Why the Left's silence on Duterte's politics of persecution?

I always thought that Leftist politics stood for the best behavior one can possibly project on the political arena -- that apart from its sharpest analysis and the correctness of its views, it also represents, by itself, a politics of freedom. Of human perfectibility.

Of Reason.

Whether we like Senator Leila de Lima is beside the point. The most powerful official of the land is resorting to wanton political persecution of its own political enemy. This is not leadership, but  tyranny.

And for what? Because she originally asked a valid enough question: Why are so many deaths happening under the president's favorite advocacy -- an advocacy which incidentally does not strike at the heart of our foremost social problems. Asking this question is wrong?

And yet, the Left is silent. Their reason -- De Lima probably deserves it. For being a stooge of the Liberal Party, which is a party of the ruling class.

As if Duterte is not. As if Duterte's campaign was not funded by the elite.

Congress, and the worst elements residing there, are under a renewed vigor, basking under the glory of Rodrigo Duterte, and the current public euphoria over him. These are the same people who by themselves, at separate periods in history, maimed, killed and looted the nation. People who are unfit even now to kiss Leila De Lima's feet. Their new project: the showing of De Lima's supposed sex video.

The ND Left, supposedly the best of the lot, is of course silent. Never mind that when its ranks were being massively killed under Gloria Arroyo, it was Leila De Lima's Commission on Human Rights that was among a handful of government agencies it could find a sympathetic voice from.

The nation is unravelling, and the Left is unravelling with it.

REPOST: FDC warns against regressive effects of new tax reforms

MANILA, Philippines – While the Freedom from Debt Coalition (FDC) welcomes the Duterte administration’s move to reform the country’s outdated 19-year old tax scheme, it cautions against the regressive effects that the five tax policy packages as they could penalize ordinary wage-earning citizens.

“We urge Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez to reveal to the public the details of the tax reform packages he presented to Congress so we would know how these measures will impact the lives of millions of Filipinos to whom every centavo counts in their daily struggle to make ends meet,” FDC Secretary-General Sammy Gamboa said in a news release Sunday.

Gamboa expressed concern that the reforms would be based on trade-offs and compromises with corporate interests rather than principles of equity, fairness and justice. 

“Any increase in workers’ take-home pay due to lower individual income tax would be hardly felt with higher prices of goods and services as a result of increases in excise tax on oil, which would hike fares in public transportation, and reduction of Value-Added Tax exemptions.” Gamboa said.

Earlier pronouncements of the Department of Finance (DOF) showed plans to cut tax rates on individual and corporate income, fiscal incentives to investments, property and capital income alongside increases in excise tax on oil, property valuation, and stocks traded in the stock market. Exemptions from the VAT will be limited to raw food, health, medicines and education. Also identified were additional measures on sugary and fatty foods, mining, alcohol and tobacco, gambling, luxury items and carbon.

With the proposed five tax policy packages, the government stands to lose P198.3 billion but collect P566.4 billion in new taxes resulting in a net gain of P368.1 billion by 2019. These figures, according to Gamboa, are worrisome.

“Net gain from the trade-off between lower personal income tax and higher excise tax on oil, lesser VAT exemptions and new levies on sugary and fatty foods will be P220.7 billion. Meanwhile, there will be a P1-billion net loss from the swap between lower corporate income tax and rationalization of fiscal incentives. This means that Duterte’s new revenue-generating measures will be borne mostly by salaried workers!” Gamboa said.

He added that public transportation subsidies and the Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT) program would not be enough to cushion the effects of price hikes. He stressed that livelihood assistance and employment for affected sectors should be assured and could be funded by earmarking proceeds of the increased tax on oil for this purpose.

“We need to know. The public deserves to be consulted. Will the proposed revenue measures facilitate economic gains to ‘seep through’ or will it force hard-earned money to pour out of ordinary people’s pockets?” Gamboa said in allusion to the Duterte administration’s promise of equitable prosperity for all. ###

 

http://www.fdc.ph/press-statements/debt-public-finance/707-fdc-warns-against-regressive-effects-of-new-tax-reforms

REPOST: NAGKAISA Condemns Killings of Labor and Community Organizers

NAGKAISA (SOLIDARITY), the coalition of 47 labor federations and workers organizations, which is the largest labor formation in the Philippines, strongly condemned the recent spate of murders of labor union and community organizers with seven incidents happening only this month. NAGKAISA expressed grave concern that this may just presage the start of more violence directed towards grassroots labor organizing.
Yesterday, 64-year old Edilberto Miralles, former union president of R&E Taxi transport service, was gunned down by unknown assailants right in front of the National Labor Relations Commission (NLRC) in Quezon City. He was scheduled to attend a labor hearing that day.
On September 17, union organizer Orlando Abangan, 35 years old, was shot by unidentified gunmen on the way to his home in Barangay Maghaway, Talisay City, Cebu.
Abangan was a full-time organizer for Partido Manggagawa (PM) in the province since 2001. During the last elections, he built an organization in Talisay that campaigned for social protection and social services for persons with disabilities. He was also engaged by the labor center Sentro as organizer for the informal sector workers.
Earlier this month, four farmers were shot dead by unidentified men in a farm located inside Fort Magsaysay in Laur, Nueva Ecija. The armed men involved in the brutal slay were reportedly dropped from a helicopter seen hovering over the military reservation camp. The victims were Emerenciana Mercado-de la Cruz, Violeta Mercado-de Leon, Eligio Barbado and Gaudencio Bagalay.
They were all members of the Alyansa ng mga Mamamayang Nagkakaisa, tilling part of the disputed 3,100 hectares of land inside Fort Magsaysay. Several others were wounded.
On September 7, farmworker leader Ariel Diaz was shot to death by three men in his Villa Pereda farm in Delfin Albano town, Isabela. Diaz is the chairperson of the Danggayan Dagiti Mannalon ti Isabela and was the head of the provincial chapter of the Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas in Isabela.
Union and community organizers are the quintessential vital cogs of our still nascent and highly vulnerable grassroots democracy. Their collective struggle is key in helping realize inclusive growth and preventing “the race-to-the-bottom” particularly for the majority poor and their families in a Philippines where the gap between the poor and the rich are growing wider and deeper every day.
The wide ranging implications of their deaths further underscores the need for the government to ensure protection to ordinary citizens let alone labor leaders and community organizers. The killings, again, put into question the bragging rights of employers and government that we have stable industrial peace.
NAGKAISA expressed sympathy with the relatives of those killed, and also demanded swift justice for the victims.
NAGKAISA called upon Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello to immediately convene the high-level labor-government-employer Tripartite Industry Peace Council (TIPC) that would not only draw up long-lasting measures to contain and prevent anything of this sort from happening again but place a spotlight into any attempt to short-circuit the Constitutional right of workers to organize, bargain collectively or engage in legitimate concerted action. NAGKAISA also, called on Secretary Emmanuel Sueno of the Department of Interior and Local Government and PNP Chief Ronald dela Rosa to reconvene, with labor, business and civic organization membership, the National Peace and Order Council, and its regional, provincial, and municipal chapter counterparts to send a clear signal of the primacy of the law .

Retrieved from the SENTRO website: http://www.sentro.org/?p=925

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Nagkaisa is made up of:

Alliance of Free Workers (AFW) ,
All Filipino Workers Confederation (AFWC),
Automobile Industry Workers Alliance (AIWA),
Alab Katipunan,
Association of Genuine Labor Organizations (AGLO),
Associated Labor Unions (ALU),
Associated Labor Unions- Association of Professional Supervisory Officers Technical Employees Union (ALU-APSOTEU),
ALU-Metal,
Associated Labor Unions-Philippine Seafarers’Union (ALU-PSU),
ALU-Textile,
ALU-Transport, Associated Labor Unions-Visayas Mindanao Confederation of Trade Unions (ALU-VIMCOMTU),
Alliance of Progressive Labor (APL),
Association of Trade Unions (ATU),
Bukluran ng Manggagawang Pilipino (BMP),
Confederation of Independent Unions (CIU),
Confederation of Labor and Allied Social Services (CLASS),
Construction Workers Solidarity (CWS),
Federation of Coca-Cola Unions (FCCU),
Federation of Free Workers (FFW),
Kapisanan ng Maralitang Obrero (KAMAO),
Katipunan,
Pambansang Kilusan sa Paggawa (KILUSAN),
Kapisanan ng mga Kawani sa Koreo sa Pilipinas (KKKP),
Labor education and Research Network (LEARN),
League of Independent Bank Organizations (LIBO),
MARINO,
National Association of Broadcast Unions (NABU),
National Federation of Labor Unions (NAFLU),
National Mines and Allied Workers Union (NAMAWU),
National Association of Trade Unions (NATU),
National Confederation of Labor (NCL),
National Confederation of Transport Union (NCTU),
National Union of Portworkers in the Philippines (NUPP),
National Union of Workers in Hotel, Restaurant and Allied Industries (NUWHRAIN),
Philippine Airlines Employees Association (PALEA),
Pepsi Cola Employees Union of the Philippines (PEUP),
Philippine Government Employees Association (PGEA),
Pinag-isang Tinig at Lakas ng Anakpawis (PIGLAS),
Philippine Integrated Industries Labor Union (PILLU),
Philippine Independent Public Sector Employees Association (PIPSEA),
Partido Manggagawa (PM),
Philippine Metalworkers Alliance (PMA),
Public Services Labor Independent Confederation (PSLINK),
Philippine Transport and General Workers Organization (PTGWO),
Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP),
Workers Solidarity Network (WSN).

Three out of every 10 Filipino workers are contractuals (non-regular) -- BusinessWorld

According to a BusinessWorld graphic, 29.9% is the share of "non-regular" employees in the Philippine labor force, across all industries.

At current labor force estimates (39.9 million), that's almost 12 million.

The top five industries that depend on non-regular employees -- or on "endo" or end of contract practice -- as a share of their work force are the following:

1. Construction (59.2% share)
2. Agriculture, fishery and forestry (42.3%)
3. Administrative and support service activities (40%)
4. Accommodation and food service activities (34.4%)
5. Mining and quarrying (33.9%)

Wholesale and retail trade is seventh, with one out of every four workers being non-regulars.

All of this is 2014 data, based on the BusinessWorld chart.

But if we apply the percentages to current labor numbers...

Top Industry Groups by Number of Employed (Tot: 39.9 million)

1. agriculture, hunting and forestry; fishing and aquaculture =   9.98 M [farmers and fishers]
2. wholesale and retail trade; repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles =  8.2 M [salesladies, etc.]
3. construction =  3.47 million  [construction workers]
4. manufacturing = 3.46 million  [factory workers]
5. transportation =  2.94 million  [drivers, konduktor, etc.]
...then we can get the following:

• some 2.05 million construction workers;
• some 4.19 million workers in agriculture; plus
• some 2 million wholesale and retail trade workers

are all contractors. That's a hefty 8 million people not enjoying benefits such as paid time offs, sick leaves, and yearly salary increases -- and that's only from the three largest industry groups.

While at this, the whining about firms like SM not really being the correct poster boy for contractualization is misplaced, since workers from this industry (8.2 million) more than double those from construction (3.47 million). SM is very much into this game, as is JG Summit (Robinsons malls). These are all official government statistics, so actual figures will likely be higher.

REPOST: On the Extra-Judicial Killings: The Matobato confessions confirm the failure of the entire trapo system

On the Extra-Judicial Killings

Written by Partido Lakas ng Masa

Saturday, 17 September 2016 21:08

The Matobato confessions confirm the failure of the entire trapo system By Sonny Melencio The statements of operative Edgar Matobato during the Senate hearings on extra-judicial killings have confirmed the existence of the Davao Death Squad (DDS) which we know have existed for a long time now. According to Matobato, the killings have been going on since 1988 starting with the Cory administration through to FVR's, Erap's, GMA's, Noynoy's, up until now. This means that all these administrations must be held accountable. They all have blood on their hands. The statements also expose the connivance of the police and government forces in perpetrating the killings. We also know that this connivance has been established in the operation of the illegal drug trade itself. As to how the killings could remain unabated all through the years has to be explained not only by the Duterte government but also by the previous ones. The previous administrations have known what was happening in Davao all along, but they chose to ignore it. Some administrations even consorted with the drug lords and syndicates, until the drug issue became so significant that it catapulted Rodrigo Duterte to power. The killings have become almost nationwide. Now its becoming clearer that these mass killings are in fact systemic. It's part and parcel of the system of trapo politics and elite rule in the country. Davao is not the only case. There have been similar killings in Negros (Escalante), Isabela, Maguindanao and elsewhere. It might not have the same intensity and publicity as in Davao, but it points to the capacity of the ruling individuals in power to form their own death squads, bodyguards and goons to do their bidding. We have a term to describe this localized phenomenon, that is warlordism, reminiscent of an era when the landowning class in their fiefdom ruled through terror and violence. We have to assess and therefore question the direction of the Senate hearings in this context. The hearings have degenerated into a jockeying of opposing factions within the ruling class in order to score points and advance their own agenda. This makes the Senate hearings an exercise in futility, as they are not meant to resolve the problem of the killings, but to lay the blame solely with the present administration. The motive is therefore suspect. The question is posed: Why didn't the elite factions which were previously in government, not so long ago, use their power to stop the killings? Let's not fool ourselves. There has been an increasing polarization of forces within the ruling class. Even if the Liberal Party is in disarray, with a majority of its members having joined the Duterte faction, they are still powerful enough to destabilize the Duterte regime. Yes, there is a Plan B, as there is a Plan A, or even a Plan C that are a part of this faction's maneouvers to control power. But where are the masses and the poor in all these designs? Our interests are not represented in any of these maneouvers. While they quarrel in the halls of the Congress, we continue to be the casualties of their system -- oppressed, exploited and even killed in the streets. The solution is not to replace Duterte with another trapo via plans engineered by any of the elite factions. We must not be trapped into aligning ourselves with any of the factions. The masses must organize and mobilize for their own agenda and interests. This is the only way that we can protect our communities and win genuine peace and security. The unity of the Left and progressive forces is crucial to achieving this.#

Partido Manggagawa (PM): PM condemns vigilante style killing of a leader

Partido Manggagawa (PM): PM condemns vigilante style killing of a leader: The militant Partido Manggagawa (PM) condemned the killing of one of its leaders in Talisay, Cebu today. Orlando Abangan, a community le...

BREAKING: Duterte has given the green light for Mary Jane's execution: Jokowi

From the Jakarta Post:

["President Duterte has given the go-ahead to proceed with the execution,” Jokowi was quoted as saying by Antara news agency in Serang, Banten."]

Read the story here (assuming it hasn't yet been deleted).

REPOST: Big Labor Alliance: Time to End Regionalization and Setting of Wages to Barest Minimum

It is the right of every Filipino to live a life of dignity as well as to quality standard of living. And for this national vision to be realized, the 1987 Constitution directed the State to provide labor full protection and ensure the right of workers and their families to a living wage.
Regrettably over the years since the Constitution was ratified, the workers’ demand for a family living wage was never addressed as previous governments deviated towards regionalization and the containment of wages to the barest minimum. This deviation consequently created wide gaps in wage levels all over the country as wage fixing mechanism now seeks the lowest level of balance in every region where the market clearing price of labor is primarily determined on the basis of employer’s capacity to pay rather than on the worker’s right to a living wage. The same problem can be seen in different wage levels in the public sector despite the salary standardization program.
As a result, this minimum wage and regionalization policy created the condition of chronic poverty and deepening inequality in the country as millions of workers were consigned to an imposed reality of sustaining their families on wages that can hardly meet even half of the daily cost of living.
We, the NAGKAISA, therefore, take as delighting news the planned nationalization of the minimum wage announced recently by Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) Secretary Silvestre Bello. It is because of our long-standing position that poverty knows no boundary while inequality is the despicable outcome of unfair distribution of national wealth. This deformed policy clearly needs to be rectified, now!
However, we always consider as mere government propaganda a major pronouncement that is left without form at the policy level. That, certainly, is what happened to the living wage principle that lay lifeless in the Constitution during the last three decades. But since the new administration has made a pledge to rectify the errors of the previous administrations, stopping the plague of contractualization and realizing the living wage were core issues that NAGKAISA and the government can work together in achieving a common goal.
At this particular juncture, the NAGKAISA labor coalition gladly presumes that the Duterte administration remains committed to the principle of living wage and that its planned nationalization of minimum wage will lead towards the ultimate realization of this social objective. Workers, in the first place, deserve not a minimum wage but a fair share in the product of their labor.
Hence, in line with the pronouncement of Secretary Bello, the NAGKAISA is looking forward soon to an Order, or something to that effect, going to be issued by Malacanang. We are looking forward to an instruction to all regional wage boards to issue a uniform wage order that is based on Metro Manila rate. And we are, at the same time, looking forward to a Palace-endorsed or certified bill in Congress seeking the same and eventually the repeal of the existing Wage Rationalization Act.
The NAGKAISA also strongly believe on the principle of equal pay for equal work and work of equal value not just on private sector workers but for those government employees who are in the same bind. In the same breath, the NAGKAISA call on the government for the uniform application and implementation of Salary Standardization Law to all local government units (LGUs).
It is high time to stop the spiral race to the bottom by ending the regionalization and setting of wages to the barest minimum now. The NAGKAISA believes this can be done especially when government will treat the labor movement as main partner to this enormous reform tasks.
Therefore, we urge the government to instruct all regional wage boards to issue a uniform wage order the rate of which is based on Metro Manila. We call on government to certify a bill in Congress seeking the same and, eventually, the repeal of the existing Wage Rationalization Act. The NAGKAISA, likewise, call on the government for the uniform application and implementation of Salary Standardization Law to all local government units (LGUs).
About NAGKAISA
Issue-based NAGKAISA labor coalition is composed of 47 labor federations, workers organizations in public and private sectors and various urban and peasants groups. The group came together in April 2012 to advocate for workers’ living wage, promote security of tenure, to lower the cost and ensure reliable supply of power, and for public sector workers to be allowed to form unions and collectively bargain.
The members of the NAGKAISA are: Alliance of Free Workers (AFW) , All Filipino Workers Confederation (AFWC), Automobile Industry Workers Alliance (AIWA), Alab Katipunan, Association of Genuine Labor Organizations (AGLO), Associated Labor Unions (ALU), Associated Labor Unions- Association of Professional Supervisory Officers Technical Employees Union (ALU-APSOTEU), ALU-Metal, Associated Labor Unions-Philippine Seafarers’Union (ALU-PSU), ALU-Textile, ALU-Transport, Associated Labor Unions-Visayas Mindanao Confederation of Trade Unions (ALU-VIMCOMTU), Alliance of Progressive Labor (APL), Association of Trade Unions (ATU), Bukluran ng Manggagawang Pilipino (BMP), Confederation of Independent Unions (CIU), Confederation of Labor and Allied Social Services (CLASS), Construction Workers Solidarity (CWS), Federation of Coca-Cola Unions (FCCU), Federation of Free Workers (FFW), Kapisanan ng Maralitang Obrero (KAMAO), Katipunan, Pambansang Kilusan sa Paggawa (KILUSAN), Kapisanan ng mga Kawani sa Koreo sa Pilipinas (KKKP), Labor education and Research Network (LEARN), League of Independent Bank Organizations (LIBO), MARINO, National Association of Broadcast Unions (NABU), National Federation of Labor Unions (NAFLU), National Mines and Allied Workers Union (NAMAWU), National Association of Trade Unions (NATU), National Confederation of Labor (NCL), National Confederation of Transport Union (NCTU), National Union of Portworkers in the Philippines (NUPP), National Union of Workers in Hotel, Restaurant and Allied Industries (NUWHRAIN), Philippine Airlines Employees Association (PALEA), Pepsi Cola Employees Union of the Philippines (PEUP), Philippine Government Employees Association (PGEA), Pinag-isang Tinig at Lakas ng Anakpawis (PIGLAS), Philippine Integrated Industries Labor Union (PILLU), Philippine Independent Public Sector Employees Association (PIPSEA), Partido Manggagawa (PM), Philippine Metalworkers Alliance (PMA), Public Services Labor Independent Confederation (PSLINK), Philippine Transport and General Workers Organization (PTGWO), Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP), Workers Solidarity Network (WSN).

http://www.sentro.org/?p=896

Mas mayaman sa iyo si Henry Sy ng 1,492,863 beses

Maraming salamat sa sistemang Kapitalismo, ang pinakamayamang tao sa Pilipinas ay may yamang nagkakahalaga suma-tutal ng $13.7 billion. Dolyar! Ito ay ayon sa "Philippines' 50 Richest" na inilabas ngayong buwan ng Forbes magazine. Listahan ito ng 50 pinakamayayamang Pilipino, na kinokompyut sa pamamagitan ng pagsusuma ng lahat ng ari-arian (asset na gusali o painting o kotse, atbp.) ng isang tao, menos mga utang. Kasama rin sa pagtala ng yaman ang mga posisyon ng mga nasabing indibidwal sa "stock market," kung saan may shares ang mga ito sa pag-aari ng mga publicly listed na kumpanya.

Hindi na bago sa listahan si Sy. Makailang ulit na siyang No. 1 sa Forbest List. Kasama niya sa listahan ang mga klase ng tao na ang naging pangunahing tanong lang sa buong buhay nila ay, "Paano ba ako yayaman nang yayaman?"

Samantala, walang masyadong statistic na puwede nating paghalawan ng kung magkano naman ang average wealth ng mga tipikal na Pilipino -- ikaw at ako -- maliban na lamang sa isang pag-aaral na inilalabas ng Credit Suisse. Ayon sa "Global Wealth Databook 2015" ng Credit Suisse, isang kumpanyang naghahatid ng mga serbisyong pampinansiya, ang average na adult na Pilipino ay may yaman na nagkakahalaga ng $9,177 noong mid-2015, o P431,319 sa kasalukuyang palitan. Pero, sa parehong pag-aaral sinabing ang "median wealth per adult" ay nasa $1,856 o P87,232 lang.

Ngunit samakatuwid, kung kukunin ang "average," (kahit pa karamihan ng mga Pilipino ay wala naman talagang pag-aari na aabot ang halaga sa halos kalahating milyon), si Henry Sy ay 1,492,863 beses* na mas mayaman kaysa sa kahit sino man sa atin. Another way to put it is, sa bawat piso mo, mayroon siyang halos isa't kalahating milyong piso.

Ano ang mayroon si Henry Sy na wala sa ating lahat? Nakatulong siguro kahit paano na okey sa olrayt magpasweldo ito si Mr. Sy. Ayon sa mga organisasyon ng manggagawa, No. 1 na Endo Lord ang SM. Ngunit dahil malaking bilang naman ng mga negosyong pag-aari ng Forbes Listers ay gumagamit ng kontraktwal -- kabilang na ang Universal Robina, San Miguel, Jollibee, atbp. -- applicable rin sa kanila ang ganitong "meme":

Nangsamantala ng Lakas-Paggawa.
Naging Bilyonaryo.
Lumabas sa Forbes List.

Sa Pilipinas, habang may milyon-milyong Pilipino na pagod at halos walang makain (o kaya'y kumakain ng pagpag na pinulot sa mga basurahan malapit sa Jollibee), may iilang mayayaman na marangyang nabubuhay mismong sa dugo at pawis ng nakararami. Ito ang hatid sa iyo ng sistemang Capitalism.

-----

*gaya ng sinabi sa unahang bahagi, dahil sa kakulangan ng datos, mapipilitang paghambingin ang statistic ng magkaibang panahon at magkaibang paraan o "methodology." Ngunit halos ganon din naman ang halaga ng yaman ni Henry noong 2015, at No. 1 din siya sa taon na yon. At gaya ng nabanggit, masyadong galante ang $9,177 na average wealth. Ang inyong lingkod, halimbawa, ay mayroon lang na isang bulok na cellphone, limang pantalon (yung iba galing sa ukay), at mga T-shirt. Mayroon din akong pusa, pero sabi nga ni Dong Abay, "mamahalin [siya], pero 'di nabibili" :D.

REPOST: PLM statement on 'state of lawlessness'

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REPOST: There’s More to It Than Meets The Eye: Full Statement of the Sanlakas Coalition on the Davao Blast and the State of Lawlessness

Sanlakas condemns in the strongest possible terms the bombing that rocked Davao City last September 2, 2016 snatching the lives of 14 and wounding 67 others. The Davao blast is an affront to humanity, a barbaric assault that should prod us to mobilize against the killing of peoples for whatever cause. Justice should be served to all victims. We should tremble with indignation against such dastardly acts committed to sow terror.
But we should not lose sight of the forces at play. The Abu Sayyaf Group, whose radical Muslim members were trained by the Central Intelligence of America (CIA) and enlisted in the Afghan War of the mid 1980s side by side with Osama bin Laden, was formed in 1989. It has since then been tagged as culprit behind attacks and bombings including kidnappings. Then former Senator Aquilino Pimentel in his speech before the Senate in 2000 was correct in pointing out that the CIA has sired a monster.
The monster is now being played up as one would a bogeyman in reminding Philippine Administrations of the country’s vulnerability to “terrorist attacks”. In 2003, the Philippines threw its support to the US-led War of Terror. Sanlakas cannot help but surmise the location of the “bogeyman” in the upcoming meeting between President Rodrigo Duterte and US President Barrack Obama in Laos – to secure the unwavering commitment of the Duterte Administration in the War.
At the Laos meeting, Sanlakas expects that the two leaders would also talk about the territorial dispute in the South East Asian Seas where despite the recent ruling recognizing the Philippines’ claim against China, no aggressive pronouncement has been issued by the Duterte Government against the latter.
There is more to the blast than meets the eyes. And in the context of the on-going peace talks between the MILF-MNLF and GRPh, there is more to lose than gain by stoking anti-Moro sentiments or attributing blame on the Moros. This may not be the case now but given our collective stereotypes and historical biases against our Moro brothers and sisters, Sanlakas cautions the public against the evils that paranoia can create that could blind reason, that could derail the fragile peace process that seeks to reaffirm the right of the Moros to self-determination.
Sanlakas likewise cautions the Duterte Administration in approaching the Davao blast sans the overarching realities that have defined the country’s geopolitical landscape.
While the calling out powers of the President has been deemed the most benign of all powers under the Section 18, Article 7 of the Philippine Constitution, its execution leaves much room to fret. The state of lawlessness allows the president to call on the mighty Armed Forces on the pretext of assisting law enforcement agencies to address lawless violence. This in itself could result in the militarization of our cities, of our neighborhoods, of our barangays to ward off the proverbial bogeyman.
This could result in the militarization of the President’s War on Drugs. Like skating on thin ice, this could open the floodgates to more human rights violations as a consequence of the excesses in resorting to a military solution to the Davao blast.
We call on President Duterte to be mindful not to fall into the trap of the War of Terror which has in many ways than one invaded the rights of peoples yet failed to stamp out acts of terror. We urge the President to hold the perpetrators of the Davao blast to account and serve justice where it is due.
Justice to the victims of the Davao blast!
No to the US-led War of Terror!
Respect the people’s rights!

https://www.facebook.com/Sanlakas14/posts/832782533525010

Too radical for Duterte

Someone should really write a nice, well-written, article with a theme like this: "A more kickass anti-imperialist position goes far beyond criticizing American leaders for their 'human rights' jabs, and instead focus on how, even now, Global Capitalism (and its excesses) is clearly on a roll at the behest of the American empire."

She/he can start by this awesome Dutertenomics bullet point: All macroeconomic policies of the previous administrations, especially Aquino, will be maintained.

She/he could also quote Gindin and Panitch while she's/he's at it :D

#TooRadicalforDuterte

REPOST from the MILF: Ulama group condemns bombing in Davao city

Ulama group condemns bombing in Davao city 
Gandhi Kinjiyo, Luwaran

The National Ulama Conference of the Philippines (NUCP) expressed condemnation to the culprit behnd the explosion at the night market along Roxas avenue in Davao city on Friday (Sep 2) night killing 15 and injuring 69 innocent civilians.

“We strongly condemn this act of terrorism,” said Prof. ALih Sakaluran Aiyub, NUCP Secretary-General posted in the social media.
“We, the National Ulama Conference of the Philippines, mourn with the whole nation on the terrorist bombing in Davao City that killed 15 and wounding 69 innocent civilians,” Aiyub said.
The NUCP Secretary-General said their organization expressed deepest sympathies and condolences to the bereaved families.
“Let us pray together for safety, sobriety and unity. Let us be one nation in facing the challenges and in working together for the eradication of terrorism in our midst,” Aiyub said.
President Rodrigo Duterte declared the state of lawlessness in the nation following the unfortunate incident.
The action is geared to increase coordination among the security sector of the government and intensify initiatives to secure the public.
Following the incident, authorities advised the public to be vigilant. There will be more checkpoints that will be installed to help secure the public and vital installations.
NUCP is an organization of Ulama with nationwide membership which engages in peace advocacy activities. It also serves as a voice of the Muslim ummah to speak on issues affecting the Muslim citizens in the country.
http://www.luwaran.com/home/index.php/news/22-davao-region/876-ulama-group-condemns-bombing-in-davao-city

REPOST: Freedom from Debt Coalition's (FDC) Statement on the Return of Pork Barrel in the 2017 Budget

The original statement is here.

1 September 2016
NOT ANOTHER TRAPO BUDGET FOR 2017
MANILA, Philippines – While recognizing the need to ensure that the
 national budget prioritizes social development particularly the
 people’s welfare, the Freedom from Debt Coalition (FDC) yesterday
 criticized the Duterte administration for using this as a convenient
 excuse to justify the P80-million allocation for pet projects of each
 legislator.
“The proposed 2017 national budget, with its provision for lawmakers
 to identify projects for budgetary funding, reeks of traditional or
‘trapo’ politics that perpetuate patronage relations between public
 officials and their constituents,” FDC Vice-President James Matthew
 Miraflor said.
Miraflor pointed out that the Supreme Court decision on the Priority
 Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) and the distinct and separate roles
 of the Executive and Legislative branches in the budget process are
 clear and should not be undermined by mere technicalities.
“The Duterte administration must stop in its attempt to further weaken
 the integrity of the budget process just to ensure the loyalty of its
 allies in Congress and maintain the ‘supermajority’ through political
 favors involving public funds,” Miraflor added.
Earlier, Budget Secretary Benjamin Diokno defended before the Senate
 the P80-million allocation for each solon saying that part of the job
 of the legislators is to “bring home some bacon” and that they would
 not be involved in the post-enactment implementation of the national
 budget.
“Instead of trying to go around Constitutional restrictions, members
 of the Development Budget Coordinating Council and backers of this
 repackaged PDAF should look into improving the budget formulation
 process. There must be something wrong with the government’s
 priorities and allocations if they still have to set aside a
 substantial portion of the budget and leave this to the discretion of
 members of Congress, otherwise, it’s pure and simple accommodation
to the whims and caprices of the trapos in our midst,” Miraflor said.

https://www.facebook.com/centerforpeoplesmedia/posts/1784340421850308:0

The revolution goes from strength to strength! One Breath Left hits 1,000 page views!





Joint Statement on the Resumption of the Formal Talks link

Link to the joint statement following the recently concluded peace talks between the CPP and the Duterte government is here.