G A B R I E L A
N
E T W O R K U
S AA Philippine-US Women's Solidarity Mass Organization, est. 1989
CAMPAIGNS
WAR
OF TERROR SITUATIONER
20 May 2005
MURDERED GABRIELA AND
GABRIELA WOMEN’S PARTY
MEMBERS & AFFILIATES AND CIRCUMSTANCES OF THEIR DEATH
On July 22, 2001, 41-year old MILAGROS BELGA was brutally murdered by
two men in her home in Magdalena, Laguna, in front of her children.
She suffered bullet and stab wounds. One of the perpetrators was
identified as a member of the Citizens’ Armed Forces Geographical
Unit—a para-military group. Milagros was a GABRIELA member
and a human rights para-legal volunteer.
On April 8, 2002, MANUELA ALBARILLO, a GABRIELA member, and her husband
Expedito, a BAYAN Muna political party coordinator, were assassinated
near their home in Magdalena, Laguna. A group of men, some wearing
military uniforms and faces hidden by black bonnets, were identified
as the perpetrators. Manuela’s young children were forced
to move out of the island because of continuous threats to their lives.
On May 21, 2002, the dead bodies of RODRIGA and Ruben APOLINAR and their
8-year old daughter Nina Angela were discovered inside their house after
their neighbors heard sounds of continuous gunfire the night before.
Ruben was a member of BAYAN Muna political party. Rodriga was
a member of GABRIELA.
JHOANY LUARIO, 20-years old and four months pregnant, and MARY JANE
DE GUZMAN, 22, were abducted on April 23, 2002. Both women are
believed to have been raped and killed. They’re still missing.
On April 21, 2003, EDEN MARCELLANA, secretary general of human rights
group KARAPATAN Southern Tagalog division, along with a peasant leader,
was murdered by armed men suspected to be elements of the 204th Brigade.
Marcellana and four other companions were abducted on their way back
from a fact-finding mission regarding the abduction of a farmer.
The other three were reportedly left unharmed by the military.
MYRNA TABATA, 39, was killed by elements of the Citizens’ Armed
Forces Geographical Unit on November 11, 2003. She was a
member of Amihan, a peasant women organization.
JUVY MAGSINO, 34, and LEIMA FORTU, 27, were murdered at 11PM on February
13, 2004. Juvy suffered three gunshot wounds to her head without
exit points and one each, on her chest, shoulder and neck. Before
she was killed, Juvy received death threats though text messages that
said she would not live beyond February 15, 2004. Leima suffered
gunshot wounds in her chest, near her right ear, at her knee, and on
her shoulder. Juvy was a vice mayor, honorary member of GABRIELA,
and legal counsel for the GABRIELA Women’s Party. Leima was
a public school teacher and acting secretary general for the human rights
group KARAPATAN’s provincial division. Both women fought
for women’s human rights.
SUSAN HABAC-ARINGO, 38, suffered four shots to her back on December
7, 2003. The incident occurred at 7:30 in the morning. Elements
of the Citizens’ Armed Forces Geographical Unit and the Philippine
National Police chanced upon her farm and started firing. Instead
of bringing Susan to the nearest hospital, the government soldiers brought
her to the town plaza. Curious people began milling around her
while she was still alive. Two hours later, at 9:30AM, her two
daughters found their mother, bloddied and needing medical attention.
They kneeled and begged the soldiers to bring her to the nearest hospital.
The members of the military only laughed at them. The same soldiers
also ignored an offer from town officials in the area to use their vehicle
for transportation to the hospital. The soldiers took Susan’s
cellphone, a necklace she was wearing, and her wallet containing 4,000
pesos, which, according to her daughters, was supposed to be used to
purchase fertilizer. Three hours later, at 10:30AM, vehicles from
the Philippine National Police finally arrived and brought Susan to
the hospital. She made it there alive, but died soon after.
Reports from the military later labeled Susan as an alleged member of
the New People Army. Susan was a GABRIELA Women’s Party coordinator.
She was a widow. She had five children.
MELITA TRINIDAD CARVAJAL, 50, was shot by two unidentified men on a
motorcycle while standing in front of her house on August 27, 2004.
Melita was hit with two bullets. One entered her right cheek and
came out at the back of her head, the other traveled through her chest.
She died instantly. Melita was a GABRIELA Women’s Party municipal
coordinator and the spokesperson for a number of local and neighborhood
organizations. She fought for the rights of women and children
as she led the anti-demolition and anti-corruption campaigns in her
town. She was a widow. She had three children.
PHILIPPINE HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS SITUATION
In full support of the US so-called war on terror, Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo has declared war on all people who are critical of her government. Community organizers, mass leaders, striking peasants, and workers are being harassed, disappeared, and killed. Entire communities are being terrorized.
Since the declaration of the Philippines as the Second Front in the global war against terror, military spending by the Philippine government has increased to 60%. In the 1990s, annual military spending averaged 28 billion pesos. Since 2002, the Philippine government’s armed forces spend an average of 45 billion pesos annually.
Earlier this year, the Philippine military released a PowerPoint presentation entitled “Knowing the Enemy.” Containing 335 slides, the presentation points to peoples organizations, journalists, activists as enemies of the state.
--There have been at least 300 political killings since 2001
--11 GABRIELA and GABRIELA Women’s Party members and affiliates have been murdered since GMA took office
--There have been 32 political killings and 6 activist disappearances in the first quarter of 2005.
--There have been 100 cases of human rights violations, affecting 23, 252 victims in 91 communities from January to March 15, 2005
-- For 9 consecutive days in February of this year, the Philippine military air bombed the southern island of Sulu, releasing a total of 80 to 100 bombs. Mosques, schools, water installations were destroyed. There were over 50,000 refugees. After the bombing, the military installed camps on school grounds. Civilian houses were used for military purposes. Roofs and walls of houses were taken the marines to build military camps. Household items, like kettles and kitchenware, were looted for use in military camps. Domestic animals such as goats and cows were slaughtered for the use of the military. Families were given short periods to visit their farms. The military ordered them to be home by 3PM or risk being shot at. 21 farmers were consequently arrested, 2 were brutally beaten. They were caught visiting their coconut farms. The families needed to sneak to and from their farms. They call it: “guerrilla farming.” The presence of the Philippine military in the southern island of Sulu is no doubt securing the road to the exploitation of the island’s natural resources. There are 200 million barrels of oil and 600 billion cubic feet of gas in the Sulu Sea. An Anglo-Australian firm (a consortium that includes US companies) is bidding for the rights to explore.
--In April of 2005 a sugar can workers Union leader was killed in Negros. He suffered 22 bullet wounds. He was the 33rd victim of political killings this year. He had 5 children.
--Sugar workers in Hacienda Luisita have been demanding increase in workdays, wage and benefits (1-2 workdays/week; P9.50/week or 17 cents per week). On November 16, 2004, the Philippine military opened fire to a group of striking workers. This resulted to 7 dead, 72 wounded, 111 illegally arrested and detained.
--13 journalists were killed last year; 3 in the first quarter of 2005. According to the international Committee to Protect Journalists, the Philippines is the “most murderous country” in the entire world for the media, no longer second to Iraq as previously reported by international associations of journalists earlier this year.
The GMA government has not thoroughly investigated any of these atrocities. No one has been arrested or tried. Supported by the US, the Philippine military and para-military groups are terrorizing communities and political activists with absolute impunity. According to Philippine Colonel Palparan, members of organizations like GABRIELA and BAYAN are fair game in the US war on terror. Perpetrators like Palparan, now a General, are being rewarded by GMA for their crimes.
THE ROLE OF THE UNITED STATES
There are conclusive reports and accounts
from witnesses that point to the Philippine military and para-military
groups as perpetrating these acts of violence and violations of human
rights. The Philippines armed forces and its many elements are fully
supported by the Unites States government.
The evidence of this support lies in the millions of dollars of assistance--allocated
for military, weaponry, and training--that has been given to the Philippine
government under the guise of anti-terrorism.
The United States has committed a minimum
of 356 million dollars in security related assistance to the Philippines.
This is the largest military aid package the country has received since
the US military bases in the Philippines closed down in 1992.
Much of the assistance is destined for parts of Mindanao where the government
troops are battling both Muslim separatist rebels and Abu Sayyaf bandits.
The US military aid includes at least 47 million dollars to fund the
Balikatan 03-1 Philippine-US military training exercises in the Muslim-populated
province of Sulu.
Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo said, “We are getting this 356 million dollars because of the respect of the United States for our long and proud partnership, our fight against terror and the greatness of the Filipino worker, and Filipino soldier.”
In 2003 the itemized components of the defense and military package included:
--A provision of 33 helicopters worth 31 million dollars and spare parts worth 10 million dollars
--An additional 20 million dollars in foreign military assistance for the maintenance of Huey helicopters, C-130 cargo planes, M-35 trucks, and patrol vessels
-- counter-terrorism aid of 30 million dollars in the US supplemental budget for foreign military assistance, to train and equip light reaction companies and battalions, and Navy SEALs
--An allocation of an additional 17 million dollars in foreign military assistance in 2004
--A budget of 10 million dollars to, according to President Macapagal, “provide significant security assistance, training, equipment, and law enforcement assistance to support the Philippines war on terror”
--25 million dollars to train and equip a military engineering brigade “capable of performing civic action and humanitarian projects in conflict areas.”
This 356 million dollar commitment is up from the US pre-9/11 annual military assistance of 30 to 40 million dollars. The Philippines will soon become the fourth largest recipient of US foreign military assistance.
Meanwhile, the US State Department, in
its own report released in February 2005, said that Philippine security
forces have been responsible for serious human rights abuses. The report
found that security forces elements practiced extrajudicial killings,
vigilantism, disappearances, torture, and arbitrary arrest and detention.
In short, George W. Bush and company are using US people’s tax
dollars to fund and train human rights violators. ###
stories of women killed
brief situationer on human rights violations in the Philippines
the role of the US in the war of terror in the Philippines