Blood Bucket Challenge

Press Release

September 3, 2014

Military is sowing threats, bloodbath – militant groups

Davao City—Militant groups under Bagong Alyansang Makabayan and progressive partylists disputed the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) after the military conducted a forum against militant organization in one of the universities in the city.

The forum attended by several students in Ateneo De Davao University (ADDU) by certain Cap. Nathaniel Morales branded the militants and some of its prominent members as ‘NPAs’ and maliciously linked them to armed group.

The militant groups viewed this as a threat to their security and their members.

Sheena Duazo, Bayan Spokesperson said, “This frantic move of the AFP only exposes their institution as illogical, fascist and desperate in attacking us.”

“Why are they barking on us? Why are they panicking and spreading lies if they are confident in their platform to end insurgency? I challenge them to talk about issues on land reform, national industrialization, systemic corruption in the government, pork barrel system or simply discuss about anti-VAWC law instead of propagating old lies.” Duazo said.

Duazon stressed that “the AFP has many things to explain to the public because as a public institution, we are the ones paying them. They must remember not to use our taxes to violate our rights.”

Karapatan, one of the organizations linked by Captain Nathaniel Morales to NPAs during the forum, revealed that the AFP will always be coward in facing the truth that their troops have been isolated by the people because of their gross abuse and human rights violations.

Karapatan scored the AFP’s forced recruitment of lumads to join the notorious Alamara, a paramilitary group that recently harassed and barred a fact-finding mission team in Kapalong, Davao del Norte.

Karapatan Secretary General Hanimay Suazo said, “they will not allow us to conduct the fact-finding-mission in the area because they do not want the truth to come up. They want to cover-up the abuses done by the military. And now they want us to be silent, they want us to disappear like what they did to thousands of activists and their families.”

The militant group, in a press conference, bathed themselves with fake blood to symbolize how the military would want to see them silent and dead.

The bloodbath challenge is patterned to the infamous ice bucket challenge. But this time, according to the group, “it challenges the AFP and the Aquino government to stop the militarization in the communities, prosecute all perpetrators of extra judicial killings, address the root cause of armed conflict and resume peace talks now! ###

For reference:

Sheena Duazo

Secretary General, BAYAN-SMR

Hanimay Suazo

Secretary General, KARAPATAN-SMR

Thousands join “SONA ng Bayan”

PRESS RELEASE

July 28, 2014

Thousands join “SONA ng Bayan”

DAVAO CITY—The broad alliance of progressive groups, Bagong Alyansang Makabayan, heads 7,000 people in a regionally-coordinated march rally to Rizal Park as BS Aquino delivers his 5th State of the Nation Address today (July  28).

“Aquino already had four SONAs. But neither of them talked about the true situation of Filipinos. Instead, these were rhetoric of passing the blame to his predecessors who were also equally corrupt.” said Sheena Duazo, secretary-general of BAYAN-Southern Mindanao Region.

In a recent survey,  46 million Filipinos are  suffering from hunger  every day because of low wages and unemployment.

“Prices of rice and other basic goods rise unstoppable far from our wages. Social services, especially health, are now under privatization. Women and the people were deprived of sustainable living, of a decent life,” Duazo added.

“The government shamelessly pushed contractualization as the solution to the bloating number of jobless in the country and this had caused the worsening condition of workers in terms of wages and security of tenure all over the Philippines instead,” according to Romualdo Basilio, spokesperson of Kilusang Mayo Uno-Southern Mindanao Region.

Also, Kalipunan ng Damayang Mahihirap (KADAMAY) spokesperson Benjie Badal expressed his rage over the P10B fund intended by Aquino for the demolition of urban poor families .

Joining the protest rally are peasants from North Cotabato, Compostela Valley, Davao Oriental, Davao del Norte and Paquibato District.

The farmers and farm workers from Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas  are demanding to hold BS Aquino accountable for the unresolved landlessness and the endless killings of farmers and lumads in the countrysides.

“Seven out of ten farmers remained  to be landless under CARP and its extension, just because the government gives no attention to this problem and  instead promote mendicancy  Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program or 4Ps and Conditional Cash Transfer. 

Moreover,  Pedro Arnado, chairman of Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas-Southern Mindanao Region explained that the government’s Peace and Development Outreach Program (PDOP) in the countryside  resulted to the murder of many peasant leaders who were shouting for genuine land reform.”

Suara Bangsamoro spokesperson Jerome Aba added, “National minorities experience the same struggle. Lumads were divested from their ancestral lands because of greedy foreign mining and logging companies and Moro people were deprived of their right to self-determination.

He stressed,“Until now,ARMM remains to be the poorest region in the Philippines and there is a continuing discrimination against Bangsamoro and violation of their rights despite  several peace agreements.”

“The human rights situation is deplorable”,according to KARAPATAN- SMR.

Oplan Bayanihan was intensified on its second phase that caused 33 political killings in Southern Mindanao alone. Highlighted cases were the murder of Barug Katawhan leader Cristina Jose in Baganga; KASAKA treasurer Benjie Planos in Loreto; civilian Pedro Tinga, mining activist Marcelo Monterona & small-scale miner Welmer Vargas in Maco.

 Hanimay Suazo, secretary-general of Karapatan-SMR said, “Undeniably, this is BS Aquino’s ‘tuwid na daan’ using his killing machine Oplan to declare war against the Filipino people. Aquino is nothing but a warmonger.”

She concluded, “So much for all the lies! Aquino cannot deny his anti-people and anti-democratic character anymore. The people are already sick of his cover-ups and schemes.” ###

Press Statement: Stop the Harassment of Progressive Leaders! End Aquino’s Oplan Bayanihan Now!

July 9, 2014

Stop the Harassment of Progressive Leaders! End Aquino’s Oplan Bayanihan Now!

The Bagong Alyansang Makabayan-Southern Mindanao Region decries the increasing harassment and surveillance of prominent members and spokesperson of their allied organizations.  Two succeeding incidents involving progressive leaders and suspected security forces indicates to us that the militarization of Mindanao under Aquino’s Oplan Bayanhian has intensified, spilling over from the countryside and into urban centers.

On Sunday, University of the Philippines-Mindanao professors Myfel Paluga and Andrea Ragragio reported being followed by suspicious men while on their way back to Davao City from General Santos City from a research reconnaissance.  Motorcycle riders tailed their vehicle while they were on the road, while men in plainclothes monitored them at their stops, they said.

On Tuesday, a similar incident happened to Gabriela spokesperson May Ann Sapar yesterday morning on her way to their group’s office.  She had spotted a suspicious man loitering outside her home early yesterday; the same man got into the same jeepney she rode away from her house.   The man then sat beside her, with a short firearm visibly tucked in his trousers.

Paluga and Ragragio were active during the Defend Talaingod, Save Pantaron campaign on behalf of the Talaingod Manobos who evacuated here to Davao City last April.  Ragragio is also the spokesperson of Pagbabago! Southern Mindanao Region and Abolish Pork Movement.  Sapar, as Gabriela spokesperson, has been involved in numerous issues about the plight of the urban poor, peasant and worker women in the region.

They are all visible and vocal leaders of people’s campaigns, and their advocacies have often brought them at odds with the State’s security forces.  We believe that government agents are the only people who would have the means and the motives to harass these progressive personalities.  BAYAN-SMR condemns in the strongest possible terms the continuing policy of not distinguishing between members of legitimate people’s organizations and those deemed as enemies of the state.  This policy has resulted in countless human rights violations through the terms of Estrada, Arroyo, and now, Aquino.  We demand the immediate cessation of all forms of intimidation directed towards our members, and no less than the end of Aquino’s Oplan Bayanihan all over the country.

BAYAN protests power rate hike, calls for nationalization of power industry

News Release

May 26, 2014

Davao City – Members of Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (BAYAN-SMR) today staged a protest in front of the Davao Light and Power Company (DLPC) office in Bajada to condemn the power rate hike and call for the nationalization of power industry against privatization under the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) of the Aquino government.

“The power crisis is nothing but orchestrated to justify the total privatization of power industry and allow power trippers such as Aboitiz, Cojuangco, Sy, and Lopez to fully control and deregulate the generation, transmission, distribution, and all aspects of the power industry to extract super profit. This energy oligopoly gained the support of the Aquino Regime under the auspices of neo-liberal policy of US imperialism,” said BAYAN Southern Mindanao Region’s Secretary-General Sheena Duazo.

Just this month, residents of Davao City are surprised to find their monthly power bill increase instead of going down with the long rotational brownouts, to which DLPC explained earlier this month in their press release that there will be an estimated increase of .45 centavos per kilowatt hour on generation charge for the month of May since this month has the longest power interruption and the DLPC took their supply from the fuel-fired power plant which is expensive compared to hydroelectric power.

BAYAN said that the privatization of our basic industries such as electricity will definitely result to the increase of our electricity bills since the utmost interest of the private companies like Aboitiz’s DLPC is to gain larger profit in the guise of service to the public.

“Electricity is supposed to be a social service where the government should make it accessible for the people, but with the privatization of such vital industry we are given by the government with two choices: suffer from rotational brownouts or pay higher electricity rates,” Duazo said.

“We will not buy the artificial and deceptive power crisis orchestrated by the power oligopoly in connivance with the Aquino government. We demand an independent power audit, stop privatization of all energy resources, rehabilitate Agus-Pulangi Hydropower Plants Complex (APHPC), junk EPIRA, nationalize power industry and push for renewable energy resources to ensure long term supply of clean and affordable energy,” she added.

BAYAN called on consumers to be vigilant and act together against corporate greed and government’s inutility that deprived Dabawenyos and the rest of the Filipino people the basic social services that we all deserve.

CONTACT:

Sheena Duazo (09473441625)

###

BRAWN-AWT: MAKALAGOT, MAKAPUNGOT!

BRAWN-AWTTTT…… hahay makalagot!!!

Perwisyo alang sa tanang katawhan ug apektado ang dagan sa komersiyo ug serbisyo. Matud pa sa asosasyon sa mga investor, milyones ka pesos ang mawala matag oras tungod sa taas nga oras nga brawn-awt nga atong nasinati karon.  

Matud pa sa gobyerno ug sa mga dagkung negosyante sa kuryente sama sa mga Aboitiz, nagkulang na kuno ang suplay sa atong enerhiya tungod kay ting-init ang panahon karon. Nikunhod kuno ang level sa tubig sa mga hydropower plants sama sa Agus-pulangi ug Maria Cristina nga mingresulta sa pagkunhod usab sa  kuryenteng mapalugwa sa maong mga planta.  Husto ba kini nga mga pasangil? Murag ang dagan sa istorya, ang kinaiyahan pa ang nahimong sad-an. Sala ba diay sa kinaiyahan kon wala tarunga sa pagdala sa gobyerno ang agus-pulangi hydropower plant nga ningresulta sa dili maksimisadong pagpalugwa og kuryente.  Sala ba diay sa kinaiyahan kon ang pundo sa Malampaya nga proyekto sa gobyerno alang sa enerhiya gikurakot sa mga opisyales sa gobyerno, imbis nga idugang ang maong  pundo aron makapalapad ang gobyerno sa mga proyektong pang-enerhiya.  

Makalibog ang baruganan atong sa gobyerno. Kon suplay man sa kuryente ang suliran, ang pagsapribado ba sa industriya sa enerhiya ang kasulbaran?  Husto ba nga itugyan ngadto sa mga kapitalista ang industriya sa enerhiya, isip usa ka batakang panginahanglan.  Husto ba nga ang  enerhiya nga giilang lifeblood sa atong eknomiya, himoong negosyo, imbis  nga serbisyo?  Husto ba nga itugyan sa mga kapitalista, diin walay laing katuyuan ang paghakop lamang og dakung ganansiya taliwala sa kalautan sa katawhan.

Tan-awa karon. Nagsige nag brawn-awt, ningtaas pa hinuon ang atong bayronon sa kuryente.  Pangatarungan sa Aboitiz kay tungod  kuno ningkunhod ang gisuplay nga kuryente sa NAPOCOR nga diin barato ug ninggamit sila diesel-fueled genset  nga mas mahal kumpara sa hydropower, aron ihulip sa kakulangan sa NAPOCOR.  Lisud gyud sabton sa katawhan, nga sige nag brawn-out, nitaas na man hinuon ang ilang bayronon. Mao kini ang ginadangatan sa katawhan sa dihang gisapribado na ang indusriya sa kuryente. Niadto, kutob lang distribution sa kuryente ang negosyo sa Aboitiz, apan karon hangtud na kini sa power generation.  Imbis na palapdon ug pakusgon ang NAPOCOR, isip proyekto sa gobyerno nga mualagad sa katawhan, gibaligya na man hinuon sa gobyerno ang maong korporasyon ngadto sa mga kapitalista. Samtang ang katawhan nag-antus sa brawn-awt, nabulahan gihapon pag-ayo ang Aboitiz  pinaagi sa paghakop og dakung ganansiya.

Halos 55 porsyento sa suplay sa kuryente sa Mindanao naggikan sa Agus-Pulangi hydropower plants complex nga natukod sa Agus River sa duha ka probinsya sa Lanao ug Pulangi River sa Maramag, Bukidnon. Ang installed capacity o kapasidad nga mumugna og kuryente sa maong mga planta mukabat sa 900 mega-watts (MW) ug dependable capacity niini o ang kapasidad mga muhatag og kuryente mukabat sa 700 MW. Apan tungod sa siltation ug kakulang sa maintenance sa maong mga planta gumikan sa pagpasagad ug kawalay igong badyet sa rehabilitasyon ug maintenance sa gobyerno, miubos ang kapasidad niini sa paghatag og kuryente ngadto sa 500 MW.

Tungod sa Agus-Pulangi Hydropower Plants Complex (APHPC), nagpabiling ‘ubos’ ang singil sa kuryente sa Mindanao kumpara sa Luzon ug Visayas. Ang average nga generation charge sa Luzon mukabat sa P4.36/kWh ug Visayas P3.72/kWh samtang sa Mindanao mukabat lamang sa P2.81/kWh.

Ilalom sa EPIRA nga nahimong balaod kaniadtong Hunyo 2001, adunay probisyon nga nagdumili (deferment) sa pagbaligya sa pribadong korporasyon o pribatisasyon sa Agus-Pulangi Hydropower Plants Complex (APHPC) sulod sa 10 ka tuig. Kay tungod gunit pa kini sa gobyerno, nagpabiling ‘ubos’ ang singil sa Mindanao kumpara sa Luzon ug Visayas.

SERBISYO UG DILI NEGOSYO ANG ANGAY NGA MAG-UNANG KINAIYA SA INDUSTRIYA SA ENERHIYA.

Angayang magpakabana kitang mga katawhan tungod kay tataw nga gibinuangan kita sa gobyernong Aquino ug sa mga kapitalista. Angayang singlon ang gobyerno dinha sa iyahang responsilibidad sa paghatag sa katawhan og kuryente isip serbisyo ug dili dakong negosyo. Angayang ipanawagan sa gobyerno nga maggahin ug dakong pundo alang sa rehabilitasyon sa APHPC imbes nga ibaligya kini sa mga kapitalista. Kung tinuod nga adunay kasing-kasing ang gobyerno alang kanatong katawhan, angayan nga ibasura ang balaod nga EPIRA ug  inasyunalisa sa gobyerno ang industriya sa kuryente imbis nga ihatag kini sa kamot sa mga dagkong kapitalista nga walay laing interes kundili ang pagkawkaw ug dagkong ganansya. Hangtud dili magpakabana ang gobyerno alang sa kaayuhan sa mayorya sa katawhan, dako ang panginahanglan nga kita molihok ug musalmot sa mga kalihokang protesta batok sa pakigkunsabohay sa gobyernong Aquino ug sa mga dagkong kapitalista.

JUNK EPIRA! JUNK PPP!

REHABILITATE AGUS-PULANGI NOW!

NATIONALIZE POWER INDUSTRY!

NO TO MONOPOLY OF POWER INDUSTRY!

Philippines' Manobo face uncertain future

Talaingod Bakwit (c) Kilab Multimedia