#afp-pnp

Since 2021, such attacks have been documented by human rights groups, who stressed that these put marginalized communities in danger. As such, Karapatan said these incidents constitute a clear violation of international humanitarian law (IHL).

From 2021 to 2024, Karapatan documented 9,163 individuals or about 1,953 families who were affected by aerial bombing and indiscriminate strafing in the province of Cagayan. Human rights groups attribute these attacks to the Philippine Air Force.

During this time, a total of 17 incidents were recorded in Cagayan: 11 bombings and strafing, 2 bombardment, and 4 strafing attacks. Six occurred under the Duterte administration while 11 happened during the Marcos Jr. administration. This is part of the 13 regions in the Philippines subjected to aerial bombings where Karapatan documented 378,203 victims.

“One of the emblematic cases under the Duterte administration was the bombing of Marawi City, when the President declared martial law in Mindanao on May 23, 2017 that lasted until December 31, 2019.“ said Karapatan Secretary General Cristina Palabay.

In the first year of Marcos Jr., there were 6,931 victims of bombings documented as part of the government’s counterinsurgency campaign, Karapatan said.

In May, an international people’s tribunal issued a guilty verdict to Marcos Jr. and the US government for violating the international humanitarian law.

In the initial verdict furnished to the media, the five-member jurors of the [International Peoples Tribunal or] IPT revisited the US government’s role in the counterinsurgency program that allowed such war crimes to happen, saying that the “heavy bombardment and forced displacement of communities, and the killing of civilians and hors de combat of state forces would not have been possible without the direction, arms, and training provided by the US government.

Environmental defender Rowena Dasig has gone missing after a court dismissed the trumped-up charges against her.

Dasig, who was reportedly freed from the Lucena City District Jail (LCDJ) on August 22, has not been seen or heard from since her supposed release, leaving her family, legal team, and human rights advocates concerned for her safety.

Dasig was arrested alongside community health worker Miguela Peniero on July 12, 2023, by elements of the 85th Infantry Battalion, Philippine Army (IBPA).

The human rights group [Karapatan Southern Tagalog] recounted how their humanitarian team, along with the Free Owen & Ella Network, had been coordinating with LCDJ since August 21 to process Dasig’s release papers. Despite their efforts, they were met with what they called as “delaying tactics” from jail officials. The group said they were given the runaround by various offices without providing clear information.

According to LCDJ paralegal Almira Alfuerta, Dasig was allegedly picked up by her family—a claim immediately refuted by her relatives, who confirmed they had no knowledge of her whereabouts.

The disappearance of Dasig has heightened fears for her safety, especially given the long history of human rights abuses against political prisoners in the Philippines.

During her more than a year in detention, Dasig endured harassment and isolation, with her paralegals deprived from visiting and herself denied participation in activities with other persons deprived of liberty (PDLs).

PAMALAKAYA on Facebook:

ALERT!

Denounce the series of harassment against elderly fisherfolk leader Ka Romy Antazo.

Antazo, 80 years old, is former Secretary General of PAMALAKAYA and now a retired fisherman in Laguna de Bay.

During his active years in PAMALAKAYA, he was at the forefront of the fisherfolk’s campaign for the conservation of Laguna de Bay against profit-driven and destructive projects, including coastal conversion, reclamation, and proliferation of corporate-owned fish pens.

The veteran fisherfolk leader has been repeatedly approached by state agents and offered him livelihood support and assistance in exchange for his “cooperation”.

It has been presumed that the said “cooperation” equates that Antazo will be presented by the authorities as a “rebel returnee” to turn against and establish the red-tagging of progressive and mass-based organizations.

[...]

We are extremely alarmed over these incidents, as these could subject Antazo to further and worse kinds of attacks because of his firm stand against the authorities’ demands.

Moreover, the consistent effort to coerce Antazo to cooperate with the authorities is part of the Marcos Jr. administration’s tactics in counterinsurgency campaign, which blatantly violates the rights of civilians to freedom of expression and association.

We call on the human rights and environmental defenders, fisherfolk advocates, and champions of democracy, to denounce the government’s anti-democratic schemes that put our leaders and members at risk of exploitation and injustice.

AlterMidya on Twitter @altermidya:

LOOK: Filipino fisherfolks and environmental groups protest in front of the Netherlands embassy in Makati City today, March 22, to demand justice for what they call "grave corporate abuse" by Dutch dredging company Boskalis Westminster NV.

According to Kalikasan - People's Network for the Environment, the Dutch company is involved in several reclamation projects in the country such as the San Miguel Corporation's New Manila International Airport (NMIA) in Bulacan.

NMIA is considered by Boskalis as their "largest project in history."

“Boskalis is profiting from a project that bypassed environmental and social scrutiny, ignored warnings from impact assessments, and, worst, used military intimidation to coerce ‘consent’ from affected communities," said anti-reclamation activist Jhed Tamano.

The groups also seek accountability from the Dutch export credit agency Atradius Dutch State Business for supporting the construction of NMIA by providing export credit insurance valued at EUR 1.5 billion.

"We urge the Netherlands government to investigate corporate abuses by Dutch companies and -- until these abuses are thoroughly investigated -- to pressure the Philippine government to halt the airport project,” said Jonila Castro of Kalikasan.

Meanwhile, environmental advocates also protest in Papendrecht, Netherlands, where the Boskalis Westminster NV headquarters is located.

Photos by John Carlo Magallon

Located 62km north-east of the capital Manila, Daraitan village in Rizal province is home to about 5,700 residents, a majority of whom are members of the Dumagat-Remontado indigenous people who consider vast hectares of the mountain range as part of their ancestral domain.

But the village may soon disappear under the same waters that give it life, once the Philippine government finishes building the Kaliwa Dam – one of 16 flagship infrastructure projects of former president Rodrigo Duterte that is being funded by China.

The new dam is expected to provide Metro Manila with an additional 600 million litres of water daily once it is finished by end-2026. Officials said building the 60m-high reservoir is even more necessary now that the country is starting to feel the impact of the El Nino weather phenomenon.

But it was only in 2021 under Mr Duterte that construction finally broke ground, three years after Manila and Beijing signed the 12 billion peso (S$288 million) loan agreement.

Of the 119 on the list [of flagship projects of the "Build, Build, Build” infrastructure programme], Mr Duterte turned to China to finance 16 big-ticket projects in a bid to cement his legacy by the time his presidency ended in 2022. He embraced Beijing during his term and even downplayed Manila’s claims in the disputed South China Sea in favour of securing loans and grants from China.

Analysts have criticised Mr Duterte’s infrastructure programme as ambitious. Perennial domestic issues like local politics, right-of-way acquisition problems, lack of technology and red tape in bureaucracy led to severe delays in the projects.

The same issues hound the China-funded projects – which come under Beijing’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) to build infrastructure in developing nations – with the problems made more severe by Beijing’s high interest rates in its loan agreements and local backlash due to displacement of residents or potential environmental damage.

Critics say the BRI has been detrimental in the long run to some recipient countries, especially those that have been unable to repay their loans, like Sri Lanka and Zambia.

The Duterte government’s failure to take advantage of its BRI loans was a “missed opportunity” for the Philippines, said infrastructure governance specialist Jerik Cruz, a graduate research fellow at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

The four completed China-funded projects under Mr Duterte were controversial too. But they came to fruition because they had the support of local politicians allied with Mr Duterte and therefore increased his political capital, said Dr Camba.

Tribal leaders said they were not properly consulted regarding the project that threatens their traditional way of life. Environmentalists from the Stop Kaliwa Dam Network also say the project would destroy 126 species of flora and fauna in the Sierra Madre.

The Philippines’ Indigenous Peoples’ Rights Act states that the government must first secure a tribe’s free, prior and informed consent before building on its ancestral lands.

But Ms Clara Dullas, one of the leaders of the Dumagat-Remontado in Rizal, alleged that the Duterte government had either misinformed or pressured other tribe members into giving their consent.

She could not bear to hold grudges, though, noting that the Dumagat-Remontado organisations that eventually agreed to the Kaliwa Dam were each given 80 million pesos, or $1.9 million, in “disturbance” fees.

“The Kaliwa Dam is the reason why our tribe is divided now. There is a crack in our relationships even if we all come from the same family,” said Ms Dullas. “I can’t blame the others because we lack money. I believe there was bribery involved.”

The government requires them to present identification documents, and only those given passes may enter. Mr Dizon said this is to ensure that no unidentified personnel enter the area [close to the construction zone].

“We feel like we are foreigners in our own home because the Chinese and the people in our own government are now preventing us from entering the lands where we grew up,” said tribe leader Renato Ibanez, 48.

Mr Ibanez also accuses the Philippine authorities of harassing tribe members who are vocal against Kaliwa Dam. Some of them have been accused of working with communist rebels, a charge the tribe vehemently denies.

Unlike his predecessor, Mr Marcos is more aggressive in defending Manila’s overlapping claims with Beijing in the South China Sea, but still fosters economic ties with it.

Geopolitical tensions between the two nations and Mr Marcos’ stance towards Beijing are going to dictate the fate of the pending China-funded projects the President inherited from Mr Duterte, said Mr Cruz.

Tribe members said they would be more amenable if Mr Marcos would revisit Japan’s proposed Kaliwa Intake Weir project that Mr Duterte had set aside.

“We like Japan’s proposal. It would not destroy our forests. It would not affect residents here. The Philippines would not be buried in debt,” said Ms Dullas.

This was among the alternatives the Dumagat-Remontados offered during their nine-day march in February 2023, when some 300 members walked 150km from Quezon and Rizal all the way to Manila to protest against the Kaliwa Dam.

But they failed to secure an audience with Mr Marcos. They remain wary of the President’s position on the Kaliwa Dam and other controversial China-funded deals.

“As much as we want to fully pin our hopes on him, we don’t. We’ve learnt from past efforts to trick us, make us believe a project is about to end, only for it to be resurrected again years later,” said Ms Dullas.

This comes as President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. reportedly told senators to "expedite" the measure, according to Senate Majority Floor Leader Francis Tolentino in an interview.

Senate Bill No. 2034, which proposes to make ROTC mandatory for tertiary students and vocational institutions, is pending on second reading.

The House of Representatives passed its version, which requires students to join either ROTC or the civilian National Service Reserve Corps — on third and final reading in December 2022.

The NSRC is meant to be deployed during disasters and similar emergencies or during "armed conflict to perform non-combat duties and render services as the President or the appropriate local sanggunian may deem necessary."

[ACT-Philippines Chairperson Vladimer Quetua] said the group opposes what he called a "blatant attempt to use our youth as pawns in geopolitical conflicts”, saying the ROTC would make young Filipinos “cannon fodder for the rising threat of war in the region.”

"We have not forgotten the likes of Mark Welson Chua and other victims of ROTC-related violence. Reviving this program risks exposing more of our youth to similar dangers," Quetua said.

UP Diliman University Student Council on Twitter @USCUPDiliman:

RELEASE MAYO UNO 6!

Nananawagan ang UP Diliman University Student Council sa agaran at ligtas na pagpapalaya sa anim na kabataang aktibistang marahas at illegal na inaresto kahapon sa Araw ng mga Manggagawa. Tatlo sa nahuli ay mga mag-aaral ng UP Diliman.

[The UPD Student Council calls for the swift and safe release of the 6 youth activists who were violently and illegally arrested yesterday on Labor Day. 3 of those arrested were UPD students.]

Hanggang ngayon ay naka-detain pa rin sila sa Manila Police at sinampahan ng mga gawa-gawang kaso.

[Until now, they are being detained at the Manila Police and are being hit with trumped-up charges.]

Maaaring magpadala ng tulong sa mga sumusunod na donation channels para sa mga legal at iba pang pangangailangan ng Mayo Uno 6:

[The following channels may be used to assist with the legal fees and other needs of the Mayo Uno 6:]

Gcash (Kate A.) 09955184958

Land Bank (John Venedict Cabrera) 0597210388

In-kind: toiletries, food, clothing

Contact: Nicole Antonio 09682924624

Ang marahas na pakikitungo ng kapulisan sa mga mapayapang nagpopropesta ay patunay sa pagkiling ng estado sa imperyalistang US!

[The violent treatment peaceful protesters faced at the hands of the police is proof of the state's bias towards the imperialist US]

Walang mali na manindigan para sa karapatan ng mamamayang Pilipino!

[There is nothing wrong with fighting for the rights of the Filipino people]

#ReleaseMayoUno6

NUPL Cebu Chapter on Twitter @nupl_cebu:

Press Release

Feb 25, 2024

The NUPL Cebu Chapter expresses its strongest condemnation over the killings of Hannah Jay Cesista and four other individuals, namely Domingo Compoc, Perlito Historia, Marlon Omosura, and Alberto Sancho in Bilar, Bohol, collectively known as Bilar 5.

An Iskolar ng Bayan, Hannah earned her Political Science degree from the UP Cebu. As a college student, she joined various organizations aligned with her principles and beliefs - Youth For Christ UP Cebu Chapter, Cebu Students for Justice and Peace, & Kabataan Partylist UP Cebu.

She then enrolled in the University of San Carlos (USC) to pursue a law degree. During her law school days, Hannah volunteered at NUPL Cebu and was instrumental in forming the law students’ arm of the Cebu Chapter.

NUPL Cebu members can attest to Hannah’s unwavering dedication and active involvement in the chapter’s activities in providing legal services to marginalized communities.

She was always the first person to volunteer when lawyers needed assistance in the countless legal work of the organization. She joined community visits for paralegal trainings & discussions on human rights despite the demands of law school. Hannah also passed the 2022 Bar Exams.

Numerous reports have circulated concerning an alleged “encounter” between the New People’s Army (NPA) and Philippine National Police (PNP) at Sitio Matin-ao 2, Barangay Campagao, Bilar, Bohol last February 23, 2024, Friday.

Contrary to law enforcement’s claims, initial reports received by NUPL Cebu show significant discrepancies and expose their possible commission of International Humanitarian Law (IHL) violations.

Several accounts support that no encounter has transpired. Instead, the five individuals were ordered to vacate the house where they were staying. The four men were forced to strip off their shirts. Along with Cesista, they were forced to roll in the mud.

The witnesses narrated that they were pleading with state forces to stop their inhumane acts but to no avail.

Killing Hannah and her companions is one of the many state-sanctioned efforts to harm activists, human rights workers, and dissenters- as part of their futile attempt to conceal the harsh realities of poverty and inequality in this country.

NUPL Cebu expresses its deepest condolences to the family and friends of Hannah. We call on the Philippine government to conduct a prompt and impartial investigation and to hold accountable the perpetrators responsible for the deaths of Bilar 5. Hustisya alang sa Bilar 5!

Long live Hannah Cesista! Long live Domingo Compoc! Long live Parlito Historia! Long live Marlon Omosura! Long live Alberto Sancho! Resume Peace Talks!