Pinoys in Utrecht hold 'People's SONA'
By LOUI GALICIA
ABS-CBN Europe News Bureau
A group of Filipinos in The Netherlands held a demonstration in front of the city hall of Utrecht to criticize Philippine President Gloria Arroyo's and her State of the Nation Address (SONA) in Quezon City on Monday.
Led by Luis Jalandoni, chairman of the National Democratic Front, the demonstrators chanted, “Gloria Arroyo, pekeng pangulo, pekeng pangulo, Gloria Arroyo” (Gloria Arroyo, fake president) to the surprised of passersby at Ouden Gracht (Old Canal) in the heart of the city’s shopping area.
“Nakita mo naman. Ngayon nakita ko 'yung video. Sa mga video clips binu-boo, nilalait ang gobyerno ni [President] Macapagal-Arroyo dahil nakikita naman ng tao na wala itong nagagawang kabutihan para sa ating mga mamamayang Pilipino (I saw the video. In the video clips, Arroyo was being booed, her government is being berated because the people see it's not doing anything for the welfare of the people)," said Migrante International's Grace Punongbayan.
She added that based on the video, the people are fed up with the Arroyo presidency because it is a fake one.
The demonstration, which the rallyists called "The People's SONA" was a strong expression of their disgust with Arroyo administration and the cases of extrajudicial killings in the Philippines, the implementation of the anti-terror law and the hunger experienced by the majority of Filipinos.
“Gusto kong mapakita na hindi ko tanggap ang SONA ng pekeng presidente. Hindi niya tinutulungan ang mamamayang Pilipino. (On this day of the SONA, I would like to show that I don’t accept the fake president’s SONA. She’s not helping the Filipino people)," said Connie Ledesma, spokeswoman of the Malayang Kilusan ng Kababaihan.
Jalandoni, Ledesma and the others who gathered said they braved the bad weather to show Europeans that the situation in the Philippines has not improved and that Mrs. Arroyo's speech is just a way of masking the flaws of the government.
SOURCE: http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/
http://beta.abs-cbnnews.com/National/National_Stories/tabid/59/news/1865/Default.aspx
Wednesday, July 25, 2007
Friday, July 20, 2007
Joma Sison Attacks Anti-Terror Law
Joma Sison attacks Anti-Terror Law
By LOUI GALICIA
ABS-CBN Europe News Bureau
Communist Party of the Philippines founding chairman Jose Maria Sison berated President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo for the Human Security Act of 2007 which he calls overbearing and oppressive, reported ABS-CBN Europe News Bureau.
Sison said the Anti-Terror Law is dangerous because its enforcers will enjoy limitless freedom to search the private life of an individual.
"Yung pang-aapi pwedeng mag-umpisa sa surveillance. Uungkatin, pakikialaman lahat ng private na affairs mo. Tapos ungkatin yung iyong bank accounts. Masilipan ka ng konti, pakikialaman ka na. Puwede ka pang kikilan ng mga intelligence people, intelligence units (Oppression can start with surveillance. All your private affairs will be interfered with. Then your bank accounts will be looked into. A small mistake can cause you’re life to be interfered in. And intelligence people, intelligence units can even extort from you)," Sison said.
He told ABS-CBN’s Balitang Europe that the consequences, based on his experience, are inhumane.
"So and then i-poproscribe ka. Organization, political party or individual. I-poproscribe, blacklist, tulad ng sa akin. Me consequences yan tulad ng sanctions, freezing of bank accounts. And then ganito, three days without warrant of arrest na ikulong ka, pwede ka nang pilipitin para kunan ka ng dahilan na naman para ilagay ka na indefinitely sa kulungan (You will be proscribed - organization, political party or individual. You will be blacklisted just as what happened to me. And then you may be detained for three days without an warrant of arrest, and they can put intense pressude to obtain any reason to detain you indefinitely)," Sison said.
He has blamed the Arroyo government for branding him as a terrorist and claims that this government initiated the request to US President George Bush’s administration to put him on the blacklist, or on the list of Foreign Terror Organization (FTO).
He asserts that there is no crime of terrorism in the Philippines and that the revolutionaries are only charged with rebellion, and since terrorism is not bailable, the Anti-Terror Law will result in a chain of oppressive acts.
He finds the law far worse than the Republic Act (RA) 1700 or Anti-Subversion Law which outlawed the Communist Party of the Philippines, which he founded. RA 1700 has been repealed.
"Ang mangingibabaw eh mga militar lalo na yung nasa intelligence. Itong si Gloria, pasinto-sinto ng militar. Biro mo yung prosecutor na umasikaso sa military officers na nag-whistle blow, na nag-reveal nung kinalaman ng militar sa abduction ni Jonas Burgos, pina-pull out. Siya pala ang nag-utos eh (The military will be on top, especially those in intelligence [units]. Gloria is being drawn by the military. Imagine the prosecutor investigating military officers who blew the whistle, who revealed their knowledge on the abduction of Jonas Burgos, [the prosecutor] was pulled out. She was the one who ordered [the pull out])," Sison said.
He holds Mrs. Arroyo, on the principle of command responsibility, responsible for all the cruelties that are happening in the Philippines.
Sison warns that his latest victory against the Council of the European Union will provide courage to those who fear that they will suffer the same fate as him.
"Ang judgment na to eh malaking sandata para lumaban sa mga patuloy na umaapi sa akin. Hindi ko pinapalagay na tagumpay ko itong mag-isa kungdi tagumpay ng sambayanan, partikular sa mga tao na nangangamba na mapatawan ng ganitong pang-aapi (This judgment is a potent weapon to fight those who oppress me. I don’t consider it as my victory alone but the people’s victory especially to the people who fear they may suffer the same oppression)," he said.
Sison:Arroyo not interested in GRP-NDF talks
Separately, Sison issued Friday a press statement enumerating four clear signals that the Government of the Republic of the Philippines (GRP) under Mrs. Arroyo is not really interested in resuming the formal peace talks with the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) Panel.
In a statement, Sison said that firstly, the extrajudicial killings, abductions, torture, forced displacement of millions of people and other human rights violations by the GRP military, police and death squads continue unabated.
He said that the Arroyo regime remains cold to the findings and recommendations by the United Nations special rapporteurs, human-rights organizations, churches and the Supreme Court-initiated summit and instead has implemented the Anti-Terrorism Act which is aimed at killing the GRP-NDFP peace negotiations.
Secondly, the GRP, through cabinet members Eduardo Ermita and Norberto Gonzales and Armed Forces’ Chief of Staff Hermogenes Esperon has demanded the NDFP to yield to a three-year ceasefire which only diverts attention from the urgent necessity of addressing the roots of the armed conflict through social, economic and political reforms.
Thirdly, Sison points out that the GRP continuously insinuates that it is being compelled by the NDFP to demand to the US and other foreign governments to remove the CPP, the NPA and Sison from the terrorist blacklist.
All that the NDFP demands is for the GRP and NDFP to make a joint statement against the "terrorist" listing, stated Sison.
Lastly, Sison pointed that the GRP is demanding through Rep. Antonio Cuenco that he return to the Philippines in order to head the negotiations of the NDFP with the GRP in Manila.
Such a demand, Sison stated, is calculated to destroy the longstanding agreement to hold the peace negotiations in a foreign neutral venue and other agreements as embodied in The Hague Joint Declaration and the Joint Agreement on Safety and Immunity Guarantees.
SOURCE: http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/
http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/storypage.aspx?StoryID=85319
http://beta.abs-cbnnews.com/National/National_Stories/tabid/59/news/1501/Default.aspx
By LOUI GALICIA
ABS-CBN Europe News Bureau
Communist Party of the Philippines founding chairman Jose Maria Sison berated President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo for the Human Security Act of 2007 which he calls overbearing and oppressive, reported ABS-CBN Europe News Bureau.
Sison said the Anti-Terror Law is dangerous because its enforcers will enjoy limitless freedom to search the private life of an individual.
"Yung pang-aapi pwedeng mag-umpisa sa surveillance. Uungkatin, pakikialaman lahat ng private na affairs mo. Tapos ungkatin yung iyong bank accounts. Masilipan ka ng konti, pakikialaman ka na. Puwede ka pang kikilan ng mga intelligence people, intelligence units (Oppression can start with surveillance. All your private affairs will be interfered with. Then your bank accounts will be looked into. A small mistake can cause you’re life to be interfered in. And intelligence people, intelligence units can even extort from you)," Sison said.
He told ABS-CBN’s Balitang Europe that the consequences, based on his experience, are inhumane.
"So and then i-poproscribe ka. Organization, political party or individual. I-poproscribe, blacklist, tulad ng sa akin. Me consequences yan tulad ng sanctions, freezing of bank accounts. And then ganito, three days without warrant of arrest na ikulong ka, pwede ka nang pilipitin para kunan ka ng dahilan na naman para ilagay ka na indefinitely sa kulungan (You will be proscribed - organization, political party or individual. You will be blacklisted just as what happened to me. And then you may be detained for three days without an warrant of arrest, and they can put intense pressude to obtain any reason to detain you indefinitely)," Sison said.
He has blamed the Arroyo government for branding him as a terrorist and claims that this government initiated the request to US President George Bush’s administration to put him on the blacklist, or on the list of Foreign Terror Organization (FTO).
He asserts that there is no crime of terrorism in the Philippines and that the revolutionaries are only charged with rebellion, and since terrorism is not bailable, the Anti-Terror Law will result in a chain of oppressive acts.
He finds the law far worse than the Republic Act (RA) 1700 or Anti-Subversion Law which outlawed the Communist Party of the Philippines, which he founded. RA 1700 has been repealed.
"Ang mangingibabaw eh mga militar lalo na yung nasa intelligence. Itong si Gloria, pasinto-sinto ng militar. Biro mo yung prosecutor na umasikaso sa military officers na nag-whistle blow, na nag-reveal nung kinalaman ng militar sa abduction ni Jonas Burgos, pina-pull out. Siya pala ang nag-utos eh (The military will be on top, especially those in intelligence [units]. Gloria is being drawn by the military. Imagine the prosecutor investigating military officers who blew the whistle, who revealed their knowledge on the abduction of Jonas Burgos, [the prosecutor] was pulled out. She was the one who ordered [the pull out])," Sison said.
He holds Mrs. Arroyo, on the principle of command responsibility, responsible for all the cruelties that are happening in the Philippines.
Sison warns that his latest victory against the Council of the European Union will provide courage to those who fear that they will suffer the same fate as him.
"Ang judgment na to eh malaking sandata para lumaban sa mga patuloy na umaapi sa akin. Hindi ko pinapalagay na tagumpay ko itong mag-isa kungdi tagumpay ng sambayanan, partikular sa mga tao na nangangamba na mapatawan ng ganitong pang-aapi (This judgment is a potent weapon to fight those who oppress me. I don’t consider it as my victory alone but the people’s victory especially to the people who fear they may suffer the same oppression)," he said.
Sison:Arroyo not interested in GRP-NDF talks
Separately, Sison issued Friday a press statement enumerating four clear signals that the Government of the Republic of the Philippines (GRP) under Mrs. Arroyo is not really interested in resuming the formal peace talks with the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) Panel.
In a statement, Sison said that firstly, the extrajudicial killings, abductions, torture, forced displacement of millions of people and other human rights violations by the GRP military, police and death squads continue unabated.
He said that the Arroyo regime remains cold to the findings and recommendations by the United Nations special rapporteurs, human-rights organizations, churches and the Supreme Court-initiated summit and instead has implemented the Anti-Terrorism Act which is aimed at killing the GRP-NDFP peace negotiations.
Secondly, the GRP, through cabinet members Eduardo Ermita and Norberto Gonzales and Armed Forces’ Chief of Staff Hermogenes Esperon has demanded the NDFP to yield to a three-year ceasefire which only diverts attention from the urgent necessity of addressing the roots of the armed conflict through social, economic and political reforms.
Thirdly, Sison points out that the GRP continuously insinuates that it is being compelled by the NDFP to demand to the US and other foreign governments to remove the CPP, the NPA and Sison from the terrorist blacklist.
All that the NDFP demands is for the GRP and NDFP to make a joint statement against the "terrorist" listing, stated Sison.
Lastly, Sison pointed that the GRP is demanding through Rep. Antonio Cuenco that he return to the Philippines in order to head the negotiations of the NDFP with the GRP in Manila.
Such a demand, Sison stated, is calculated to destroy the longstanding agreement to hold the peace negotiations in a foreign neutral venue and other agreements as embodied in The Hague Joint Declaration and the Joint Agreement on Safety and Immunity Guarantees.
SOURCE: http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/
http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/storypage.aspx?StoryID=85319
http://beta.abs-cbnnews.com/National/National_Stories/tabid/59/news/1501/Default.aspx
Thursday, July 19, 2007
Joma Wants Lost Benefits From Dutch Govt
Joma wants lost benefits from Dutch govt
By LOUI GALICIA
ABS-CBN Europe News Bureau
Jose Maria “Joma” Sison, Communist Party of the Philippines founding chairman, plans to reclaim an estimated 29,000 euros or P1.8 million before interest, in lost social-security benefits from the Dutch government after the European Court of Justice overturned a decision by EU governments to freeze his assets.
In an exclusive interview, Sison told ABS-CBN’s Balitang Europe that he will exhaust all possibilities that have opened since the European Court of First Instance ordered the Council of the European Union to defreeze his assets and funds in a judgment on July 11.
Sison is also petitioning that his name be taken off the list of terrorists. "We have a letter of demand to the [EU] Council to remove (my name from) the blacklist in accordance with the letter and spirit of the July 11, 2007 of the European Court of First Instance,” Sison said.
Sison remains to be tagged as a terrorist for his involvement with the Communist Party of the Philippines, named as among the terrorist groups. “Nakakahiya na yan (It’s already a shame). More than four years na ako na (I have been) blacklisted and a lot of people are already accusing the council of persecuting me. They better put up or shut up,” he added.
Sison said that as a result of his blacklisting, the Dutch government stopped paying his monthly social-security benefits which include a living allowance of 201 euros, a reduced old-age pension of 130 euros and undetermined premiums for health and liability insurances paid for directly by the state.
A spokesman for the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Rob Dekker, confirms that Sison has stopped receiving the social-security benefits as a result of being on the terror list and said that the judgment has no impact on this issue.“He is still on the list. So there is no direct consequences. He is still on the terror list. So his social security benefits still remain frozen.” Dekker said.
Sison’s housing allowance was also terminated. But his wife, Julie, who has a residence permit in the Netherlands, was able to retain it under the housing law.“That’s why I’m living with my wife. She says I’d better be good or else she will kick me out," Sison said. " I have no right to stay in her house except having me as a guest.
Social security in the Netherlands is classified into two types namely: social-welfare benefits and social-insurance benefits. In addition, there are other arrangements that provide financial assistance such as the housing subsidy or education grant.
Because the judgment left the issue of social-security benefits to the member country, Sison met with his lawyers Tuesday to discuss the next steps which will include a demand that the Dutch government repay him in lump sum the amount equivalent to at least 58 months in lost social benefits.
The NDF and Sison's lawyer, Dundar Gurses, estimated that Sison has lost about 500 euros a month in social security benefits. Sison said his lawyers plan to get actuarial experts from another law firm who will do the monetary calculations.
The self-exiled former communist leader claims that he has no other assets except for the frozen bank account containing less than 2,000 euros which he maintains jointly with his wife.“Most of those, I saved for my dental treatment,” Sison complained.
Sison is living off the monthly financial help from his friends and supporters.“Practically, I’m under house arrest. I (just) seem to be everywhere because I go to parties, which don’t happen often anyway. (But) the number of your appearances is multiplied by the number of people who see you on one occasion. It’s very rare I go beyond two outings where I will spend say more than 30 euros because I don’t have money. So I stay home most of the time,” Sison said.
Sison is ecstatic over the judgment in his favor. “This is just initial victory. But this is big enough because I had nothing. I had no weapon against the legal system. Now I have a weapon within the system,” he said.
Sison said that his lawyers are anticipating further battles, specifically because the Court’s scheduling calendar gives the Council two months to file a Notice of Appeal from the delivery of the judgment.
The Netherlands is still reviewing the judgment.“Regarding the appeal we’re still studying the judgment of the court and we’re still deciding whether we will appeal or not. But I have to underline that in this case it is not the Netherlands who should appeal. It’s either the Council or Mr. Sison. So if the Council does it or if the Netherlands decide they should appeal, then we will have to do it through the Council,” Dekker said.
SOURCE: WWW.ABS-CBNNEWS.COM
http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/storypage.aspx?StoryId=85058
By LOUI GALICIA
ABS-CBN Europe News Bureau
Jose Maria “Joma” Sison, Communist Party of the Philippines founding chairman, plans to reclaim an estimated 29,000 euros or P1.8 million before interest, in lost social-security benefits from the Dutch government after the European Court of Justice overturned a decision by EU governments to freeze his assets.
In an exclusive interview, Sison told ABS-CBN’s Balitang Europe that he will exhaust all possibilities that have opened since the European Court of First Instance ordered the Council of the European Union to defreeze his assets and funds in a judgment on July 11.
Sison is also petitioning that his name be taken off the list of terrorists. "We have a letter of demand to the [EU] Council to remove (my name from) the blacklist in accordance with the letter and spirit of the July 11, 2007 of the European Court of First Instance,” Sison said.
Sison remains to be tagged as a terrorist for his involvement with the Communist Party of the Philippines, named as among the terrorist groups. “Nakakahiya na yan (It’s already a shame). More than four years na ako na (I have been) blacklisted and a lot of people are already accusing the council of persecuting me. They better put up or shut up,” he added.
Sison said that as a result of his blacklisting, the Dutch government stopped paying his monthly social-security benefits which include a living allowance of 201 euros, a reduced old-age pension of 130 euros and undetermined premiums for health and liability insurances paid for directly by the state.
A spokesman for the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Rob Dekker, confirms that Sison has stopped receiving the social-security benefits as a result of being on the terror list and said that the judgment has no impact on this issue.“He is still on the list. So there is no direct consequences. He is still on the terror list. So his social security benefits still remain frozen.” Dekker said.
Sison’s housing allowance was also terminated. But his wife, Julie, who has a residence permit in the Netherlands, was able to retain it under the housing law.“That’s why I’m living with my wife. She says I’d better be good or else she will kick me out," Sison said. " I have no right to stay in her house except having me as a guest.
Social security in the Netherlands is classified into two types namely: social-welfare benefits and social-insurance benefits. In addition, there are other arrangements that provide financial assistance such as the housing subsidy or education grant.
Because the judgment left the issue of social-security benefits to the member country, Sison met with his lawyers Tuesday to discuss the next steps which will include a demand that the Dutch government repay him in lump sum the amount equivalent to at least 58 months in lost social benefits.
The NDF and Sison's lawyer, Dundar Gurses, estimated that Sison has lost about 500 euros a month in social security benefits. Sison said his lawyers plan to get actuarial experts from another law firm who will do the monetary calculations.
The self-exiled former communist leader claims that he has no other assets except for the frozen bank account containing less than 2,000 euros which he maintains jointly with his wife.“Most of those, I saved for my dental treatment,” Sison complained.
Sison is living off the monthly financial help from his friends and supporters.“Practically, I’m under house arrest. I (just) seem to be everywhere because I go to parties, which don’t happen often anyway. (But) the number of your appearances is multiplied by the number of people who see you on one occasion. It’s very rare I go beyond two outings where I will spend say more than 30 euros because I don’t have money. So I stay home most of the time,” Sison said.
Sison is ecstatic over the judgment in his favor. “This is just initial victory. But this is big enough because I had nothing. I had no weapon against the legal system. Now I have a weapon within the system,” he said.
Sison said that his lawyers are anticipating further battles, specifically because the Court’s scheduling calendar gives the Council two months to file a Notice of Appeal from the delivery of the judgment.
The Netherlands is still reviewing the judgment.“Regarding the appeal we’re still studying the judgment of the court and we’re still deciding whether we will appeal or not. But I have to underline that in this case it is not the Netherlands who should appeal. It’s either the Council or Mr. Sison. So if the Council does it or if the Netherlands decide they should appeal, then we will have to do it through the Council,” Dekker said.
SOURCE: WWW.ABS-CBNNEWS.COM
http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/storypage.aspx?StoryId=85058
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