CHR asked to probe brutal eviction of Laguna farmers

By Billy Javier Reyes

Southernt Tagalog farmers stormed the gate of military HQ in Lucena City to demand justice to victims of human rights

CALAMBA CITY, Laguna-Supporters of striking farmers in Hacienda Yulo in Calamba City on Tuesday appealed to Commission on Human Rights (CHR) chairperson Atty. Lilia de Lima to lead an investigation on the brutal dispersal of agrarian reform beneficiaries inside the 7,100 hectare Hacienda Yulo in Sitio Buntog, Barangay Canlubang, Calamba City in Laguna province.

In a press statement, the activist fisherfolk alliance Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas (Pamalakaya) urged CHR chair de Lima to personally lead the proposed investigation regarding the brutal eviction of farmers on Friday by 50 members of striking force composed of Laguna SWAT team, the local and regional PNP and the private security guards of Yulo landed clan.

“We appeal to CHR chair Atty. de Lima to personally attend to reports about grave human rights violations perpetrated by the local and regional police force of Laguna against striking farmers of Hacienda Yulo. The situation merits an urgent CHR probe with or without the formal filing of cases before the CHR chief office,” Pamalakaya vice chair Salvador France said in a press statement.

France said the terrifying incident in Hacienda Yulo also merits the immediate suspension and investigation of the PNP Southern Tagalog chief, as well as the chiefs of PNP- Calamba City and PNP-Laguna and the 50 members of the composite police force who were with the private goons of the Yulo during the violent dispersal of the peasant camp-out and the illegal arrest and detention of 10 peasant activists.

The Pamalakaya official said the incident in Hacienda Yulo might also be brought to the House and Senate committees on Human Rights for investigation in aid of legislation.

“The Senate and the House committees on human rights should entertain and pursue their respective parallel probe on the Hacienda Yulo carnage that led to the injury of more than 100 farmers and illegal arrest of 10 farmers pursuing their rights to land,” France said.

Reports from the Katipunan ng Samahang Magbubukid ng Timog Katagalugan (Kasama-TK) said Dan Calvo, land surveyor and architect of Yulo owned Laguna Estate Development Corp. and San Cristobal Realty Corp., refused to honor the peasants’ document on a pending petition for revocation of DAR Exemption Order.

With the surveyor were 50 combined members of the SWAT, the local and regional PNP, and private security guards all with high-caliber rifles who violently pushed the residents blocking their path and illegaly arrested the peasants at their protest camp.

Kasama-TK said of the 10 peasants who remain behind bars at a local police station, 4 of them are women (including an old-aged) while 3 minors namely: Maria Garcia (39 yrs old); Dorotea Mangubat (46 yrs old); Annabel Natanauan (28 yrs old); Francisca Mangubat (71 yrs old); Mario Mangubat (36 yrs old); Gilbert Caraan (25 yrs old); Lamberto Caraan (40 yrs old); Roger Nedia, (16 yrs old); Jhefe De Leon, (15 yrs old); and Melvin Natanauan , (16 yrs old). Twelve-year old Jorge Mangubat was also illegaly detained but was released Friday night at around 8 pm.

The peasants were also charged with direct assault, alarm and sacandal, serious resistance and disobedience and grave coercion.

Eric Laurel, secretary general of Samahan ng mga Mamamayang Nagkakaisa sa Buntog (SAMANA-Buntog), demanded to the police to at least spare the 3 minors from the dispute. A prosecutor suggested to bring the 3 minors to “rehabilitation” but Laurel countered it could only lead to “brainwashing” these minors away from their legal struggle.

The Hacienda Yulo, 7,100 hectares of land owned by the Jose Miguel Yulo clan, is to be converted into a subdivision and golf course instead of granting ownership to the farmers. Laurel said that the land ownership to the farmers should have been granted as early as the 1960’s.

Fishers say DQ case vs. Yap will reach SC

By Manila Legarda and Bb. Tayuman Recto-Yap

MANILA, Philippines-

Pamalakaya activists accused former agri chief Arthur Yap of pocketing P 455 million in taxpayers money over purchase of 98 ice-making machine

The current legal battle involving the disqualification case filed by the fisherfolk alliance Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas (Pamalakaya) may soon reach the Supreme Court according to petitioners Fernando Hicap and Salvador France, chair and vice chairperson of the activist fishermen group.

“Definitely we will challenge the decision of the Commission on Elections before the highest court of the land. The fight against unlawful and immoral claim of Mr. Yap to represent the third congressional district of Bohol will be vigorously pursued in any appropriate court, in the parliament of the streets and in the court of public opinion. There’s no turning back,” the Pamalakaya leaders said in a joint statement.

Hicap and France, the petitioners to the Supreme Court move will be presided by the filing of motion for reconsideration before the Comelec, and if the poll body rejected the motion, they will elevate the case before the high tribunal for proper legal disposal of the disqualification case.

“It is going to be lifetime nightmare for Secretary Yap unless this most favored Cabinet member of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo atone for his political, legal and moral follies and pay for his crimes against the Filipino public,” the Pamalakaya leaders said.

Pamalakaya is now preparing a people’s petition urging senators and congressmen of incoming Congress to investigate Yap on charges of big time corruption in the Department of Agriculture under his watch as secretary of the department.

“It is going to be addressed to the next Senate President and House Speaker of the House of Representatives. Imagine, Secretary Yap, the congressman of Bohol third district is being called to answer charges of top notch crimes of corruption,” the group said.

On January 6, Pamalakaya filed a plunder case against Sec. Yap and President Arroyo in connection with the P 455 million ice making fund scam, which the group said was overpriced by 100 percent per unit. Pamalakaya said Yap and other officials of National Agribusiness Council (NABCOR) should also be investigated on the P 7.14 billion which the Commission on Audit (COA) cited in its’ 2008 report was missing, diverted or bungled.

The Second Division of Comelec last week junked the disqualification case filed by the group.

Pamalakaya received a copy of the 10-page resolution penned by Comelec second division presiding Commissioner Nicodemo Ferrer and members Lucenito Tagle and Elias Yusoph dated May 13, 2010 denying the instant petition for disqualification of Yap.

“After thorough examination of the proofs presented by both parties, we are convinced that Respondent Yap has met such requirement. The term “residence” is to be understood not in the common acceptation as referring to “dwelling” or “habitation” but rather to “domicile” or legal residence, that is, “the place where a party actually or constructively has his permanent home, where he, no matter where he may be found at any given time, eventually intends to return and remain,” the Comelec second division said.

The poll body further said: “It has been established that the domicile of origin of the respondent is in Metro Manila. When respondent Yap decided to make Loboc, Bohol as his residence, such a decision did not begin and end by his intimation to Judge Fernandez of his intention. In 2007, Yap was laying the groundwork for his transfer to the said municipality.”

The Comelec said Yap visited local government officials and neighboring towns whenever his regular visits to the place permitted him. The election body said Yap’s intention was made clearer when he finally purchased the house of his mother-in-law in Barangay Buenavista in Loboc, Bohol.

“Although property ownership is not an indicia of domicile, the fact that the respondent bought the property wherein he resides adds to his foothold to the municipality. His attendance in barangay assemblies as member of barangay is indicative of his desire to integrate himself in the community,” the poll body added.

The Comelec noted that Yap’s contributions in the community were recognized when he was conferred the title “adopted son of Loboc, Bohol by way of Resolution No. 131 adopted on October 24, 2005. The commissioners said the law does not state that in abandoning his domicile, the candidate must divest any and all of his properties and interest attached to his previous domicile.

“His electoral victory is a product of political horse trading, highly questionable and totally ridiculous. We will explore all legal remedies to stop Sec. Yap from misrepresenting the third district of Bohol and use his illegally acquired position to get away with high crimes of corruption he committed during his tenure as chief of the agriculture department,” Pamalakaya said. #

Aquino is new US puppet, critics say

By Trinity Biglang Awa and Sugar Hicap

MANILA, Philippines- As far as the group of leftwing fisherfolk alliance is concerned the well publicized meeting between US Ambassador Harry K. Thomas Jr. to the Philippines Harry K. Thomas Jr. and presumptive President elect Sen. Benigno Simeon “Noynoy” Aquino III at the latter’s residence in Times Street in Quezon City is an open declaration that leading presidential candidate is the new puppet of Washington D.C.

“It is like Ambassador Thomas Jr. telling the people of the Philippines and the international community Hey world President Benigno Simeon “Noynoy” Aquino Jr. is Washington’s latest political puppet in Southeast Asia. Common everybody break a leg and join the fun,” the Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas (Pamalakaya) said in a press statement.

Pamalakaya national chair Fernando Hicap said the American ambassador meeting with Aquino could also be viewed as marching order to the Philippine Senate and the House of Representatives to rush the proclamation of Aquino and his would be vice-president before June 30.

“The US does not want the election protests which stemmed from allegations of automated cheating and rigged elections to escalate and derail the proclamation of Aquino and the winning vice-presidential candidate. The operators of Washington D.C want the smooth criminals to takeover the seat of power from a former puppet in a smooth transition mode,” added Hicap.

The Pamalakaya official said the meeting of US Ambassador Thomas Jr. with Aquino could be interpreted as White House call for Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile and House Speaker Prospero Nograles to give up partisan politics and other narrow political interests to ensure the smooth transfer of the republic from the Strong Republic of Arroyo to the Yellow Republic of Aquino.

Meanwhile, Pamalakaya predicted that the Aquino presidency will continue to follow the political and economic prescriptions of the US government. The militant group said Aquino is not inclined to put on review and possible termination of the controversial Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA).

The militant group said there is also strong indication the proposed RP-US Free Trade Agreement will be ratified by the Philippine Senate under the Aquino presidency.

Poll body junked DQ case vs. Yap

By Gerry Albert Corpuz, Bb. Joyce Cabral and Billy Javier Reyes

MANILA, Philippines- The Second Division of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) has junked the disqualification case filed by the militant fisherfolk alliance Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas (Pamalakaya) against former Agriculture Secretary Arthur Yap.

Pamalakaya received a copy of the 10-page resolution penned by Comelec second division presiding Commissioner Nicodemo Ferrer, Lucenito Tagle and Elias Yusoph dated May 13, 2010 denying the instant petition for disqualification of Yap.

“After thorough examination of the proofs presented by both parties, we are convinced that Respondent Yap has met such requirement. The term “residence” is to be understood not in the common acceptation as referring to “dwelling” or “habitation” but rather to “domicile” or legal residence, that is, “the place where a party actually or constructively has his permanent home, where he, no matter where he may be found at any given time, eventually intends to return and remain,” the Comelec second division said.

The poll body further said: “It has been established that the domicile of origin of the respondent is in Metro Manila. When respondent Yap decided to make Loboc, Bohol as his residence, such a decision did not begin and end by his intimation to Judge Fernandez of his intention. In 2007, Yap was laying the groundwork for his transfer to the said municipality.”

The Comelec said Yap visited local government officials and neighboring towns whenever his regular visits to the place permitted him. The election body said Yap’s intention was made clearer when he finally purchased the house of his mother-in-law in Barangay Buenavista in Loboc, Bohol.

“Although property ownership is not an indicia of domicile, the fact that the respondent bought the property wherein he resides adds to his foothold to the municipality. His attendance in barangay assemblies as member of barangay is indicative of his desire to integrate himself in the community,” the poll body added.

The Comelec noted that Yap’s contributions in the community were recognized when he was conferred the title “adopted son of Loboc, Bohol by way of Resolution No. 131 adopted on October 24, 2005. The commissioners said the law does not state that in abandoning his domicile, the candidate must divest any and all of his properties and interest attached to his previous domicile.

“We must take note of the fact that prior to his running for a House seat; he was the secretary of agriculture serving as alter ego of the President. Close proximity to Malacanang entails regular visits to the Metropolis. To maintain properties in furtherance of his profession could not be seen as an indication of non-abandonment of his previous domicile as held in Fernandez vs. HRET case,” the Comelec asserted.

But Pamalakaya national chair Fernando Hicap and Pamalakaya-vice chairperson Salvador France, both petitioners in the disqualification case said the fight for the disqualification of Sec. Yap is far from over, and in fact’ the protracted fight against the removal of the former agriculture secretary from public office has officially started.

“The junking of our disqualification case against Secretary Yap is highly predictable from the very start. It is not surprising to us that Comelec had junked our case against Yap. It will be a major surprise of the election season if Comelec decided on our favor,” the two Pamalakaya leaders said.

However, Hicap and France said they would ask their lawyer on what would be the next legal action to be taken in connection with the Comelec decision. They said a motion for reconsideration may be filed before the Comelec or they may bring the case all the way to the Supreme Court.

“We see the junking of the disqualification case against Yap as an opportunity rather than a tragic defeat. The venues for the all out exposition of and opposition to secretary Yap as a power hungry and opportunist bureaucrat capitalist and corrupt public official will further go places including but not limited to Comelec and other appropriate courts,” the Pamalakaya officials added.

Pamalakaya said it will explore all available legal remedies to stop Yap’s illegal and immoral claim to represent the people of Bohol in the third district.

“His electoral victory is a product of political horse trading, highly questionable and totally ridiculous. We will explore all legal remedies to stop Sec. Yap from misrepresenting the third district of Bohol and use his illegally acquired position to get away with high crimes of corruption he committed during his tenure as chief of the agriculture department,” the group said.

Prior to the May 13 decision of the poll body, the lawyers of Sec. Yap said the poll body should immediately dismiss the disqualification case filed by Pamalakaya on March 9, saying that their client was able to garner 126,390 votes out of 173,539 total votes cast. According to Yap’s lawyers, this represents 72.8 percent of the total votes cast or an overwhelming majority.

Citing a Supreme Court ruling in the case of Sinaca vs. Mula (G.R No. 135691, September 27, 1999, 315 SCRA 266,282), Yap’s legal counsel asserted that when a candidate has perceived popular mandate overwhelmingly and clearly expressed, all possible doubts should be resolved in favor of the candidate’s eligibility for to rule otherwise is to defeat the will of the people. Ex-sec. Yap lawyers said, the determination of the true will of the electorate should be paramount, and that the voice of the people should prevail which is the essence of democracy.

Meanwhile, Pamalakaya will send appeal letters to incoming congressmen and senators to investigate cases of corruption involving Sec. Yap particularly the P 455 million overpriced ice-making machines. The militant group said they will also ask the new congress under the Aquino presidency to investigate the unchecked operations of the National Agribusiness Council (Nabcor), an attached agency of DA which is implicated the questionable importation of 98 quick freezing machines.

On top of the P 455 million ice making fund scam, Pamalakaya said Yap and other NABCOR officials should also be investigated on the P 7.14 billion which the Commission on Audit (COA) cited in its’ 2008 report was missing, diverted or bungled. #

50 percent manual audit of election ballots pushed

By Gerry Albert Corpuz

MANILA, Philippines-The left-wing fisherfolk alliance Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas (Pamalakaya) on Wednesday urged the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to immediately conduct at least 50 percent manual audit of all election ballots that will include the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) to determine if there is truth to allegations that the elections was rigged in favor certain candidates in the recently concluded May 10 national and local elections.

In a press statement, Pamalakaya national chair Fernando Hicap said the allegations regarding automated –led cheating to favor certain candidates were serious enough to merit at least 50 percent manual audit of election ballots of all clustered precints.

“The Comelec is constitutionally, lawfully, politically and morally obliged to perform a round-the-clock manual audit of elections ballots that went through the PCOS machines. The election returns which were printed by PCOS machines should not be used as basis for audit. The manual counting of election ballots remains the most effective means to check if there is really large-scale cheating in the May 10 political exercise,” added Hicap.

Hicap aside from ARMM, the 50 percent manual audit should cover and concentrate should include vote rich areas such as the National Capital Region, the Southern Tagalog and Central Luzon regions, the Northern Luzon provinces, the Bicol region, Western Visayas and Central Visayas region and all Mindanao regions to mention a few.

The Pamalakaya leader said Comelec can accomplish manual audit of at least 50 percent of election ballots in two weeks time and can come out with objective and honest-to-goodness findings by the second week of June, where there is enough time to reverse previous proclamations and declare the real winners in the May 10 polls.

“Chairman Jose Melo and his peers at Comelec have two weeks to perform manual audit of election ballots. This is the only way to check or validate and affirm the outcome of the first automated polls in the country,” said Hicap.

The Pamalakaya official issued the proposal a day after a witness surfaced yesterday in a press conference called by losing presidential bets Nicanor Perlas, JC de los Reyes and Sen. Jamby Madrigal claiming massive automated election cheating were conducted in favor of President apparent Sen. Benigno Simeon “Noynoy” Aquino III of Liberal Party and former Makati Mayor Jejomar Binay, the leading vice-presidential candidate according to latest tallies.

The witness claimed the votes of administration candidate Gilbert Teodoro, Pwersa ng Masang Pilipino presidential candidate former President Joseph Estrada and Bangon Pilipinas Eddie Villanueva were shaved to benefit Aquino. The witness also said voted for vice-presidential candidates Loren Legarda and Bayani Fernando were also shaved in favor of former Mayor Binay.

The still identified witness who revealed the election irregularities through a video claimed Teodoro lost 5 million to 6 million votes, while Villanueva lost 2 million to 3 million votes. He said Estrada lost a lot but he did not provide a figure. The witness also said Legarda’s votes were shaved by 4 million to 5 million votes and these were transferred to Binay. With a report from Cupcake Mendoza

Aquino in cheap publicity stunt, says critics

by Bb. Joyce Cabral, Sarsi Pimentel and Trinity Biglang Awa

MANILA, Philippines- The left-wing fisherfolk alliance Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas (Pamalakaya) on Monday accused apparent President elect Senator Benigno Simeon “Noynoy” Aquino of blatantly engaging in cheap publicity stunt over his plan to take oath before Tarlac barangay captain Edgardo Aguas, the head of Barangay Central at Hacienda Luisita where Aquino is a registered voter.

“This is image building and a cheap publicity stunt rolled into one,” said Pamalakaya national chair Fernando Hicap in a press statement. “We have nothing against barangay captain Aguas. The issue here is Noynoy who is brazenly engaged in all-out propaganda escapade to impress the public that he is a down-to-earth and pro-poor person,” the fisherfolk leader stressed.

The Pamalakaya leader said Aquino’s plan to push the oath taking at Barangay Central in Hacienda Luisita will not erase the crimes of the Cojuangco-Aquino on the Filipino farmers, particularly the denial of land rights to 10,000 farm worker beneficiaries in Hacienda Luisita and the brutal murder of 7 farm workers and injury of more than 100 others during the Nov.14, 2004 massacre.

“There is no such thing as forgive and forget. The bloody carnage in Hacienda Luisita and the more than half- a-century resistance of the Cojuangco-Aquino clan to give up their immoral and unlawful claim on the 6,453-hectate sugar estate will be forever etched in the minds and memories of the Luisita folk in particular and the more than 90 million Filipino public in particular,” added Hicap.

Pamalakaya said Noynoy’s decision to take his oath in Hacienda Luisita is a symbolic way of saying that he and his family will not yield the sugar estate to 10,000 farmer worker beneficiaries, and that the controversial lands would remain untouched under his six-year term.

“Aquino’s insistence to have his oath taking ceremony before the barangay captain of Luisita Central is an open declaration of war to exploited sugar farm workers that as long as he is in power, the across-the-hacienda landlessness and exploitation of sugar workers will continue,” the group said.

Earlier, Pamalakaya announced there would be no honeymoon period with Noynoy, saying the first day of the Aquino administration will be met with challenges, demands and protests.

“There’s no honeymoon. Noynoy is dreaming of having a 100 day honeymoon with the people. The total political exposition of and opposition to Aquino and the newly installed ruling Mafia in Malacanang is the top order of the day,” the group said.

The statement of the Pamalakaya was contrary to the call of senatorial topnotchers Senators Ramon Revillar Jr. and Jinggoy EstradaJinggoy Estrada for the filipino people to unite and support the incoming Aquino presidency.

The group predicted Aquino will face an early political turbulence if his administration will not push for the prosecution of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and his men implicated in high crimes of corruption, extra judicial killings, enforced disappearances and the still unclosed case of Hello Garci election fraud in 2004.

Pamalakaya pressed Aquino to push the Office of the Ombudsman to decide on plunder cases filed by various groups against Arroyo and his men before the ombudsman’s office. He said his group had a pending plunder case against Arroyo and former agriculture officials in connection with
P 728-million fertilizer fund scam and the P 130-billion coconut levy fund.

The group had also filed another plunder case against President Arroyo and agriculture secretary Arthur Yap in connection with the P 455-million ice making machine scam. Hicap said Arroyo and former environment secretary Michael Defensor were also facing administrative and criminal charges before the Ombudsman’s office for allowing offshore mining companies to destroy Tanon Strait separating the island provinces of Cebu and Negros and Cebu-Bohol Strait separating Cebu and Bohol island provinces.

Pamalakaya also warned Aquino of accommodating members of the Hyatt 10, all former members of the economic team of President Arroyo, whom Hicap said were responsible for the economic disaster the people experienced during the first five years of the Arroyo administration.

“This so-called team of economic managers connived with Arroyo in executing ill-advised economic policies that further impoverished millions of Filipinos. These charlatans and puppets of neo-liberal globalization should not be allowed to prescribe poisonous economic prescriptions to the more than 90 million populace,” added Pamalakaya.

A week before the May 10 elections, Pamalakaya issued a national political memorandum to all its 43 chapters nationwide to reject the presidential bid of Aquino, dismissing the 50-year old Liberal Party standard bearer as Arroyo trapped in a man’s body. #

Leftists slam looming return of Hyatt 10 under Aquino presidency

By Sugar Hicap and Chocolate Moose Fernandez

The left-wing fisherfolk alliance Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas (Pamalakaya) assailed on Tuesday President elect Senator Benigno Simeon “Noynoy’ Aquino III for the looming return of members of Hyatt 10, who are all former members of the economic team of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo who dumped the latter at the height of Hello Garci election fraud scandal in 2005.

“The economy was really bad during their time. There’s no compelling reason why they should be accommodated again. The US installed presidency of Mr. Aquino should refrain from bringing back these people who sold the economy to all-time exploiters and slave holding corporations,” Pamalakaya national chair Fernando Hicap said in a press statement.

Hicap said his group has this sound inkling that Aquino will soon name Arroyo’s former economic managers to his Cabinet, an act which the Pamalakaya leader viewed as nothing but product of payback politics and political patronage.

“The economy remains in shambles because of the bitter economic pills imposed by this group of economic managers who shared the same mindset with Arroyo. These are IMF-World Bank bred technocrats whose common motto in life is to let the economy dictated by foreign monopoly capital. To set the record straight, these people supported Arroyo’s 12-percent expanded value added tax, rejected the proposed P 125 across-the-board pay hike and justified the weekly increases in the prices of petroleum products. So what sound economy they would offer? Nothing,” the Pamalakaya leader added.

Hicap said the immoral return of Hyatt 10 to government posts under the Aquino presidency was highly evident with the announcement of former DSWD secretary Dinky Soliman to take again the social welfare portfolio once the 50-year old senator is proclaimed as elected President.

The Pamalakaya official said other members of Hyatt 10 like former education secretary Florencio “Butch” Abad and former anti-poverty commission Chief Imelda Nicolas might be nominated for their previous posts or they would be given other Cabinet level positions in the government.

Pamalakaya said Aquino should be closely watched on how his administration would deal with the rejuvenated Kamag-Anak Incorporated composed of Aquino’s close relatives led by former Tarlac Rep. Jose “Peping” Cojuangco Jr.

Earlier, Pamalakaya scored Aquino over his plan to take oath before Tarlac barangay captain Edgardo Aguas, the head of Barangay Central at Hacienda Luisita where Aquino is a registered voter.

The group said what Aquino did was pure image building and a cheap publicity stunt. Pamalakaya said Aquino’s plan to push the oath taking at Barangay Central in Hacienda Luisita will not erase the crimes of the Cojuangco-Aquino on the Filipino farmers, particularly the denial of land rights to 10,000 farm worker beneficiaries in Hacienda Luisita and the brutal murder of 7 farm workers and injury of more than 100 others during the Nov.14, 2004 massacre.

“There is no such thing as forgive and forget. The bloody carnage in Hacienda Luisita and the more than half- a-century resistance of the Cojuangco-Aquino clan to give up their immoral and unlawful claim on the 6,453-hectate sugar estate will be forever etched in the minds and memories of the Luisita folk in particular and the more than 90 million Filipino public in particular,” the group said.

Pamalakaya said Noynoy’s decision to take his oath in Hacienda Luisita is a symbolic way of saying that he and his family will not yield the sugar estate to 10,000 farmer worker beneficiaries, and that the controversial lands would remain untouched under his six-year term. #

Nemesis won’t give Aquino “honeymoon period”

By Gerry Albert Corpuz, Sugar Hicap and Bb. Joyce Cabral

MANILA, Philippines-The left-leaning fisherfolk alliance Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas (Pamalakaya) on Sunday said there would be no honeymoon period with apparent Philippine president elect Sen. Benigno Simeon “Noynoy” Aquino III, saying the first day of the Aquino administration will be met with challenges, demands and protests.

“There’s no honeymoon. The total political exposition of and opposition to Aquino and the newly installed ruling Mafia in Malacanang is the top order of the day,” said Pamalakaya national chair Fernando Hicap in a press statement.

Hicap said militant groups are now planning coordinated and separate protest actions on the first day of Aquino administration. “It is a declaration of round-the-clock vigilance and just war against Mr.Aquino, who is no different to Mrs. Arroyo,” he said.

The statement of the Pamalakaya official was contrary to the call of senatorial topnotchers Senators Ramon Revillar Jr. and Jinggoy EstradaJinggoy Estrada for the filipino people to unite and support the incoming Aquino presidency.

Political turbulence

Hicap said Aquino is facing an early political turbulence if his administration will not push for the prosecution of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and his men implicated in high crimes of corruption, extra judicial killings, enforced disappearances and the still unclosed case of Hello Garci election fraud in 2004.

Hicap pressed Aquino to push the Office of the Ombudsman to decide on plunder cases filed by various groups against Arroyo and his men before the ombudsman’s office. He said his group had a pending plunder case against Arroyo and former agriculture officials in connection with
P 728-million fertilizer fund scam and the P 130-billion coconut levy fund.

The Pamalakaya leader also filed another plunder case against President Arroyo and agriculture secretary Arthur Yap in connection with the
P 455-million ice making machine scam. Hicap said Arroyo and former environment secretary Michael Defensor were also facing administrative and criminal charges before the Ombudsman’s office for allowing offshore mining companies to destroy Tanon Strait separating the island provinces of Cebu and Negros and Cebu-Bohol Strait separating Cebu and Bohol island provinces.

No to Hyatt 10

The Pamalakaya leader also warned Aquino of accommodating members of the Hyatt 10, all former members of the economic team of President Arroyo, whom Hicap said were responsible for the economic disaster the people experienced during the first five years of the Arroyo administration.

“This so-called team of economic managers connived with Arroyo in executing ill-advised economic policies that further impoverished millions of Filipinos. These charlatans and puppets of neo-liberal globalization should not be allowed to prescribe poisonous economic prescriptions to the more than 90 million populace,” added Hicap.

Pamalakaya also challenged Aquino to compel his family who controls 66 percent of Hacienda Luisita to yield their unlawful and immoral claim on the 6,453- hectare sugar estate and ask the court to lift the temporary restraining order (TRO) and allow the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) to proceed with urgent, unconditional and free distribution of lands to sugar workers.

A week before the May 10 elections, Pamalakaya issued a national political memorandum to all its 43 chapters nationwide to reject the presidential bid of Aquino, dismissing the 50-year old Liberal Party standard bearer as Arroyo trapped in a man’s body. #

Yap takes 126 K out of 173K votes, but fishers group refuses to give up DQ case

By Gerry Albert Corpuz, Chocolate Moose Fernandez and Trinity Biglang Awa

MANILA, Philippines-Controversial former agriculture secretary and unopposed congressional candidate in Bohol’s third district Arthur Yap has accumulated 126,390 votes out of 173,539 total votes cast and appeared shoo-in for the elective post.

However, Yap’s nemesis—the left-leaning fisherfolk alliance Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas (Pamalakaya), that filed a disqualification case against the former agriculture secretary on the question of residency refused to give up, stressing it will explore all available legal remedies to stop Yap’s illegal and immoral claim to represent the people of Bohol in the third district.

“His electoral victory is a product of political horse trading, highly questionable and totally ridiculous. We will explore all legal remedies to stop Sec. Yap from misrepresenting the third district of Bohol and use his illegally acquired position to get away with high crimes of corruption he committed during his tenure as chief of the agriculture department,” said Pamalakaya national chair Fernando Hicap, one of the petitioners in the disqualification case against Yap.

In the latest manifestation submitted to the Commission on Elections (Comelec), the lawyers of Sec. Yap said the poll body should immediately dismiss the disqualification case filed by Pamalakaya on March 9, saying that their client was able to garner 126,390 votes out of 173,539 total votes cast. According to Yap’s lawyers, this represents 72.8 percent of the total votes cast or an overwhelming majority.

Citing a Supreme Court ruling in the case of Sinaca vs. Mula (G.R No. 135691, September 27, 1999, 315 SCRA 266,282), Yap’s legal counsel asserted that when a candidate has perceived popular mandate overwhelmingly and clearly expressed, all possible doubts should be resolved in favor of the candidate’s eligibility for to rule otherwise is to defeat the will of the people.

Ex-sec. Yap lawyers said, the determination of the true will of the electorate should be paramount, and that the voice of the people should prevail which is the essence of democracy.

Meanwhile, Hicap assailed Comelec Chairman Jose Melo over the latter’s continuing snub of the disqualification case they filed against Sec. Yap. The Pamalakaya official said the poll body has yet to tackle the disqualification case filed by his group two months before the May 10 elections.

“But Chairman Melo and the rest of the commissioners did not perform their assignment and constitutional mandate. They allowed Yap to run while there is an urgent case waiting for their final resolution ahead of the May 10 polls. This is terrible, really terrible,” the group sad.

“It seems to us Chairman Melo is afraid of Secretary Yap because the former agriculture secretary is no ordinary person for the poll chief and taking up Yap’s case is like entertaining a major fight with Malacanang and Yap’s political benefactors in and out of Malacanang,” said Pamalakaya.

Meanwhile, Pamalakaya will send appeal letters to incoming congressmen to investigate cases of corruption involving Sec. Yap particularly the P 455 million overpriced ice-making machines. The militant group said they will also ask the new congress under the Aquino presidency to investigate the unchecked operations of the National Agribusiness Council (Nabcor), an attached agency of DA which is implicated the questionable importation of 98 quick freezing machines.

On top of the P 455 million ice making fund scam, Pamalakaya said Yap and other NABCOR officials should also be investigated on the
P 7.14 billion which the Commission on Audit (COA) cited in its’ 2008 report was missing, diverted or bungled.

9 presidentiables urged to cross party lines and unite vs. failure of elections

By Bb. Joyce Cabral, Billy Javier Reyes, Sarah Ann Go and Gerry Albert Corpuz

MANILA, Philippines – The activist fisherfolk alliance Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas (Pamalakaya) urged the nine presidential candidates led by Liberal Party (LP) presidential standard bearer Senator Benigno Simeon “Noynoy” Aquino III, Gilbert Teodoro of Lakas-CMD, former President Joseph Estrada of Pwersa ng Masang Pilipino (PMP) and Nacionalista Party (NP) Manuel Villar to cross party lines and forge a political unity to oppose an alleged plot leading to failure of elections to retain outgoing President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo in power.

The militant group issued the statement after President Arroyo called her top security officials yesterday to discuss security matters and possible social unrest arising from the May 10 elections. However, Malacanang said the no-election scenario was not discussed during the meeting.

In a press statement, Pamalakaya national chair Fernando Hicap said aside from the front runners in the May 10 presidential race, the rest of the candidates–independent candidates Jamby Madrigal, Nicanor Perlas and JC de los Reyes of Ang Kapatiran, Bagumbayan presidential bet Richard Gordon and Bangon Pilipinas’ Bro. Eddie Villanueva should obliged themselves to join the mass movement against a possible plot to extend Arroyo’s term via failure of elections.

“All presidentiables should cross party lines and prepare for the grueling battle in the streets against any grand design that would lead to declaration of failure of elections by Comelec and serve the hold over presidency in silver platter to Mrs. Arroyo and her ruling political syndicate ,” said Hicap.

The Pamalakaya leader said the first automated election system in the country from the start was designed to fail in accordance with the game plan of Malacanang, adding that the series of “unfortunate and chaotic events” as far as the automated election processes were concerned were staged to convince the public of an Arroyo extended presidency beginning May 10.

Hicap said the presence of four battalions of armed government troops in the National Capital Region, excluding the 900 troops deployed in Manila, Makati, Pasay, Taguig and Caloocan was a clear sign that the Arroyo government is setting the stage for declaration of civilian-military junta with Mrs. Arroyo as its president.

“The National Capital Region is virtually transformed into a police state occupied and ruled by Arroyo and her loyal lieutenants in the AFP,” the Pamalakaya official noted.

Hicap asked the camps of Aquino, Villar, Estrada and Teodoro and the rest of the presidential candidates to immediately set aside partisan politics and focus their political energy against the grand design of Arroyo and the pro-GMA clique in the military to sabotage the polls and keep Mrs. Arroyo in power under civilian-military junta.

Hicap same the same political call applies to vice-presidential and senatorial candidates, congressional, governor and other candidates running in the May 10, 2010 elections.

Pamalakaya said all anti-Arroyo political parties and groups who will oppose the hold over presidency could agree to the formation of transition council that will include people’s organizations, anti-corruption watchdogs, human rights groups, anti-fraud electoral organizations and well respected institutions and individuals.

The fisherfolk group said the transition council can function as a transition government that will prepare the next honest, orderly, peaceful and clean elections in the next three to six months. “Why not explore this politically correct therefore politically viable option in the name of national interest?”, Pamalakaya said. #