Gerry Albert Corpuz presents

This is Gerry Albert Corpuz and this is my life and political journey to the world of class struggle and class emancipation

Militants urge lawmakers to go hardline vs. debt servicing next year
P 459 B for debt payments since January, a shocking figure- Pamalakaya

A shocking figure and an 11 intensity earthquake.

This was how the left-leaning fisherfolk alliance group Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas (Pamalakaya) on Thursday reacted to news reports that the national government had spent P 459 billion of taxpayers’ money to debt servicing from January to August this year.

“This is injustice to the highest order. We are paying foreign and domestic debts which did not benefit the Filipino people, and yet, the national government is prioritizing this immoral and illegitimate undertaking depriving millions of Filipino the basic services they need and deserved,” Pamalakaya national chair Fernando Hicap said in a press statement.

Pamalakaya’s Hicap urged lawmakers to go hardline against the proposed budget for debt servicing in 2008, adding that any legislative action this time should work either for debt repudiation or debt moratorium to stop such grandmother of all plunder in the country.

“Congress should enact a killing piece of legislation that would free us from the bondage of debt servicing dictated upon us by International Monetary Fund and the World Bank and their corporate clients all over the world,” the militant leader said.

“This is a tough act to follow, but national interest dictates our lawmakers to perform in accordance with the collective will of more than 87 million Filipinos. That’s their assignment and they should do their job without fear and with fervor, nothing more, nothing less,” Hicap added.

The Bureau of Treasury (BTr) revealed the latest figure on debt servicing last Tuesday. According to BTr, P 106.3 B was spent for interest payments for domestic loans from January to August, while P 87.2 B was spent for interest payments for foreign borrowings during the same period.

The BTr said the government spent P 266.8 B for principal payment of domestic debts and
P 35.1 B for foreign obligations also during the same period. The government has allocated
P 601.7 B for debt servicing this year, of which, P 303.3 B or 4.6 percent of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) would for interest payments and P 298.4 B would be used to service principal loans.

Finance Secretary Margarito Teves said the government was able to save P 25 billion in interest payments during the first eight months of the year because of the continued appreciation of the local currency against the dollar.

According to the estimates of Department of Finance (DoF), the Philippine saves as much as
P 4.2 B in debt service requirement for every P 1 appreciation against the green bucks. #

posted by: GerryCorpuz at 03:11 | link | comments |

Pamalakaya asserts there was no Malacañang investigation on NBN contract
Palace asked: Does GMA probe team on ZTE deal exist?

The left-leaning fisherfolk alliance group Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas (Pamalakaya) on Thursday questioned the authenticity and credibility of a “shadow probe body” organized by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to look into the alleged reports of bribery surrounding the National Broadband Network (NBN) deal.

“This mysterious probe organized by President Arroyo clearing government officials and owners of China’s ZTE Corp. is the grandmother of all mystery. The President Arroyo merely certified her role as the mystery woman and partner of the mystery man in the $329 million NBN scam,” said Pamalakaya national chair Fernando Hicap said in a press statement.

“Mrs. Arroyo wants to land in the Guinness Book of Records by announcing something that will shock the world but at the same time makes this country as overnight biggest laughing stock across the globe. We believe there was no Malacañang probe on the NBN contract and President Arroyo merely took the public to another roller coaster ride,” Hicap added.

Pamalakaya’s Hicap together with Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP) national chairperson Rafael Mariano, Amihan peasant women group chairperson Carmen Buena and Unyon ng Mga Manggagawa sa Agrikultura (UMA) chairman Rene Galang filed a diplomatic protest last Tuesday at the Chinese Consulate office in Makati City to demand the Chinese government to pull out the ZTE deal and scrapped the 19 agreements signed under the RP-China agreement.

At a meeting of ProPeformance and ProTransparency group, President Arroyo said she had organized a discreet investigation on the NBN project and found out that reports of bribery were unsubstantiated. But the Chief Executive did not provide details of the investigation.

“What investigation President Arroyo is talking about. She is talking on something that only exists in the minds of the operators of the ruling corrupt syndicate in Malacañang. If she is telling the truth, why she refused to give details? In the name of good governance, public trust and transparency, President Arroyo is legally and morally obliged to tell about this mysterious probe,” the Pamalakaya leader asserted.

Hicap pointed out that while the investigation conducted by President Arroyo asserted that reports of bribery were uncorroborated, former economic chief, now CHED chairman Romulo Neri testified before today’s Senate hearing that Comelec chair Benjamin Abalos Sr. offered him P 200 million in exchange for the approval of the NBN contract.

“Who is telling the truth? President Arroyo or Secretary Neri?” the Pamalakaya leader asked.

The militant group also questioned Arroyo’s formation of special panel to oversee projects under the China official development assistance program.

“The orgy of systematic and high crime of corruption in Malacañang is practically everywhere in Malacañang, and in almost all offices and agencies of this bankrupt administration. This is just for show, nothing more, nothing less,” Pamalakaya said of the special panel.

The special panel headed by Trade and Industry Secretary Peter Favila include Budget secretary Rolando Andaya, Presidential Management Staff Cerge Remonde, a representative of the Union of Local Authorities of the Philippines (ULAP) and one from the church sector. #

posted by: GerryCorpuz at 03:10 | link | comments |

Pamalakaya eyes probe of 7 more deals with China

The left-leaning fisherfolk alliance group Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas (Pamalakaya) on Friday urged lawmakers to conduct separate investigations on seven more deals signed by the Philippine and Chinese governments last January 15, 2007, stressing that all these agreements could have all the marks of corruption and onerous loan agreements with China to the disadvantage of the Filipino people.

Citing a briefing paper prepared by independent think tank Ibon Foundation Inc., Pamalakaya national chair Fernando Hicap said China agreed to fund a number of infrastructure development projects of the Macapagal- Arroyo administration that cost more than US$1.1 billion or roughly P 49.5 billion based on the current exchange rate of P45.50 against the US dollar.

Hicap said the RP-China projects the members of the Senate and House of Representatives should jointly or separately investigate are the following:

• Northrail Project Phase 1, Section 2- to be undertaken by NLRC that would entail the extension of Northrail from Malolos to Clark covering 48 kilometers. The cost of the project is $ 673.67 M

• Main Line South Railway Project Phase 1- to be undertaken by the Philippine National Railway. It seeks the rehabilitation of the 77.4 km section of railroad line from Calamba to Lucena City. The project cost is $ 314.8 M.

• Non-Intrusive Container Inspection System Project Phase 2- to be undertaken by the Bureau of Customs. It involves the procurement, installation and operation of 20 mobile x-ray machines. The project would cost the Philippine government $ 115 M.

• Laiban Dam Project to be headed by the MWSS. This $ 1 B project calls for the construction of a concrete dam, intake structures, hydropower plants and other structures.

• Metro Manila Skyway Stages 2 and 3 to be undertaken by NDC. The project cost is $ 633.54 M. It calls for the construction of an elevated expressway link to South Luzon expressway and the North Luzon expressway.

• Angat Water Utilization and Aqueduct Improvement Project Phase 2 to be undertaken by the MWSS. The project cost is $ 63.58 M and it would involve the construction of an 11.5 km new aqueduct to secure existing raw water supply in Metro Manila.

• Upgrading of Laoag International Airport Extension Project to be headed by the Department of Transportation and Communication (DOTC). It will focus on the upgrading and modernization of airport’s various facilities.

Citing the same Ibon study, Pamalakaya’s Hicap said, in the loan agreement of the Northrail Project, China has the sole authority to determine the payment schedule; the right to impose immediate payments even before the project begins; and it places China's laws as the governing laws for the agreement and that the Philippine government irrevocably and unconditionally waives its immunity from any suit or judgment arising from the contract.

“There’s no doubt these agreements have the destructive elements present in the controversial ZTE broadband deal. Aside from high crimes of corruption, the Philippine government has practically surrendered the country’s national sovereignty and patrimony to their Chinese corporate clients in the name of China’s global exportation of surplus capital through onerous and one-sided investment agreements,” Pamalakaya said. #

posted by: GerryCorpuz at 03:08 | link | comments |

AFP chief violated civilian supremacy over the military in stopping Trillanes hearing, says militant group

The left-leaning fisherfolk alliance group Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas (Pamalakaya) on Friday said Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Chief of Staff Hermogenes Esperon Jr. violated the supreme constitutional rule civilian supremacy over the military when it stopped detained Senator Antonio Trillanes IV from conducting a committee hearing inside the Fort Bonifacio Army and Marine headquarters yesterday.

“Esperon is invoking military supremacy over the civilian authority, which cannot be found in the 1987 Constitution. He is invoking the rule of military-civilian junta here, which is grossly unlawful, extremely illegal and top-notch immoral,” said Pamalakaya national chair Fernando Hicap in a press statement.

The militant group earlier had planned to talk to Senator Trillanes to discuss their position paper on the controversial Japan-Philippines Economic Partnership Agreement (Jpepa). Pamalakaya had submitted their position paper on the agreement in Trillanes office, and they want to seek an audience with the Senator to convince him to reject the RP-Japan economic treaty.

But given the policy of the AFP and Malacañang to bar any committee hearing and official visit to Trillanes in his detention cell inside Fort Bonifacio, Pamalakaya said it would be difficult for them to discuss their concern on Jpepa to Sen. Trillanes.

Pamalakaya’s Hicap added: “The AFP Chief is treating the Army and Marines headquarters in Fort Bonifacio as his own republic and military turf, and that Senator Trillanes is the prized trophy of the Myanmar like government of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.”

Sen. Trillanes, a former Navy junior officer, who is detained for coup charges, had called a second hearing of the Senate committee on civil service and government reorganization, which he chairs, at 10:00 a.m yesterday to tackle two bills proposing amendments to the Custom Broker Act of 2004.

Officers at the Marines barracks turned away Sen. Rodolfo Biazon, Civil Service Commission chair Karina David and resource persons from the Bureau of Customs and the Department of Finance as well as Senate staff.

Pamalakaya said it is supporting the plan of the Trillanes camp to file criminal charges against Esperon and officers at the Marine barracks that stopped the detained lawmaker from exercising his duty and obligation to the people as elected senator.

Trillanes’ Chief of Staff Reynaldo Robles claimed the order came from Gen. Esperon and denounced the stopping of the hearing as pure political harassment. Robles said Esperon cannot accept the fact that the detained senator was elected by the people.

Robles insisted that Trillanes can hold his committee hearings anywhere in the country and that the senator did not need to get a court order nor permission from Gen. Esperon to hold hearings inside Fort Bonifacio.

“It’s about time. Mr. Esperon should be brought to the bar of justice for perpetual murder of the supreme rule of civilian supremacy over the military and for violating the 1987 Constitution. Somebody has to give him a lesson of a lifetime,” the group added.

Pamalakaya also Senate President Manuel Villar and other members of the Senate to take Trillanes crusade as an elected senator against Esperon and the stubborn military establishment before the Supreme Court or in any regular court.

“Trillanes case is an open and direct assault against the Senate as an institution. If Esperon can do it to Trillanes, he can do it to all senators. The Senate is lawfully, politically and morally obliged to exercise the supremacy of civilian rule over the military,” the group added. #

posted by: GerryCorpuz at 03:08 | link | comments |

Pamalakaya to file diplomatic protest against China over ZTE deal
Militant group assails DFA for not doing its job to protect public interest

The national fisherfolk alliance group Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas (Pamalakaya) announced on Thursday that it would file a people’s “diplomatic protest” on Monday next week to the Chinese Embassy in Manila to object the Chinese government move to push through the controversial $ 329 million National Broadband Network (NBN) deal despite allegations of irregularities and high crime of corruption linked to the ZTE project.

“We will file a diplomatic protest. We will go the Chinese Embassy in Manila on Monday to personally submit the protest letter and complaint against the NBN project,” said Pamalakaya national chair Fernando Hicap in a press statement.

Hicap added: “The Department of Foreign Affairs is not doing its job to protect public interest. We have to take the initiative to stop this agreement checkered with fingerprints of high crimes of corruption. Secretary Alberto Romulo is politically handicapped to attend to this kind of controversy affecting the Filipino public and millions of taxpayers’ money.”

The Pamalakaya leader said his group decided to file a diplomatic complaint before the Chinese Embassy in Manila because Chinese officials are persistent in pushing the project despite the controversies hounding the awarding of the contract to China’s ZTE.

Hicap was referring to yesterday’s visit of representatives of Chinese embassy officials in Manila to the Department of Transportation and Communication (DOTC) to discuss the status of the NBN project with DOTC Secretary Leandro Mendoza.

The Pamalakaya leader said the visit of Liang Wentao, economic and commercial counselor of the Chinese Embassy in Manila, Li Sa, deputy director of the Department of Asian Affairs, and officials from China’s Ministry of Commerce led by Weng Shengwen and Wang Yinggi was unethical and undiplomatic.

“Please allow us to remind officials of the Chinese embassy in Manila that the Chinese corporation ZTE could be held liable under national and international laws if Comelec chairman Benjamin Abalos is charged for the allegedly overpriced contract and if there is truth to report that it gave in to the demand of Chairman Benjamin Abalos for advance commission from ZTE for brokering the overpriced deal,” Hicap added.

Pamalakaya said it is the turn of Chinese embassy officials to back off from under-the-table talks set up by the Philippine government to settle the NBN project, and let owners of the ZTE Corp. to face the consequences of dealing with the officials of the Macapagal-Arroyo government implicated in this onerous and graft-ridden deal.

Likewise, Pamalakaya will ask the Chinese Embassy in Manila to immediately recommend to their government the scrapping of 19 agricultural deals, the Chinese government had signed with the Philippine government to prevent NBN-like scams in the near future

Pamalakaya said the discovery of the NBN scam should compel the Chinese government to junk if not put on hold the implementation of the following agricultural agreements that were signed on January 15-16 with the Philippine government.

1). Memorandum of Understanding on Expanding and Deepening Agriculture and Fisheries Cooperation, 2). Memorandum of Understanding between the DA and General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine of the People’s Republic of China in he field of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures, 3). Agreement on the Development of 1 million hectares of land for Hybrid Corn, Hybrid Rice and Hybrid Sorghum Farming, 4). Agreement on the Leasing of 40,000 hectares of Agribusiness Lands for Sugar Cane and Cassava Plantation, 5). Agreement on the Provision of a 5,000 square meter space for Philippine Tropical Fruits in the Jiangnan Fruit and Vegetable Wholesale Market, 6.) Agreement for the Establishment of a 150,000 liter per day capacity Bio Ethanol plant in Palawan, 7). Joint Venture Agreement for the Manufacture of Bio-Ethanol, 8.) Joint Venture for the manufacture of Bio-Ethanol in Southern Negros, 9). Joint Venture Agreement for the Establishment of a 150,000 liter per day capacity Bio-Ethanol plant, 10.) Memorandum of Agreement on the Provision of Small Mobile Ice Plant and Transport Facilities to Municipal Fishery Cooperatives and Associations, 11). Memorandum of Agreement on the Establishment of a 35-hectare Demonstration Farm for Sweet Corn,
12.). Memorandum of Agreement on the Construction of Ship Yard, Establishment of a Cold Storage Facility and Upgrading/Rehabilitation of Certain Facilities at the Navotas Fish Port Complex, 13). Agreement on the Development of Candaba Swamp Resource Project as source of water for irrigation, 14). Memorandum of Agreement on Cooperation by and between the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) and Guangdong Ocean Fisheries Administration, 15). Memorandum of Agreement on the Breeding and Culture of Grouper and other high value species, 16. Joint Venture Agreement on Fisheries, 17.) Agreement on Breeding and Culture of Abalone, Sea Cucumbers, Sea Urchins and Scallops, 18.) Agreement to develop 200,000 hectares of land which are suitable for rice and corn, agro-tourism and organic farming and 19). Joint cooperation agreement on coconut production and supply.

“These agreements were lumped in to a package of midnight deals signed without public consultations or public debates. These agreements are expected to churn out bigger NBN like deals because President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and her Chinese clients treat these agreements as best kept secrets like the ZTE broadband deal,” Pamalakaya added.

Pamalakaya further described the RP-China agreement in agriculture as a national sell-out of the country’s rural economy to Chinese monopoly investors. “The national government is playing host to China’s surplus capital to enable it to accumulate at a faster and surer way at the expense of our farmers, fishermen and rural producers,” the group added.

The militant fisherfolk group did not discount the possibility that the Chinese government might even use these agreements to legitimize poaching activities in Philippine waters and prevent the government from apprehending Chinese nationals regularly caught fishing off deep waters, included in the country’s territorial waters. “Seven of the 19 agreements in agriculture are related to fishing and these agreements objective are to exploit the country’s exclusive economic zone or EEZ and transform the country into a huge Chinese factory for the production of high value fishery products through aquaculture,” Pamalakaya added. #

posted by: GerryCorpuz at 01:35 | link | comments |

Pamalakaya urges DA to scrap 19 RP agricultural deals with China

The national fisherfolk alliance group Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas (Pamalakaya) on Wednesday pressed Department of Agriculture (DA) secretary Arthur Yap to immediately scrap the 19 agricultural and fisheries deal the country had signed with the Chinese government, saying the $ 329-million National Broadband Network (NBN) scam is enough reason to cancel agricultural and fisheries pacts signed on January 15-26 this year.

“Secretary Yap has no option but to score a giant kill against the 19 agricultural and fisheries agreements with China. These agreements, if not scrapped will spawn NBN like scams and scandals, given the undisputed track record of this administration to commit high crimes of corruption matching their Chinese counterparts’ obsession for huge kick backs,” Pamalakaya national chair Fernando Hicap said in a press statement.

“The RP-China agreement will allow China to join Japan under the equally detestable and destructible Japan-Philippines Economic Partnership Agreement or Jpepa in massive fishing expedition in the Philippines,” Hicap added.

Earlier, Pamalakaya asserted that Jpepa will allow Japanese factory ships and commercial fishing vessels to fish for the country’s tuna in Celebes Sea, Moro Gulf and other parts of the country’s marine areas known for rich tuna deposits.

According to Pamalakaya, a single 3,000-ton Japanese fishing fleet accompanied by support vessels could harvest 150 metric ton of tuna per day, or 50,000 metric tons of tuna per year valued at $ 242.5 million in gross profits.

Hicap said the following agricultural agreements that were signed on January 15-16 that should be junked immediately are: 1). Memorandum of Understanding on Expanding and Deepening Agriculture and Fisheries Cooperation, 2). Memorandum of Understanding between the DA and General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine of the People’s Republic of China in he field of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures, 3). Agreement on the Development of 1 million hectares of land for Hybrid Corn, Hybrid Rice and Hybrid Sorghum Farming, 4). Agreement on the Leasing of 40,000 hectares of Agribusiness Lands for Sugar Cane and Cassava Plantation, 5). Agreement on the Provision of a 5,000 square meter space for Philippine Tropical Fruits in the Jiangnan Fruit and Vegetable Wholesale Market, 6.) Agreement for the Establishment of a 150,000 liter per day capacity Bio Ethanol plant in Palawan, 7). Joint Venture Agreement for the Manufacture of Bio-Ethanol, 8.) Joint Venture for the manufacture of Bio-Ethanol in Southern Negros, 9). Joint Venture Agreement for the Establishment of a 150,000 liter per day capacity Bio-Ethanol plant, 10.) Memorandum of Agreement on the Provision of Small Mobile Ice Plant and Transport Facilities to Municipal Fishery Cooperatives and Associations, 11). Memorandum of Agreement on the Establishment of a 35-hectare Demonstration Farm for Sweet Corn,
12.). Memorandum of Agreement on the Construction of Ship Yard, Establishment of a Cold Storage Facility and Upgrading/Rehabilitation of Certain Facilities at the Navotas Fish Port Complex, 13). Agreement on the Development of Candaba Swamp Resource Project as source of water for irrigation, 14). Memorandum of Agreement on Cooperation by and between the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) and Guangdong Ocean Fisheries Administration, 15). Memorandum of Agreement on the Breeding and Culture of Grouper and other high value species, 16. Joint Venture Agreement on Fisheries, 17.) Agreement on Breeding and Culture of Abalone, Sea Cucumbers, Sea Urchins and Scallops, 18.) Agreement to develop 200,000 hectares of land which are suitable for rice and corn, agro-tourism and organic farming and 19). Joint cooperation agreement on coconut production and supply.

“These agreements were lumped in to a package of midnight deals signed without public consultations or public debates. These agreements are expected to churn out bigger NBN like deals because President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and her Chinese clients treat these agreements as best kept secrets like the ZTE broadband deal,” Pamalakaya’s Hicap added.

Pamalakaya further described the RP-China agreement in agriculture as a national sell-out of the country’s rural economy to Chinese monopoly investors. “The national government is playing host to China’s surplus capital to enable it to accumulate at a faster and surer way at the expense of our farmers, fishermen and rural producers,” the group added.

The militant fisherfolk group did not discount the possibility that the Chinese government might even use these agreements to legitimize poaching activities in Philippine waters and prevent the government from apprehending Chinese nationals regularly caught fishing off deep waters, included in the country’s territorial waters.

“Seven of the 19 agreements in agriculture are related to fishing and these agreements objective are to exploit the country’s exclusive economic zone or EEZ and transform the country into a huge Chinese factory for the production of high value fishery products through aquaculture,” Pamalakaya added. #

posted by: GerryCorpuz at 01:34 | link | comments |

Pamalakaya says RP agents in The Netherlands to convince Dutch gov’t on terror label against leftwing groups

The left-leaning fisherfolk alliance Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas (Pamalakaya) on Tuesday said aside from asking Dutch authorities to share the “wealth of information” seized during the raids on the office of National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) international office and six other houses of the members of NDFP peace negotiating panel, the Philippine government sent two national security officials to convince The Netherlands government to put the terror tag on legal democratic organizations supporting the peace negotiations between the communist-led NDFP and the Government of the Republic of the Philippines (GRP)

In a press statement, Pamalakaya national chair Fernando Hicap said the National Security Council (NSC) sent Deputy National Security Adviser Pedro Cabuay Jr. and Director General Cesar Garcia of the National Intelligence Coordinating Agency (NICA) to convince the Dutch government to declare legal democratic organizations as terrorist groups and work for their inclusion in the terrorist listing of the European Union.

“That is one of the sinister agenda why the extrajudicial killing syndicate in Malacañang sent two of its most notorious personnel in The Netherlands. There’s a strong indication that the legal, moral and politically correct aboveboard dealings of militant groups with Prof. Jose Maria Sison and the NDFP in connection with the peace negotiations with the Manila government and the political, scholarly and the exchanges of academic discussions on Philippine issues and concerns will be used to justify the terror listing of legal democratic groups in the Philippines,” the Pamalakaya leader said.

Hicap said if the Dutch government issues a national declaration enlisting all legal democratic groups in the Philippines as terrorist organizations, the Macapagal-Arroyo government through the Anti-Terror Council and the Department of Justice could follow and use such declaration to state publicly and legally that these leftwing groups are terrorist organizations associated with the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP), its armed wing the New People’s Army and the NDFP under the Human Security Act of 2007, other wise known as the Anti-Terror Act.

“ A Dutch government declaration that aboveground leftist organizations are terrorist organizations can be used by the NSC or DoJ as rallying point to declare all legal organizations associated with the Left as terrorist groups,” Pamalakaya’s Hicap added. Pamalakaya said Section 17 of the HSA allows the national security group of Malacañang for the proscription of alleged terrorist organizations on mere application by the DoJ before any regional trial court. It said all it takes is for justice secretary to file a case before any regional trial court and an organization, association or group of persons may be declared as a terrorist and thus outlawed.

NDFP peace panel chair Luis Jalandoni yesterday revealed top security officials of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo were in The Netherlands to ask Dutch authorities to share the information seized during the series of raids conducted on the NDFP office and houses of NDFP peace panel members and personnel last Aug. 28.

The NDFP through its lawyer Bernard Tomlow on Sept.5, warned Dutch authorities that they would be held accountable if there were more extrajudicial killings and enforced disappearances of political opposition of the Arroyo administration, as a result of its sharing information with the Philippine intelligence agencies or with the United States’ Central Intelligence Agency.

According to Jalandoni, sharing information with Philippine intelligence agencies and the CIA would pose a very real danger to the lives of those who have been in communication with the NDFP in connection with the peace negotiations and other matters.

The chief of the NDFP peace negotiating panel said Cabuay and Garcia were directly responsible for implementing the Arroyo administration’s national security plan Oplan Bantay Laya, which is being blamed for the extrajudicial killings of almost 900 leftwing activists and enforced disappearance of not less than 200 political activists all over the country. #

posted by: GerryCorpuz at 00:16 | link | comments |

Militants see GMA trial for plunder on or before 2010

“President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo is the next Philippine president to be tried and convicted by the Sandiganbayan anti-graft court for plunder and other high crimes of corruption on or before year 2010.

The bold prediction came from the leftwing fisherfolk alliance Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas (Pamalakaya) made the bold prediction, two days after Sandiganbayan sentenced deposed President Joseph Estrada to 4o years of imprisonment for committing plunder during his term as president of the Philippine Republic.

Estrada’s co-accused in the plunder case, son Senator Jinggoy Estrada and lawyer Eduardo Serapio were acquitted by Sandiganbayan in its ruling. At the same time the anti-graft court ordered the freezing of Estrada’s accounts estimated at $ 87 million.

“The decision of Sandiganbayan convicting the deposed president is a strong warning against Mrs. Arroyo and her other cabinet officials separately or jointly accused of alleged serial acts of big time corruption may have their days in the anti-graft court on or before 2010 or even after the President finishes her term,” Pamalakaya national chair Fernando Hicap said in a press statement.

Hicap said if ousted from Malacañang before the 2010 presidential elections, Mrs. Arroyo’s trial on charges of plunder will proceed right away, because the court of public opinion is so strong and invincible to have her tried for scores of plunder charges expected to be filed by different groups representing the people’s interest for truth and justice.

The Pamalakaya leader said if President Arroyo survives the political turmoil until 2010, the next President of the Philippine Republic will still be compelled by the people to put President Arroyo on plunder trial.

“Presidential wannabes who want to win the 2010 elections and succeed Mrs. Arroyo will be asked by the Filipino voting population his or her stand on the trial of President Arroyo on plunder charges. A presidential hopeful with negative answer will be surely out of the race,” Hicap added.

“The GMA trial for plunder in next three to four years will be bigger and controversial in scope, since she commits strings of plunder crimes compared to President Estrada. She raped and prostituted the judicial system, she cheated her way to the presidency, she was engaged in left-and-right political killings to mention a few of her crimes against the people,” Pamalakaya said.

Pamalakaya said the Sandiganbayan decision merely affirmed the decision of the Filipino people to oust ex-President Estrada on charges of plunder, other high crimes of corruption and betrayal of national interest. “Mrs. Arroyo and her ruling political mafia in Malacañang should not celebrate with the Sandiganbayan decision, since their group is the next political syndicate that would be charged before the anti-graft court on bigger cases of plunder. The Sandiganbayan decision is not the triumph of Gloria over Erap, it is the triumph of the Filipino people against injustice,” the group added.

Pamalakaya said President Arroyo will be facing scores of plunder cases before the Sandiganbayan court in connection with the controversial President Diosdado Macapagal Boulevard, the Jose Pidal account, the P 728 million fertilizer scam, the GSIS and OWWA fund scandals and recently the National Broadband Network (NBN) Project to mention a few.

“We see no reason why the Sandiganbayan court will not entertain series of plunder cases against President Arroyo. Definitely she would be the next and bigger than Estrada political figure to grace the anti-graft court in the very near future,” Pamalakaya said.

The militant group said the Estrada camp knew that as far as the plunder case is concerned, they would be at odds with regards to the case, admitting that this may have a minimal effect or impact on the broad anti-Arroyo coalition seeking for resignation or ouster of President Arroyo from power.

“It will somehow affect the political relationship between the mainstream Left and the Estrada camp, but that would be very, very minimal. The broad anti-Arroyo coalition will continue to work for the impeachment, resignation and ouster of the most corrupt and hardcore criminal regime in Malacañang,” Pamalakaya added. #

posted by: GerryCorpuz at 00:14 | link | comments (1) |

Under Jpepa: A Japanese factory ship could produce 50,000 metric tons of frozen tuna a year or $ 242.5 million in gross profits--- Pamalakaya

Critics of the controversial Japan-Philippines Economic Partnership Agreement (Jpepa) on Sunday a single factory ship employed by commercial fishing company could produce 50,000 metric tons of frozen tuna a year equivalent to $ 242.5 million in gross profits per year.

The left-leaning fisherfolk alliance Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas (Pamalakaya) on Sunday said a single-sized 3,000 metric ton Japanese factory ship, accompanied by support purse seiners is capable of producing a minimum of 150 metric tons of frozen tuna per day once Japanese factory ships are allowed to fish in Philippine waters, including the country’s exclusive economic zone or EEZ.

Pamalakaya national chair Fernando Hicap said a Japanese factory ship which capable of producing 50,00 metric tons of tunas could earn as much as 250 million in green bucks. According to Hicap, Japanese commercial fishing vessel will earn $ 32.5 million on skip jack, which is 65% of the 50,000 metric tons, multiplied by the prevailing landed price in Japan of $ 1,000 per metric ton, and $ 210 million for tuna, which is 35% of the 50,000 metric ton per year catch multiplied by 80 percent meat yield times 1,000 kilograms x $ 15 per kilogram.

In normal fishing operations, the proportion of skipjack to tuna would be around 65 percent and 35 percent respectively. The catch of blue marlin or blue fin tuna is not factored because it is only of minimal proportion compared to skipjack and tuna although enjoys higher price compared to skip jack and regular tuna.

The militant leader said if a Japanese commercial fishing company deploys 4 factory ships to fish in Philippine waters, the combined catch would be 200,000 metric tons and the combined gross earnings would be $ 970 million or roughly P 43.65 B, which is way above than the P 125 million fertilizer grant, the Japanese government had given to marginalized farmers and fishermen across the country.

“The Japanese transnational fishing companies are stood to gain more than 10 billion pesos every year per factory ship from exploiting the country’s territorial waters in their anarchic and uncontrollable search for our tunas. This is in exchange for the fertilizer grant and other cheap forms of freebies from the second world exploiting economy. This is terrible, horrible and unjustifiable,” Pamalakaya’s Hicap added.

Pamalakaya asserted that the gains the Philippine government in the form of taxes or profit sharing that would derive from allowing Japanese factory ships to fish in the country’s marine waters, including EEZ would still be minimal. “With those bunch of tax holidays awarded by the Philippine government in silver platter to foreign investors or foreign trade partners, we expect nothing from this one-sided treaty,” the group said.

The militant group said the fishing aspect of Jpepa was meant for the benefit and survival of Japan’s commercial fishing industry at the expense of the country’s local tuna producers and small fishermen in the relatively backward local tuna industry.

Pamalakaya said with the skyrocketing prices of tuna in Japan due to reported over exploitation in the Atlantic, Central Pacific and Indian Ocean, commercial fishing has become more lucrative and highly profitable. The militant group said Japan under Jpepa is targeting rich tuna fishing waters of the Philippines specifically the Philippines Sea which runs from Batanes to Davao, the Celebes/Sulu Sea and the South China Sea. These are regularly poached by Taiwan, China, Indonesia and Vietnam because of their rich tuna deposits and other high value marine products.

“Once these tuna rich areas are depleted, Japanese commercial fishing vessels would transfer to another area where there are bountiful stocks. This is possible since there’s no quota or maximum annual catch set in Jpepa,” the group said.

In the same vein, Pamalakaya urged local tuna producers to break their silence on Jpepa and forward with a patriotic position to oppose the grand takeover of Japanese factory ships of the country’s local tuna industry.

“We are willing to talk to them and form a fighting alliance with them against the Japanese invasion of the local tuna industry. We have to fight Jpepa from start to finish and save the dying tuna industry,” the militant group said.

Pamalakaya said the P 9 B tuna industry will be wiped out under Jpepa and would cause job displacement of over 180,000 tuna workers and tuna fishermen in the country. “The local tuna producers, the tuna workers and the tuna fishermen would be left at the mercy of Japan commercial tuna fishing corporations. This is unfair, very unfair,” the group said.

The militant group said local tuna producers are keeping a silent mode on the issue because they are afraid Malacañang might revoke the licenses of their tuna fishing vessels or their Japanese buyers might be pressured to stop buying their produce or with the decreasing tuna stocks courtesy of Japanese factory ships, local tuna producers and tuna fishermen would be forced to go farther into the sea to catch and survive the games dictated by Japanese tuna fishing monopolies. #

posted by: GerryCorpuz at 01:07 | link | comments |

Agriculture undersecretary accused Pamalakaya of twisting Jpepa content
DA exec asked: What leftist agenda?

The left-leaning fisherfolk alliance Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas (Pamalakaya) on Saturday assailed Department of Agriculture (DA) undersecretary Segredo Serrano for accusing the group of twisting the truth regarding the controversial Japan-Philippines Economic Partnership Agreement or Jpepa.

Undersecretary Serrano last week said there was no provision in Jpepa that would allow Japanese fishing vessels to fish in Philippine waters. The DA official said Pamalakaya national chair Fernando Hicap was deliberately twisting the truth to suit his group’s leftist agenda.

“What leftist agenda this incorrigible and arrogant undersecretary of agriculture is talking about? Instead of replying objectively to our legitimate, moral and facts-based inquiry, undersecretary Serrano resorted to Jurassic red-baiting to defend this one-sided agreement,” Pamalakaya national chair Fernando Hicap said in a press statement. Hicap added: “To set the record straight, Jpepa is the concern of everybody and the national agenda and collective interest of 87 million Filipino people is at stake here. It is so unfortunate that Serrano still think that those who oppose Jpepa are leftists obsessed with their leftist agenda. This DA official is a poor student history.”

The word war between Pamalakaya and DA undersecretary Serrano was sparked after the militant fisherfolk group said Japan’s P 125 million fertilizer grant to the Philippines was used to soften the position of senators on the Japan-RP economic pact, which Pamalakaya said would allow Japan’s factory ships to fish for tuna in Philippine waters.

The agriculture official said Jpepa provisions on Articles 28 and 29 do not allow the entry of Japanese fishing vessels in Philippine waters and merely pertains to the treaty’s rules of Origin, under which plants, animals or minerals obtained or originating from the Philippines, and exported to Japan or vice-versa, are given preferential tariff concessions.

But Pamalakaya rebuffed Serrano’s assurance that Jpepa will not allow Japanese fishing vessels to fish in the country’s waters. According to the group, Jpepa has identified factory ships and vessels entitled to fish in the Philippine exclusive economic zone (EEZ) under Article 28, Chapter 3 governing Rules of Origin.
Pamalakaya said under Jpepa factory ships of the party and vessels of the party respectively means factory ships and vessels which are registered in the party, sail under the flag of the party, which is owned of at least 60 percent by the nationals of the party, of which representatives, chairman of the board of directors, and the majority of the members of such boards are national of the party, and of which 60 percent of the equity interest is owned by nationals or juridical persons of the party, of which the master and officers are all nationals of the party and at least 75 percent of the crew are nationals of the party.

The group said the qualifying circumstances of factory ships and vessels under Article 28 are broad enough which could be opened to interpretation whether or not one or all requirement would suffice to qualify as a factory ship or vessel. Pamalakaya said it Article 28 is open to loopholes for tax avoidance or evasion such as when a factory ship or vessel is flag-registered in Panama, or countries other than Japan but its head office is in Japan.

Tax avoidance or evasion that would be resorted to would include transfer pricing on income and costs and expenses, misdeclaration or under-declaration of the catch or restructuring of transactions or companies by using tax holidays or dummies.

Pamalakaya said the underreporting of the catch is prevalent in the Philippines and in other countries. The group said the local government units in the country are not capable of monitoring the catch of Japanese factory ships 24-hours a day, seven days a week, aside from the fact that Japan will not allow domestic monitoring entities to watch their fishing operations in Philippine waters. #

posted by: GerryCorpuz at 09:50 | link | comments |

RP militants hopeful US film director Oliver Stone would
be truthful, braver on his next film about My Lai massacre in Vietnam

Leftwing activists belonging to the fisherfolk alliance Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas (Pamalakaya) on Friday expressed a high level of optimism that multiple Oscar academy award winning director Oliver Stone would be more objective and braver on his next film about Vietnam war.

Pamalakaya information officer Gerry Albert Corpuz was referring to the film Pinkville, a film about the massacre of 347 to 504 Vietnamese civilians, mostly women and children on March 16, 1968 in the hamlet of My Lai by members of the US Army during the Vietnam War.

Pinkville would be Stone’s fourth movie about Vietnam war that includes Platoon starred by Charlie Seen, Born on the Fourth of July (Tom Cruise) and Heaven and Earth (Tommy Lee Jones). “It is great historical material to begin with and we hope the acclaimed Hollywood director would make true to his promise to make meaningful films for global audience. The My Lai massacre should be revisited to educate the present generation about US war crimes against humanity and warn them on grave implications of the present US-led war against terror,” Corpuz said.

Pamalakaya’s Corpuz added: “Stone must carry out the filming of My Lai Massacre with the political and moral intention to remind the people of the world that the US government, as a military superpower is willing to kill people, sacrifice women and children and the young and defenseless in the orgy and altar of death to maintain its position as a global military and economic power.”

Last Wednesday, Stone arrived at the central city of Da Nang and went straight to the site of the 1968 My Lai Massacre in Quang Ngai province. The award-winning director was accompanied by his producer Nicholas Simon, a Vietnamese daily reported on Thursday.

Citing several write ups collated from the internet about the My Lai massacre, Pamalakaya said prior to the massacre, the US Army belonging to the Charlie Company of the 1st Batallion, 20th Infantry Regimen, 11th Brigade, US Division first raped, gang-raped, beat, sodomized, clobbered, maimed or stabbed the victims. After the mass murder of Vietnamese women and children, the US even mutilated the dead bodies of some children women and children.

The March 16, 1968 My Lai massacre sparked global outrage and reduced American support at home for the Vietnam War. A number of written accounts on My Lai massacre said that US troops arrived in Vietnam in 1967 to fight with the Vietnamese liberation forces in the countryside.

US troops first month in Vietnam passed without any direct enemy contact. But in mid-March the company suffered 28 casualties, including five dead, many from the mines and booby-traps laid by the unseen enemy. During the Tet Offensive of January 1968, attacks were carried out in Quang Ngai by the Vietnamese communist guerillas under the 48th Battalion of the National Front for the Liberation of South Vietnam (NFL). The U.S. military intelligence viewed that the 48th Battalion, having retreated, was taking refuge in the village of Song My, in Quang Ngai Province. A number of specific hamlets within that village — designated My Lai 1, 2, 3, and 4 — were suspected of harboring the Vietnamese communist guerillas.

The US forces under Col. Oran K. Henderson sensing the communist guerillas planned a major offensive against those hamlets and ordered his officers to "go in there aggressively, close with the enemy and wipe them out for good." On the eve of the attack, at the Charlie Company briefing, Captain Ernest Medina was asked whether the order included the killing of women and children; those present at the briefing later gave different accounts of Medina's response. Some of the company soldiers, including platoon leaders, later testified were the orders as they understood them were to kill all guerillas and North Vietnamese combatants and "suspects", including women and children, as well as all animals, and burn the village. #

posted by: GerryCorpuz at 09:22 | link | comments |

International oil pollution group to Pamalakaya: P 118 million payment to Petron on costs of Guimaras clean up, justifiable

The London-based International Oil Pollution Compensation Fund (IOPCF) justified the P 118 million it paid to Petron Corp. covering the costs of shoreline clean up operations undertaken by the petroleum company in connection with last year’s Guimaras oil spill tragedy.

In his letter dated August 28, 2007 and addressed to Fernando Hicap, Pamalakaya national chair, IOPCF Claims Manager Capt. Patrick James said the compensation payments made by the international oil pollution group and the Shipowners’ Club was made in respect of the costs incurred by Petron in conducting the clean up operations, which was considered as “preventive measures”.

The IOPCF claims manager further said “preventive measures” as defined in two international conventions- the 1992 Civil Liability Convention (1992 CLC) and the 1992 Fund Convention (1992 FC), and specifically in Article III, Section 1 of 1992 CLC read in conjunction with Article 1 of Section 6, and Article 4, Section 1 of 1992 FC allow reasonable preventive measures as compensable irrespective by whom they were undertaken.

James said the payment of P 118 million to Petron as compensation refers only to those costs that could be verified as justifiable under the criteria established by the 1992 Fund Assembly. He said the payments to Petron were scrutinized and compared with the information provided by experts appointed by the Shipowners’ Club and the IOPCF who were on the site during the clean up operations.

Last August 13, 2007, Pamalakaya’s Hicap wrote James and top executive officers of the IOPCF namely John Gillies, chairman of the IOPCF Executive Committee, Leonce Michel Ogandaga, vice-chair of the Executive Committee and Willem Oosterveen, IOPCF Director questioning the payment of P 118 million to Petron in connection with the costs incurred with the clean up operations.

Pamalakaya argued that Petron, as the principal suspect in the Guimaras oil spill tragedy should not be reimbursed for the costs of the clean up. “Where in this part of the planet did the IPOCF got its horrible idea that Petron should be reimbursed for the costs of the clean up?” the group said.

In its letter to IOPCF, the group stated the findings of the special task force created by the Special Board of Marine Inquiry last February recommending the Department of Justice to file criminal and other appropriate charges against Petron and owners of MT Solar 1 in connection with the Guimaras oil spill.

The leaking of 2.1 million litters of bunker fuel off Guimaras Strait last Aug. 11 was traceable to the overloading of MT Solar 1 and the incompetence of the crew headed by captain Norberto Aguro, who was later found out not be a competent licensed oil tanker master.

The Special Board of Marine Inquiry asserted that Petron and owners of MT Solar 1 violated several environmental laws including but not limited to the Clean Air Act of 1999, the Clean Water Act of 2004 and the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000.

The militant fisherfolk group had questioned and assailed the IOPCF reimbursement as a direct assault to the people’s quest for truth, justice and fair play. Pamalakaya reiterated that Petron and Sunshine Maritime Development Corp., owners of MT Solar 1 were responsible in the Guimaras oil spill tragedy last year.

Pamalakaya said the reimbursement of Petron’s claim for the costs of clean up was tantamount to absolving Petron for its crimes against the environment and humanity. The militant group said it was not happy with the basis provided by the IOPCF and the Shipowners Club in justifying the payment they made to the petroleum company.

“It is grossly insulting. We cannot accept flimsy excuses,” the group added. #

posted by: GerryCorpuz at 04:12 | link | comments |

P 125 million Japanese fertilizer grant to
Filipino farmers, promo blitz for JPEPA -- Pamalakaya

Critics of the controversial Japan-Philippines Economic Partnership Agreement (Jpepa) on Wednesday said the P 125 million fertilizer aid to the Philippines by the Japanese government is closely linked to Japan’s desire of the Philippine Senate approval of what it called Japan’s second invasion of the Philippines through the one-sided economic treaty.

In a press statement, the left-leaning fisherfolk alliance Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas (Pamalakaya) said the Japanese government is using the project as a propaganda to convince lawmakers to ratify Jpepa within the last quarter of the year.

“It is part of the promotional blitz for Jpepa. The Manila government is making a big issue out of this strings-attached deal to please the Senate as a ratifying body that the local economy would gain much from Jpepa and that Japan will flood the country with more economic aid once the controversial economic pact is ratified by the upper chamber of Congress,” Pamalakaya national chair Fernando Hicap said in a press statement.

“The Japanese government even timed the arrival and distribution of fertilizers in the last quarter of 2007 to convince senators that they are helping the Filipino farmers to improve their productivity, and that Jpepa is a giant step toward the full-speed ahead development of local agriculture,” Hicap added.

The Japanese Embassy in Manila yesterday said their government has completed a 15,607 metric-ton shipment of fertilizer worth Y 300 million yen or approximately P 125 million to the Philippine government for the latter’s underprivileged farmers under the 30-year old Grant Assistance for underprivileged farmers program.

The embassy said the final shipment of 5,000 metric tons of fertilizers arrived in the port of Iloilo last August 28. The fertilizers would be formally turned over to the Philippine government on September 6, also in Iloilo port.

The first shipment of 5,067 metric tons of fertilizers arrived in Seafront, Mariveles, Bataan last July 24. The embassy said it would be offered for bidding and distribution to poor farmers with two hectares and below of land in Nueva Ecija, Isabela and Cagayan provinces.

The second batch of 5,000 metric tons was unloaded last August 6 in Batangas port and will be opened for bidding and distribution to small farmers in the provinces of Mindoro Occidental, Mindoro Oriental and Camarines Sur. The last shipment will be apportioned to marginalized farmers in the provinces of Albay, Negros Occidental and Iloilo.

Pamalakaya’s Hicap said under Article 28 and Article 29, Section 3 of Jpepa, the Philippine government will allow Japanese fishing vessels to explore the country’s rich marine resources, including the Philippines exclusive economic zone (EZZ) which is exclusively reserved for the use of Filipinos.

The militant leader said Japanese factory ships will enter the country’s territorial waters to fish for tunas and other high-value fish crops across the country. Hicap said under Jpepa, Japan will be allowed to fish in marine waters where’s there is rich deposits of tuna like the Moro Gulf and Celebes Sea in Mindanao. He said the provision grossly violates the country’s national sovereignty and patrimony to the highest order.

“The Jpepa apologists in the Macapagal-Arroyo government said the country will gain from the exports of Philippine pineapples and mangoes by not less than 100 million US dollars in total profits from exports of these products. But they failed to account that Japanese tuna fishing corporations in return will earn not less than 200 million US dollars from exploiting our exclusive economic zone which is known for rich tuna deposits,” Pamalakaya said. #

posted by: GerryCorpuz at 04:11 | link | comments |

UN Human Rights Council, EU asked to look into alleged Dutch maltreatment of Joma Sison

The left-leaning fisherfolk alliance Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas (Pamalakaya) on Saturday appealed to the United Nations Human Rights Council (UN-HRC) and the European Union to look into alleged maltreatment and extreme torture practices exercised by Dutch authorities against Prof. Jose Maria Sison.

In a press statement, Pamalakaya national chair Fernando Hicap said allegations that the 68-year founder of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) was denied of his right to prescription medicine to his cell and contacts from immediate families, supporters and media is tantamount to extreme torture which is a crime against humanity under existing international covenants and protocols.

“Prof. Sison is the Chief Political Consultant of the National Democratic Front of the Philippines, a belligerent entity engaged in civil war and peace talks with the Government of the Republic of the Philippines. His existence as a human being is slowly but surely being erased by Dutch government with the application of such extreme pressure and torture antics,” Hicap said.

NDFP peace panel chair Luis Jalandoni on Saturday accused the Dutch government of maltreating Sison who was ordered by a Dutch court in The Hague to be detained for two weeks so prosecutors can investigate allegations he ordered the murder of two former top communist rebels- Arturo Tabara and Romulo Kintanar.

The NDFP leader said the kind of solitary confinement Sison is into was tantamount to torture and further accused the Dutch government of allowing itself to be used by the Macapagal-Arroyo government despite flimsy and recycled evidence supplied the Philippine government to pin down the communist leader on murder charges.

Pamalakaya’s Hicap said Sison was declared a political refugee by the Judicial Department of the Council of State, the highest administrative court in The Netherlands in 1992 and criticized the Dutch Ministry of Justice for using secret intelligence dossiers against Sison. In 1995, the Council of State reaffirmed the decision that the embattled Sison is a political refugee under Article 1-A of the Refugee Convention and that he is under the protection of Article 3 of the European Convention on Human Rights.

“The Council of State asserted there was no sufficient evidence against Sison for crimes that would exclude him from consideration as refugee. The highest administrative directed the Dutch Ministry of Justice to grant him legal admission as refugee and resident permit if there was no country to which he could transfer without violating the Refugee Convention and without putting him at risk of ill treatment prohibited by the Article 3 of the European Convention on Human Rights,” Hicap added.













Politically obliged

“Please allow us to remind the European Union and the UNHRC that the European Court of First Instance on July 11, 2007 annulled the decision of the Council of European Union placing Prof. Sison on the terrorist list and freezing of his financial assets. The legal victory was presided by the July 2, 2007 of the Supreme Court of the Philippines nullifying the omnibus charge of rebellion and supposed evidence against Sison from 1968 to 2006,” the Pamalakaya leader added.

“The European Union and the UNHRC are politically obliged to take the case of Sison and stop the Dutch government and their partners-in-crime in the Philippines and in White House from pursuing these acts of persecution and syndicated acts of terror in defense of human rights and civil liberties,” Pamalakaya said.

Pamalakaya lamented that Dutch government wasted its’ 12 years of support by hosting the peace talks between the NDFP and the GRP.

“From 1992 to 2004, the Dutch government was host to the NDFP-GRP peace talks. In fact 9 of the 17 major written agreements were signed by the negotiating panels of both parties in The Netherlands. But the peace negotiations is sabotaged with the arrest of Prof. Sison based on trumped-up charges,” the group said.

Pamalakaya said the written agreements in connection with the peace talks signed in The Netherlands were: The Joint Hague Declaration (Sept.1, 1992), The Breukelen Joint Statement (June 14, 1994), the Joint Agreement on Safety and Immunity Guarantees (Feb.24, 1995), the Joint Agreement on the Ground Rules of the Formal Meetings Between the GRP and the NDPF panels (Feb.26, 1995), the Agreement on Additional Implementing Rules Pertaining to the Documents of Identification (June 26, 1996), the Supplemental Agreement to the Joint Agreement on the Formation, Sequence and Operationalization of t

posted by: GerryCorpuz at 00:49 | link | comments |

Pamalakaya backs exclusion of Tubbataha from offshore mining

The militant fisherfolk alliance Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas (Pamalakaya) supported the appeal of officials of the world famous sea sanctuary Tubbataha Reefs Marine Park to the Department of Energy (DoE) to exclude over 15,000 hectares of its protected waters from oil and gas exploration.

“We support the legitimate and just position of Tubbataha reef marine park officials to exclude the marine heritage from any form of transnational takeover and exploitation. It is a protected marine seascape and part of the country’s national patrimony,” Pamalakaya national chair Fernando Hicap said in a press statement.

Angelique Songco, park manager, said the management board approved a resolution asking the DoE to resolve the overlapping boundaries of the Tubbataha reef and Service Contract 61 which is awarded to Burgundy Global Exploration Group. The country’s largest marine park, a pair of giant atolls which is rich marine resources is situated in the middle of Sulu Sea.

The Tubbataha reef park covering a total area of 96,828 hectares is located 92 nautical miles south of Puerto Princesa City in Palawan. Expanded as a protected marine area on August 23, 2006, the marine reef park was designated as a Unesco World Heritage Site.

“We cannot allow such day-to-day exploitation of Tubbataha reef. The government has allowed the fishing sprees of Chinese fishing corporations, raiding the marine park of its rich marine resources. Now, another corporate entity is given the license to kill the marine sanctuary in search for oil and gas deposits at the expense of our people’s environment and national patrimony. This is too much,” Pamalakaya’s Hicap added.

The militant group said they would also ask Congress and the DoE to exclude other protected seascapes across the country from oil and gas explorations.

Pamalakaya eyes the exclusion of Tañon Strait, another protected seascape separating the island provinces of Cebu and Negros, the Cebu Bohol Strait, another protected seascape separating the island provinces of Cebu and Bohol provinces and other protected marine areas in Antique, Palawan and Ragay Gulf, which was lined up by the national government and the DoE for gas and oil exploration.

The militant group said Japan Petroleum Exploration Co. Ltd. (Japex) and Forum Exploration Canada (Forum) are the foreign companies in charge of oil and gas exploration in Tañon Strait, while the Cebu-Bohol Strait group is composed the Trans-Asia and Energy Development, Alcorn Gold Resources Corporation, Petro Energy Corporation and the Australian-owned NorAsian Energy Ltd.

Pamalakaya said aside from Central Visayas, investors in offshore mining are now encroaching the waters of Antique in Panay Island, Palawan, Ragay Gulf in Bicol and other parts of Mindanao to confirm oil deposits.

The group said they would also campaign for the exclusion of other fishing grounds reportedly being tapped for oil and gas exploration like the Philippine-Malaysia joint exploration off the coast of Culasi town in Antique, 58 kilometers from Boracay Island, the three oil exploration in Northwest Palawan covered by service contract 54 (540,000 hectares), service contract 58 (1.3 million hectares) and service contract 63 (1.056 million hectares), and service contracts 50,52 and 55 also in Northwest Palawan.

Pamalakaya said they would also ask for the exclusion of Ragay Gulf from oil and gas exploration undertaken by the Scotland registered but Dutch owned Premier Oil is set to undertake an oil exploration off the coast of Ragay Gulf in Bicol region under service contract 43. The Dutch group will invest between $ 3.6 million and $ 9.6 million for oil exploration with support funding from partners---Pearl Energy of Singapore and the PNOC-EC.

Former Energy Secretary Rafael Lotilla said over 20 firms had eyed energy exploration contracts in the country, specifically in nine areas offered by DoE for petroleum exploration, with a aggregate total of 71,357.3 square kilometers in Cagayan province, in he Mindoro-Cuyo area, east Palawan, the Visayan basin, and the Agusan-Davao area in Mindanao.

“The shopping mall-like three-day sale propaganda of DoE is paying good dividends for the transnational clients of Malacañang and the bureaucrat capitalists in the Macapagal-Arroyo administration at the expense of the Filipino people and the environment,” Pamalakaya’s Hicap said.

The government is expecting to generate at least $ 180 million in fresh investments from opening the country’s oil potential waters to foreign investors, according to DoE undersecretary Guillermo Balce, adding that 9 service contracts are now being processed and would likely be awarded by next month.

The DoE said oil exploration sites will be declared in Quezon, Surigao del Norte, Agusan del Sur, Davao Oriental and Zamboanga Sibugay. “The government is inviting investors as if it is a huge realty corporation conducting regular open house. This is tragic, really tragic,” Pamalakaya said. #

posted by: GerryCorpuz at 00:47 | link | comments |

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