Campuses Become Virtual Military Garrisons as Soldiers Harass, Spy on Students

Campuses Become Virtual Military Garrisons as Soldiers Harass, Spy on Students*
By Janess Ann J. Ellao

MANILA — While walking towards the market, Cielo Marie Bayson, chairperson of the College Editors Guild of the Philippines-Cordillera (CEGP) and Kabataan Partylist regional coordinator Adrian Galang stopped after noticing that passengers of a red car took photos of them.

“Who else would do such things?” Galang asked in a statement issued recently. Some students would have taken the situation lightly, but since Kabataan Partylist and other youth groups such as CEGP have become targets of Oplan Bantay Laya 2 – the counterinsurgency program of the Arroyo administration that does not distinguish between combatants and civilians, legal and underground organizations – Bayson and Galang immediately exposed the alleged military surveillance before the media.

What happened to Bayson and Galang is not an isolated incident. Bulatlat has monitored other cases of harassment of members of progressive student organizations. There is also an alarming presence of soldiers in state universities where such groups are active.

These incidents have intensified to a point that Joanna Rose Adenit, former chair of the Gabriela chapter at the Philippine Normal University (PNU), felt the need to always bring something to defend herself with everywhere she goes. Katherine Vera, a friend of Adenit and an alumna of PNU, told Bulatlat, “She was being followed by the military.”

Red-baiting

Vera said the intense harassment and surveillance on Adenit began when the PNU administration allowed officers from the Armed Forces of the Philippines-Civil Military Operations (AFP-CMO) to hold an “Information and Awareness Forum” at the university last March 5, 2007. “It was as if there was a war going on,” Vera said, referring to the presence of soldiers roaming the campus then.

PUP students caught military intelligence officers taking picture of student leaders in a rally inside their campus. The intelligence officer were arrested by the students. (Photo Courtesy of The Catalyst / bulatlat.com)

Members of progressive organizations staged a protest action outside PNU while others attended the said forum. “When the military officers began tagging progressive organizations under the Bagong Alyansang Makabayan as communist fronts, the students reacted to defend their organizations,” she said.

Vera said the military took pictures of students who were contradicting their claims, saying that it was merely for documentation purposes. But, she said, it was obvious that they were singling out the students for surveillance later on. “They took photos of us so Torch also took photos of them (Military)” Vera said. The Torch is the official student publication of PNU.

The same forum was conducted by the CMO at the Polytechnic University of the Philippines in August 2008. The military’s presentation included a testimonial from a certain “Agnes” who claims to be a former member of the League of the Filipino Students who eventually became a New People’s Army guerrilla. Catalyst editor-in-chief Joyce Llanto said they were allowed to interview “Agnes” but, “we were surrounded by soldiers in full battle gear.”

A week later, Llanto said they were surprised when a bundle of comic books was found in an empty classroom. The comic books portrayed student organizations of PUP as members of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP). The comics included an illustration of a girl wearing a headband – the same headband that Llanto used while interviewing “Agnes.”

Militarizing Campuses

After the forum sponsored by the military, the surveillance on student leaders and organizations intensified. An article published in The Catalyst titled “S.I.N. Machine: Ang Makinaryang Paniktik ng AFP sa Pamantasan,” revealed that a student who was a member of the Reserved Officers Training Corps’ Cadet Officers Candidate Course (ROTC-COCC) described how they are being used to spy on members of progressive organizations in their campus.

The article exposed how students enrolled in COCC were given rank promotions and even money for their intelligence reports. “The military are using the ROTC as passports inside PUP,” JM Panganiban of Anakbayan told Bulatlat.

Not satisfied with using the ROTC, intelligence officers also do surveillance work themselves. This was confirmed when intelligence agents were caught taking pictures of students who were participating in a protest action inside PUP on August 29, 2009. “Some students tried to accost the four intelligence agents but the latter ran and hid inside the ROTC office,” Llanto said.

(Photo Courtesy of The Catalyst / bulatlat.com)

Panganiban told Bulatlat that after that incident, military officers no longer conceal themselves when inside the campus. They walk freely inside the campus grounds with their M-16 rifles.

The military’s presence is also felt at the Los Banos campus of the University of the Philippines. In an interview with Bulatlat, Perspective editor-in-chief Arbeen Acuña related that heavily armed military officers were first seen in their campus during the Laguna Peace and Order Council forum that was held in the state university “The Perspective tried to enter the venue to cover the event but we were sent away,” he said.

Acuña said they tried to take photos of the soldiers when they heard security guards reporting in their radios that the two ‘deltas’ are ‘positive’ prompting other soldiers to arrive to fetch their colleagues. “We pretended that we were raising our phones because of poor network signals,” he said.

“How could the military and local security guards have direct contact?” Acuña said, speculating that the university administration and the military are probably collaborating.

After that, more military officers became visible in their campus. A day after President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s last state of the nation address, Perspective culture editor Jonelle Marin saw a military truck inside their campus. Then on September 8, 2009, Acuña saw another group of military officers going towards the College of Forestry and Natural Resources building.

An Attack on Student Organizations

Acuña of Perspective told Bulatlat that he feels threatened by the presence of soldiers inside the school. “Once I went to the canteen to find a group of armed military officers eating. I noticed that one of them was staring at me,” he said, “Later on, all of the military officers in that table were already staring at me.”

He said red tagging has become a common strategy in the UP-LB campus since the military’s presence became more and more felt. During their February 2009 student council elections, the Samahan ng Kabataan para sa Bayan (SKB), a party alliance of 55 organizations, became the target of military propaganda. Bundles of leaflets, which accused the SKB of being a communist front, were found near their school buildings and classrooms. Some leaflets were sent via registered mail to faculty members. The leaflets were signed by an obscure organization with the name, Save the Youth Against Communism and Terrorism Movement, which according to Acuña, does not exist in UP-LB campus.

Acuña said this is simply an old military tactic to cripple mass organizations, which are very active in their campus.

With the continuous privatization of state universities and colleges, youth and student organizations have been at the forefront in struggling for free and accessible education for all. Along with these, they also actively participated in battling corruption. During the ‘Hello Garci’ scandal, an election fraud issue that hounds the present administration and last year’s revival of charter change, the youth once again came out in the streets to protest.

As for PUP, Panganiban said, even the Prudente-Enrile-Ramos accord, which supposedly guarantees that soldiers would not be allowed inside the university is being disregarded. This, he said, is being done to cripple the operations of progressive student organizations and to spy on and harass student leaders.

But despite this, Panganiban of PUP said, their membership continue to increase. “They [the military] are giving students more reasons to believe that our advocacies are genuine.”

*Originally from Bulatlat.com
http://www.bulatlat.com/main/2010/04/05/campuses-become-virtual-military-garrisons-as-soldiers-harass-spy-on-students/

Homo Filipinus? The modern Filipino as a social by-products of cosmopolitanism

Homo Filipinus?
The modern Filipino as a social by-product of cosmopolitanism

Last time, whilst walking in the streets for a quenching drink of Sago't Gulaman, I sought people, this time becoming too obsessed with the flow at non stop. Wearing baseball caps inappropriately, girls wearing skimpy clothing, getting addicted much on the cosmopolitan atmosphere, the Philippines becoming more of a ghetto than of a promised land in an eyes of a Pilipino.

True, for as I notice these people, driven much by the flow (that in fact, I despise and trying to resist) are seemingly forgetting or ridding off all of their consciousness regarding life just to go with the flow-even by "pirated" means like cellphones to nonsense-related music.

And thus,
I simply think a simple question:
"Is this the birth of "Homo Filipinus?" A by product of cosmopolitanism?

Yes, as the everyday Filipino, imprisoned 333 years in a convent and 40 years in the American Hollywood including 5 years in a Japanese brothel, that being we deared and loved acquired traits that seemed contrary to our concept of our everyday lives. A manifestation that Filipinos (or rather say Pilipinos) are step by step becoming apathetic about their consciousness as a nation, or having its heritage museumified whist in everyday life becoming puppets of a foreign overseer from politics to the realms of culture.

Why?
Like China, the Filipino becomes a victim of wholesale westernization alongside brain and brawn drain and other related sorts that severely affects the country. National consciousness becomes nothing but a fashion statement than those of social action, poverty become a by-word than of a problem, anti-communism becomes terrorist related than ideological, all of these are a by products of cosmopolitanism that the west wanted, that the Filipino, with a "scientific name of "Homo Filipinus" a social by-products of cosmopolitan ghettoized Philippines.

To those who hath offended, sorry for what I have said, since this critique is a response to the growing cosmopolitanism that affected most to the point that the Filipino becomes apathetic, asocietal, imbued with wholesale westernization and having less patriotism that the flag from the coulours to the sun and stars museumified and as a fashion statement.

Need some Examples?
One basic example is the both "popular" and "infamous" breed of "jejemon" aka the ones trying hard to become gangsters.

Mostly coming from the lower class, these lumpenproletariat, these people are greatly victims of social experimentation, of poverty and wholesale westernization to the point that they tried to act much of the west devoid of contradictions.

And as I look at them? True is the word of their critics as they see them wearing their heads with baseball caps inappropriately, girls wearing skimpy clothing, obsessed with nonsense sounding rap music, addicted much to competition (like face-offs featured in their Friendster accounts), of sexual desire, and typing messages with inappropriately-written words, but then, despite criticizing these people, I also accepted them as people-with a need for consciousness as Filipinos, as members of the working class, and a need for education and reform through labor to join in the struggle against the system that advocates social experimentation, wholesale westernization and social degeneration of a "ghettoized" Pilipino society.

We may consider this difficult to understand as we didn't use our microscopes to look "what's really inside" in regards to the society, or like Zaide, we may look into but using a foreign made microscope that even contradicts the reality itself! True, as the society, being rotten to the core that benefits the imperialist, the fascist, and of the feudo-capitalist had its people, a social by-products of cosmopolitanism, of wholesale westernization, bereft of "life", "dignity", and "social consciousness" hath to wear a "US-made" glasses and join with the flow!

And like Lu Xun, these social by-products of cosmopolitanism, along with the apathetic and of the extravagant, of the right-winger and of the capitalist are, in his vocabulary are known much as cannibals. And again, according to his book "A madman's diary":
"Everything requires careful consideration if one is to understand it. In ancient times, as I recollect, people often ate human beings, but I am rather hazy about it. I tried to look this up, but my history has no chronology, and scrawled all over each page are the words: "Virtue and Morality." Since I could not sleep anyway, I read intently half the night, until I began to see words between the lines, the whole book being filled with the two words—"Eat people." "

True, as Homo Filipinus are becoming more and more cannibalized within the rotten society, for sure some Filipinos who aren't joining the dreaded "flow" and instead resisting it, they really understood much that history, save for Agoncillo and Constantino, are having no chronology and instead "giving thanks" to the colonizers for molding into modern apathetical, asocietal society with the words of "peace", "democracy", "virtue" and "morality" which is in fact doing the contrary! The worst? Advocating "cannibalism" through "cosmopolitanism" and "wholesale westernization." of life.

I hope the people must understand this, as the Homo Filipinus must ought to grab both the machete and of the book to regain its consciousness and start to clean off its society of scoundrels and of stupids, breaking off the museum and destroying the glass case that encloses culture, and lastly breaking off the ties of past to reclaim the concept of future, Filipinos, or rather say Pilipinos are not destined to become social cannibals and bereft of realities, and thus we have a long journey to end this centuries of mess.

or in case of Lu Xun:
"Perhaps there are still children who have not eaten men? Save the children."

The music of "struggle" resounds

The music of "struggle" resounds
(reflections regarding Radio Bandiera Nera, the apathetics, the skeptics, and worse...)

Last time, while listening to Radio Bandiera Nera (a radio station full of techno, disco-like music, but affiliated with the right wingers, aka Fascists in Europe), I was thinking most of the time about the events happened in this rotten society, especially in regards to the plight of the working class and the peasantry, including the students in public and private universities fighting against tuition fee increases.

However,
Due to the fact that living in this rotten society lies a realistic response of calling for change, I notice that most people around, passing every generation, remained skeptical or apathetic towards that convincing message. And for sure some may ought to say "why change?", "Are you not contented?", "Change starts from us!" or worse... "Change? I don't care about it!"

But then,
As they faced themselves on the boob tube, they started to make fun at the people, cursing creating crass statements contrary to the statements being said by the ones given a microphone and said "we do this and that..." How come these people, apathetic in nature started to spark opposition and yet they do nothing at all? Perhaps due to the "joys" of staying at home, going to work and school, having a good grade or better salary, eating fine food and drink, they forgot society at all-and yet they speak of crass statements against the ones in the boob tube? Eeriesistible!

And as I continue listening to that fascist RBN while reading Mao and writing this work, I notice that of all the songs Radio Bandiera Nera played includes the song "Friday I'm in love" by the Cure, and I confessed that it sounds questionable. Well... how come they played one of my favorite songs? Perhaps aside from their fascist themed music like those of Skrewdriver also includes some techno, some party sound that to the listener, not noticing that the radio station has connections with right wing fascist groups mainly in Europe like Italy.

And secondly,
How come Radio Bandiera Nera wanted change whilst some listeners are traditionalists? Due to their tag-line of Liberi, Belli, Ribelli" (Free, beautiful, rebellious.) How come some listeners insist in traditionalism? Are they rebellious just to restore the old order of things? I have listened to some sort of music from both left and right but they called for rebellion, for liberation, but then as they listened to the music of struggle they (the right wing) are doing the contrary. Save for the party music and of the ones I got interested, the rest end up too questionable or rather say opposing to say, but at least better than mainstream rap and other crass music being played in the radio, but RBI increasingly becomes crassy-for the proof lies in the majority of the listeners.

And lastly,
As I listened to the music played in RBI, devoid of their message of "white power", "anti-socialism", somehow it also mirrors the fact that the system rotten and its people desired a need for change. Whether it is "the Cure" or any other kind, even Musikangbayan and the ones who sung "Awit ng Rebolusyonaryo" (Song of the Revolutionary), they wanted change in all sorts-including love and relationships-better than the Manny Villar Jingle featuring the kids from Tondo Manila being played in the boob tube or in the radio.

Anyway,
I hope someday there will be Radio Estrella Roja and any other alternate radios in the internet to counter Radio Baniera Nera and other right-wing radio stations online. At first, We need a fusion of disco music, futurism, techno and people's struggle like those of Flattbush, Eskapo, Antigo, Musikangbayan, Peoples Chorale and others whose objective is to resist the flow. Otherwise, we'll end up as carcasses of the state-sponsored violence or slaves of the rotten system that fosters apathy.

US nurses group ask: Free Morong 43

US nurses group ask: Free Morong 43*

MANILA, Philippines—National Nurses United (NNU), a 150,000-strong organization of registered nurses based in the United States, asked the Philippine government to release the 43 health workers who were arrested in Morong, Rizal.

NNU, through its co-presidents Deborah Burger, Karren Higgins, and Jean Ross, also wrote US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, making the same call and stressing that the arrest and continuing detention of the so-called Morong 43 are illegal and constitute human rights violations.

In a news release, the health organization also posed their deep concerns on how dedicated health workers are being treated in a country where a lot of medics are forced to leave because of the lack government support.

NNU commended the efforts of the 43 health workers and particularly mentioned Gary Liberal, a fellow nurse and an operating room nurse from Jose Reyes Memorial Hospital who is also the National Auditor of the Alliance of Health Workers (AHW), a recognized union of healthcare workers in the Philippines.

Earlier, the National Council of Churches also asked Clinton to investigate the case of the 43 health workers.

Dr. Eleanor Jara, one of the spokespersons of the Free the 43 Health Workers Now! Alliance, says their organizations are very pleased with the overwhelming support—from support letters, mobilizations, here and abroad, including fasting and other symbolic actions.

“This outpouring of support is a great source of inspiration to all the detainees, their relatives, and all their colleagues and everyone working for their release.”

Dr. Merry Mia-Clamor, one of the two physicians among the 43, writing from detention also expressed her gratitude on the support coming from around the world.

Among the organizations who have earlier expressed their support include Women’s Global Network for Reproductive Rights (WGNRR), Red Mundial de Mujeres por los Derechos Reproductivos Réseau Mondial de Femmes por les Droits Reproductifs (Netherlands), Organizing Centre for Social and Economic Justice (Canada), Health Care Without Harm-Southeast Asia, Kasammako (Korea), Peoples Health Movement, and other international human rights and religious organizations.

*Originally posted in Inquirer, Url:
http://globalnation.inquirer.net/news/breakingnews/view/20100401-261967/US-nurses-group-ask-Free-Morong-43

"Follow CHRIST, Serve the PEOPLE" a work by Jose Dennio P. Lim jr.

"Follow CHRIST, Serve the PEOPLE"*
a work by Jose Dennio P. Lim jr.

I cannot consider myself as an ardent and faithful follower of Christ. Just like everyone else, I do get swayed by temptations easily and fall into sin. But despite that, I'm trying hard to follow his living example.

Lately, I had been finding myself engaged in deep reflection. I've been trying to scan the past 20 years of my life if I had been able to do something for Christ and if I had been able to somehow live out his examples in my life. Well, I found some.

There had been several instances wherein I had been able to give alms - specifically food. I had also tried to become active in several church-based and Catholic organizations (like YFC and SFC). I had been also, once in my life, tried to pray the rosary everyday that lasted for quite some time. I had also been attending mass regularly (though there had been times that I had not been able to). I had tried to put up a blog in the past that tried to defend Catholic doctrines and teachings (inspired by the relentless attacks by INC and Ang Dating Daan). And just recently, I had been religiously visiting the adoration chapel to spend some time in prayer.

But as I look in each action that I did to follow Christ, none of them had been really of service to him.

---

The Mass (for Catholics) is the highest form of worship that we can ever give to Christ. It is the time wherein we are all gathered in front of Him to praise and worship him. But for me, even if we regularly attend Mass, it is no sign that we are indeed following Christ's teachings on love.

We can sing our hearts out for him, actively participate as a lector, commentator or lay minister, give thousands of pesos to the church or feed the poor. But these things are not enough. Even Christ recognizes that.

He rebuked the Pharisees and Scribes for being too superficial with their faith (Matthew 23).

He reminds us that we cannot truly follow him if we cannot leave behind our riches in this world (Matthew 19: 16-24).

He tells us that we need to take up his cross and follow him (Matthew 16:24).

He asks us that if we truly love him we need to feed the sheep of his flock (John 21:17).

But what do all these bible passages have to do with truly following Christ so we can serve the people?

Christ simply wants us to take the path where most people never even dared to walk through.

---

As we all know, being an activist or an outspoken critic of the status quo in this country is dangerous. You would surely get killed or immediately tagged by the military as a communist. Leftists in particular, are often criticized for their seemingly irrational acts like the recent events in PUP and UP. Leftists are often branded as barbaric, uncivilized and war freak people who only wanted to sow 'terror' and disturb the 'peaceful life everyone has.'

But what these people failed to realize (especially for Christians), that if they're going to put themselves in the same context that Christ lived, they were the ones who crucified him.

---

It would be a bit too much to liken activists/leftists to Christ. But, we should also realize that in Jesus time, he was also heavily criticized by these 'holy and righteous people' because Christ had been very radical in his words and action. People then were scandalized to see Him eating with taxpayers, mingling with a prostitute and healing lepers. They could not accept then that a 'man' like Him would claim to be the Messiah and God himself.

He was decried by many for his breaking the rules, disobeying the laws and taking into his fold the most oppressed people of that time.

And while those who claim righteousness are busy in bringing Christ down, they turn a blind eye to the people whom Christ are evangelizing and helping.

Now, isn't it the same as what these 'civilized' people are doing?

---

Christ is calling each and every one of us that if we truly want to serve him, we have to serve his people. Sacraments and traditions are okay but they are just the tip of the iceberg. The real meaning of being a true Christian lies in being able to reach out to the people of God and be one with them so that one day we may be truly free - freedom from injustice, oppression and poverty. But he also tells us that it won't be easy. People will see it as scandalous, barbaric, radical, anarchic and an irrational act that only aims to disturb the status quo.

Well, that's what Christ wants us to do.

He want us to disturb the present social order. He wants us to enlighten the people. He wants us to give our all no matter what happens - just like what Christ did on that cross.

He was crucified for simply carrying out the real message of love: service to the people.

Reflect on that my dear friends. Reflect on what happened thousands of years ago on this Good Friday.

And may it enlighten us to truly FOLLOW CHRIST and SERVE THE PEOPLE.

*The title is derived from the call to action (or is it tagline) by the Student christian Movement of the Philippines or SCMP, a militant, progressive, mass-oriented youth organization in the Philippines. For more info about them visit their Facebook Page or see this article about them here.

originally posted last 4/02/2010 02:17:00 AM

Roxas should take GMRC lessons -CEGP

Roxas should take GMRC lessons -CEGP

03 April 2010
NEWS RELEASE

Vijae Alquisola, College Editors Guild of the Philippines (CEGP) national president, denounced the claim of the camp of vice president candidate Manuel Roxas III that it (the camp) alone was able to impose a tuition fee increase moratorium on the Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP).

“When we were protesting the tuition and other fee increases, where was he? When we camped out at the Manila Police District in support of the five student leaders wrongfully detained, where was he? The students have not seen hair nor hide of this Roxas.”

In a press release posted in the Senate website, the moratorium was credited to the representative of Roxas, who made a motion rejecting the increase. The release also described the March 24 protest action, described by media reports as the deciding factor in imposing the moratorium, as “unruly.”

“Before that day, we have exhausted every possible avenue without resorting to violence, but our pleas fell on deaf ears. They used fire extinguishers, which could have suffocated and killed us. Some of the Commission on Higher Education (CHEd) even physically manhandled us, punching some of the students. Now they tell us that we are violent, brash, that we are hooligans. We are peace-loving citizens, who desire to exercise our right to quality state-subsidized education, as provided for under the 1987 Philippine Constitution. We are far from unruly.”

“We should not be the recipients of the lessons on good manners and right conduct CHEd Chairman Emmanuel Angeles keeps on harping about. Given this development, Roxas should be made to take such a lesson. Does he not know that claiming something not his own is not only impolite but unethical as well?,” Alquisola added.

“This victory belongs to the students who continue to struggle for their rights. This victory proved that only through collective action can we achieve our goals. Rest assured that we will continue to fight, not just our rights, but the rights of the Filipino people, as befits the hope of the nation.”

A message to all Christians this Good Friday and Holy Week in general

A message to all Christians this Good Friday and Holy Week in general