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/.

Contact: Jack DeJesus
Deputy Secretary General, BAYAN-USA
depsec@bayanusa.org

The usual calm of Foster City’s waterfront neighborhood was interrupted momentarily by the sounds of local activists chanting, “Mike Arroyo, you can’t hide! We can see your big bahay! You’re busted!”

Dozens of Filipinos representing different organizations convened in the early morning at the famed Beach Park Boulevard home of Philippine Congressman Mikey Arroyo. Their objective: to show that Bay Area Filipinos oppose the lavish lifestyles of Philippine elected officials and think that they should spend their time and money addressing poverty and human rights instead.

“We are disgusted the Congressman Arroyo bought a $1.32 million dollar home here in the U.S while over 11 million Filipinos are living on less than a dollar a day,” stated GABRIELA USA Chairperson Raquel Redondiez.

The protesters demanded that the Arroyos come clean about the source of their wealth. “Since Gloria and the rest of the Arroyos came to power, their family’s wealth has multiplied, while the Philippine economy has plummeted,” added Terry Valen of NAFCON (National Alliance of Filipino Concerns).

In addition to banners and signs, two protesters dressed as Mikey Arroyo and and his famed Presidential mother carrying giant “credit-cards” of the “Bank of the Philippine People.” Gloria’s “visa” has “20,000 stolen by GMA “Takaw sa Kapangyarihan”, and Mikey’s “Mastercard” has “$1.32 million stolen by Mikey “Kurakot” Arroyo.

The Philippines’ economic ties to Washington was also a point of concern, especially related to the ongoing issue of political killings and enforced disappearances, brought to light by the recent abduction and torture of Filipino-American activist Melissa Roxas. BAYAN-USA Deputy Secretary Jack DeJesus said, “We are in the middle of an economic crisis. Instead of funding politicians’ luxury homes and Philippine death squads, our US tax dollars should be used to provide social services, health care, and education for people here in America.”

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

“Rep. Alcover is only deceiving himself if he thinks that anyone is going to believe his malicious lies and slanderous statements. He should apologize to the Filipino people for wasting their money and time, and issue an immediate retraction of his slanderous statements,” remarked BAYAN-USA Chair Berna Ellorin, in reaction to Representative Pastor Alcover Jr.’s privilege speech to the Philippine House of Representatives on August 17, 2009.

The US Chapter of Bagong Alyansang Makabayan, or BAYAN-USA, denounced Rep. Alcover’s privilege speech as another pathetic attempt by the Arroyo regime to wash its hands of responsibility for the thousands of state-sponsored human rights violations plaguing the Philippines and to discredit the testimony of torture victim Melissa Roxas. “Melissa Roxas’ strong credibility as a victim of torture, backed unanimously by the Commission on Human Rights in the Philippines, has created a diplomatic nightmare for the Arroyo government. Roxas’ brave pursuit of justice and accountability is expectedly bringing out the witch-hunters in the Arroyo government, namely ANAD Partylist Representative Jun Alcover,” stated Ellorin.

Throughout the speech, Rep. Alcover made baseless claims and stated erroneous information as facts. Such information included Rep. Alcover’s branding of BAYAN-USA as “an organization under the NDF [National Democratic Front] international in the United States.”

“Rep. Alcover is stooping to slander as a means to absolve the Arroyo government of the more than 1,000 cases of extrajudicial killings and over 200 cases each of enforced disappearances and torture—including the most recent case of Melissa Roxas. This is no surprise, given the overwhelmingly credible testimony provided by Melissa,” said Ellorin. “The Arroyo regime has a history of recycling the ‘communist boogeyman’ every time it gets put on the defensive. Rep. Alcover should be reminded that these McCarthyist red-baiting tactics were discredited last century, for their utter failure to do anything but demonize innocent people and make the world less safe for everyone.”

Rep. Alcover also referred repeatedly to a “hate campaign” being waged to shame the government. “Did Rep. Alcover mis-read the reports by the United Nations, Amnesty International and Human Rights watch, which all point to government responsibility for the overwhelming majority of human rights violations committed against innocent Filipinos?” stated Ellorin. “Clearly, the hate campaign being waged is the one that GMA and her supporters have been waging since 2001, against any person courageous enough to speak up for justice and criticize the failed policies of the Arroyo administration.”

“Alcover is abusing his position in the legislature to advance the Philippine military’s agenda within. His red-baiting and inflammatory remarks also serve to undermine the resumption of peace talks between the Philippine government and the NDF, even though the NDF has every right to assert its platform for genuine national freedom and democracy, lasting peace, and a progressive Philippines. Rep. Alcover should spend his time, and the Filipino people’s money, concerning himself with public service for a nation in grave need, and not with bloody, ineffective counter-insurgency tactics.” ended Ellorin.

Contact: Hanalei Ramos and Yves Nibungco
Regional Co-Coordinators, BAYAN-USA
ny@bayanusa.org

NEW YORK–The day after her meeting with President Barack Obama in Washington DC, Philippine Head of State Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo was once again met with more protests in New York City last Friday in front of her hotel, the Waldorf Astoria. Arroyo traveled for a brief stay in New York City to meet with US businessmen this weekend.

Numerous Anti-Arroyo protesters from BAYAN USA, GABRIELA USA, Filipinas for Rights and Empowerent (FiRE), Anakbayan NY/NJ, NY Committee for Human Rights in the Philippines (NYCHRP), and National Alliance for Filipino Concerns (NAFCON), stood and chanted in the pouring rain to register opposition against the Arroyo administration’s plans to convene a constituent assembly (Con-Ass) that would revise the 1987 Philippine Constitution according to her administration’s proposed changes, also known as Charter Change (Cha-Cha). Protesters also held up signs and banners demanding justice for Melissa Roxas, a member of BAYAN USA abducted and tortured by what is widely-believed to be the Philippine military last May.

“These meetings with businessmen are literally to sell-off our homeland piece-by-piece, as Cha-Cha will ensure the selling of Philippine national patrimony as well as mass media and public utilities,” stated Berna Ellorin, Chair of BAYAN USA. “We may be only 20 standing here in front of the Waldorf, but we represent the interest of millions of Filipinos for a truly sovereign nation to call their own.”

Protesters were able to march to the entrance of the hotel while Arroyo was inside, causing other hotel clients to take notice. Chanting “Cha-Cha ni Gloria, Ibasura!” (Junk Gloria’s Cha-Cha!) and “Gloria, Gloria, You Can’t Hide, We Charge You with Homicide!”, protesters stopped, temporarily blocking the hotel’s entrance, to point out Arroyo’s scrutinized human rights record and the case of Melissa Roxas with hotel clients standing by the entrance waiting to hail a taxi.

They also pointed out the usage of US tax dollars through military aid to fund the Philippine military which has been proven by international human rights monitoring groups to be committing these human rights violations.

The Waldorf-Astoria protest follows a high-profile meeting between Arroyo and Obama at the White House last week.

Several members of protesters in New York City also participated in protests the day before in front of the White House, seeking to call Obama’s attention to Årroyo’s human rights track record and to raise it during the meeting. But a post-meeting press conference revealed that the issue was not discussed, in favor of discussion of economic partnership.

Instead, the Obama administration publicly affirmed ties to the Arroyo administration by appointing the Philippines as the coordinator of the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN), a multi-lateral economic forum of nations from South East Asia that meets to discuss economic development and cultural progress.

“We are disappointed, but not surprised,” Ellorin stated. “The Obama and Arroyo governments are determined to maintain the status quo of a master-servant relationship through unequal ties, despite opposition from the American and Filipino people. This only proves that NO PRESIDENT can bring in ‘change we can believe in’. Real change can only be brought by people like us united in mass movement and solidarity.”

Contact: Kuusela Hilo
Vice Chair, BAYAN-USA
vc@bayanusa.org

Los Angeles, CA– Just hours before Melissa Roxas’ Writ of Amparo hearing, BAYAN USA led a Vigil for Justice in front of the Philippine Consulate to demand justice for Melissa and all victims of human rights violations in the Philippines. Dozens gathered, from as far as San Diego, to express their outrage for what was done to Roxas and thousands of others and the worsening social and economic conditions in the Philippines. The protest action, in Roxas’ hometown, was just one of a nationally-coordinated string of actions denouncing President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s State of the Nation Address and her visit to the US at the end of the week.

The Vigil for Justice also addressed the upcoming meeting between President Obama and President Arroyo at the White House. All attendees of the vigil signed a super-sized letter to President Obama, demanding that he take a stand for justice and defend Melissa Roxas. AnakBayan LA and SiGAw (Sisters of Gabriela, Awaken!) performed a heart-wrenching street theater piece, re-enacting the abduction and torture of Melissa Roxas and the on-going campaign to demand justice for Roxas and all victims.

The Vigil for Justice began with a blessing and reading by Rev. Lisa Santiago of Grace United Methodist Church. Rev. Santiago quoted the story of the Widow and the Unjust Judge (Luke 18:1-8), and called on the people to persevere and struggle for justice. Daya Mortel of Habi Arts and Regional Coordinator of BAYAN USA Southwest demanded that President Obama and the American people listen and do something now. “Every time that Melissa has to re-tell the abduction and torture, she is reliving the traumatic experience. How many times will she have to tell her story and relive that hellish experience before President Obama listens?,” asked Mortel. “No US taxes should be funding human rights violations by death squads and the Armed Forces of the Philippines!,” Mortel concluded.

US military aid to the Philippines grew a staggering 1,500% during the Bush administration and is widely believed to have funded the Philippine military personnel that committed the human rights atrocities, which includes a body count of at least 1,013 people killed and 1,036 people tortured.

“To see the state of the Philippine nation, we can look at what happened to Melissa Roxas. There is nothing wrong in helping those neglected by the government, those who do not have access to the basic health services!,” stated Kuusela Hilo, AnakBayan LA member and Vice Chair of BAYAN USA. “US intervention, such as the Visiting Forces Agreement, and the Philippine government’s retaliation against activists makes the worsening socio-economic crisis even worse, terrorizing the Filipino people. We admire Melissa Roxas’ courage as she continues to advocate for the Filipino people, exposing the US-Arroyo regime and the Armed Forces of the Philippines, so that the struggle for justice is not silenced. We must continue to do our part in the struggle for genuine freedom and democracy in the Philippines!” concluded Hilo.

Representatives from BAYAN USA, GABRIELA USA, AnakBayan Los Angeles, AnakBayan San Diego, SiGAw, Habi Arts, International Action Center, Coalition LA, Echo Park United Methodist Church, and the (FMLN) Farabundo Marti National Liberation Front offered messages of solidarity during the Vigil for Justice.

More information about the Justice for Melissa Roxas campaign can be found at www.justiceformelissa.org.

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.

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

Nationwide Actions Demand a Reversal of the Failed Bush-Arroyo Doctrine and Call for REAL Change in US Policy Toward the Philippines

During nationwide actions this week marking the annual “State of the Nation Address” in the Philippines, BAYAN-USA declared that it would demand accountability from the Philippine government for the illegal abduction and torture of American citizen Melissa Roxas and call on President Barack Obama to discuss the human rights crisis in the Philippines in his meeting with Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo on July 30. Roxas, who is the first US citizen known to be tortured in the Philippines during the Obama administration, was abducted, held in captivity and tortured by alleged military agents in the Philippines from May 19-25, 2009.

The Arroyo-Obama meeting also coincides with a hearing of the Court of Appeals in the Philippines on Roxas’ case, at which Roxas will testify about the violent abduction and torture including repeated beatings and asphyxiation with plastic bags that she endured during her six days in captivity in what she believes was a military camp. The meeting of President Arroyo and President Obama also occurs as the US Senate and House deliberate over next year’s military aid package to the Philippines; the current year’s military aid package is $32 million. US military aid to the Philippine grew a staggering 1,500% during the Bush administration and is widely believed to have funded the Philippine military personnel that committed the human rights atrocities, which includes a body count of at least 1,013 people killed and 1,036 people tortured.

“Neglecting to question Arroyo about Melissa Roxas and the thousands of human rights violations being committed by the Philippine military makes the Obama administration complicit in the perpetration of these heinous crimes,” stated Rhonda Ramiro, Secretary General of BAYAN-USA. “Granting tens of millions of US tax dollars to the murderous Philippine military would make President Obama just as guilty as Bush in the continuing torture and murder of innocent people.”

BAYAN-USA and representatives of churches, community organizations, labor unions, and other concerned groups are appealing to President Obama to live up to his declarations of “change,” by asking President Arroyo what action she intends to take about the rampant human rights violations that continue to plague the Philippines. They are also calling on President Obama to specifically ask President Arroyo, as Commander in Chief, to ensure that the Philippine military cooperates with the investigation into Roxas’ case.

“On the UN International Day in Support of Torture Victims, President Obama declared, ‘Torture is contrary to the founding documents of our country and the fundamental values of our people. The US must stand against torture wherever it takes place.’ We are asking President Obama to live up to his words by taking a stand against the state-sanctioned torture used by the Philippine military against government critics,” said Ramiro.

During her meeting with President Obama, President Arroyo is expected to make a pitch for support of her proposed changes to the Philippine Constitution, known in the Philippines as “Charter Change.” Despite widespread popular opposition, President Arroyo has relentlessly campaigned for Charter Change for over two years, including during today’s State of the Nation Address. Charter Change would wipe out constitutional protections that protect Philippine sovereignty by allowing 100% foreign ownership of Philippine land and key industries, as well as open the door to a power extension for President Arroyo beyond the end of her term in 2010.

Recent polls show extremely low approval ratings of President Arroyo. Since Arroyo became president in 2001, the Philippines has experienced the longest period of sustained high unemployment in its history, at 11.2% or 10.8 million people unemployed and underemployed; a cumulative national government deficit of P1.29 trillion, which is triple the deficits of the Aquino, Ramos and Estrada administrations combined; more human rights violations against innocent civilians than under any previous president including Ferdinand Marcos; and at least 16 documented government corruption scandals amounting to $430 million in kick-backs and pay-offs to government officials and relatives.

“If President Obama is serious about promoting peace and supporting lasting change in the Philippines, he should oppose Arroyo’s Charter Change,” stated Ramiro. “Charter Change would result in less security for Filipinos and Americans alike, because it would worsen poverty and pave the way for an Arroyo dictatorship.”

We want REAL CHANGE NOT Charter Change
We want HUMAN RIGHTS NOT Torture
We want DEMOCRACY NOT Dictatorship
We want SOVEREIGNTY NOT Foreign Rule
We want REAL SECURITY NOT State Terrorism
We want JUSTICE FOR MELISSA ROXAS AND ALL VICTIMS OF HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS NOT Denials and Cover-Ups
No US Military Aid for Torture, Abductions and Killings in the Philippines
Investigate the Abduction and Torture of Melissa Roxas

BAYAN-USA Actions being held in the U.S

New York
The Real State of the Nation: Community Forum, Play, and Action
Monday, July 27, 2009, 6:00 PM
Bayanihan Community Center
40-21 69th St.
New York, NY

San Francisco
Cha-Cha-Cha Change We Can Believe In: Action to Demand REAL Change and Justice for Melissa Roxas
Monday, July 27, 2009, 4:00 PM
Federal Building
Corner of Mission Street and 7th Street
San Francisco, CA

Los Angeles
Justice for Melissa Roxas and State of the Nation Action
Coincides with Melissa Roxas’ Writ of Amparo Hearing in the Philippines
Wednesday, July 29, 2009, 7:00 PM
In front of the Philippine Consulate
3600 Wilshire Blvd (between S Harvard Blvd and S Kingsley Dr)
Los Angeles, CA

Additional Actions being held in the US

San Francisco
Vigil for Human Rights in the Philippines
Thursday, July 30, 2009, 6:00 PM
St. Patrick’s Catholic Church
756 Mission St.
San Francisco, CA
Sponsored by the USA-Philippines Ecumenical Advocacy Network

Washington DC
Justice for Melissa Roxas Action and Prayer Vigil
Coincides with Meeting of President Barack Obama and President Gloria Arroyo
Thursday, July 30, 2009, 11:00 AM
Sponsored by Katarungan: Center for Peace, Justice and Human Rights in the Philippines
In front of the White House

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

US citizen abducted and tortured by suspected Philippine military agents returns to the Philippines to seek justice

SAN FRANCISCO, CA – Melissa Roxas, a US citizen abducted and tortured in the Philippines from May 19-25, left the United States today and traveled to the Philippines, where she will pursue her case against the Philippine government. “I am not doing this for myself,” stated Ms. Roxas at San Francisco Airport shortly before boarding a plane bound for the Philippines. “The Philippine government must be held accountable for what they did to me and thousands of other victims of human rights violations.” Ms. Roxas, an American human rights advocate of Filipino descent, is the first known American citizen to have become a victim of abduction and torture during the administration of President Barack Obama while in the Philippines, a country which has drawn international condemnation for state-sponsored human rights atrocities.

“I am returning to the Philippines to testify at a hearing for my Petition for Writ of Amparo and Habeus Data regarding my abduction and torture by the Philippine military,” said Ms. Roxas. “Of course I am concerned about my safety. However, I decided to come back to the Philippines because of the promise of safety and security offered by the Chair of the Commission on Human Rights of the Philippines.” Ms. Roxas’ Petition for Writ of Amparo and Habeus Data seeks protection for Ms. Roxas and her family, as well as the production of informational documents pertinent to her case and to allow the inspection of Fort Magsaysay where Ms. Roxas believes she was held captive and tortured.

To ensure her safety while traveling, Ms. Roxas is accompanied by a delegation of the California Nevada Conference of the United Methodist Church, Philippines Pastoral and Solidarity Visit. The solidarity delegation has been traveling to the Philippines annually since 2007, to respond to the reported extra-judicial killings taking place in the Philippines, along with other human rights abuses targeted against religious activists, educators, labor leaders, and students. The delegation visits families of victims in various regions of the Philippines, and an Advance Special offering has been established to help support the needs of surviving family members. This year’s delegation includes United Methodist Church Bishop Warner H. Brown. Before they passed through the airport gate leading to their flight this afternoon, the delegates joined hands in a circle with Ms. Roxas and said a prayer for safety, guidance and strength in their journey.

Ms. Roxas’ return to the Philippines comes just 11 days before President Obama will meet with Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo in Washington D.C. on July 30. To the dismay of many people in both the US and the Philippines, the agenda of the first state visit between the two countries currently omits the discussion of human rights violations, including the case of Ms. Roxas even though she is a US citizen. Representatives of churches, community organizations, labor unions, and other concerned groups are currently appealing to President Obama to live up to his declarations of “change,” by asking President Arroyo what action she intends to take about the rampant human rights violations that continue to plague the Philippines and to specifically ensure that her government cooperates with the investigation into Ms. Roxas’ case.

In a sworn affidavit submitted to the Philippine Supreme Court, Ms. Roxas described being abducted at gunpoint by several heavily armed men, brought to what she believed is a military camp, held against her will, questioned without the presence of an attorney, beaten repeatedly, and asphyxiated using plastic bags before being released. Reports by the United Nations, Amnesty International, Philippine-based human rights organization Karapatan, and Human Rights Watch have overwhelmingly concluded that the Philippine military is responsible for systematically carrying out human rights violations such as abduction, torture and extra-judicial killings against innocent civilians. Human rights advocates and activists have been the vast majority of victims; Ms. Roxas, a member of Habi Arts Los Angeles and the first Regional Coordinator of BAYAN-USA, was in the Philippines conducting human rights and community health work as well as doing research for a writing project when she was abducted and tortured.

The experience of Ms. Roxas is considered typical for the over 200 cases of abduction and 1,036 cases of torture recorded since Gloria Macapagal Arroyo became president of the Philippines in 2001. The Philippine government’s quick denial of responsibility for Ms. Roxas’ abduction and torture is also considered a typical response; in his 2007 report on the Philippines, UN Special Rapporteur Philip Alston cited such systematic denial by the government as one of the primary obstacles to stopping the rampant human rights violations plaguing the country. In his 2009 follow-up report, Alston indicated a general failure of the Arroyo government to stop the persistent human rights violations.

“We hail Melissa’s courage to testify in court about the horrendous trauma she experienced at the hands of the Philippine military,” stated Berna Ellorin, Chair of BAYAN-USA. “She will confront head-on the lies and denials of the Philippine government, and speak on behalf of the thousands of victims of human rights violations who are no longer able to speak for themselves.”

When she returns to the US, Ms. Roxas and the organizations working on the Justice for Melissa campaign will continue to pursue justice from this country, with actions which include national speaking appearances, media interviews about her ordeal, community mobilizations, and legal cases filed with the United Nations.

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.

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

U.N. Day in Support of Torture Victims Marked with Press Conference by Torture Survivor Melissa Roxas

What: Press Conference of Melissa Roxas, recent victim of abduction and torture
When: Saturday, June 27, 2009
Time: 4:00 PM - 5:30 PM (Pacific Time)
Where: Echo Park United Methodist Church, 1226 N. Alvarado St., Los Angeles, CA 90026

Live Web Stream: www.bayan.ph

Los Angeles, CA – In her first public appearance since being released from captivity, Melissa Roxas, a U.S. citizen abducted and tortured in the Philippines from May 19-25, will hold a press conference to describe the human rights abuses she endured while held for six days in an alleged military camp. Ms. Roxas, an American human rights advocate of Filipino descent, is the first known American citizen to have become a victim of abduction and torture in the Philippines, a country which has drawn international condemnation for state-sponsored human rights atrocities.

In a sworn affidavit submitted to the Philippine Supreme Court, Ms. Roxas described being abducted at gunpoint by several heavily armed men, brought to what she believed is a military camp, held against her will, questioned without the presence of an attorney, beaten repeatedly, and asphyxiated using plastic bags before being released. During the press conference, Ms. Roxas is expected to demand accountability from the Philippine government and military, who she holds responsible for her ordeal, as well as the U.S. government for providing funding and training to the Philippine military. Reports by the United Nations, Amnesty International, Philippine-based human rights organization Karapatan, and Human Rights Watch have overwhelmingly concluded that the Philippine military is responsible for systematically carrying out human rights violations such as abduction, torture and extra-judicial killings against innocent civilians. Nearly $1 billion worth of U.S. military aid and materiel has been granted to the Philippines since 1999, the year the U.S.- Philippines Visiting Forces Agreement was enacted.

The experience of Ms. Roxas is considered typical for the 200 cases of abduction and 1,010 cases of torture recorded since Gloria Macapagal Arroyo became president of the Philippines in 2001. The Philippine government’s quick denial of responsibility for Ms. Roxas’ abduction and torture is also considered a typical response; in his 2007 report on the Philippines, U.N. Special Rapporteur Philip Alston cited such systematic denial by the government as one of the primary obstacles to stopping the rampant human rights violations plaguing the country. In his 2009 follow-up report, Alston indicated a general failure of the Arroyo government to stop the persistent human rights violations. In April 2009, the UN Committee Against Torture (UNCAT) also released a report detailing the use of torture by the Philippine military.

At the press conference, Ms. Roxas’ legal counsel, Attorney Arnedo Valera, will explain the potential legal remedies that are being explored, including the filing of a tort action in U.S. Federal Court for punitive and compensatory damages against her identified assailants or the Arroyo government in the absence of named assailants; the lodging of a private complaint before the U.S. Department of State, Human Rights Desk against the Philippine government for the violation of the fundamental rights of a U.S. citizen; and the filing of a complaints before the appropriate U.N. agencies for violations of the International Covenant Against Torture, the Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, and the U.N. Declaration of Human Rights.

The press conference will be held in Los Angeles, CA and broadcast live on the website www.bayan.ph. Media in the Philippines will be hosted simultaneously by Bayan Philippines and will be able to ask questions in real time. The U.S.-based press conference is sponsored by the Justice for Melissa Roxas Campaign, whose membership includes Ms. Roxas’ legal counsel, BAYAN-USA, GABRIELA USA, Katarungan Center for Peace, Justice and Human Rights, and the National Alliance for Filipino Concerns.

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

Los Angeles, CA — On early Saturday morning, Filipino Americans launched a lightning rally to greet Philippine President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and her mini-junket at the Sheraton Gateway near Los Angeles International Airport. The lightning rally was one of many demonstrations across the Philippines and around the world in recent days to protest the passage of the House Resolution 1109 to convene a Constituent Assembly (Con-Ass), considered the latest move of the US-Arroyo regime to change the Philippine Charter (Cha Cha) and further undermine democracy in the Philippines.

BAYAN-USA & GABRIELA USA’s member organizations began the lightning rally, marching to a rendition of “Bayan Ko” carrying “No to Con-Ass” and “No to Cha-Cha” signs, AnakBayan LA, Habi Arts and Sisters of GABRIELA Awaken (SiGAw) members expressed their anger at the US-Arroyo regime’s desperate Con-Ass maneuver to hold on to power. Fil-Ams were also demanding justice for fellow Habi Arts member, Melissa Roxas, a US Citizen who was abducted and tortured by armed men last May while doing community health work in the Philippines. A street theater piece highlighting the on-going human rights violations was dedicated to Roxas, Jonas Burgos, Karen Empeno, Sherlyn Kadapan, James Balao, Juanito Carabeo, John Edward Jandoc and all other victims of the US-Arroyo regime. With a thunderous outcry denouncing Arroyo, the protestors drowned out the cheers of US-Arroyo supporters as Arroyo was escorted back to LAX. The morning rally was concluded with an “Arroyo, You’re A Jerk” hip hop dance circle led by AnakBayan Los Angeles.

“Con-Ass and Charter Change are lame attempts for Arroyo and her cronies to stay in power. They all hoped that the Filipino people would not care enough to notice, but the public outcry of our people in the Philippines, the US and all over the world prove that the people are wise and keen on her trickery,” declared Daya Mortel, BAYAN-USA Southern California Regional Coordinator and Habi Arts member. “She has tried every trick in the book short of declaring Martial Law. Wherever she may go, there will be people who will protest and criticize her abuse of power.”

“Con-Ass is the biggest threat to democracy and the Filipino people today,” stated Kuusela Hilo, Vice Chairperson of BAYAN-USA and member of AnakBayan LA. “The Filipino people have suffered under the US-Arroyo regime, and for Arroyo to position herself as Prime Minister or declare martial law would only mean more suffering and repression for our people.”

The rapes of “Nicole” and “Vanessa” and the devastation wrought on civilians by the annual Balikatan military exercises under the Visiting Forces Agreement have drawn increasing criticism from all sectors of Philippine society. “GMA has turned her back on Filipina women and all other Filipinos by railroading our Constitution and the democratic process. If Con-Ass and Cha-Cha are pushed through, foreigners will be able to own the natural resources of the country and Filipinas will continue to be violated by US troops in the Philippines,” said Terrie Cervas, Vice Chairperson of GABRIELA USA and founding member of SiGAw. Cervas concluded, “By rewriting the Philippine Constitution, the Philippines will be victim to 100% foreign ownership of industries and re-installation of permanent military US presence, beyond supposed ‘temporary’ posts already in place under the Visiting Forces Agreement.” For the last ten years, the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) has paved the way for US military advisers, troops and equipment to train and equip the Philippine military which has been implicated in 1,017 extra-judicial killings and 1,010 cases of torture.

“The fact that Arroyo tried to visit LA unnoticed is very telling,” said Mortel. “She knew she could not come to LA, the hometown of Melissa Roxas, without facing unanswered questions of why her government has not done a thorough probe into the abduction and torture of Roxas and her companions. Or why hundreds of others have been disappeared and why thousands of other victims have yet to receive justice.”

BAYAN-USA will continue to campaign against Con-Ass and Cha-Cha. BAYAN-USA will also be working with national alliances and human rights organizations in the United States to demand justice for Melissa Roxas and all other victims of human rights violations. “We do not want any of our hard-earned US tax dollars funding Philippine death squads,” said Hilo. “Senator Barbara Boxer sponsored a hearing on the human rights crisis in the Philippines just two years ago in Washington DC, and we will be asking Senator Boxer and other elected officials to take Melissa Roxas’ case seriously, to take a stand to defend a US citizen that has survived abduction and torture, and to require that not one cent of US taxes be used to fund human rights violations in the Philippines.”

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. BAYAN-USA’s online petition against the VFA can be found at http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/JunkVFAnow. The online petition to demand justice for Roxas and her companions Juanito Carabeo, and John Edward Jandoc can be found at http://www.gopetition.com/online/28021.html.

The umbrella group Bagong Alyansang Makabayan and the human rights group Karapatan believe that there is sufficient evidence to point out the military’s involvement in the abduction of Filipino-American activist and Bayan USA member Melissa Roxas and her two Filipino companions Juanito Carabeo and John Edward Handoc. Roxas and company were abducted by bonnet-wearing armed men last May 19. She was surfaced on May 25 after news broke out that she had been abducted.

The Court of Appeals’ Special Division 16 under Judge Noel Tijam set a hearing today on Roxas petition for a writ of amparo and writ of habeas data. Roxas is represented in the amparo petition by human rights lawyer Rex Fernandez.

“Roxas has a detailed accounting of what happened during her detention in what we believe to be was a military camp. She also retained the handcuffs and blindfold that were used on her,” said Bayan secretary general Renato M. Reyes, Jr.

“A plain denial of the incident by the Arroyo government is not acceptable. To this day we have not heard anything from the Arroyo administration, from the Department of Defense or from the Armed Forces of the Philippines regarding their so-called investigations into the abduction. The Ermita-led Presidential Commission on Human Rights had gone on to say that the abduction was a fabrication designed to embarrass the government,” Reyes added.

Marie Enriquez, secretary general of Karapatan said that Roxas is in the United States and recovering from the trauma caused by her abduction and torture. She will be joining US-based groups in campaigning for justice on her case.

“In time, we hope Melissa can personally speak on the matter. The amparo case remains important since Melissa hopes to one day return to the Philippines. It is also important that those who abducted her are identified and eventually made accountable,” Enriquez said.

Roxas and Bayan USA, the US-based Katarungan and the National Alliance on Filipino Concerns (Nafcon) are consulting with US lawyers on the possibility of filing a case in a US court or in treaty bodies of the United Nations.

“All means of making the perpetrators accountable are being explored right now. This is going to be a long fight. So long as Mrs. Arroyo remains in power, her government will do everything to cover up the incident and avoid any criminal liability,” Reyes said.

A protest action is set on June 26 to mark the United Nations Day Against Torture to highlight the case of Roxas and other torture victims in the Philippines. A counterpart protest in the US is also being readied.