NDF: Arroyo regime is Marcos martial law in disguise
By LOUI GALICIA, ABS-CBN Europe News Bureau
09/23/2008 8:28 AM
Filipino activists in The Netherlands cry for the ouster of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo who they say is a dictator-cum-Marcos in disguise, reported ABS-CBN Europe News Bureau.
Coinciding with the 36th anniversary of the declaration of martial law in the Philippines, the Pinoys protested in front of the Dam town square in Amsterdam to denounce the alleged corruption and killings of so many children and deaths of thousands of people under the Arroyo regime.
Holding banners and posters carrying slogans like “No to Another Dictatorship, Never Again to Martial Law” and “Save Our Children From Poverty and State Violence,” the Pinoys caught so much attention from passersby, plain onlookers and tourists.
The Pinoys chanted and shouted “Patalsikin si Gloria, Pahirap sa Masa.”
‘Pretext of a democracy’
They say that the Philippines is in a state of dictatorship but in the pretext of a democracy and it has to stop.
“Ngayon meron pang deception yung Arroyo regime as if it were a democracy pero actually it is dictatorship in reality and causing so much death, so much hunger, so much starvation because of its oppression against the Filipino people, against the workers, the peasants, all people in Mindanao and throughout the country,” National Democratic Front Chair and martial-law survivor Luis Jalandoni said.
Jalandoni said that with the ongoing chaos in the Philippines, notably the war in certain parts of Mindanao, the time has come for the Arroyo government to hold true and serious talks with the NDF.
“Hindi yung all-out war policy ng Arroyo regime, hindi yung pagbanat sa mga civillian doon sa Mindanao, kundi pag-resume ng peace talks in order to address the root causes of the armed conflict, in order to have meaningful economic, social and political reforms that will benefit the people,” Jalandoni declared.
For Jalandoni’s wife, her message is harsher.
“We should resist what is happening. Labanan natin. We have to say no to what is happening. We have to protest. At ang message ko, makibaka huwag matakot,” Connie Ledesma shouted.
“Ang regime ni GMA ay, as the poster says, parang another dictatorship. Hindi in the same way as having declared martial law, pero ang mga batas, ang mga violations of human rights ganun na rin. Hindi na nag-iiba,” the Makibaka leader added.
Ledesma is also a survivor of the martial law era. She had a taste of iron cage under Marcos when she was imprisoned in early 1974 along with her husband Jalandoni.
She also feels that President Arroyo is competing hard against the Marcos regime.
“Parang contest nga si GMA at si Marcos. Sinong mas maraming nag-didisappear. Sinong mas maraming tortured victims. Ganoon kasama ngayon. So many, many years. So many decades after martial law, it’s still the same. That’s the big tragedy about it,” Ledesma told ABS-CBN Europe News Bureau.
A divided opposition
But despite of her bad record, President Arroyo withstood at least three coup attempts, at least three impeachment efforts and countless calls for resignations in her seven years in power.
The Pinoys blame the opposition’s division in the Philippines that resulted in the lack of collective strength to oust Mrs. Arroyo.
“Alam nating lahat si Marcos pinatalsik ng sambayanang Pilipino. Kung bakit si Gloria, samantalang napakatindi ng human rights violations, halos isang libo na napapatay, yung victims ng extra judicial killings at napapabalitang corruption involved ang first family…eh hindi nagkakaron ng pagkakaisa sa hanay ng oposisyon,” NDF member Dan Borjal said.
‘Hurting as a Filipino with the present regime’
The Pinoys here feel that they can’t wait anymore for President Arroyo’s term to end in 2010.
Between now and then, it will torture them to see President Arroyo remain in power because a growing lot has started to feel that it has seriously become painful to be a Filipino in the present regime.
Who else, but the migrant workers, in particular the domestic helpers.
“Napipilitang lumabas ang mga migrante. Ilan na ngayon ang migranteng nasa labas ng ating bansa. 8 million. Ngayon ano ang kalagayan nila. Di ba sila ay hikahos at pinagsasamantalahan habang sila ay nasa labas ng bansa. At ano naman ang ginagawa ng gobyerno niya [Arroyo’s]. Wala namang serbisyo siyang nabibigay. Ilan ang umuuwing patay, bangkay na walang hustisyang nakukuha,” asks Migrante’s Grace Punongbayan.
“Kaya ang rehimen ni Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, pasanin ng mamamayang Pilipino. Sobra sobra na ang ginagawa ng gobyernong ‘yan. Ang pagpatay niya sa mga leader, progresibong leader ng iba’t-ibang samahan. Ang kanyang gobyerno, walang ginagawa upang magkaroon ng trabaho sa ating bansa para ang mga kababayan natin ay di na kailangan lumabas at mawalay sa kanilang mahal sa buhay,” Punungbayan added.
The Pinoys, most especially the migrant workers, feel that it hurts deep to be a Filipino with Mrs. Arroyo as its leader, said Punungbayan.
“Masakit ang maging Pilipino sa mga panahong ito. Halimbawa dito sa Europa, ang lahi natin ay wala namang ibang nakikitang trabaho kundi paglilinis lang ng mga bahay bahay. Parang isang buong lahi ba na nakondena na sa margins of prosperous European societies so masakit tanggapin para isang Pilipino na parang hanggang dun nalang ba ang lahi natin,” Punongbayan said.
SOURCE: WWW.ABS-CBNNEWS.COM
http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/nation/09/23/08/ndf-arroyo-regime-marcos-martial-law-disguise
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Friday, September 5, 2008
year after arrest, Sison’s case in the Netherlands still in limbo
A year after arrest, Sison’s case in the Netherlands still in limbo
By LOUI GALICIA
ABS-CBN Europe News Bureau
It has been one year since the arrest of Jose Maria Sison in Utrecht, Netherlands on Aug. 28, 2007, yet it is still not clear where his case is headed, ABS-CBN Europe News Bureau reported.
The founding chair of the Communist Party of the Philippines was detained in Scheveningen prison on charges filed by the Public Prosecutor’s Office for the murders of erstwhile allies Romulo Kintanar and Arturo Tabara in the Philippines but was released two weeks later on lack of incriminating evidence.
At the same time as his arrest, the National Democratic Front office and houses of the NDF members were raided which resulted in the confiscation of computers, diskettes, CDs and files but which are slowly being returned now.
In June, the Prosecution was granted permission by the District Court of The Hague to continue its investigation of Sison until December.
On the anniversary of his arrest, Sison expressed his anger because he said that up to now there is really nothing against him.
"I was dissatisfied with the ruling of the court with regard to our demand that our investigation and prosecution be ended but there’s a key point in that decision of the court, that there’s no incriminating evidence. It’s just giving way to the prosecution to continue investigating as it wishes. The prosecution has that much prerogative to continue its investigation with the police even without the presence of an investigating judge," Sison said.
"Mahabang panahon na ang dumaan bago ako naaresto noong 2007. Ngayon napatunayan sa court na walang evidence and they [prosecution] got more than, more time to do the investigation so meron silang plus na one year by September. ‘Yong malaking abuso sa akin eh ‘yong pang-iipit na walang pinangbabatayan so may basis kami by September to complain and make a demand to end [the investigation]," Sison added.
Seized materials being returned
Sison complained that since June, he didn’t hear anymore from the Prosecution except that it is now returning the rest of the materials that were confiscated last year.
In a visit to the NDF office in Utrecht for this interview, Negotiating Panel official Fidel Agcaoili and staffer Aldo Gonzales showed to ABS-CBN Europe News Bureau five boxes containing binders of documents, diskettes and books that the Prosecution recently returned to the office.
"Sabi nga mga twelve boxes ang sinauli pero para sa lahat ‘yon. Sa akin parang three boxes, para sa akin eh kulang pa ‘yon. Marami pang kulang sa akin. Me hinihintay pa akong isang box ng mga CDs, ah no, hindi CDs, kundi diskettes at ilang pang files na hinihintay ko," Agcaoili said.
For Sison however, this is a good sign.
"Nearly everything confiscated during the raids of Aug. 28 last year, sinasauli na. Konti na lang natitira and only a few days ago, things taken were returned and only the remaining few materials shall be returned next time so we think that the Prosecution is moving already towards the closing of the case because of the continuing lack of evidence," Sison said.
"Of course we don’t have word now. But it’s our estimate that it [prosecution] can’t find, it seems that it hasn’t found any evidence, otherwise due notice would have been given the court and to me as suspect," Sison added.
Filing complaint
But Sison is still readying to file a complaint if the case is not yet closed by September.
"Well when it comes in September and there will be no finding of incriminating evidence, then it will be good. The lack of incriminating evidence will be a good basis for demanding the termination of the case. Because you know, the passage of more than one year would mean that the prosecution went into the arrest operations of Aug. 28 without any basis, not withstanding the fact that it did not prepare for the case well before Aug. 28, 2007. He had one more year to investigate and it has nothing," Sison exclaimed.
Sison said that he seems to have been born with a lot of patience since he has become immune to abuse.
"Kung titignan mo, sa dinami ng paratang sa akin at sa haba ng panahon eh pinatutunayan na wala naman akong kinalaman sa mga paratang. Hindi ba ang dami na. Yung china-charge sa kin," Sison said.
He gave examples of why even when he was still in the Philippines, it was impossible for him to commit a crime.
"Directly, galing ako sa fascist imprisonment under Marcos, Pagkatapos paglabas ko sa detention, I entered government service by getting reinstated sa UP. Full time ako naglecture bago ako umalis at wala akong pahinga sa mga press interview at speeches. Wala akong pagkakataong gumawa ng kahit na anong krimen," Sison said.
Sison charged that his persecution continues and believes that it will never stop.
"Hindi na titigil siguro dahil ako naman walang tigil sa pagtataguyod ng prinsipyo at pagbatikos sa pagsasamantala at pang-aapi ng mga imperyalistang Amerikano sa ating bansa at syempre sa maraming concrete issues pati na yung walang batayang pagiging presidente ni Gloria dahil nandaya sa election. At si Gloria naman, para mapatibay ang posiyon niya eh sumakay sa anti-terrorism campaign ng U.S. sa kagustuhan niyang matulungan siya ng U.S. para mapanatili siya sa kapangyarihan. Sumasabay siya sa U.S. sa aking persecution," Sison said.
SOURCE: http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/
http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/storypage.aspx?StoryId=129508
By LOUI GALICIA
ABS-CBN Europe News Bureau
It has been one year since the arrest of Jose Maria Sison in Utrecht, Netherlands on Aug. 28, 2007, yet it is still not clear where his case is headed, ABS-CBN Europe News Bureau reported.
The founding chair of the Communist Party of the Philippines was detained in Scheveningen prison on charges filed by the Public Prosecutor’s Office for the murders of erstwhile allies Romulo Kintanar and Arturo Tabara in the Philippines but was released two weeks later on lack of incriminating evidence.
At the same time as his arrest, the National Democratic Front office and houses of the NDF members were raided which resulted in the confiscation of computers, diskettes, CDs and files but which are slowly being returned now.
In June, the Prosecution was granted permission by the District Court of The Hague to continue its investigation of Sison until December.
On the anniversary of his arrest, Sison expressed his anger because he said that up to now there is really nothing against him.
"I was dissatisfied with the ruling of the court with regard to our demand that our investigation and prosecution be ended but there’s a key point in that decision of the court, that there’s no incriminating evidence. It’s just giving way to the prosecution to continue investigating as it wishes. The prosecution has that much prerogative to continue its investigation with the police even without the presence of an investigating judge," Sison said.
"Mahabang panahon na ang dumaan bago ako naaresto noong 2007. Ngayon napatunayan sa court na walang evidence and they [prosecution] got more than, more time to do the investigation so meron silang plus na one year by September. ‘Yong malaking abuso sa akin eh ‘yong pang-iipit na walang pinangbabatayan so may basis kami by September to complain and make a demand to end [the investigation]," Sison added.
Seized materials being returned
Sison complained that since June, he didn’t hear anymore from the Prosecution except that it is now returning the rest of the materials that were confiscated last year.
In a visit to the NDF office in Utrecht for this interview, Negotiating Panel official Fidel Agcaoili and staffer Aldo Gonzales showed to ABS-CBN Europe News Bureau five boxes containing binders of documents, diskettes and books that the Prosecution recently returned to the office.
"Sabi nga mga twelve boxes ang sinauli pero para sa lahat ‘yon. Sa akin parang three boxes, para sa akin eh kulang pa ‘yon. Marami pang kulang sa akin. Me hinihintay pa akong isang box ng mga CDs, ah no, hindi CDs, kundi diskettes at ilang pang files na hinihintay ko," Agcaoili said.
For Sison however, this is a good sign.
"Nearly everything confiscated during the raids of Aug. 28 last year, sinasauli na. Konti na lang natitira and only a few days ago, things taken were returned and only the remaining few materials shall be returned next time so we think that the Prosecution is moving already towards the closing of the case because of the continuing lack of evidence," Sison said.
"Of course we don’t have word now. But it’s our estimate that it [prosecution] can’t find, it seems that it hasn’t found any evidence, otherwise due notice would have been given the court and to me as suspect," Sison added.
Filing complaint
But Sison is still readying to file a complaint if the case is not yet closed by September.
"Well when it comes in September and there will be no finding of incriminating evidence, then it will be good. The lack of incriminating evidence will be a good basis for demanding the termination of the case. Because you know, the passage of more than one year would mean that the prosecution went into the arrest operations of Aug. 28 without any basis, not withstanding the fact that it did not prepare for the case well before Aug. 28, 2007. He had one more year to investigate and it has nothing," Sison exclaimed.
Sison said that he seems to have been born with a lot of patience since he has become immune to abuse.
"Kung titignan mo, sa dinami ng paratang sa akin at sa haba ng panahon eh pinatutunayan na wala naman akong kinalaman sa mga paratang. Hindi ba ang dami na. Yung china-charge sa kin," Sison said.
He gave examples of why even when he was still in the Philippines, it was impossible for him to commit a crime.
"Directly, galing ako sa fascist imprisonment under Marcos, Pagkatapos paglabas ko sa detention, I entered government service by getting reinstated sa UP. Full time ako naglecture bago ako umalis at wala akong pahinga sa mga press interview at speeches. Wala akong pagkakataong gumawa ng kahit na anong krimen," Sison said.
Sison charged that his persecution continues and believes that it will never stop.
"Hindi na titigil siguro dahil ako naman walang tigil sa pagtataguyod ng prinsipyo at pagbatikos sa pagsasamantala at pang-aapi ng mga imperyalistang Amerikano sa ating bansa at syempre sa maraming concrete issues pati na yung walang batayang pagiging presidente ni Gloria dahil nandaya sa election. At si Gloria naman, para mapatibay ang posiyon niya eh sumakay sa anti-terrorism campaign ng U.S. sa kagustuhan niyang matulungan siya ng U.S. para mapanatili siya sa kapangyarihan. Sumasabay siya sa U.S. sa aking persecution," Sison said.
SOURCE: http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/
http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/storypage.aspx?StoryId=129508
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
