Balitang America Coverage of the Alliance Philippines on the March 21 Anniversary of War on Iraq Rallies US-Wide

Press Release -- Filipinos Join Nationwide Rallies Demanding US Troop Withdrawal on 6th-Year Anniversary of Iraq Occupation

For immediate release
Contact: Riya Ortiz, 212-564-6057, alliancephilippines.nyc@gmail.com
March 25, 2009

New York—Filipino domestic workers, youth, veterans and allies of the Alliance for a Just and Lasting Peace In the Philippines (Alliance Philippines) took part in national mobilizations this past Saturday, March 21, demanding the immediate withdrawal of US troops from Iraq, Afghanistan, Palestine and the Philippines. The marches and rallies, organized by the International ANSWER Coalition, commemorated the sixth-year anniversary of the US occupation of Iraq.

The nationwide actions were the largest anti-war mobilizations since the Obama administration. Though hopeful that Obama would answer the American people’s call to withdraw troops from Iraq immediately, Alliance Philippines also highlighted that Obama would be sending 30,000 US troops to Afghanistan instead. The military budget, according to Alliance Philippines, continues to be a priority while budgets for public needs like education are slashed.

“We would like to send the message to the newly-elected President that the billion-dollar spending on war contributes to a worse economic crisis that will affect the jobs of thousands of Filipino workers in the US,” said Mona Lunot, domestic worker and Chairperson of DAMAYAN Migrant Workers Association, member organization of Alliance Philippines.

Chevy Evangelista, youth organizer of Ugnayan ng mga Anak ng Bayan (Linking the Children of the Motherland), spoke on the stage at the March on the Pentagon in Washington, DC, which drew about 10,000 people. Ugnayan is also a member organization of Alliance Philippines

“Like Israel,” Evangelista exclaimed in his speech, “the US enables the Philippine government to attack our Moro brothers and sisters in Mindanao by conducting war exercises... The presence of US troops also contributes to the trafficking, prostitution and rape of Filipino women, and is directly connected to the raped Filipino woman Nicole’s withdrawal of allegations against Lance Corporal Daniel Smith.”

The Visiting Forces Agreement, recently approved by US-backed President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, will send 4,000 US troops in the Philippines.

“I am a mother of Filipino soldiers (working in the US military),” said Zelem Guerrero, DAMAYAN Board member. “I know the hardship the families go through when their families are sent off to the frontlines of war. This war is killing innocent people and though they call them heroes, they are not given adequate benefits and respect for the risk and service they have provided. This is especially true for Filipino WWII veterans like my uncle, who served the American military but has not been given full equity.”


“The President should know that the anti-war movement will not subside until they stop the war that causes innumerable destruction of innocent lives,” Lunot concluded.

US, ALIS SA IRAQ, PILIPINAS AT LAHAT NG DAKO !

Pahayag ng Alliance for a Just & Lasting Peace in the Philippines
Sa ika -6 na Anibersaryo ng Pananakop ng US sa Iraq
March 21, 2009

Sa pagsapit ng ika pitong taon ng pananalakay ng US sa Iraq, ipinapahayag ng Alliance for a Just and Lasting Peace in the Philippines (Alliance Philippines) ang militanteng pagbati at pagpupugay nito sa mga palabang masa ng Iraq, Pilipinas at lahat ng dako ng mundo na lumalaban sa Imperyalismong US at lahat ng pwersang nanakop. Kaisa kaming naninidigan ng lahat ng taong nagmamartsa sa Washington DC sa panawagan:” Mula sa Iraq, Afghanistan hanggang sa Palestina at Pilipinas: “Ang pananakop ay isang Krimen!”

Itigil ang mapandigmang hangarin ng US. Hindi tinatapos ng kasalukuyang administrasyong Obama ang mga digmaang pananakop ng US, bagkus inililipat lamang nito ang gyera sa ibang lugar tulad ng Afgahistan. Naalala naming ang ginawa ni Nixon na nagsasabing tatapusin niya ang gyera sa Byetnam ngunit pinalawak lamang nito ang gyera sa buong Indochina ng lusubin nito ang Cambodia at Laos. Sa paglipat ng may 30,000 tropang dagdag sa Afghanistan, nagbabanta ang Amerika ng gyera sa Iran, Pakistan at Rusya. Hindi iba kung gayon si obama sa pinalitan niya.

Maraming tao ang nawawalan ng tahanan at trabaho na hindi makayanan ng ilang ntrilyong dolyar na bailout. Ngunit ang gastos ng militar ay nagpapatuloy at tumitiyak ng malaking kita sa mga kontraktor. Ang pagpapatuloy ng gyerang ito ay hindi para sa kalayaan ng mga mamamayan ng Iraq. Lalo’t higit na hindi pra sa pagtatangol ng Afghanistan. Panay kasinungalingan ito noong oanahon ni Bush. Patuloy na ilalantad at lalaban natin ito sa ilalim ni Obama.
Paalisin ang mga tropang US sa Pilipinas. May mahigit na 4,000 tropang Kano na nagsasagawa ng war exercise BALIKATAN , Sinusuportahan nito ang gyera ng Rehimeng US-Arroyo laban sa Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) at sa New People’s Army (NPA). Ang paglabag sa karapatang pantao ng mga progresibong pwersa at ang paghiirap ng ilang milyong tao sa Mindanao ay dulot ng imperialismong US ay katulad din ng nagaganp sa Iraq, Palestine at sa Afghanistan.

Lubos kaming nasuklam sa pagtawag ni Obama kay Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo at sa kanyang pagsuporta sa joint military agreement sa pagitan ng US at Pilipinas. Lalo pa kaming nasusuklam sa pakanang palitan ang konstitusyon para ipagpatupad ang Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA). Walang pakinabang ang mamamayang Pilipino sa mga kasunduang ito. Nilalapastangan lamang nito angdignidad at soberanya ng aming bansa.

Lubahng karimarimarim ang pagkabigo ng papet pasistang rehimrng US-Arroyo na suportahan si Nicole sa paglaban nito para magkaroon ng katarungan laban sa gumahasa sa kanyang US Lance Corporal Daniel Smith, isang patunay kung paano ibienta ni Arroyo ang mamamayang Pilipino lalo na ang mga kababaihan – sa kanayng among imperyalista. Ikinakaila pa nito ang malulubhang kaso ng trafficking ng kakabaihan at bata sa Amerika. Higit pa ditto, ang mga kinatawan nito tulad ni dating UN Ambassador Lauro Baja ay nanguguna pa sa pangaapi at pagsasamantala sa mga domestic worker tulad ni Marichu Baoanan sa New York.

Itigil ang gyera laban sa mga imigrante, kababaihan at mga manggagawa. Mismo sa Amerika, milyong masa ang nawawalan ng bahay at tirahan dahil sa pananakop ng US sa kanilang mga bayan. Ito ay dahil wala silang papel, walang proteksyon sa trabaho, walang trabaho, healthcare, binabantaan ng deportations at detentions, at pagaalis sa trabaho. May gyera ngayon laban sa mahihirap.lalo lamang tumitindi ang paghihirap dahil sa gyera sa labas ng bansa.

Habang muli tayong nanawagang itigil ang gyera sa loob ng anim na taon, tuloy ang pakikibaka natin para sa nalalabing 46,000 Filipino World War II veterans. Ipinagkait sa kanila ang mga benepisyong dapat ay sa kanila. Ang pagkakait ng benepisyo at karapatan ay larawan ng pangit na realidad ng rasismo at resulta ng gyera. Palagi na ang mahihirap na masang ng Ikatlong daigdig, ang mga imigrante—ang nagiiging biktima sa krisis ng kapitalismo at nawawalan ng kanilang buhay at kabuhayan .

Hinihingi naming ang pera para sa gyera at pananakop na umaabot ng mahigit isang trilyong dolyar noong isang taon ay gamitin para sa mga nagangailangang manggagawa ,kababaihan, bata at mga migrante. Dapat itigil ang pagbabawas ng pera para sa gastos publiko tulad ng healthcare at edukasyon. Dapat itigil ang paglapastangan sa kababaihan at pagbebenta sa kanila. Hinihingi naming ang ganap na karapatan para sa imigrante lalo na sa may 1.3 walang papel na Pilipino.

Mahigpit na kaisa, kasama ang lahat ng nasa Amerika at kumikilos laban sa gyera sa buong mundo at sa Washington , idinadagdag naming an gaming tinig sa panawagan:


US, ALIS SA IRAQ, PILIPINAS AT LAHAT NG DAKO !

PERA PARA SA MGA MANGGAGAWA,
HINDI SA MGA GYERA & PANANAKOP!

PAKIKIISA SA MGA KABABAIHAN SA IRAQ, AFGHANISTAN, PALESTINA & PILIPINAS!

GYERA, PUMAPATAY NG MGA KABATAANG PILIPINO!

PERA SA BETERANONG PILIPINO, HINDI SA GYERA!

ITIGIL ANG GYERA SA MINDANAO!

US OUT OF IRAQ, THE PHILIPPINES AND EVERYWHERE!

Statement of the Alliance for a Just & Lasting Peace in the Philippines
On the 6th Anniversary of the Invasion of Iraq
March 21, 2009


As the invasion of Iraq enters its seventh year, the Alliance for a Just and Lasting Peace in the Philippines (Alliance Philippines) continues to express militant greetings and solidarity to the people of Iraq, Philippines and everywhere who are fighting US imperialism and its forces of occupation. We stand with the people marching in the streets of Washington, DC today in the united cry From Iraq to Afghanistan to Philippines and Palestine, OCCUPATION IS A CRIME!

The US thirst for war must end. The Obama administration is not ending the US wars of aggression, but is transferring the war to other countries like Afghanistan. We are reminded how Nixon said he wanted to end the unpopular war in Vietnam but escalated the war in Cambodia and Laos. By redeploying 30,000 or more troops to Afghanistan, threatening Iran, Pakistan and the Russian Federation, Obama is not a change—he is the same as his predecessors.

People are losing their homes and jobs at a rate unabated by trillions of dollars of bank bailouts. But the continued military spending will ensure continued profit for military contractors. These endless wars were never about freedom for the Iraqi people, and they’re not an issue of national defense in Afghanistan. We exposed these lies under Bush. We will continue to expose them under Obama.

We demand US troops out of the Philippines. In the Philippines, 4,000 US troops are conducting war exercises, supporting the US-backed Arroyo regime’s onslaught against our Moro brothers and sisters, the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), the New People’s Army (NPA) and the legal democratic forces. The human rights violations of progressives throughout the Philippine archipelago, and the suffering of millions because of the war in Mindanao, bear the same bloody stamp of US imperialism that is has been imposed upon Iraq, Palestine and now Afghanistan.

We are appalled at Obama's phone call to Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo supporting the joint military agreement between the US and Philippines. We are equally appalled by the scheme to change the Philippine constitution to continue the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA). The Filipino people have nothing to gain from these agreements. They trample on our dignity and sovereignty.

The Arroyo regime’s failure to support Nicole in her fight for justice against convicted rapist US Lance Corporal Daniel Smith, is a sickening example of how shamelessly Arroyo will sell out the Filipino people—especially women—to the US puppetmasters. It denies grave cases of trafficking of Filipinas to the US. And diplomats like former UN Ambassador to the Philippines Lauro Baja lead in oppressing and exploiting domestic workers like Marichu Baoanan in New York.

The war at home on immigrants, women and workers must end. In the US, millions of people displaced from their homelands because of US occupation suffer here on US soil. They contend with lack of immigration status, lack of workers’ protections and healthcare, deportations and detentions, and now job loss. They are on the frontlines of the war on the poor at home. This war has only intensified because of the economic crisis.

As we echo the call of the past six years to bring the troops home, we continue the struggle for the remaining 46,000 Filipino World War II veterans. The denial of their veteran’s equity exposes the ugly reality of racism as a necessary counterpart to war. It is always the poor and Third World people—on their own soil and as immigrants—who lose their lives and livelihoods.

We demand that the money for war and occupation—topping $1 trillion next year—be spent for workers, youth, women and immigrants. We demand an end to the cuts in public needs like healthcare and education. We demand an end to the trampling of women’s rights and the sale of women’s bodies. We demand legalization and full workers’ rights for more than 1.3 million undocumented Filipino migrants, especially women domestic workers.

In solidarity we join the US and the worldwide action today in Washington, DC and add our collective voice to the call:

US OUT OF IRAQ, THE PHILIPPINES & EVERYWHERE!
MONEY FOR WORKERS' RIGHTS & COMPENSATION, NOT FOR WAR & OCCUPATION!
SOLIDARITY WITH THE WOMEN OF IRAQ, AFGHANISTAN, PALESTINE & PHILIPPINES!
WAR KILLS THE FILIPINO & WORKING CLASS YOUTH!
MONEY FOR THE FILIPINO VETERANS, NOT FOR THE WAR!
STOP THE WAR IN MINDANAO!


(Photo by Getty Images taken from the International ANSWER website)

JFAV: Philippine-US Governments Created Huge Problems on Veterans Claims

MEDIA RELEASE
March 23, 2009
Contact; Al P. Garcia, 213.413.4944, jfav_us@yahoo.com


Los Angeles - The Philippine and United States governments created a huge problem about the Filipino World War II Veterans claims.

The Justice for Filipino American Veterans (JFAV) is expecting a lot of applications to be filed until February 16, 2010. This is due to the fact that the Philippine Veterans' Affairs Office (PVAO) admitted that there are still 40,000 living veterans in the Philippines. Meanwhile, there are around 6,000 veterans living in the United States.

In this connection, JFAV National Coordinator Arturo P. Garcia criticized both the Philippine and US governments “for giving false hopes to the poor, disabled and old veterans. What will they say to those veterans who will not be paid? That they were not veterans because their papers are not in order? “

Garcia also said, “Besides not giving widows any benefits, the law is flawed because it only provided benefits for 18,000 veterans. “

Around 23,000 veterans have applied for claims under the recently passed American Recovery and Reinvestment Act since last month, Garcia said. PVAO has processed 21,000 applicants as of February.

Claims to be Decided on April

The Veterans Administration (VA) will start deciding on claims for compensation filed by Filipino World War II Veterans by the end of April 2009, according to US Ambassador Kristie Kenney.

Kenney said on Monday that they would send out notices informing the claim applicants of acceptance or non-acceptance by the US government of their claims. The law presumably provided for the official recognition of services rendered by Filipino World War II veterans to the US government and the release of a lump-sum payment to eligible veterans.

The US Department of Veterans Affairs will pay around US $198 million to about only 18,000 veterans who will each receive a one-time payment of $9,000 for non-citizens and $15,000 for US citizens. Kenney said they expected more applications to come in.

The JFAV is anticipating problems about the matter with a large number of applicants both in the Philippines and the United States. There are more than 46,000 veterans who are expected to apply for claims.

For more information please call Arturo Garcia at (213)413-4944 or email at jfav_us@yahoo.com or visit www.alliancephilippines.blogspot.com

AN OPEN LETTER TO PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA ON THE REPERCUSSIONS OF THE NICOLE/VFA CASE FOR AMERICANS OF PHILIPPINE ANCESTRY, FILIPINAS & WOMEN IN GENERA

March 18, 2009


His Excellency, Barack H. Obama
President of the United States of America
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington DC 20500
Cc: Secretary of State Hillary Clinton; Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi


Dear President Obama:

We write to you because we are disturbed and anguished by reports that the U.S.. government was complicit in the attempt to frustrate the course of justice with regard to the rape conviction of Lance Cpl. Daniel Smith in the Philippines.

A majority of our members are women of Philippine ancestry who already have to contend with the persistent reputation of Filipinas as among the most trafficked women in the world, both in the international labor and sex markets, and as among those so victimized by sexual and domestic violence.

Nine of the eleven women recently killed by intimate partners in Hawaii were Filipinas, who also comprise 40% of women killed by intimate partners in San Francisco. Filipino-American communities, from New Jersey to Honolulu, suffer a high rate of violence against women. This perception of Filipinas as "fair game" for sexual and other forms of violence was created, among other causes, by more than a hundred years of being prostituted to the U.S. military.

Enabling a member of the U.S. military now to avoid legal repercussions for having sex, to the rowdy cheers of his fellow soldiers, with an indisputably intoxicated 22-year-old woman, who was then tossed out of the van in a state of semi-undress and semi-consciousness, is certainly not the change we have been waiting nor looking for. These facts were not disputed at the trial in the Philippines that convicted Lance Cpl. Daniel Smith in 2006.

Many states in the United States itself accept by law the fact that an inebriated woman cannot consent to have sex. This inability to give consent supersedes any other circumstance that may appear to encourage sexual attention, like wearing a short skirt, being flirtatious, or even kissing the violator. In those states, what transpired between “Nicole” and Cpl. Smith would be considered rape, especially as nothing was brought forth at the trial that would imply consent on Nicole’s part.

We worry now that because of this bargain between the U.S. and Philippine governments, U.S. military personnel may return to the U.S. believing that soldiers have the right to force sex upon women in whatever circumstance. No doubt you are already familiar with the unconscionable rate of sexual harassment, rape and violence against women suffered by female soldiers and military wives. This will but add to the U.S. military’s mistaken impression that war, occupation or just being more powerful and with more weapons than anyone gives them the right to defy U.S. laws, host countries’ laws and international law.

The Nicole incident happened in November, 2005 and the following year, in September, 2006, 14-year-old Abeer Qassim Hamza was gang-raped and murdered, along with her parents and younger sister, by U.S. troops in Iraq.

If, way back in November 2005, the U.S. government and the U.S. military had taken a strong stand against our troops inflicting sexual violence/violence upon women in general and upon women of host countries in particular, then we would not have this spectacle of avowed “liberators” gang-raping and killing those they purportedly “liberate.”

Instead, the U.S. military threatened the Philippine government with cancellation of humanitarian aid, with cancellation of joint military exercises, and the U.S. Embassy in the Philippines did everything possible to frustrate the carrying out of justice for the rape of Nicole.

This is not the change we waited for.

In this era of change you vowed to bring with your inauguration as president, at the very least, we are asking for specific provisions protective of women, and against violence against women, trafficking and prostitution in each and every military agreement, every Status of Forces and Visiting Forces Agreement, that U.S. enacts with another country.

This would help institutionalize, on a global scale, the pro-women stance that your administration made visible through your signing of the Ledbetter Act and the creation of the White House Women’s Council.

Thank you. We await your reply – preferably with action.


Respectfully yours,


Annalisa Enrile (interim Chair)

Candace Custodio (Chair-elect)

Jollene G. Levid (Secretary-General)

GABRIELA NETWORK OF THE MARIPOSA ALLIANCE

Poem - Farewell, Rebelyn Pitao (Filipino)

Paalam , Rebelyn Pitao
(Alay kay Ka. Parago)


Paalam, Rebelyn
Pumanaw ka sa malupit na mundo
Pinaslang ng mga dayukdok
Na pasistang walang kaluluwa.

Bilang pagganti laban sa iyong ama
Na lumalaban para sa masa,
Ngayong wala ka na, akala nila
Paglaban niya ay huhupa.

Ngunit ang galit ay apoy na kakalat
Sa dibdib ay lalong magpapasulak
Upang ipaglaban ang naduduhagi
Upang kalayaan matamo ng ganap.

Rebelyn, mabuti kang anak
Nagtiis sa pagkakalayo ng ama
Na sana sa iyong lumilingap.

Ngunit hindi lamang ikaw ang nagtiis
Lahat ng amang nasa larangan
Alam ang paghinagpis
Kung anong damdamin ng mawalay ng tikis.

Naging guro ka at pagtuturo
Ikaw sana ay gaganap
Ngunit lahat naglahong iglap
Dahil sa mga pasistang satanas.

Humimlay ka sa ganap na katahimikan
Ikaw laging nasa alaala ng mga magulang
Dakilang anak ng bayan ikaw ay alay
Isang ganap na martir ng inang bayan.

Paalam, Rebelyn ikaw ay isang alaala,
Ng bayang inaapi at nagdusa
Kapalaran mo bagamat pinagluluksa
Alam naming, paghihiganti
ay nasa masa!

Al P. Garcia
Marso 13, 2009