Contact: Rhonda Ramiro
Secretary-General, BAYAN-USA
secgen@bayanusa.org

The alliance of 14 Filipino American organizations known as BAYAN-USA strongly condemns the Philippine police and military’s illegal raid and abduction of 43 community health workers and doctors who were conducting health skills training in Morong, Rizal, Philippines on Saturday, February 6.  The health workers and doctors administer health services to poor communities, and were participating in a First Responders Training, sponsored by the Community Medicine Foundation, Inc. (COMMED) and Council for Health and Development (CHD). Their personal belongings, as well the training materials used, were all confiscated by the military.

According to reports by the media and the human rights alliance KARAPATAN, approximately 300 soldiers and police of the Southern Luzon Command of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the Rizal Philippine National Police (PNP) forcibly entered the farmhouse of Dr. Melecia Velmonte at 6:15 AM. The training participants were then lined up, violently frisked, blindfolded, and taken to Camp Capinpin, headquarters of the 202nd Infantry Brigade, AFP.  The health workers have been held incommunicado since then, and have been denied their right to legal counsel.  A team from the Commission on Human Rights was also blocked from seeing the detainees.

“We denounce the PNP and AFP’s illegal abduction and detention of health professionals,” stated Bernadette Ellorin, BAYAN-USA Chair. “It is contemptible that the government arrested these health care providers while they were undergoing training in ‘first response,’ especially in light of the government’s failure to provide this type of critical care during disasters like typhoon Ondoy.”

KARAPATAN reported that the AFP and PNP illegally used a search warrant naming a person who was not the owner of the home, nor specifying an exact address.  Moreover, the military declared that the victims were members of the New People’s Army because of explosives allegedly found inside the compound, even though witnesses said that the military conducted the search of the compound’s premises only after all of the victims and residents were already outside the buildings. Witnesses also said that the military brought in with them plastic bags with the GMA Kapuso logo printed on it.

“The government is sending the message that Filipino doctors and nurses are welcome to go abroad to work, but they are labeled rebels if they stay in the Philippines to serve the poor,” said Ellorin.  “This falls right in line with President Arroyo’s bloody counter-insurgency program Operation Plan Bantay Laya 2, which has terrorized innocent people with extra-judicial killings, abductions, disappearances, torture and mass arrests.”

BAYAN-USA makes the following demands:

1. The immediate release of the health workers who are illegally arrested and illegally detained at Camp Capinpin, Tanay, Rizal.
2. The government to ensure the safety of the victims and that they are not harmed; their belongings be returned immediately to them.
3. The immediate formation of an independent fact-finding and investigation team composed of representatives from human rights groups, the Church, local government, and the Commission on Human Rights that will look into raid and illegal arrest of the health workers conducting health skills training in Morong, Rizal.
4. The military to stop the labeling and targeting of human rights defenders as “members of front organizations of the communists” and “enemies of the state.”
5. The Philippine Government to be reminded that it is a signatory to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and that it is also a party to all the major Human Rights instruments, thus it is bound to observe all of these instruments’ provisions.

Contact: Rhonda Ramiro
Secretary-General, BAYAN-USA
secgen@bayanusa.org

BAYAN USA Urges Phil. Congress to Revoke Proclamation 1959, Demands Obama Withdraw Support

The US Chapter of Bagong Alyansang Makabayan, or BAYAN USA, an alliance of 14 Filipino organizations across the United States is urging Filipinos in the United States and around the world to heighten their vigilance and resolve against the Arroyo government’s recent declaration of a State of Martial Law in the Southern Philippine province of Maguindanao. Following Arroyo’s signing of Presidential Proclamation 1959 last Friday, the Philippine Congress is set to resume on Monday, will review Arroyo’s action, and will vote on it.

“This is not about seeking justice for the victims of the Maguindanao massacre. This is about taking advantage of what is perhaps the most insolent election-related act of violence in recent Philippine history to justify abuse of executive powers,” states BAYAN USA Chair Berna Ellorin. “Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo does nothing but dishonor the 64+ massacred last November 23rd in Maguindanao by riding on the tragedy to serve her own narrow interest to cling to power, especially when her Presidential term must end next year.”

No Justice for Maguindanao Massacre Victims Under Arroyo

The alliance chided the Arroyo government’s delayed handling of the Maguindanao massacre as intentional and supported growing calls for a third party to conduct an impartial, thorough investigation of the crime scene and ensure swift arrest and prosecution of the perpetrators. But the lack of timely effort on the Arroyo government’s part to go after the obvious suspects– the Ampatuan family, a powerful political dynasty that has ruled Maguindanao for over a decade– clearly posed roadblocks to justice.

Nearly two weeks after the massacre, and with only one suspect in custody who voluntarily surrendered, Arroyo signed Proclamation 1959, placing Maguindanao province under a State of Martial Law, under the auspices of arresting the other members of the Ampatuan family and calling them in for questioning.

“The Arroyos and Ampatuans are close political allies, therefore the Arroyo government is in no rightful position to present itself as capable of enacting swift justice, especially in light of key witnesses coming forward confirming their long-time political patronage included the sales of arms, arms that were used to kill last week,” Ellorin added.

“Declaring martial law does not negate the Arroyo government’s policy of impunity for perpetrators of human rights abuses,” Ellorin continued. “It is a means to mask the Arroyo government’s own culpability in the massacre itself and consolidate power through military rule under a military well-documented for sowing the country’s human rights crisis with the assistance of US military aid.”

Obama Standing on the Wrong Side of History?

Since it’s founding in 2005, BAYAN USA has been actively campaigning for the withdrawal of US military aid to the Philippines, which account for the training, advising, and arming of the Philippine military under Arroyo. A US Senate hearing in 2007 raised concerns that funding from the US government was directly linked to rampant pattern of state-sponsored killings and disappearances of critics of the Arroyo government.

Referring to his now-famous inaugural words criticizing world leaders who “cling to power through corruption and deceit and the silencing of dissent,” the alliance also welcomed the Obama administration last January in Washington DC with calls to withdraw all forms of support to the Arroyo government for its proven track record in corruption, fraud, and gross human rights violations.

“If Obama stands with Arroyo’s proclamation of Martial Law, he is no different than Jimmy Carter and Ronald Reagan whose support for the former dictator Ferdinand Marcos fostered and enabled a dark period in Philippine history when warrantless arrests, torture, and assassinations were routine for the ruling military but terrorizing for the Filipino people,” Ellorin claimed. “The international community, especially US tax payers, play a role in pressuring both the US and Philippine governments to ensure the lifting of martial law in Maguindanao, an end to policy of impunity for human rights abusers in the Philippines, and that justice for the victims of the Maguindanao massacre is truly obtained void of the Arroyo government’s handling.”

Contact: Rhonda Ramiro
Secretary General, BAYAN-USA
secgen@bayanusa.org

BAYAN-USA casts suspicion on the upcoming visit of Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to the Philippines this Thursday, November 12, saying that the so-called goodwill gesture could really be a Trojan Horse that unleashes a new wave of U.S. military troops and funding into the Philippines at a time when human rights violations are at an all-time high.  “Obama pledged support to the Visiting Forces Agreement when he met with Arroyo, Gates announced the indefinite presence of at least 600 U.S. troops in Mindanao when he came to the Philippines, so why should we expect anything different from Clinton?” said BAYAN-USA Chair Berna Ellorin.  “The Obama administration is clearly reinforcing the existing neo-colonial relations between the two countries, despite its rhetoric of change.”

Clinton’s visit comes on the heels of mixed messages emanating from the State Department in recent days; on October 27, Raymond Richhart, head of the State Department’s East Asia desk, told to Philippine Congressman Neri Colmenares that the U.S. would be withholding $2 Million in military aid to the Philippines this year because of the Arroyo government’s failure to comply with human rights conditions set on the aid.  However, Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs Secretary Alberto Romulo reported yesterday that the Obama administration requested that Congress lift the human rights conditions on the $2 Million in military aid for the Philippines in the proposed U.S. appropriations act for next year.

“The restrictions on even that small amount of aid were fought for by Filipino Americans, the faith community and human rights advocates.  Clinton needs to explain why the administration would defy the will of its constituents and ignore the 1,093 dead bodies of people slaughtered by the Philippine military under Arroyo,” stated Ellorin.   BAYAN-USA expects Arroyo to press for the maximum amount of military aid to prop up her presidency and continue carrying out Oplan Bantay Laya 2, just as Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro lobbied for both the VFA and more military aid when he visited the U.S. in September.  “The fact is that the Oplan Bantay Laya 2counterinsurgency operation is fueling the military’s human rights atrocities.  Congress and the State Department should think twice before they release any aid to the Philippines, if they don’t want innocent blood on their hands,” said Ellorin

BAYAN-USA contends that the restriction of a token amount of aid will never seriously address the human rights crisis as long as the Visiting Forces agreement remains in place.  After its enactment in 1999, the Visiting Forces Agreement ushered in tens of thousands of U.S. soldiers, advisors, and special operatives, who have been accused of engaging in illegal combat operations under the guise of military exercises, a claim substantiated by eyewitness accounts, Philippine military personnel, and U.S. military publications themselves.  Nearly $1 billion worth of military aid and materiel has flowed into the Philippines under the auspices of the Visiting Forces Agreement.  “Withholding $2 Million is like taking away a single bullet from a gunman you’ve armed with a whole arsenal of ammunition,” commented Ellorin.

“By maintaining the Visiting Forces Agreement, the Obama administration is guaranteeing that the human rights crisis will continue,” said Ellorin.  “It is criminal that President Obama called Arroyo to pledge his support for the VFA this year and that Senator Inouye requested an increase in military aid to the Philippines next year, when the extrajudicial killings are on the rise and an American citizen, Melissa Roxas, was abducted and tortured by the Philippine military.”

“A year ago, the American people voted for change.  When it comes to U.S. policy toward the Philippines, all we’ve gotten is more of the same,” said Ellorin.  “The change we will fight for is an end to U.S. military presence and intervention in the Philippines, the abrogation of the Visiting Forces Agreement, and the complete termination of military aid for the Philippines.”

Contact: Rhonda Ramiro
Secretary General, BAYAN-USA
secgen@bayanusa.org

Philippine Congresswoman Liza Maza distributing relief packages

DAGUPAN CITY, PHIILIPPINES–Filipino-Americans under the banner of BAYAN-USA, a US-wide alliance of 14 Filipino organizations, have been actively responding to the needs of the victims of typhoons Ketsana (Ondoy) and Parma (Pepeng) that slammed through the Philippines in the past few weeks killing hundreds and devastating thousands. In addition to conducting on-the-ground emergency relief operations in the Philippines, the alliance reached its projected goal of $15,000 for BALSA (Bayanihan Alay Para Sa Sambayanan), a broad, multi-sectoral disaster relief organization affiliated with its mother alliance, BAYAN Philippines, in addition to gathering dozens of boxes across the US filled with in-kind donations of clothes, food, and medicine.

This week, members of BAYAN-USA traveled to the Philippines to deliver their monetary donations and participate in relief operations. In Dagupan City, Pangasinan, BAYAN-USA joined Congresswoman and Senatorial Candidate Liza Maza of the Gabriela Women’s Party and MAKABAYAN Coalition for one day in handing out over 2,000 sacks of food to long lines of families who had been devastated by the typhoon’s destructive force, but met with the inadequate response of the Philippine government in providing relief. Pangansinan, one of the most impacted provinces in the nation, was 80% submerged due to the man-made disaster of the San Roque Dam opening that unleashed more than 8 million cubic meters of water.

“We have seen with our own eyes how the Philippine government has neglected the needs of the typhoon victims at a time of tremendous need for basic necessities like medicine, food, and shelter,” commented Bernadette Ellorin, chair of BAYAN-USA and one of the members of the relief team. “It has been the responsibility of people’s organizations, like BAYAN-USA, to provide the emergency response needed for our families and loved ones back home who are suffering and will continue to suffer from the Arroyo government’s greedy, disaster-creating policies.”

Relief Distribution Plans

In relaying its monetary and in-kind donations, BAYAN-USA expressed distrust over the Arroyo government’s recent directive for all donations from abroad to be coursed only through accredited organizations with the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) or face taxation and other types of penalties and fees.

Furthermore, Philippine Consular offices in the U.S. have imposed restrictions on courier services from shipping relief goods collected by organizations whose efforts are not affiliated with the Philippine government. Courier services face high penalty fees should they choose to ship goods from people’s organizations collecting donations such as BAYAN-USA.

“In this time of calamity, it is unconscionable that the Arroyo government sees this as an opportunity to make money off of suffering,” Ellorin added, “especially when its own corruption of the National Disaster Relief Funds to pay for Arroyo’s lavish lifestyle is at the root of this disaster.”

Like other donors from the U.S., BAYAN-USA is calling for the Arroyo government to lift restrictions on goodwill, including the DSWD accreditation requirement and the taxation on relief goods, as it is posing a concrete obstacle to donors to send relief to the Philippines.

“Donors from the U.S. are not responding to the directives because of clear distrust. How can they be assured that their donations will reach their loved ones and the neediest communities back home?” Ellorin questioned. “Donors are choosing to go through alternative routes to circumvent the Arroyo government’s greedy paws.”

With the approaching super-typhoon Lupit expected to hit the Philippines within the next few days, the need for long-term or permanent disaster relief efforts becomes more apparent. “In the face of government corruption and inutility, people’s organizations should develop long-term relief operations to meet the escalating needs of the people to fight off the looming threats of cholera, dengue and other health epidemics as well as widespread hunger and homelessness,” ended Ellorin.

Members of BAYAN-USA and GABRIELA-USA with Congresswoman Liza Maza

For more information on how to donate through BAYAN USA, visit www.bayanusa.org.

OFFICIAL DROP OFF SITES and CONTACT INFORMATION:

[To be updated regularly]

BAYANIHAN Filipino Community Center
40-21 69th St.
Woodside, NY 11377
Open Hours: Monday – Friday, 11 AM – 8 PM; Saturday and Sunday, 12-6 PM.
Contact:
Yancy Mark: (347) 867-0330
Jonna: (646) 578-7390
filipinocenter@gmail.com

Stony Brook University
Contact:
Jun Rose: (646) 750-3489.

FIND District III college organizations
Contact:
Patricia Dayleg: patricia.dayleg@gmail.com
Isabel Marie Gomez: isabelmariegomez@gmail.com

BKPNewYork
(specifically collecting children’s books to the Philippines)
Contact:
Frederick (646) 641-7183
frederick@bkpny.org

New Jersey
Contact:
Yves Nibungco: (201) 621-3156
Nick Cordero: (917) 476-7855

Sinugba Cafe
561 Westside Ave
Jersey City, NJ 07304

Casa Victoria
691 Newark Ave
Jersey City, NJ 07306-2803

Kalusugan Coalition
591 Summit Avenue Suite 412 (Corner Summit and Newark Ave)
Jersey City, NJ 07306
Contact/Office Hours:
(201) 653-4600

Fellowship for Filipino Migrants-FFM
PO Box 901
Glenview, IL 60025-9998
Contact:
Nerissa: (224) 381-6888
ffm4outreach@gmail.com

Money, clothes, blankets, non-perishable food, medicines, toiletries and other basic necessities can be dropped off at designated BALSA locations in Southern California.

Downtown L.A
519 S. Spring (between 5th and 6th)
Los Angeles, CA 90013
Contact:
Fernando Fernando: (323) 854-4478

More drop-off locations will be volunteered in the coming days.

Los Angeles BALSA Relief Coordinators:
Fernando Fernando: (323) 854-4478 (Central LA)
Kuusela Hilo: (818) 395-9207 (LA)
Daya Mortel: (206) 355-0256 (West LA)
Victor Romero: (424) 225-0322 (South Bay)

E-mail: sc@bayanusa.org

Checks can be made out to Tulong Sa Bayan. (Tax-deductible) Online donations via paypal can be made at http://www.bayanusa.org.

Cristy’s Bakery
9178 Mira Mesa Blvd
San Diego, CA 92126-4804
Contact:
(858) 271-6135

Mira Mesa Senior Center
8460 Mira Mesa Blvd
San Diego, CA 92126-2311
Contact:
(858) 578-7325

Fava Hall
2926 Market St.
San Diego, CA 92102
Contact:
(619) 234-1360

Kalasugan Community Services
1419 E 8th St
National City, CA 91950-2602
Contact:
(619) 477-3392

BALSA efforts in SD
Contact:
Anakbayan San Diego: anakbayansd@gmail.com
Eugene Gambol: (916) 296-4848 egambol@gmail.com
Ivan (619) 370-1296

Additional relief information
Patricia Guevarra: (858) 692-0785 patricia.guevarra@gmail.com

Donations in San Francisco/Bay Area
Contact:
Ryan Leano (626) 534-4971

Monetary donations can also be dropped off at these sites. Checks can be made out to “Lakasdiwa,” a non-profit organization that will send the funds directly to MIGRANTE International in the Philippines, a workers’ organization directly helping the victims in the disaster relief efforts. Please put “Typhoon Ondoy Relief” on the check’s note.

Filipino Community Center
4681 Mission Street
San Francisco, CA 94112

Liwanag Kultural Center
Hillside Park Clubhouse
222 Lausanne Ave.
Daly City‎, CA‎ 94014
Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays, 3:30 - 6 PM; Wednesdays, 3:30 - 8 PM

Asian Pacific Islander Youth Promoting Advocacy & Leadership
310 8th Street, Suite 215
Oakland, CA 94710
Monday-Friday, 10 AM - 6 PM
Contact:
Armael Malinis, AnakBayan-East Bay

Donations in San Jose/South Bay
Contact:
Melissa Nievera, Filipino Community Support (FOCUS): focus.balita@gmail.com.

Filipino Youth Coalition (FYC) & Filipino Community Support (FOCUS) drop-off sites:

Welch Park Community Building
Located at corner of Kenesta Way and Clarice Dr
San Jose, CA 95122
(open everyday from 2 - 5 PM to receive donations)

Valley Faith United Methodist Church
1251 Sandia Ave.
Sunnyvale, CA 94089

Stanford’s Pilipino American Student Union (PASU)
Contact:
AV David (650) 491-4561
avhdavid@stanford.edu

Portland Committee for Human Rights in the Philippines
Contact:
Claire Oliveros
portlandchrp@gmail.com
You can send CASH through Metro Bank acct. 3 189 14540 1 For BAYAN’s “BALSA” (Bayanihan Alay sa Sambayanan)

Contact:
Consuelo Rivera (503) 729-9449
welorivera@yahoo.com

Contact: Rhonda Ramiro
Secretary General, BAYAN-USA
secgen@bayanusa.org

European Court Ruling Removes Professor Sison from EU Blacklist

BAYAN-USA Applauds European Court Decision, Calls on U.S. State Department to Follow Suit

BAYAN-USA celebrated the landmark victory for all progressives and freedom-loving people on September 30, when the Court of First Instance of the European Communities (ECFI) annulled all previous decisions by the Council of the European Union (EU) that had maintained Professor Jose Maria Sison on an EU “terrorist list” and frozen his bank account since 2002. The Court ruled that “the procedures before the Raad van State and the Rechtbank [Hague District Court] clearly do not involve any ‘conviction’ of Mr Sison, nor do they amount to decisions to ‘instigat[e] … investigations or prosecut[e] for a terrorist act’.”

“The tactics used by reactionary governments to vilify Joma in the courts have failed because they stood on false pretenses,” said Berna Ellorin, Chair of BAYAN-USA. “No amount of smoke and mirrors could hide the truth: the only thing Joma is guilty of is serving the people and fighting for national freedom, democracy and social liberation.”

The EU’s terrorist blacklisting of Professor Sison in 2002 and the Dutch government’s subsequent arrest and detention of Sison in 2007 drew immediate criticism; well-respected organizations and individuals internationally denounced the actions as instigated by the Philippine and U.S. governments to silence dissent, particularly since the U.S. State Department had placed Professor Sison on its “terrorist list” earlier in 2002. Warrantless arrests and levying of false criminal charges against political activists are among the skyrocketing numbers of human rights violations committed since 2001 under the administration of Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo and her military. Earlier this year, Professor Sison was cleared of the Dutch government’s charges due to lack of any credible evidence.

“Joma’s vindication underscores the absurdity of the terrorist blacklisting in the first place,” stated Ellorin. “The U.S.-backed Arroyo regime can no longer hide behind the rhetoric of ‘preventing terrorism’ to justify what is actually a campaign of political repression.”

“If President Obama hopes for the U.S. to regain any credibility among international human rights bodies, it would serve him well to ensure that the U.S. State Department removes Joma from the U.S. terrorist list.”

Contact: Rhonda Ramiro
Secretary-General, BAYAN USA
secgen@bayanusa.org

The worldwide outpouring of aid and support for the over 1.8 million victims of Typhoon Ondoy (international name: Ketsana) in the Philippines this week leaves Filipinos in the United States reeling with anger in response to the Arroyo government’s utter ineptitude in providing adequate disaster relief.

This anger towards the Arroyo administration is justifiable for a number of reasons, the most obvious of which are the Philippine government’s evident corruption of billions in national disaster funds in order to fatten up the Presidential international travel budget and subsequent insistence that donations coming from abroad be channeled through government agencies.

But in the case of Ondoy, the Arroyo government’s hands have extended past the budget purse-strings and into crafting disaster-prone policies as well.

Not Just a Natural Disaster

The vast, heavy floods that swept through Metro-Manila devastating over 319,811 families and killing at least 240 people slammed tons of pressure that left properties in ruins. But contrary to claims of Malacanang, these killer floods did not come solely from unpredictable heavy rainfall and winds, but from deadly landslides originating from the neighboring provinces.

For years, the Philippine government has denied links between mining and logging activity and landslides in order to protect the investments of multi-national corporations (MNC) in the Philippines. But other mining authorities, such as the British Columbia Geological Survey Branch, admit to a direct link between heavy mechanical activity launched by foreign corporations in resource-rich countries like the Philippines and the weakening of bedrock along slopes that can result to slope failure and eventually a fatal landslide.

In addition to ensuring nothing less than maximum devastation when disasters like Ondoy strike, irregular warming of the Earth’s surface caused by greenhouse gas concentrations resulting from dense MNC activity also contribute to the altering of regional climate patterns, such as the generation of typhoons.

Charter Change

While illegal mining and logging continue throughout the Philippines under the Arroyo administration, the Arroyo clique relentlessly campaigns for changes to the 1987 Philippine Constitution that would allow 100% foreign ownership of Philippine territory. Intensified foreign mining, logging, deforestation, land conversion and marine fishing throughout the Philippines coupled with poor infrastructure will only leave Filipinos vulnerable to more calamities such as Ondoy.

Support People’s Needs, Not Corruption

In this time of urgent need for the vast majority of Filipinos impacted by Ondoy, BAYAN USA appeals to supporters around the world to think twice before donating financial support to Philippine government-led initiatives such as those spearheaded by consular offices around the world.

The reason why overseas Filipinos are choosing NOT to remit through government channels is because of the Philippine government’s proven and historical track record of taking advantage of monetary donation drives in response to calamities as ample opportunities for graft. The 1991 eruption of Mount Pinatubo is one glaring example of this. In fact, to this day, more than Pph 7 billion (USD $280 million) in public funds allocated for post-eruption disaster relief remains unaccounted for.

The Philippine government makes billions in US dollars every year from the remittances of overseas Filipinos. Let’s not give them a chance to make more money off the victims of Ondoy. There are more reliable and credible people organizations both in the United States and in the Philippines, who not only organize communities for social reforms, but are now working tirelessly to divert donations from the government’s corrupt hands and bring direct relief to the most impacted areas without any discrimination or bias. Visit www.bayanusa.org or www.bayanihan4ondoy.wordpress.com to learn more about them. ###

Thank you all for your generous contributions to support the victims of Typhoon Ondoy (Ketsana). We are working around the clock in coordination with BAYAN-Philippines and the BALSA Relief Operation to ensure that support is being directed where it is needed the most. We will keep you updated as things develop.

Where do our donations go? These donations go directly to BAYAN Philippines and the BALSA Relief Operation. BAYAN Philippines is an alliance of grassroots organizations all over the Philippines that represent the most marginalized and impoverished communities in the country. These are the communities that have been most impacted by the Typhoon. The BALSA Relief Operation will be providing medical, financial and clean-up aid, especially in the urban poor areas, where people have literally lost everything. This will NOT include the bureaucracy and red tape that happens with third-party groups like the Red Cross or the Philippine Consulate.

Please cut and paste the image below onto your facebook/myspace/blogs/etc. Thanks again for your support!

Hello friends and supporters of the Philippines,

On Saturday September 26th, Typhoon Ondoy (Ketsana) struck the Philippines with the heaviest rainfall recorded followed by the worst flooding in 40 years.

BAYAN-Philippines’ “BALSA” (Bayanihan Alay sa Sambayanan, or “People’s Cooperation for the People”), is calling upon compatriots and sympathizers to gather financial donations for the victims of the Big Flood.

As of this writing, there are at least 100 dead or missing and 435,000 victims who are homeless, injured or have lost all of their belongings. There are still as least 1 million people without electricity. Scenes are eerily similar to “Hurricane Katrina” and President Bush’s response in 2005 (or lack thereof).

President Arroyo’s lack of preparation and priority to acquire hundreds of big rubber boats (officials admitted they only had 13 rubber boats), amphibian vehicles, dump trucks, thousands of life vests and food/medicine kit for our compatriots who are trapped in rooftops has led to a humanitarian crisis.

We are making this appeal for financial support as the current administration is woefully unprepared and unable to help the hundreds of thousands of our compatriots and friends. BALSA will be coordinating efforts to distribute food, medicines, clothing and other basic necessities to help the people through this crisis. Because BALSA is firmly linked with the masses, aid will directly go towards the basic sectors of society – the workers, peasants and the urban poor who make up the majority of the victims (despite media attention that “the poor and rich are equally impacted”).

Please make a donation through BAYAN-USA or a local member organization of BAYAN-USA (see links on sidebar).

Donate Online via Paypal:

Or, donations can be directly deposited into the following account:

Thank you for your support.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact Rhonda Ramiro, Secretary General of BAYAN-USA at secgen@bayanussa.org, or Jeff Rice, Finance Officer of BAYAN-USA at finance@bayanusa.org.

Contact: Rhonda Ramiro
Secretary General, BAYAN-USA
secgen@bayanusa.org

On the 37th anniversary of the declaration of martial law in the Philippines, BAYAN-USA called on the administration of President Barack Obama to break with tradition by ending over 100 years of US support for dictatorial regimes like that of Ferdinand Marcos in 1972 and President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo today.

“For the past eight years, Arroyo has impersonated Marcos with her brazen corruption and brutal human rights record. But the US should admit its own guilt for these atrocities, because American military and economic policies have made it possible for tyrants like Marcos and Arroyo to not only ascend to power, but to rule with impunity year after year,” said Berna Ellorin, Chair of BAYAN-USA.

With a reported 1, 013 extra-judicial killings, 202 enforced disappearances, 223 political prisoners, and 1,036 incidences of torture since 2001, the Arroyo regime’s human rights record rivals that of Marcos and has drawn sharp criticism from the United Nations, Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, and KARAPATAN. Among the victims is poet and human rights activist Melissa Roxas, the first known American victim of torture in the Philippines under Obama’s presidency. During that same time period, US military support for the Philippines has skyrocketed, increasing by a staggering 1,500% according to a 2007 report by the Center for Public Integrity.

“Obama’s carefully manicured speech telling ‘those who cling to power through corruption and deceit and the silencing of dissent’ that they are ‘on the wrong side of history’ of course falls on deaf ears, because in his next breath he calls Arroyo to affirm US commitment to the Visiting Forces Agreement and then designates the Philippines as the official coordinating country between the US and ASEAN,” continued Ellorin. “That’s like telling a bully to stop terrorizing children on the playground, but giving him a baseball bat so he can hit his next victim,” continued Ellorin.

Although US militarization in the Philippines has intensified since 2001, it began over 100 years ago when the US seized control of the Philippines after the Spanish-American War and usurped power from Philippine revolutionary forces. Numerous agreements between the US and the Philippines have guaranteed a constant American military presence in the Philippines since then, despite widespread opposition. The historic Philippine Senate vote in 1991 to not renew the US military bases agreement was undermined by the enactment of the Visiting Forces Agreement in 1999. US intentions to maintain its forces in the Philippines indefinitely were underscored at the end of last month, when US Defense Secretary Robert Gates announced that the US has been keeping a 600-strong Joint Special Operations Task Force in the Philippines since 1999 and would keep them there indefinitely. Reports that US troops were involved in a shooting in Jolo, Sulu that resulted in damage to a mosque last week on September 14 have been met with an attempted cover-up by Philippine authorities and silence by the US military.

“Rather than enforcing the status quo in Philippine-US relations, Obama should begin the process of reparations to the victims of Marcos and Arroyo,” stated Ellorin. “He could start by immediately withdrawing US troops, terminating the Visiting Forces Agreement, and cutting off all military aid to the Arroyo regime. There would also be a lot more money available for universal health care, if the US stopped sending tens of millions of dollars to the Philippines every year to enforce virtual martial law.”

BAYAN-USA is an alliance of progressive Filipino groups in the US representing organizations of students, scholars, women, workers, and youth. As an international chapter of Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (BAYAN-Philippines), BAYAN-USA serves as an information bureau for the national democratic movement of the Philippines and as a campaign center for anti-imperialist Filipinos in the US. The online petition against the VFA can be found at http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/JunkVFAnow/.