[Indymedia-jakarta] [Fwd: Urgent Appeal from Autonomous Groups in Phils.]
anarchaoz at resist.ca
anarchaoz at resist.ca
Tue Feb 28 02:30:35 PST 2006
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Dear Friends, Comrades, Affinity Groups, Autonomists, Kolektivs,
Scenesters, etc...
This is an info dissemination campaign regarding the 11 arrested friends
of collectives in the Philippines.
Situationer...
Me and 2 others are currently here in Southern Philippines when we
received the news about our friends arrested and tortured by the PNP in
Benguet Province. Since the local media news/reports and even the ones
posted on Manila Indymedia site gave them the image of
"tourists/backpackers" most of us decided on the meeting that we better
stay on such projection as it would be an advantage for our friends in
jail.
On the other hand, our capabilities becomes limited to launch all
immediate sorts of campaign regarding on this issue since the Phil.
President yesterday declared the National State of Emergency as a failed
coup plot allegedly perpetrated by the joint forces of NPA guerillas,
mutiny soldiers and young officers union took place yesterday morning.
Since then, almost everyone on the streets can get arrested without
warrants of arrest, all rallies are banned even tho its supposed to
commemorate the Edsa Uprising of People Power in 1986, then yesterday
afternoon, the Nat'l. Telecommunications Commission called all the media
to give strict guidelines on news and reports, any interviews from the
communists progressives and other groups or individuals dissenting
against the state will be arrested. As of 12:30 am, Manila Tribune has
been raided by the Crime Investigation Division Group, also
see(http://news.inq7.net/breaking/index.php?index=1&story_id=67470 .
Since yesterday all sms text
messages we try to sent to our correspondents in northern luzon failed to
reach them. Massive arrests also took place since yesterday against
leftist icons whether on streets/offices/homes.....
Now you have to understand that the local context currently between the
Police/military and against the armed communist guerrillas has been on
high tension since the National Democratic Front has claimed that the
Mutineer Soldiers joint forced with them to Oust GMA . Tho the New
People's Army already sent a statement denouncing the involvements of
the 11 youngsters arrested by the police in Benguet Province, the Police
officers involved with the arrests and torture still insisted that the
arrested teens were members of NPA undergoing a test training. The
difficulties we face were that , first, if the cops manage to get even a
small evidence that the teens were involved with activist groups even if
not related to NPA as the police bastards claims to be, they'll have
lesser chances of getting out on jail, also, the charges filed against
them were homicide with robbery. Next, we're struggling to have legal
defense support group to render us their services, we admit that this
is
what we lack here..if anyone gets arrested we don't know whom to turn to.
The condition of the 11 arrested backpackers is hardly known except on
the interview conducted by Cordillera Human Rights Group ( the group is
affiliated with the Maoist NDF-CPP-NPA) , the worst of these is that we
have 2 minors with them, one was a 15 year old girl and the other is a
16 yr. old boy. All of them were forced to admit that they're related
with NPA. They were severely tortured and all of their belongings were
taken immediately when the police inspection/checkpoint patrol ordered
them to get off the truck they're hitchin at... All our thoughts
immediate concern is to provide them communication with parents (around
5 of them we're from far away provinces....) , get them legal
assistance, provide food and medicine/doctor check up... and we really
need to fund raise to finance these expenses, there's too many human
rights violations committed against these nature-freedom-loving kids
and we're not that familiar on how to pursue cases against the policemen
involved in
these.
For this reason, we are seeking assistance to help us with the campaign
to Free the Sagada 11. Below is a copy of the Petition and we need
signatories as well. Let us know if there is anyway you can help/assist
us on this campaign.
Thank You .
Yours in spirit and resistance,
Terry
p.s. ; here's a list of linx you can read about the 11 arrested
Backpackers...
http://a-manila.org
http://manila.indymedia.org/
http://manila.indymedia.org/?action=newswire&parentview=6807
http://manila.indymedia.org/?action=newswire&parentview=6833
http://www.philstar.com/philstar/NEWS200602259906.htm
http://news.inq7.net/regions/index.php?index=1&story_id=67360
http://news.inq7.net/regions/index.php?index=1&story_id=66957
An online petition to all who respect human rights and dignity
Free the Sagada 11!
Last February 14, a group of 11 backpackers went to Baguio to join the
festivities in the annual Baguio Flower Festival and proceed to the
idyllic mountain paradise of Sagada. They were Rundren Berloize Lao, 24,
from Davao City; Aldoz Christian Munoza, 18, single, of Santolan, Pasig
City; Darwin Alazar y Padilla, 21, single, native of Tipuso, Urdaneta
City, Pangasinan; Arvie Nunez, 21, single, native of Silang, Mayaw,
Lucena City; Ray Lester Mendoza y Esquerra, 16, from San Francisco,
Makati City; Neil Russel Balajadia, 25, single, from Santolan, Pasig
City; Jethro Villegas, 21, single, of Malagos, Calinan, Davao City;
Anderson Alonzo, 18, single, also of Malagos, Calinan, Davao City;
Ronron Pandino, 20, single, from San Quintin, Laguna; Frencess Ann
Bernal, 15, single, of Camupang, Marikina City; and Jefferson dela Rosa
y dela Cruz, 20, single, of Santolan, Pasig City. All of them just
wanted to have some fun, after their musical tour (they came from a punk
music event that was
held in Tarlac).
At around 6 a.m of the same day, the group hitchhiked aboard a dump truck
along the Baguio-Bontoc Road (Halsema Highway). This was their mode of
transportation to Sagada. Around noontime, without any provocation, they
were held in gunpoint by police looking for New People’s Army (NPA) rebels
at a checkpoint in Bangao village, Buguias town, northern Benguet.
“Tinutukan agad ng mga baril na mahahaba” from the words of Rundren Lao,
one of the lads that were accused as NPAs. They were kicked and
manhandled as there were obvious signs of torture all over their bodies.
The parents of the victims were aghast when they saw the group of youth
- bruised, wounded and still in a state of shock. The group were tied,
some handcuffed, and were brought forcefully to the station of the
1604th Police Mobile Group in Camp Molintas, Abatan, also in Benguet.
The actions done by the Benguet Police were definitely wrong, however
you look at it. These acts deserve condemnation, if not punishment by
recalling all those involved from their duties. The Sagada 11 are
innocent, adventure loving trekkers. Most likely, due to the macho,
prejudiced and unintelligent nature of police officers and the
backwardness of the police institution itself, they have assumed that
these individuals are “communists” and “armed rebels” due to the fact
that they look and dress different (punks tend to dress differently -
Rundren Lao even had dreadlocks which he cut in his attempt to escape to
maintain a low profile). The closest they can be related to “rebellion”
is due to their involvement with the non-violent peace organization Food
not Bombs, a vegetarian anti-war group where the main activity is to
recycle food to feed the poor and hungry homeless vagrants all
throughout the country.
As the Sagada 11 group’s friends, comrades, fellow musicians, and
peace-loving people who respect human rights, we demand for:
The immediate and unconditional release of the Sagada 11
A public apology to be issued to the victims and their families The
termination of the responsible people from their duties as police
officers and government workers, whether they are directly or
indirectly involved.
FREE THE SAGADA 11!
STOP POLICE REPRESSION AND BUTALITY!
RESPECT HUMAN RIGHTS!
Help us free the Sagada 11. Let the world know and denounce the
wickedness done by those of the Benguet Police Force and the Philippine
State’s repressive nature. If you agree with our statement and our
demands, you can do these:
Send this letter to all your friends or any person in your contact
list. You can help in the dissemination of information. You can also
include your name or your group’s name under the signatories below
before you forward them.
Write a letter, or if you’re within the locale or if you have ample
funds to make a long distance phone call, get in touch with the
following people, demanding the Sagada 11’s unconditional release and
the condemnation of the actions that were done to them.
Police Chief Superintendent RAUL SANCHEZ GONZALES
Regional Director (Acting)
Police Regional Office for Cordillera Administrative
Region (PRO CAR) PRO CAR Camp Bado Dangwa, La Trinidad,
Benguet (098) 541-0850/[SAT] 0985-410-850
JOVENCITO R. ZUÑO
Chief State Prosecutor
Direct Line 525-0952
Trunkline 523-8481 loc. 219; 281
Telefax 525-0952
E-mail jrz at doj.gov.ph
DOJ ACTION CENTER
Tel. No. 536-0450
TERESITA R. DOMINGO
Senior State Prosecutor
DOJ ACTION CENTER, REGION I
SAN FERNANDO, LA UNION
Tel. No. (072) 700-3599
NONATUS CEASAR R. ROXAS
PUBLIC ATTORNEY'S OFFICE
DOJ Agencies Bldg., NIA Road cor. East Avenue, Diliman,
Quezon City Tel. No. 929-9010; 924-1396
PERSIDA V. RUEDA-ACOSTA
Chief Public Attorney
PHILIPPINE NATIONAL POLICE
Internal Affairs Service
For Police Services Complaints or Complaints on a Police
Officer Dial (632) 899-7504
If you are based in another country, write your local Philippine
Embassy regarding this issue or conduct actions in front of the embassy
to pressure officials.
If you or your group are within the vicinity of Baguio City, or are
willing to travel there, join the camp out initiated by some members of
the support group.
Furthermore, we give our thanks to those who supported the Sagada 11 in
the legal aspect: the Cordillera People’s Alliance (CPA), KARAPATAN, the
Free Legal Assistance Group (FLAG), and Task Force Detainees of the
Philippines (TFDP).
Free the Sagada 11 Solidarity Campaign
Signatories:
Organizations:
- A-Manila.org
- Earth First!
- Local anarchist Network
- Food not Bombs
- Project Aperture
- Not For Sale
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