Bureau


Filipino workers in Europe are surprised to find that Holy Thursday and Good Friday are normal working days here.

For those who have been here for a while, the initial shock is over and they look forward to the joyous Easter celebration and the long three-day weekend.

Unlike in the Philippines, there are no traditional rites and customs during the commemoration of Holy Week in Europe. There is no traditional “Visita Iglesia” because churches are closed by the time people get off work. There is no day set aside for reflection and prayers because most workers still have to complete eight hours of work.

Holy Week in European countries is a time of celebration and feasting. Malls and shops are jampacked during this time of the year as shops offer as much as 30 percent discount on products.

In Europe, Easter Monday is the most important religious event observed by both Catholics and Protestants. It is when almost all businesses close shop for a holiday.

Since Easter Monday is a big holiday, people do their shopping and groceries on either Holy Thursday or Good Friday to refill their pantries for the long weekend.

And this is not just because there will be no store open on Easter Monday. Easter Sunday here is celebrated like Christmas when families hold reunions and an extravagant Easter lunch is always planned in advance.

Easter in Europe is mainly for children and the young at heart. Children wake up on Easter morning and play Easter egg hunts. The whole family also goes to hear Easter Mass before going home to a sumptuous feast.

After lunch, kids resume the egg hunt where they dig and scavenge through real or fake grass to look for the painted eggs. The kids with the most eggs found not only get to keep and eat the eggs but also win a prize.

While some families use real, hard-boiled eggs for the egg hunt, most now use eggs made of pure chocolate. Every year, tons of chocolate eggs, chocolate bunnies and chocolate chicks are produced for Easter. On Black Saturday, shops are full of buyers who do last-minute purchases of Easter chocolate eggs to be used on annual egg hunts.

Easter in Europe is celebrated just like Christmas as people decorate their houses with bunny figures, chicks and eggs. There is also an Easter tree, which is decorated with grass and eggs. Pastel green and pastel yellow are the colors associated with Easter.

So what do the Filipinos do during Holy Week? Some religious groups organize a pilgrimage to Lourdes, France. Some groups organize out-of-town retreats out of town while others hold a special Filipino Mass where the traditional “salubong” is celebrated.

Some Catholics even go to Rome to attend the Easter Mass celebrated by the Pope.

SOURCE: WWW.ABS-CBNNEWS.COM

http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/storypage.aspx?StoryId=72650

OFWs In Europe Want To Hear Candidates

National (as of 1:35 PM)

OFWs in Europe want to hear candidates


By LOUI GALICIA

ABS-CBN Europe News Bureau

Filipino voters in Europe fear votes from migrant workers may be wasted if senatorial candidates would not exert more effort in campaigning to overseas Filipinos.

There is only about a week left before the overseas absentee voters in the UK and Europe start to cast their ballots by postal voting that will be held from April 14 to May 14.

Europe-based Filipinos, particularly OFWs, complained that they do not have enough information on the candidates, the parties and their platforms.

Consie Lozano, a member of Amsterdam-based LIKAP, which is a Filipino-Dutch youth organization, said she doesn't even know the candidates, adding the Philippine Embassy in the Netherlands is partly to blame.

"I don't know anything about the campaign. We do not hear anything about a campaign, not even from the Philippine embassy here," she said.

Dr. Jun Saturay, an exiled political refugee, thinks that a lot of the votes will be wasted.

"We are far from home. We do not know who the candidates are and we sometimes end up voting the names that we just hear from our relatives back home," he said.

There are more than one million OFWs in Europe. Having left the Philippines to work abroad, majority of them are of voting age.

They said they do not want to vote just for the sake of voting. They want their voice to be heard through the parties or candidates that they will trust their votes with.

In the previous election, only the migrant and party list candidates came to the Netherlands to campaign.

Saturay said, "From our experience, we had visits from politicians who requested to talk to community organizations. We entertain them as part of an educational campaign to raise the awareness of Filipinos in politics."

Consul Leila Lora-Santos from the Philippine Embassy in the Hague, however, explained the embassy is in no position to speak for candidates and that its role is in disseminating information on the overseas absentee voting procedure. This the embassy has done intensively, the consul said, by posting announcements in community newsletters as well as in sending letters to the different Filipino community organizations in the Netherlands.

In an interview with Balitang Europe, representatives of the two major opposing parties in the Philippines, Bam Aquino and Rep. Juan Edgardo Angara, said the biggest hurdle in reaching out to Filipino communities abroad is finances.

Angara, son of Team Unity senatorial candidate Edgardo Angara, said: "It's expensive to do the traditional ways of campaigning here like buying ads on TV or putting up posters."

Aquino, meanwhile, that aside from financial constraints, it is also time consuming for candidates to go to Europe to campaign. Aquino is cousin to GO senatorial candidate Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino III.

"I guess the best way to campaign here is just to come out on TFC or other channels or promote themselves through commercials because basically, going here may not be too practical for the candidate," Aquino said.

Angara also told ABS-CBN Europe he is not happy with the way the campaign is going in the Philippines."

It's a little sad so far," Angara said, pointing out the " negative campaigns rather than a chance to educate the voters. It's very sad because it comes out like a race to the bottom instead of race to the top."

SOURCE: WWW.ABS-CBNNEWS.COM

http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/storypage.aspx?StoryID=72598

CHR Defends Arroyo in Europe

National (as of 11:39 PM)

CHR defends Arroyo in Europe

By LOUI GALICIA
ABS-CBN Europe News Bureau

Chairwoman Purificacion Quisumbing of the Philippine human rights commission has belied accusations that the Arroyo administration is worse than the Marcos dictatorial regime.

Quisumbing said unlike during martial law, government institutions are working under the Arroyo administration.

“First, all our government institutions are working. We have an independent judiciary which is working definitely. We did not have an independent judiciary during President Marcos’ time. Second is we have a congress. Our congress is noisy. The opposition can voice out their position. Third is the executive. The President [is] being accused by the [Permanent People's Tribunal] and her actions are being reviewed by the Supreme Court,” Quisumbing told ABS-CBN Europe.

Quisumbing was reacting to the allegation by the jurors of the PPT that said the Arroyo administration is worse than Marcos who was tried by the tribunal in 1980.

The tribunal declared the Arroyo administration, along with that of US President George W. Bush “and their accomplices” guilty of gross violations of human rights, economic and social rights and transgression of the national sovereignty of the Filipino people.

Quisumbing also asserted the independence of the human rights commission, saying it was the first to call unconstitutional the Calibrated Pre-emptive Response. The CPR was the policy adapted by the government in dealing with street protesters, which resulted in many a violent dispersal of rallies and demonstrations.

The Supreme Court later upheld CHR in declaring the CPR unconstitutional.

“So, we can say that. Nobody tells us that we cannot say that. We were the first ones. We made the headlines with ABS-CBN, that we were saying that this cannot be. That is very important because even if congress is doing something wrong and the executive is erring as well, there is still a remedy. That is important in a democracy. During Marcos’ time, there is no such thing,” Quisumbing said.

Quisumbing said that another indicator is that journalists and the media are still free to report on the present problems facing the country.

“It’s true that there are journalists who have been killed, particularly in the rural areas. I know that there are libel suits,” Quisumbing said, adding “But if the justice system prevails, I am strongly confident that the Philippines will remain a working democracy.”

She also cited the recently concluded PPT session where activists where able to travel to The Hague to testify against the Arroyo administration.

“For me, that is freedom of expression. It’s positive that they (activists) are able to go out of the country and they can come back. Even the protests continue. What I mean is that while we can still protest and can continue to protest, that is healthy. We did not have that during martial law,” Quisumbing said.

The CHR was formed following the 1987 Constitution as an independent body to monitor government programs for,and support to uphold, human rights. Its mandate is to conduct independent investigations of all civil and political rights violations.

With 15 regional offices, the CHR is able to conduct independent investigations of civil and political rights violations. At present the CHR is particularly focused on extra-judicial killings which has become a very hot issue in the Philippines .

“From the statistics we have gathered we have more or less 250 cases which we have seen that we can send for prosecution. So now we need to see how we are going to gather all the evidence. But what we really need are the witnesses,” Quisumbing said.

She gave credit to the government for assuring that the CHR wil be given extra resources to help the agency find a solution to the problems particularly in the cases where the military and the police are implicated.

Quisumbing is in The Netherlands to meet with Philippine Ambassador Romeo Arguelles and an authority from an international court to seek advice and expertise. She came to the Hague, the legal capital of the world, after visting the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva.

SOURCE: WWW.ABS-CBNNEWS.COM

http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/storypage.aspx?StoryId=72284

‘Arroyo Regime Worse Than Marcos Era’

National (as of 12:13 PM)

‘Arroyo regime worse than Marcos era’

BY LOUI GALICIA
ABS-CBN Europe News Bureau

The six-member jury on the Permanent People’s Tribunal found the administration of President Arroyo to be worse than the Marcos government it had tried in 1980.

The jury found the Gloria Macapagal Arroyo government, the George W. Bush government and their accomplices guilty of gross violations of human rights, economic and social rights and transgression of the national sovereignty of the Filipino people.

Jury President Francois Houtart said that the jury found very similar situations during the time of Marcos and the present government.

“During Marcos, the whole world knew that there was a dictatorship and it is expected that there will be violations of human rights. Today democracy, that is perhaps the reason why it is less known in the rest of the world that today’s situation is similar to martial law, thirty years ago,” Houtart said.

Houtart said the tribunal will hold the Arroyo administration liable if “anything happens to the witnesses that testified.”

PPT Secretary General Gianni Tognoni, speaking on behalf of the jurors, told ABS-CBN’s Balitang Europe that the verdict was unanimous due to the overwhelming evidence presented. Tognoni added the jury did not have a moment of doubt as to the guilt of Mrs. Arroyo and Bush during the deliberations.

The jurors also denounced as “unacceptable” the inclusion of the Philippine government under the Arroyo administration in the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC). The inclusion of the Philippines, the jurors said, undermines the credibility of the United Nations particularly in human rights, and is “an intolerable offense” to the victims.

Houtart said that although the verdict may be legally non-binding, it is nevertheless “morally binding.”

The judgement will be transmitted to the United Nations, the International Court of Justice, the European Parliament and various foreign governments.

Tognoni said that the transmittal to these bodies will be a major step toward focusing world attention on the human rights crisis in the Philippines.

World opinion will add more pressure to the US-supported Arroyo administration to stop the killings, he added.

Japanese juror Oda Makoto, a well-known novelist and social activist, apologized to the Filipinos for not knowing what has been happening in the Philippines since he sat on the jury that tried the Marcos government in 1980.

Malaysian juror Irene Fernandez, a lawyer, social development expert and head of Tenaganita, wished that liberation will come soon for the Filipinos.

Sen. Ana Marie “Jamby” Madrigal told Balitang Europe that Mrs. Arroyo deserves the verdict.

“I hope Mrs. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo will be made accountable for crimes against humanity by the international community,” Madrigal told Balitang Europe.

Jose Maria Sison, the founder of the Communist Party of the Philippines, compared Mrs. Arroyo to a devil dwarf.

“You know, a devil dwarf does mischief, all that’s bad. Marcos being a dictator is a giant, while Gloria, no matter how big her voice, is a pip squeak,” Sison told Balitang Europe

Around 200 people gathered at the Pax Christikerk in the Hague, The Netherlands for the announcement of the verdict and for show of solidarity.

SOURCE: WWW.ABS-CBNNEWS.COM
http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/topofthehour.aspx?StoryId=71394

Special Features (as of 3:47 AM)

Malacañang snub of rights tribunal inquiry scored

By LOUI GALICIA
ABS-CBN Europe News Bureau

The secretary-general of the Permanent People’s Tribunal scored Malacañang for snubbing the PPT’s invitation to attend its hearings in The Hague, The Netherlands, ABS-CBN Europe News Bureau reported Friday.

Gianni Tognoni told ABS-CBN's Balitang Europe that the PPT sent invitations to the the Philippine embassies in Rome and in The Hague on March 8, asking for a representative to attend the hearings.

The PPT is hearings complaints on human rights violations allegedly committed by the Arroyo administration.

"I think that in this situation, the Manila government is acting even worse because they do not know how to react and in fact, they cannot deny that something that was given to the embassy was unknown and they were not receiving an invitation," Tognoni said.

"On the other side, we have evidence that they know very well everything that is going on over here," he added.

He cited a news item from Manila which quoted Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita as stating that the Philippine government was willing to attend the tribunal’s session on rights violations in the Philippines.

"I hope for the sake of the Filipino people that a representative of the government would at least show up in order to show the reality, instead of the government's persistent denial of the facts," he said.

Tognoni scored Ermita who was reported to have laughed off the subpoena from the PPT.
"We have heard in fact that when they were receiving the subpoena that it is a joke because they cannot recognize the people's rights and that they are above those things. So I think again this is another indicator of this contradiction that they recognize and then deny," he said.

The tribunal wrapped up its last day of hearings with testimonies from witnesses, complainants and expert witnesses, despite the absence of a representative for the government's defense.

President Arroyo, together with US President George W. Bush, has been charged before the tribunal with crimes ranging from systematic violations of civil, political, social, economic and cultural rights to violations of national self-determination and liberation committed against the Filipino people.

Tognoni said that while the tribunal has given the Philippine government the opportunity to defend itself, the absence of a representative might be assumed to mean that the government has chosen to waive that right.

"In that case, we have to simply withdraw the position of the defense. We have assumed this position because the fact of mimicking defense of the government in policy which is testified by so many acts would just be a ritual which would be purely artificial so we prefer to have open confrontation and if the open confrontation is refused, everybody takes its own responsibility," Tognoni explained.

The PPT is expected to deliver its verdict on Mrs. Arroyo on Sunday after a closed-door deliberation by the jury on Saturday.

In 1980, the tribunal heard a case filed by the National Democratic Front of the Philippines and the Moro National Liberation Front against former president Ferdinand Marcos. PPT was the first international juridical body to condemn the Marcos dictatorship.

SOURCE: WWW.ABS-CBNNEWS.COM
http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/storypage.aspx?StoryId=71125

Activist Group Warns of Another People Power Revolution

Special Features (as of 7:19 PM)

(UPDATE) Activist group warns of another People Power revolution

By LOUI GALICIA
ABS-CBN Europe News Bureau

Activist group leader Dr. Carol Araullo warned Wednesday that the Arroyo administration could face a People Power revolution if massive cheating occurs in the May 14, 2007 elections.

“Yes, maybe in the elections…that the administration candidates we believe will lose. So long as there is no massive cheating thereafter, we believe that people will see through what this government is doing and take the necessary action,” she told Balitang Europe.

The chairwoman of the Bagong Alyansa Makabayan issued the statement at a joint press conference with human rights organization Karapatan on the first day of the Arroyo government trial at the Permanent People’s Tribunal (PPT) in The Netherlands.

President Arroyo, together with US President George W. Bush, has been charged with crimes ranging from systematic violations of civil, political, social, economic and cultural rights to violations of national self-determination and liberation committed against the Filipino people.

Araullo said the Arroyo administration could face massive street protests after failing to act on extrajudicial killings and human rights violations linked to members of the military by the Melo Commission and Philip Alston, the United Nations special rapporteur on extrajudicial killings.

“We continue to remain optimistic that our people will make its verdict on this government,” she added. Witnesses on the cases of extrajudicial killings, forced disappearances and torture were presented to the tribunal.

The five-day session is being held at the Christus Triumfatorkerk and will later be moved to Pax Christikerk in The Hague.

Human rights lawyer Romeo Capulong; Marie Hilao-Enriquez, secretary-general of Karapatan; and Bishop Elmer Bolocon of the United Church of Christ of the Philippines (UCCP) participated in the first hearing.

Karapatan has claimed that the total number of victims of extrajudicial killings in the country has reached 840 since Mrs. Arroyo took power in 2001.

Sen. Maria Ana Consuelo “Jamby” Madrigal is set to testify on the second day of the hearing in connection with charges of violations of economic, social and cultural rights.

Bayan Muna Rep. Satur Ocampo was supposed to testify but he was arrested in connection with the murder charges filed against him.

Hilao-Enriquez said she attended the tribunal to air her group's grievances against the Arroyo administration.

She said the PPT, being a people’s opinion court, offers an opportunity for human rights victims to be heard after the government and the military remained blind and deaf to their pleas.

Hilao-Enriquez said human rights victims in the Philippines refused to cooperate with two government investigations on extrajudicial killings after doubting the administration’s sincerity in solving the murders.

The PPT, an international opinion tribunal, hears complaints on violations of human rights filed by the victims themselves or groups representing them.

In 1980, the tribunal heard a case filed by the National Democratic Front of the Philippines and the Moro National Liberation Front against former president Ferdinand Marcos.

PPT was the first international juridical body to condemn the Marcos dictatorship. PPT's second session on the Philippines came on the heels of a strong admonition issued by members of the US Senate’s Committee on Foreign Relations to Mrs. Arroyo to stop the extrajudicial killings in the Philippines.

The US Senate committee was convened last week to listen to testimonies of a church- and human rights-led delegation from the Philippines.

Before this, Alston confirmed reports of the Philippine military's alleged culpability for the crimes.

SOURCE: WWW.ABS-CBNNEWS.COM
http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/topofthehour.aspx?StoryId=70958