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Ateneo academic community urged to disown Secretary Yap over agri fund scams

The left-leaning fisherfolk alliance Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas (Pamalakaya) on Saturday urged members of the Ateneo academic community to disown Agriculture Secretary Arthur Yap over allegations that he played a key role in the alleged corruption of taxpayers' money that was supposed to fund the controversial Ginintuang
Masaganang Ani (GMA) program.

In a press statement, Pamalakaya national chair Fernando Hicap asked university officials, faculties, students, parents and members of the entire academic community, including Ateneo's reigning 71st UAAP basketball champion--the Blue Eagles to denounce Secretary Yap's role in the episodes of fund scams in his department and dropped him from the roster of Ateneo alumni.

"The call addressed to the Ateneo academic community is a legitimate call. We hope the Ateneo folks would see the rationale behind this appeal and go for another crown, this time not in the field of basketball but in the field of national interest and public trust," Hicap added.

According to Palace website, a lawyer by profession, Sec. Yap holds a Juris Doctor's degree at the School of Law of the Ateneo de Manila University. He was also a Dean's lister when he took up an A.B. Honors Degree in Management and Economics at the same university where he was fortunate to have had President Arroyo as his economics professor.

Sec. Yap was affiliated with the Yap, Jacinto, Jacob Law Office as Co-Founding Partner. He was also an associate lawyer of two more law firms namely: the Axucna, Yorac, Sarmiento, Arroyo & Chua Law Offices and the Balane, Barican, Cruz & Alampay Law Offices.

Earlier, Pamalakaya investigation dismissed as a sham an investigation called by Secretary Yap that would look into fund irregularities discovered by the Commission on Audit in connection with the implementation of government food security programs is a sham.

"By a nature and by design, Secretary Yap's Johnny Come Lately drama is nothing but a mechanism to stop COA and the public from the discovering more hybrid scams involving his department and the Office of the President," the group said.

"In the first place, Secretary Yap has no moral authority to conduct the investigation. He is part of this scam. We don't see any shade of legitimacy on his part to call for investigation. The Filipino people will not entertain this investigative masquerade," Hicap added.

Yap earlier ordered the suspension of the distribution of DA funds to private beneficiaries that include non-government organizations and people's organizations pending his department's investigation into the irregularities raised by COA.

Yap issued Special Order putting on hold further releases of government funds to NGOs and POs that have partnered with local government units (LGUs) in the implementation of various projects meant to ensure food security or sufficiency in the long haul.

Yap gave the nine-member audit committee investigating the COA-alleged discrepancies until Friday (September 26) to come up with its report, adding that the DA will announce the findings of this panel on Wednesday (Oct. 1), or 10 days after he had ordered such an investigation.

"Yap's intention is to scrap any paper trail that would link him and the Office of the President on these fund scams discovered by COA. And this is the ultimate purpose of this bogus probe," Pamalakaya said.

According to Pamalakaya, it is impossible the Office of the President and Secretary Yap were not aware of these highly questionable transactions and disbursements of DA funds.

The militant group said Malacañang and DA were well informed about the P 218.7 million irregularities in the Ginintuang Masaganang Ani (GMA) seed fund for hybrid rice production, the P 135 million vegetable scam and the P 444 million in total donations awarded to 16 fly-by-night organizations.

"Malacañang and DA are always in the state of denial. That's the trademark of this administration, so these fund scams at Yap's department are nothing few to the taxpaying people and the Filipino public in general," Pamalakaya said.

Pamalakaya said an independent investigation should be conducted, and that the probe conducted by Secretary Yap's committee should be declared bogus, immoral and self-serving.

"We want the truth to come out. Not the truth in accordance with the corrupt people in Malacañang and the DA. Yap's department if not the center, is one of the centers of corruption in the Macapagal-Arroyo government so it has zero credibility," the militant group added. #

posted by: GerryCorpuz at 03:20 | link | comments |
corruption

Pamalakaya dares Senator Bong Revilla: “Stop father’s Sangley dream”

The left-leaning fisherfolk alliance Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas (Pamalakaya) on Thursday dared administration senator Ramon “Bong” Revillar Jr. to convince his father former Senator and concurrent chair of the Philippine Reclamation Authority (PRA) Ramon Revilla Sr. to stop the reclamation of coastal areas along Manila Bay to give way to the development of Sangley Point as an international logistics hub in Southern Tagalog region.

“We cannot stop this aging and has-been actor-politician from dreaming. He can even dream of a White Christmas in the country, but please not at the expense of small fisherfolk, the poor people and the fragile environment of Manila Bay,” Pamalakaya national chair Fernando Hicap said in a press statement.

The senior Revilla had spoke about his dream to develop the Sangley Point in Cavite City as international logistics hub where casinos, hospitals, call centers and recreational centers would be constructed. But before construction of these structures, the PRA has first to reclaim coastal areas in Manila Bay, particularly in the coastal towns of Bacoor, Tanza, Noveleta, Kawit and Cavite City.

“Senator Bong Revilla, as chair of the Senate Committee on Public Works and Highways must listen to the voice of the fisherfolk and the people in general who are affected by this across-the-bay reclamation project of his father to pave way for the transformation of Sangley Point into an international port harbor in the tradition of Hong Kong and Singapore,” Hicap said.

The Pamalakaya leader said the reclamation activities of the PRA will displace not less than 26,000 fishing families along the bay from Bacoor to Cavite City. Hicap said the reclamation will also fast track the “death of Manila Bay” as a major fishing ground in the country.

“Senator Bong Revilla was elected by the people to serve them and he was not elected to serve his father nor the ruling political mafia in Malacañang. He must prove to us that he is a public servant and not willing slave of the old Revilla and President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo,” Hicap added.

Pamalakaya said as chairman of the powerful Senate Committee on Public Works and Highways, Senator Revilla can intervene in favor of the collective interest of the people in Cavite. But the militant group noted that Revilla is not doing his assignment to defend the people’s interest against the anti-people development projects of his father and President Arroyo.

The old Revilla, a strong ally of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo said the P 200-billion Sangley Point Development Project can lead to various business establishments, and if completed could rival other major international ports in Asia like that in Singapore and Hong Kong and could generate jobs to people of Cavite.

“That’s the biggest pipe dream of a lifetime. The ambitious plans directed by his main benefactor in Malacañang in conspiracy with the business clients of the Macapagal-Arroyo administration to make Cavite as the bastion of bogus industrial and commercial development will practically wipe out, if not place all the people of the province and the Manila Bay environment under the Intensive Care Unit,” Pamalakaya said.

“Please allow us to state the fact that the reclamation of Manila Bay waters did not only pave way for demolition of fishing communities and destruction of livelihood, it also facilitated and enhanced the growth marine cancer in the bay,” Pamalakaya said referring to the 2,000 hectare reclamation project the PRA has envisioned to make Sangley Point a major international seaport and container terminal in Asia.

The ex-senator said the reclamation project is 40 percent completed. If it is finished, it would be able to host additional export processing zones, industrial, commercial, military and tourism facilities. He said the Sangley Point conversion project was a birthday gift to him by President Arroyo.

“What a gift. He is one of the luckiest guys in town having received that P 200-billion project from the most corrupt President his country has ever had,” Pamalakaya said.

Pamalakaya said close to 3 million coastal people in Metro Manila and Cavite are still dependent to fishing as principal source of livelihood, and any move to transform or convert Manila Bay for other purposes like the $15-billion casino project, the Cavite Phase II Coastal Road project and the Sangley Point Development Project will have a killing impact on the livelihood of small fishermen, aside from the fact that they would be demolished from their communities, once construction of support structures and establishments begins.

“From 1992 to 1995, the demolitions of coastal shanties became an everyday ordeal in Pasay Reclamation area. Houses were uprooted on almost day-to-day basis. Small and big time bribery to divide the communities were conducted to facilitate the demolition of coastal communities.

The setting up of casino and resorts, including SM’s Mall of Asia was all in the master plan of the government known as Manila Bay Master Development Plan that officially started during the time of President Ramos and projected to end between 2020 and 2025.

The Pamalakaya leader recalled that 3,500 small fisherfolk in Pasay Reclamation Area and another 3,000 coastal and urban poor families along the coastal shores of Parañaque were evicted by the government of former President Ramos to pave way for the construction of the proposed casino that would make the Philippines the Las Vegas of Asia. #

posted by: GerryCorpuz at 03:19 | link | comments |
manila bay

Exchange of notes on Jpepa deal will not hold water, foes tell Miriam

An anti-Jpepa (Japan-Philippine Economic Partnership Agreement) group on Wednesday said side the exchange of notes between the Philippines and the Japanese government in connection with the controversial bilateral pact will not hold water, dismissing it further as nothing but tin cup diplomacy meant to pacify and assure Japanese economic giants that the agreement will be ratified by the Senate in its’ entirety.

“That exchange of notes between Secretary Alberto Romulo and his counterpart Japanese Foreign Minister Masahiko Koumura is nothing but a ceremonial toast that will signal the sale of Philippine patrimony to Japanese clients of Malacañang under the one-sided and exploitative agreement,” the rabid anti-Jpepa group Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas (Pamalakaya), a fisherfolk alliance said in a press statement.

‘It is not a guarantee that the country’s patrimony and sovereignty, including the economic, social and cultural rights of the people will be protected by this safety net like exchange of notes. Japan, as an imperial power will not become the world’s second largest economy without exploiting weaker economies. The most politically correct way of addressing Jpepa is to kill the agreement, period, period, period ,” the group said.

“The pro-Jpepa politicians in the executive branch and in the Senate should check their world and Philippine histories and study Japan’s past, present and future economic, political and military colonialization and re-colonialization plans,” Pamalakaya national chair Fernando Hicap said in a press statement.

Administration and pro-Jpepa senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago on Tuesday said with the exchange of notes between Romulo and Koumura intended to remove constitutional issues, she is almost certain of the Senate ratification of the long-delayed RP-Japan economic agreement.

Sen. Santiago said the exchange of notes is the assurance that Jpepa will not violate or require amendments to the 1987 Constitution, including the 21-year old charter’s nationalist provisions governing ownership of lands of public domain and exploration, development and utilization of all waters, minerals, coal, petroleum oils, all sources of potential energy, fisheries, forests or timber, wildlife, flora and fauna and other natural resources.



The exchange of notes signed by Romulo on August 22 and Koumura on August 28 states that both countries agree that Jpepa and everything undertaken under it should be in accordance with the constitutions of the Philippines and Japan and that nothing under the pact should require amending any of the parties’ charters.

Santiago said in the case of the Philippines, the exchange of notes include provisions that guarantee the right to health of the people, protection of local enterprises against unfair foreign competition and trade practices.

Pamalakaya said the fishing aspect of Jpepa is meant for the benefit and survival of Japan’s commercial fishing to the detriment of Filipino tuna producers.

“With the increase in the supply of tuna produced by Japanese factory ships and their shipment to Japan and other countries, the local tuna producers and small tuna fishermen would be at their mercy by way of depressed prices, or worst when tuna stocks in Philippine EEZ are depleted it could lead to supply constraints and closure of local tuna producers’ processing plants and the massacre of jobs and source of livelihood of 180,000 tuna fishermen and fish workers,” the group said.

Pamalakaya said Japan is known to consume 630,000 tons of tuna per year or 11 pounds of tuna per person. With the current shrinking catch in Japan seas and in the Atlantic areas, Japanese tuna groups are targeting the Philippines as its’ one of the major sources of tuna in Southeast Asia, particularly the country’s fishing areas with confirmed rich tuna deposits like the Moro Gulf and Celebes Sea in Mindanao and other tuna potential areas across the Philippine archipelago.

Japan was once a leading tuna producer in Asia and in the world, but was overtaken by Taiwan in recent years. The other tuna producers are the Philippines, Thailand, Indonesia, South Korea and China. Japan is now reviving its interest in tuna, because of the scarcity of supply and high demand for tuna which is equivalent to lucrative business and promise of huge return on Japanese investments.

Based on the study conducted by Pamalakaya, a 3,000 single-ton Japanese factory ship, accompanied by support fishing fleets can generate 150 metric tons of tuna on a 24-hour operation basis. By industry standard, a single factory ship could harvest 50,000 metric tons of tuna per year.

“The gains the Philippine government would derive like in the form of taxes and profit sharing would be minimal compared to what Japan will get from Jpepa as far as the fishing aspect of the agreement is concerned,” the group added.

The current tuna stocks in Philippine EEZ should serve as its reserve stocks that can be exploited by local tuna producers and fishermen in nearest future time when prices of tuna would be much higher. #

posted by: GerryCorpuz at 10:36 | link | comments |
economic slavery

A day after higher ups defy Manila RTC judge’s transfer order of detained KMP leader
National Security Council wants Echanis case tried before Malacañang court, says leftwing group

“The National Security Council wants the trial of the fabricated case against Randall Echanis to be tried by a shadowy Malacañang court with President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo sitting as Chief State Prosecutor, Chief Judge and Chief Executor ,” the left-leaning fisherfolk alliance Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas (Pamalakaya) said in a press statement, a day after the Philippine National Police (PNP) Custodial Center defied the transfer order of Manila regional trial court sending back the detained peasant leader to Camp Crame.

“The higher ups in Malacañang composed of President Arroyo, Justice secretary Raul Gonzalez, National Security Adviser Norberto Gonzalez, Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita and their lapdogs in the PNP, the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Inter-Agency Legal Action Group want to stress that they are above the law and they can defy any court order at any given time and situation,” said Pamalakaya national chair Fernando Hicap.

The Pamalakaya leader agreed with the observation raised by Echanis legal counsel Atty. Jobert Pahilga that higher ups in Malacañang is treating the 60-year old deputy secretary general of the activist peasant group Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP) as a special project for political persecution.

“Mrs. Arroyo and his company of hooligans who are obsessed with the doctrine of national security and political survival are moving heaven and earth to keep Echanis behind bars and subject the KMP leader to round-the-clock inhuman condition inside the Manila City Jail,” Hicap said.

Pamalakaya’s Hicap said he received text messages from Atty. Pahilga saying that Echanis was barred from entering the PNP Custodial Center upon the advice of the justice department. He said a certain Col. Degracia, Chief of Staff of Gen. Bacalso of the PNP headquarters Service and Support Group and a certain Col. Magsio prevented Echanis from entering the PNP custodial center upon the order of higher ups as relayed by DoJ Secretary Gonzalez.

“The DoJ secretary is a shameless political animal who will do anything, everything to keep Echanis in the detention center of an evil and repressive regime. Secretary Gonzalez is the no.1 puppet of the puppeteers composing the National Security Council in Malacañang. This aging and has-been politician has no sense of justice and objectivity,” Pamalakaya added.

The government prosecutors maintained that the PNP Custodial Center is merely temporary detention center and not a regular jail as contemplated by the Rule 113 Section 3 of the Rule of court.

State prosecutors Ong, Canlapan and Santiago said Echanis wish to impress the Manila Regional Trial Court Branch 32, which is handling the case, that the KMP leader is an activist and political detainee, Echanis being a member of the National Democratic Front of the Philippines Reciprocal Working Committee, and fully protected under the Joint Agreement on Safety and Immunity Guarantees (JASIG) must be given preferential treatment.

The government prosecutors said they beg to disagree because the KMP leader is charged for multiple murders which are common crime. They said Echanis must be prosecuted and detained like any other ordinary and common criminal. The prosecutors also asserted that it is beyond the power and authority of the Manila RTC to grant transfer of an accused by reason of a jail’s condition that is not conducive to the detainee.

In a three-page order penned by Manila RTC Branch 32 Judge Thelma Medina, the court noted a medical certificate dated August 8 showing that the 60-year-old Echanis was afflicted with hypercholesterolemia and Bell's palsy.

Echanis was among the leftist leaders who are facing multiple murder charges for allegedly ordering the execution of 30 colleagues in 1985 as part of the supposed purging within the communist movement.

Charged along with Echanis were Jose Maria Sison, founder of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP); Luis Jalandoni of the National Democratic Front (NDF); and Bayan Muna Rep. Satur Ocampo.

In reconsidering her earlier decision, Medina also noted that the Supreme Court has yet to resolve whether Echanis’ rebellion charge at the Makati regional trial court absorbs his multiple-murder charge pending in her sala. The Manila RTC judge also rejected the prosecution's argument that Echanis was charged for a common crime and should be prosecuted and detained “like any other ordinary and common criminal.”

In her decision, Judge Medina also noted that the SC allowed the provisional Echanis’ co-accused, Ocampo, by letting him post a P100,000 cash bond pending the resolution of the case.#

posted by: GerryCorpuz at 10:35 | link | comments |
human rights

Pamalakaya says pull out of P 18.25 NFA rice meant to force cash-strapped Pinoys to buy commercial rice

Leftwing militants belonging to the fisherfolk federation Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas (Pamalakaya) on Wednesday said the pull out of government subsidized rice from the local market is meant to compel cash-strapped Filipinos to buy commercial rice in the market.

“Secretary Yap wants cash-strapped Pinoys to buy their rice from the rice cartel clients of Malacañang and not from the NFA. It is a subtle way of economic coercion, where millions of poor Filipinos are forced by the state to accept their mercy in the hands of the profit-starved rice syndicate,” Pamalakaya national chair Fernando Hicap said in a press statement.

“What kind of thinking is that? For Secretary Yap’s information, government data show that 80 percent of the nearly 90 million total population are poor and they live below the poverty threshold. So we have around 72 million people living in the deepest quagmire of poverty and extreme hunger,” Hicap added.

Social Welfare Secretary Esperanza Cabral announced on Monday NFA rice being sold at P18.25/kilogram will be made available only in rolling stores and “Tindahan Natin" and “Bigasan sa Parokya" outlets.

Pamalakaya lamented that out of 72 million poor Filipinos, only the 280,000 families would be able to buy the NFA rice courtesy of access cards that they will show everytime they buy government-subsidized rice.

“Secretary Yap is not doing his homework to comprehensively address the rice crisis. For him and for his President in Malacañang, the problem of rice crisis is simply addressed through charity work. This is outrageous,” the militant group said referring to the rice cards issued by the government.

The cards will have barcodes to discourage duplication. A report said over 700,000 families were submitted for consideration by local government units but were narrowed down to 280,000 by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) based on the recommendations of its field workers, who conducted ocular inspections and looked into the monthly incomes of the applicants.

“If that is the case, so where will the 71,720,000 poor Filipinos would get their rice? Definitely from the rice cartel and from government rice imports which are pegged at P 35 per kilo, P 40 per kilo, P 45 per kilo and P 50 per kilo,” Pamalakaya added.

Secretary Yap yesterday appealed to the Filipino public for understanding over the limited sale of government-subsidized rice, saying the government wants to ensure it is only available to the poorest.

The agriculture chief said the government has spent P 12 billion so far to subsidize rice from the NFA and could spend as much as P 25- billion at the end of 2008. Secretary Yap clarified that the pull out of government subsidized rice from the market does not mean there is a problem in the rice supply.

Yap said the agriculture department is not withdrawing the NFA rice from the market, and what it is doing is ensure that poor families with access cards provided by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) could buy the limited supply of the government subsidized rice. #

posted by: GerryCorpuz at 10:34 | link | comments |
economic slavery

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