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OFWs to hold protest camp in Mendiola on day of execution of Filipino in China

Monday, December 5, 2011

OFWs to hold protest camp in Mendiola on day of execution of Filipino in China


“We can’t stand idly by and allow another OFW to be executed because the Philippine government failed to exert all diplomatic means to save him. We call on all Filipinos to come together and call for the commutation of our kababayan’s sentence in China.” – Migrante International
By INA ALLECO R. SILVERIO
Bulatlat.com

MANILA — The global alliance of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) Migrante International today slammed “government neglect” regarding the case of a 35-year-old Filipino who is reportedly scheduled for execution in China on December 8. The group plans to hold a protest camp-out in Mendiola on the said day to highlight what it said as the Aquino administration’s shameful lack of support for OFWs.

The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) recently announced that the High People’s Court of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region had convicted the Filipino of smuggling 1.495 kilos of heroin into China.
The man’s family instructed the DFA not to release to the public his name and where he lives in the Philippines.

DFA reports state that this is the last death penalty conviction without reprieve on drug trafficking in China’s highest court. Six Filipinos had previously received the death penalty conviction without reprieve. Three cases were affirmed by China’s highest court: Ramon Credo, Sally Ordinario-Villanueva and Elizabeth Batain, while those of the other two were lowered to death penalty with two-year reprieve.


Migrante International lights candles in a protest action in Boys Scout Circle for the OFW in deathrow in China(Photo by Janess Ann J. Ellao / bulatlat.com)
Migrante International chairman Garry Martinez said the administration of Benigno Aquino III has not been transparent in its processes of providing assistance and negotiations with the Chinese government.

“In the cases concerning Filipinos on China death row, we have brought them to the attention of the government as early as February last year, way before the execution of our three kababayans there last March. Now the Aquino government is falling all over itself supposedly trying to help. The countdown to the execution has begun, but its stepping up its efforts only now,” he said.

The labor leader called on the Aquino government to exert all possible means to save the life of the Filipino on death row. “We can’t stand idly by and allow another OFW to be executed because the Philippine government failed to exert all diplomatic means to save him. We call on all Filipinos to come together and call for the commutation of our kababayan’s sentence in China.”.... MORE

SourceBulatlat.com

URL: http://bulatlat.com/main/2011/12/05/ofws-to-hold-protest-camp-in-mendiola-on-day-of-execution-of-filipino-in-china/

An ‘Angie Reyes redux?’ DIE HARD III Herman Tiu Laurel 12/05/2011

An ‘Angie Reyes redux?’

DIE HARD III
Herman Tiu Laurel
12/05/2011
The only moment my interest in the ongoing drama between Gloria Arroyo and the Yellow government perked up was when the former’s mouthpiece, Elena Bautista-Horn, broached the idea of a “Put the Little Girl to Sleep” plot brewing — hence, the PeNoy government’s obsession to put the “little girl” in a government hospital where it could be carried out.

At first, I reacted to it as I would to any joke; but on second thought I realized that there are many, many parties who would like to permanently bury their fears of whatever beans GMA may someday spill about them. For starters, there’s a host of oligarchs that used her government to obtain their behest loans and sweetheart deals that were all injurious to the people. There are still more military and police generals, who raked in billions under her watch, dreading the prospect of being exposed. Then, there are the geopolitical twists, which the US fears Gloria can fiddle with to save her hide.

That last notion gained provenance when I saw on the History Channel the feature on the “Ampatuan Massacre” and the manner in which the American producers portrayed Arroyo and stressed her closeness to the Ampatuans. To most Filipinos, this is an obvious fact; but to an analyst of US full spectrum propaganda and cultural warfare like me, this is a significant half-truth.

True, Arroyo depended on the Ampatuans for election engineering, but so did PeNoy’s mother, Corazon Aquino, who was the one who raised the Ampatuans from small-time provincial warlords to full-fledged major ARMM (Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao) players as a counterfoil to the Muslim politicians of the Marcos era.

We also know from Yellow sources that PeNoy was, in fact, scheduled to visit the Ampatuans for his 2007 senatorial bid just before the massacre took place, and only then — like every other politician who used to beeline to the clan for their vote additions — did he avoid the Ampatuans like the plague.

The bias of US political strategists for the Aquinos and (currently) against Arroyo was evident in the WikiLeaks-obtained e-mails of the US Embassy in Manila to its home office. There, it was shown that the 2005 Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) decision on the distribution of Hacienda Luisita land to its farmers was followed with concern. The embassy also interpreted that order as Gloria’s way of getting back at Cory, supposedly after the latter joined the so-called Hyatt 10’s Arroyo ouster call on July 11 of that year — a move that had all the markings of a US-sanctioned operation. Back then, Arroyo was already getting much too playful with Chinese interests at a time when the “Hello Garci” exposé became too much of a liability for the US-aligned ruling class here.

Before that, things were pretty honky dory between the two: Cory, after spearheading Edsa II, gave Gloria her all-out support through several military mutinies, even raising her hand after the Oakwood incident. In the 2004 polls, they were together in preventing an FPJ win. Later, Gloria gave the Aquino-Cojuangcos military support which led to the Hacienda Luisita massacre.

Despite former US Ambassador Kristie Kenney’s fondness for Arroyo, the US State Department clearly didn’t fancy her anymore midway through the previous decade. Still, none of that constitutes any real possibility that they have any interest to do her in. It’s the domestic elements that have connived and conspired with Gloria where any danger could come.

Just as unseen forces snuffed the life out of PeNoy’s father, Ninoy Aquino, those out to sow chaos by creating a trigger for a major destabilization move or to cover up for a brewing major scandal, may well decide that putting the little girl to sleep would fit their desired scenario perfectly.

On the other hand, it could simply be a case of the little girl wanting to put herself to sleep, seeing that her “castle in the air” has crumbled despite the meticulously planned Aquinorroyo zarzuela and other defense or exit strategies.

But would Gloria Arroyo do an Angie Reyes (assuming Angie Reyes really did himself in)? As far as lawyer and legal icon Alan Paguia is concerned, that case still cannot be closed until all the legal requirements are met (which haven’t). Besides, the grieving Reyes family may be now enjoying a few hundred millions of public money, which they apparently no longer have to account for. But, as the former Edsa II general purportedly took his life due to “honor,” the danger of an Angie Reyes redux for Gloria is diminished since she has none of it.

The only real danger to Arroyo probably will come from what President Joseph Estrada and his senator-son Jinggoy have warned about: The wily rodents at the Veterans Memorial Medical Center.

On a more serious note, these have come out in various international media since our last column “A creeping World War III:” From Global Research, “So concerned has the Kremlin become about the growing American fascist police state it caused General Nikolai Makarov, Russia’s top military commander, to issue a warning to the West last week that the Motherland was fully prepared for a nuclear World War III and which prompted the Obama regime to state that it would immediately cease observing their arms treaty with Russia;” from Prison Planet, “Citing a report by China’s Central Television… an unnamed government official warned (the US and North Atlantic Treaty Organization), ‘Any threat to Pakistan is a threat to China;’” and from various news sites, “Chinese General Threatens ‘Third World War’ to Protect Iran…

Major General Zhang Zhaozhong commented that, ‘China will not hesitate to protect Iran even with a third world war.’”

(Tune in to Sulo ng Pilipino/Radyo OpinYon, Monday to Friday, 5 to 6 p.m. on 1098AM; Talk News TV with HTL, Saturday, 8:15 to 9 p.m., with replay at 11 p.m., on GNN, Destiny Cable Channel 8; visit http://newkatipunero.blogspot.com for our articles plus TV and radio archives)
(Reprinted with permission from Mr. Herman Tiu-Laurel)

SourceThe Daily Tribune

URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/commentary/20111205com5.html

No, America's unemployment rate is not 8.6 percent

No, America's unemployment rate is not 8.6 percent

That's just another lie fed to you by the mainstream media and the US government.

News from the Labor Department on Friday revealed that the unemployment rate in America miraculously improved, with only 8.6 of the country without jobs. If you think the news was too good to be true, that’s because it is.

As the Department of Labor tells America that the percentage of the country without jobs is at a two year low, many Americans celebrate what hopes to be a recovery from a long-lasting recession that has spawned dire unemployment figures for over two years. On the contrary, the statistics for November are represented as good as the government makes it up to be because just that — it makes them up..... MORE

SourceRT.com

URL: http://rt.com/usa/news/rate-unemployment-percent-labor-899/

Happy Birthday, Guantanamo! Many more to come? (w/ Video)



Happy Birthday, Guantanamo! Many more to come?

Today marks 10-years since American authorities began detaining enemy combatants and other prisoners at Guantanamo Bay Naval Base in Cuba. A decade since the doors opened, why are people still held there, even after Obama vowed to close the facility?

We’re hypocrites,” Jason Leopold of TruthOut.org told RT. President Barack Obama said time and time again both during his campaign and during the early days of his administration that he would close down Guantanamo after a series of human rights scandals rocked the institution. Obama went on the record to say he would restore habeas corpus in the country, reminded Leopold, but “the administration has actually fought every habeas corpus case that has appeared in a DC courtroom,” he added.

“We’re very good at preaching but not practicing what we’re preaching.”.... MORE

SourceRT.com

URL: http://rt.com/usa/news/guantanamo-obama-leopold-ten-325/

Drone downed in Iran: 'US great game could spark WWIII'

Drone downed in Iran: 'US great game could spark WWIII'

Following the latest report that the Iranian military has shot down a US drone in eastern Iran, radio host Stephen Lendman told RT such US reconnaissance missions point towards greater ambitions for domination, which might lead to all-out war.

­With diplomatic tensions reaching a boiling point between Iran and the West, Lendman believes such spying operations are part and parcel of a greater war that the United States has been waging against Iran for decades. 


“Since the 1970s America has had a running on-and-off war with Iran, basically wanting to change the regime, to make it subservient to US interests, and Iran has the crazy notion that it believes it has the right to its own sovereignty, to run its own government, to conduct its own affairs, it doesn’t have to answer to Washington. Washington disagrees, and therein lies the conflict,” he said.... MORE
SourceRT.com

URL: http://rt.com/news/iran-us-war-drone-013/

P-Noy’s ‘handling of the truth’ C.R.O.S.S.R.O.A.D.S Jonathan De la Cruz 12/05/2011

P-Noy’s ‘handling of the truth’

C.R.O.S.S.R.O.A.D.S
Jonathan De la Cruz
12/05/2011
Strange if not totally disgraceful is the P- Noy administration’s current response to the increasing public clamor for the Chief Executive himself to make good on his campaign promise to have the Freedom of Information (FoI) law enacted during his term. I say current because, as is getting to be a norm under this administration, decisions can be overturned in a jiffy. Just look at how Budget Secretary Butch Abad changed his tune on the “excise tax” and the “missing” Malampaya funds issues, to name just two of the more controversial turnarounds.

Or, BIR Commissioner Kim Henares’ on and off pronouncement on the “taxing of the poor” (that is, SSS, Pag-IBIG and other workers’ contributions) and, the latest, on the mandatory filing of the Annual Information Report. I am now told these “decisions” may be overturned yet again depending on the public’s response given this administration’s fixation with surveys. And we are talking here only of the crisscrossing which has been happening in what is known as the “economic cluster” within the Cabinet where factual, straight forward and transparent ways and practices are supposed to be a matter of course. What about the “social services” or even the “defense and security” clusters where opaqueness and double talk usually happens?.... MORE

SourceThe Daily Tribune

URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/commentary/20111205com4.html

Palace to use diplomatic channels to save Pinoy in death row 12/05/2011

Palace to use diplomatic channels to save Pinoy in death row

12/05/2011
Despite Beijing’s rejection of a Philippine request to allow Vice President Jejomar Binay to personally hand over President Aquino’s letter to Chinese leader Hu Jintao in Beijing appealing for a commutation of death penalty meted on another Filipino drug trafficker who faces execution on De-cember 8, an official
Malacañang yesterday said the government will still continue to exhaust all other channels available to ask for mercy for the sentenced Filipino.

Deputy presidential spokespman Abigail Valte said the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) has informed Malacañang that the Chinese side is unable to arrange the visit of the Vice President to China at this time.

“We respect it and we are still exhausting other means for Binay to make his appeal on behalf of the Filipino,” she told dzRB radio..... MORE

SourceThe Daily Tribune

URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/headlines/20111205hed6.html

No ceasefire on Arroyo issue, Palace tells critics 12/05/2011

CITING INTEREST OF PUBLIC TO KNOW

No ceasefire on Arroyo issue, Palace tells critics

12/05/2011
Malacaang ruled out a ceasefire on its incessant barrage of attacks whether on former president Gloria Arroyo or the members of the Supreme Court that it views as being partisan based on the assessment of President Aquino, noting that it is not a case of singling out an issue and cited the interest of the public to know and be informed about the progress of the cases initiated against her.

Deputy Presidential spokesman Abigail Valte said the Palace does not think that the issue on Arroyos case and transfer to the Veterans Memorial Medical Center (VMMC) is a case of the administration singling out the former president against other issues citing the high level of public interest on the issue and that Malacaang was just responding to queries about it.

We do not think the issue is being singled out. What happened is that the interest the issue generates is the result of the former status of the accused thats why it is being highlighted in the news, she said..... MORE

SourceThe Daily Tribune

URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/headlines/20111205hed1.html

Explosive device explodes inside banana plantation 12/05/2011

Explosive device explodes inside banana plantation

12/05/2011
COTABATO CITY — Unidentified men planted and set off on Friday morning a powerful improvised explosive device in a banana plantation in North Cotabato where former rebels have been working after abandoning their armed struggle, the military said.

Colonel Leopoldo Galon, speaking for the Eastern Mindanao Command, said at about 8:30 a.m. the IED fashioned from 60 mm mortar with mobile phone as detonating device was set off by the suspects inside the RNF Industry banana plantation in Barangay Tambak, Tulunan, North Cotabato.

No casualty was reported, Galon said..... MORE

SourceThe Daily Tribune

URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/nation/20111205nat6.html

OFWs in Bahrain advised not to go to public places 12/05/2011

OFWs in Bahrain advised not to go to public places

12/05/2011
After a blast that occurred in Manama, Bahrain on Saturday, a Filipino migrants’ rights group urged the Philippine embassy to issue an advisory cautioning the overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) and refraining them to go to public places.

Bahrain’s interior ministry posted a brief statement confirming the blast which occurred in a public parking area which the explosive device was placed in a minibus parked near the British Embassy. Reports said the authorities are still investigating the incident.

Migrante-Middle East regional coordinator John Leonard Monterona said his group is urging the Philippine embassy in Manama, Bahrain to issue an appropriate advisory asking the OFWs to avoid going to public places..... MORE

SourceThe Daily Tribune

URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/nation/20111205nat3.html

Navy holds six Chinese for ‘illegal fishing’ 12/05/2011

Navy holds six Chinese for ‘illegal fishing’

12/05/2011
Naval authorities have detained six Chinese fishermen for alleged poaching in the country’s territorial waters, police said yesterday.

The fishermen’s vessel was intercepted on Thursday off the coastal town of Balabac in Palawan, a western island facing the South China Sea where both countries have overlapping territorial claims.

“Recovered from their possession and control were 11 sea turtles, fish nets and other paraphernalia,” national police spokesman Chief Supt. Agrimero Cruz said.

He said the six have been detained and their boat confiscated while charges were being prepared against them..... MORE

SourceThe Daily Tribune

URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/nation/20111205nat1.html

Navy chief optimistic on acquisition of MRV By Mario J. Mallari 12/05/2011

Navy chief optimistic on acquisition of MRV

By Mario J. Mallari 12/05/2011

The Navy leadership yesterday expressed optimism on the possible acquisition of its first multi-role vessel (MRV) with the process to acquire the long-dreamt ship, which can be used in combat and humanitarian missions, is now in the “advance stages” at the Department of National Defense (DND).

Navy Flag Officer in Command Vice Adm. Alexander Pama, during a radio interview over dzBB, said he was optimistic the dream to acquire an MRV was no longer a dream, citing the process to obtain an MRV is now in “advance stages” of the pre-procurement processes.

“I would say it would be in the advance stages…for us in the Armed Forces, we already forwarded it to higher authorities,” Pama said..... MORE

SourceThe Daily Tribune

URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/metro/20111205met2.html

Valenzuela boosts maternal, newborn care awareness thru ‘Buntis Congress’ 12/05/2011

Valenzuela boosts maternal, newborn care awareness thru ‘Buntis Congress’

12/05/2011
The Valenzuela City government has partnered with a civic group in a bid to raise maternal and new born care awareness as they initiated last week the “Buntis Congress” that benefited close to 200 expectant mothers from different barangays in the city.

This as Mayor Sherwin Gatchalian and younger brother Rep. Rex Gatchalian hailed the partnership of the City Health Office and the Rotary Club of Valenzuela that started six years ago and has been effective in providing lectures as well as free medicines for the concerned residents.

During the “Buntis Congress,” series of free lectures on safe motherhood and proper new born care were given along with free hemoglobin screening tests, tetanus toxoid immunization, ferrous sulfate and other medicines and vitamins for pregnant women at the Valenzuela City Auditorium..... MORE

SourceThe Daily Tribune

URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/metro/20111205met3.html

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