Tag Archives: Kilusan para sa Pambansang Demokrasya

[Off-the-shelf] KILUSAN – Opisyal na Pahayagan ng Kilusan para sa Pambansang Demokrasya

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KILUSAN – Opisyal na Pahayagan ng Kilusan para sa Pambansang Demokrasya (Kilusan)

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[Statement] 𝑨𝒏𝒐𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝑻𝒓𝒂𝒗𝒆𝒔𝒕𝒚 𝒐𝒇 𝑷𝒉𝒊𝒍𝒊𝒑𝒑𝒊𝒏𝒆 𝑺𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒆𝒊𝒈𝒏𝒕𝒚 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝑱𝒖𝒓𝒊𝒔𝒅𝒊𝒄𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 -KILUSAN

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𝑨𝒏𝒐𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝑻𝒓𝒂𝒗𝒆𝒔𝒕𝒚 𝒐𝒇 𝑷𝒉𝒊𝒍𝒊𝒑𝒑𝒊𝒏𝒆 𝑺𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒆𝒊𝒈𝒏𝒕𝒚 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝑱𝒖𝒓𝒊𝒔𝒅𝒊𝒄𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏

Regional Trial Court Branch 74 of Olongapo City granted Joseph Pemberton’s petition to be released because he has served his ten-year sentence in just 5 years and 8 months, including 1 year and 5 weeks of his preventive detention. The court, without factual and reasonable basis and without recommendation by proper authority, awarded Pemberton the privilege of good conduct time allowance (GCTA).

We, belonging to Kilusan para sa Pambansang Demokrasya (KILUSAN), strongly denounce the de facto commutation of Pemberton’s sentence. This is another grave injustice to the Filipino people and another travesty of Philippine sovereignty and jurisdiction.

Pemberton is not an ordinary American citizen who killed Jennifer Laude on October 11, 2014. He was a lance corporal of the US Marine Corps and thus represents the US military and state. His status and the circumstance of his presence in the Philippines then were covered and justified under the US-RP Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA).

He was preventively detained first inside US Navy ship USS Peleliu and later, after being charged with murder on December 15, 2014, was transferred to a US facility inside Camp Aguinaldo, the headquarters of the Armed Forces of the Philippines. He was convicted for homicide, not murder, on December 1, 2015. Though a national prisoner under the supervision of the Bureau of Corrections, he remained confined in the comforts of the same US facility. His close-in guards are US soldiers, his perimeter guards are Filipino soldiers.

With privileged condition of his confinement, Pemberton should not be granted the privilege of GCTA which is reserved for convicts serving time in real jails.

The same RTC Branch that convicted him for homicide, instead of murder, has committed another injustice to the Filipino people, especially to prisoners who are really qualified for GCTA.

Furthermore, with Duterte’s suspension of the termination process of the VFA, the privileged release of Lance Corporal Joseph Scott Pemberton is another hallmark of Philippines’ subservience to the US.

No to Pemberton’s release. He must serve his time inside the national penitentiary!
Terminate the US-RP Visiting Forces Agreement!

Kilusan para sa Pambansang Demokrasya (KILUSAN)
September 2, 2020
#JusticeForJenniferLaude
#ScrapVFA

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[Statement] Ika-5 SONA sa ilalim ng mas malupit na Protocol Hugas-Kamay, Facemask, Distansyang Pisikal -Kilusan

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Ika-5 SONA sa ilalim ng mas malupit na Protocol Hugas-Kamay, Facemask, Distansyang Pisikal

Pabigat na sa bayan, kapangyarihang diktador, hindi pagpigil sa virus ang prayoridad ng gobyernong Duterte sa gitna ng pandemya

Mula nang ipataw ang lockdown, Marso 16, 2020, apat na buwan na nating kabisado ang minimum health protocols. Pero habang nagsasanga ang virus at nakakahawa ang kapalpakan ng gubyerno sa pagharap dito, lumilinaw ang tunay na kahulugan ng mga protocols na ito—paghuhugas ng kamay, pagsusuot ng facemask at physical distancing— sa buhay ng mamamayang Pilipino.

Hugas-kamay—para sa gobyernong gustong gawing perpekto ang paglilinis sa mga sablay at kabalbalan— na sa totoo ay mga bakas at talsik ng dugo sa kamay na bakal ng tiranikong kapangyarihan.

Nang paspasang isabatas ang Anti-Terrorism Law of 2020 (ATL), naghugas-kamay ang palasyo. Palusot nito, “sertipikadong pinamadali” man ng Malakanyang, “kongreso ang nagpasa nito at may safeguards naman ang batas”. “Terorista lang ang takot sa Anti-Terrorism Law,” korus ng mga tagasuporta nito.

Nang ibasura ng Kongreso ang prangkisa ng ABS CBN na tahasang pagkitil sa kalayaang mamahayag, at pumaslang sa 11,000 trabaho sa gitna ng pandemya, hugas kamay ang palasyo, “neutral sa isyung ito ang pangulo,” kahit ilang beses nagbanta si Duterte na hindi na makakamit ng ABS-CBN ang bagong prangkisa, at sinabihan itong “ibenta na lang sa iba.” Kahit nauna nang napwersang ibenta ang Philippine Daily Inquirer dahil sa panggigipit ng palasyo; kahit patuloy ang paggiba sa mga organisasyon ng midya gaya ng Rappler na kritikal sa war on drugs at iba pang patakaran ng pangulo.

Nang lumobo ang dami ng kaso ng covid 19, araw-araw na humihiyaw ang palasyo, “Pasaway na mga Pilipino, walang dapat sisihin kundi kayo!” Lalong humigpit ang militaristang paraan ng lokal na kwarentenas kasama ang armored personnel carriers (APCs) ng PNP at AFP. Pinasidhi pa ang pangingibabaw ng pananakot kaysa sa syensya sa pagharap sa pandemya.

Mahuhugasan kaya, o lalong mababalot sa dugo ang kamay na bakal ng rehimen? Ngayong pinatunayang higit sa pagharap sa krisis sa kalusugan, mas mahalaga dito na ipagpatuloy ang pagkakamal ng kapangyarihang diktador ng pangulo. Ito ang prioridad ng rehimen kahit kinukundena ng lahat ng sektor ng mamamayang Pilipino, mga organisasasyon ng United Nations, European Union at mga miyembro ng Kongreso ng US na magsasapanganib ito sa mga karapatan at kalusugan ng mamamayan.

Magsuot ng facemask. Takpan ang ilong at bibig upang mapigilang kumalat ang virus. Tama.
Ngunit higit sa pagtatakip ng bibig at ilong, ang pagkarambola sa datos ng naiimpeksyon ng Covid-19, paglilingid sa tunay na lagay ng pampublikong kalusugan at implikasyon nito sa ekonomya ay lumilikha ng paniniwala na wala nang magagawa sa pagsugpo sa covid-19 at mga “pasaway” ang dapat sisihin. Na walang kinalaman ang gubyerno sa 7 milyong nawalan ng trabaho, sa libu-libong empresang nagsara at mga nasa bingit ng pagkabangkarote. Inililihis sa atensyon ng mamamayan ang mga kapalpakan at kurapsyon ng administrasyong Duterte, hindi lamang sa P1.22 trilyong pondo para sa COVID-19 na mula sa utang sa loob at labas ng bansa at donasyon ng pribadong korporasyon, kundi maging sa pondo ng mga nahintong proyektong “Build, Build, Build.” Gustong patahimikin ang puna at batikos sa overpricing ng PPEs at test kits. Sinusupil ang pagsisiwalat ng mga nars, duktor at iba pang health workers sa mga publikong hospital sa kakapusan sa PPEs, mababang suweldo at kawalan ng regular na hazard pay.

Butas na maskara ang piring ng hustisya. Nakikita lamang nitong may kasalanan ang mga maralita at walang kapangyarihan. Abswelto ang mga nasa kapangyarihan kahit lantarang lumabag sa batas. Muli, mang-aaresto na naman ang NBI dahil pinasama ng ilang netizens ang loob ni Sen Bong Go, kahit na kinondena na ng mamamayan ang kanilang iligal na pag-aresto sa isang guro, isang nawalan ng trabaho at ilan pang manggagawa na nagpahayag ng galit kay Duterte sa social media.

Walang pa ring tigil ang pagpatay sa mga suspek na adik at tulak ng illegal na gamot, kahit pa patuloy ang iba’t-ibang organisasyon sa pagkondena dito at sa iba pang paglabag sa karapatang pantao. Himutok ni Sen. Bato, “Kung wala kayong tiwala sa PNP, lusawin na ang PNP, kung wala kayong tiwala sa gobyerno, tanggalin na ang gobyerno.” Magtatakip na lang ba tayo ng mata at bibig? Ano na ba ang kaibhan ng mga maskarang ito sa masking tape na ibinabalot ng mga salarin sa mga biktima ng tokhang?

Sa panahon ng pandemya, wastong dumistansya para hindi mahawa o makahawa.

Subalit ang nililikhang distansya ng rehimen ay mga dipang pagitan sa soberanya at dayuhang pangangamkam. Sa panahon ng pandemya, lalong nalayo sa Pilipinas ang karapatan nitong angkinin ang WPS. Nagprotesta ang DFA laban sa Tsina. Pero nanahimik din nang magsalita na si Xi Jing Ping.

Sa chacha sa pandemya, ilalayo sa kontrol ng mga Pilipino ang mga importanteng industriya sa pagpapatumba sa konstitusyunal na probisyon na 60-40 pagmamayari, pabor sa mga Pilipino. Nagpapahiwatig na rin si Speaker Alan Cayetano na pasisirkuhin nila ang term limits ng mga opisyal dahil ito raw ang sanhi ng dinastiya. Papalayo na ito sa tunay na diwa ng Konstitusyon na—pananagutan at katapatan sa bayan.

Sa gitna ng mapait na kalagayang ito, bawat pagkibo ng mamamayan laban sa paniniil ay sinasalubong ng mga bayarang trolls ng administrasyon, nagbubuga ng malalansa at mabahong fake news na layong guluhin ang mamamayan para hindi makabuo ng iisang tindig sa mga isyung kanilang kinakaharap.

At ano pa nga bang higit na paglalayo ang maikukumpara sa pagkukulong sa mga lumalabag sa kwarentena at sa patuloy na pamamaslang sa ilalim ng oplan tokhang at double barrel sa mga maralitang komunidad? May bagong utos pa si Duterte, “Arestuhin ang walang facemasks!”

Trace, test, treat din ang tamang sagot ng mamamayan. Trace: hanapin natin sa ating puso ang layon ng demokrasya at pagtatanggol sa kalayaang sibil; test: mamahayag tayo. Kumilos. Subukin ang tatag ng ating pagkakaisa. Harapin ang mabangis na tirano; at treat, busbusin natin ang malalang mga sakit ng lipunan, kabilang ang pagpawi sa veerus na nagmumula sa Malakanyang.

Dalawang taon na lamang si Duterte. Taglay ang kapangyarihan ng diktador, nakatakdang manalasa ito sa karapatan ng mamamayan kahit sa lambong ng ligalig ng pandemya makapanatili lamang siya at mga kampon sa poder. Hindi natuto sa nakaraan, matatatak sa kanyang legacy o mauukit sa lapida niya ang kamangmangan sa paglutas sa mga suliranin ng bayan at pagkopya sa karahasan ni Marcos, na hinusgahan na ng kasaysayan, na hindi na mapapabango kailanman ng sanitasyon sa nakaraan.

Nasa kamay ng sambayanang Pilipino ang dakilang pasya at kapangyarihan na maghuhubog sa kahihinatnan ng bayang ito. Dapat na nitong palayain ang sarili sa pagkasiil at pagkaapi. Sa gitna man ng pandemya, Tuloy ang laban! #ResistTyranny

Kilusan sa Pambansang Demokrasya (KILUSAN)
Hulyo 27, 2020

https://www.facebook.com/notes/kilusan-para-sa-pambansang-demokrasya/pahayag-ika-5-sona-sa-ilalim-ng-mas-malupit-na-protocol-hugas-kamay-facemask-dis/3450851184969796/

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[Statement] Asserting Freedom of Information, Expression and Association on Human Rights Day -KILUSAN

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Public school teachers in Central Luzon or Region 3 have successfully voted to have a union. The teachers see this as an important victory for the education sector. An overwhelming majority of them voted to have a union despite the “no union” campaign by local governments and the National Intelligence Coordinating Agency (NICA).

The “no union” campaign was obviously along the overzealous counter-insurgency drive by the government. The competing unions were both “red-tagged”. Streamers and posters branding the unions as “communist” and “radical terrorists” appeared in many places in the region. The NICA conducted forums in schools. If teachers are not spared from these insidious attacks, the ordinary people would be certainly hapless.

These sinister acts by the government and intelligence community are affronts to the democratic rights of the people, especially the rights to organize and to redress grievances and freedom of expression, which are guaranteed by the Constitution. These are part of “whole-of-nation approach to end insurgency” which is “institutionalized” by Executive Order No. 70 which was signed by Duterte on December 4, 2018 or during human rights week last year. Duterte, from the start of his term, has several times blurted out disgust for human rights and human rights defenders.

EO 70 which creates the necessary structure or task force, under the Office of the President, to “end insurgency” in order to “attain peace”, actually consolidates the powers of the president and gives him more authority.

Accordingly, more memorandum circulars are being issued and House and Senate bills and resolutions filed to enact laws that would give more powers to the state and curtail people’s rights. Among these is the proposed amendment of the Anti-terror Law or Human Security Act of 2007 to give it more teeth by broadening the definition of terrorism so that critiquing the government would mean not only seditious but also a terrorist act.

Action and Solidarity for the Empowerment of Teachers (ASSERT) in Central Luzon, the teachers’ union that received the biggest number of votes in the just concluded certification election and, a member organization of KILUSAN, issued a statement earlier demanding an end to “red-tagging” and “discrediting” by government, police and military. University/college students, as well as workers, farmers and fisherfolks have also expressed apprehension and deep concern about the new policy directives.

Government’s intelligence agencies have red-tagged an increasing number of student organizations and student leaders. Youth for Nationalism and Democracy (YND), also a member organization of KILUSAN, said this frightens people from thinking about the real problems affecting the community and renders them passive and incapable of resolving their own problems.

We, from Kilusan para sa Pambansang Demokrasya (KILUSAN), are alarmed at the rate of diminishing spaces for people to participate in political action and public debate about social issues. The foundations of our democracy are being eroded. Duterte and other government leaders are even bereft of civility much more of sensibility. “The freedom of the press, free expression, association and the freedom to assemble to demand redress of our grievances, are Constitutional rights of every Filipino”, said Atty. Virgie Suarez, KILUSAN Secretary General, “I think these are the real targets of the various executive orders and issuances by the government, to limit the venues of our actions for change.”
“But where should change come from if not from the people themselves?”. “Genuine solutions could only come from a vibrant public participation in civic spaces. Without it we are all dependent on only one idea coming from the ruling powers, and we know how that usually turns out.”

Thus, we have to uphold and defend human rights by asserting and fighting for people’s democratic and sovereign rights. The essence of democracy is peoples’ sovereignty. The people must realize the principle, “sovereignty resides in the people and all government authority emanates from the people”. We, Filipinos have experienced being ruled by a dictator before. We ended it. We will not allow the resurgence of authoritarian, tyrannical rule in the country.

December 10, 2019
PRESS STATEMENT
Reference: Atty. Virginia Lacsa-Suarez, Secretary General (09088159923)

https://www.facebook.com/notes/kilusan-para-sa-pambansang-demokrasya/statement-asserting-freedom-of-information-expression-and-association-on-human-r/2930047993716787/

All submissions are republished and redistributed in the same way that it was originally published online and sent to us. We may edit submission in a way that does not alter or change the original material.

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[Press Release] Protest caravan presses Hanjin to comply with safety and other labor standards – Partido ng Manggagawa

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Disgusted with 5,000 accidents resulting to at least 31 deaths since it operated in the country, the labor group Partido ng Manggagawa (PM) today took part in the labor and church led “Caravan for Decent Work and Humane Working Conditions” from Manila to the Subic Bay Freeport in Olongapo City where the sprawling complex of Hanjin shipyard is located.

The caravan, co-organized by the Church-Labor Conference (CLC), is met along the way by workers from Pampanga and Bataan under the Manggagawa para sa Kalayaan ng Bayan (Makabayan) and Kilusan para sa Pambansang Demokrasya (KPD).

A group of cyclists and motorcyclists are to meet them at Olongapo City for a short program at Hanjin shipyard.  After the program, CLC co-chair and CBCP National Secretariat for Social Action Bishop Broderick Pabillo leads the mass at Brgy. Wawandue in Subic.  A torch parade around the city follows by nightfall.

The Partido ng Manggagawa has been labelling the Korean-owned shipyard as the “graveyard of workers’ rights” for the appalling number of work-related deaths and accidents lying above many other labor rights violations in the company.

“Deaths, accidents, massive contractualization, cruelty against workers, poor working conditions and the denial of workers’ right to self organization, are things that cannot just be put under the rugs by the labor movement, the Church, the government, and the international community,” declared PM Chair Renato Magtubo.

A labor department’s Occupational Safety and Health Standard (OSHS) director disclosed that based on its own investigation there were already some 5,000 reported accidents in Hanjin in the first two years of its operation.    Hanjin began its Philippine operations in 2006.

The labor group Makabayan has put the number of work related deaths at Hanjin to 31; 11 cases of maltreatment by Korean superiors; 63 illegal termination; and 20 illegal suspension.

Workers also complain of spoiled foods being served to them, the rude physical treatment they are getting from their Korean superiors, and the low wages they receive since they are all employed through subcontractors.

“Subjecting Hanjin’s 21,000 workforce into this cruel world of industrial relations is a national policy question that has to be addressed by Pnoy regardless of Koreans bringing in billions of pesos of investment in the country,” argued Magtubo.

On 2009, the Senate Labor Committee conducted an inquiry on Hanjin and found many lapses in safety standards and other labor law violations.  The Department of Labor and Employment on the other hand came out with a circular for safety compliance yet deaths and accidents still hound the shipyard.

Labor and church groups are urging the government to strictly enforce all safety standards in Hanjin and compel the company to observe the Philippine and international standards on decent work, including the workers’ right to organize — specifically the recognition of the Samahan ng mga Manggagawa sa Hanjin.

The group is also asking for the cancellation of permit to operate of some 19 contractors which supply 100 percent of Hanjin’s contractual employees.

PRESS RELEASE
Partido ng Manggagawa
03 July 2011

Contact: Renato Magtubo
09178532905

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