like a rolling stone

Political prisoners, notably the National Democratic Front of the Philippines peace consultants are being released in line with the peace talks. This marks the first time in 15 years that peace consultants are being released, though temporarily, to enable them to participate in the talks.

Now before anyone starts screaming that the Duterte government is releasing these “bad, Communist criminals”, it is necessary to point out why the Tiamzons et al are actually in jail. Why are they even considered political prisoners?

Are they in jail because they’re members of the Communist Party of the Philippines? Not really. You cannot go to jail simply by being a member of the CPP. That by itself is not a crime.

They are in jail because they’ve been slapped with trumped-up charges, the kind which can keep you in jail indefinitely because these alleged crimes are non-bailable. Of course these false charges are being filed in light of their political beliefs.  A lot of the charges are based on planted evidence and false witnesses employed by the military. Take the case of Tirso Alcantara who faces 46 charges in different courts because it appears that all activities of the NPA have been blamed on him. Planting evidence and employing false witnesses and fabricating charges is not right and must not be tolerated by government. Alas, these practices have been so rampant during the regime of Arroyo and Aquino because they weren’t interested in pursuing peace talks with the NDFP.

They are political prisoners because the charges against them are in line with their political beliefs, even if the charges are false and are considered common crimes.

But aren’t they armed or are waging armed struggle against the government? Perhaps. It is another thing though if they were actually armed during their arrests because in most cases they weren’t, that’s why state agents had to plant evidence. But even assuming they were armed, isn’t that reason to arrest them? Well there is an existing agreement that prevents the government from arresting known NDFP peace consultants, or those with proper identification or those who enjoy protection under the said agreement. The NDFP consultants can’t be charged with common crimes and should be immune from arrest, harassment and surveillance according to the Joint Agreement on Safety and Immunity Guarantees. This pact would allow them to participate in peace talks to address the root causes of the armed conflict. It is only at the conclusion of the peace talks that the laying down of arms will take place.

In the case of Ed Serrano, he was detained for 11 years, and was simply awaiting the dismissal of his remaining cases when he fell ill and died in a hospital, unable to gain his freedom. That’s how bad the trumped-up charges are. There is a fundamental question of justice when we demand the release of political prisoners, including the NDFP consultants. It is a statement that their arrest and detention were unjust to begin with.

The Duterte government is right in committing to the release of the NDFP consultants in accordance with the JASIG and in the spirit of reviving the stalled peace talks. Of course if you ask the families of the detained, they would have preferred that the false charges were dropped altogether because that it what real justice requires. It should be noted though that the NDFP consultants are only gaining temporary liberty upon orders of the courts, so that they could participate in the peace talks. The false charges against them remain. They would still need to fight those.

There would be some cause to celebrate the release of political prisoners before the start of the peace talks. That would be a significant development indeed. We should be reminded however that there are more than 500 political prisoners who need to be freed. Our work is far from done.

So when someone complains why political prisoners are being released, let us explain that they are not criminals, that many of them are principled revolutionaries who were incarcerated based on false charges. They did not steal nor oppress the poor. They are not criminals in the mold of past Philippine presidents, or of the big criminal syndicates. They deserve to be released and allowed to continue their work in the peace talks. (Photo by Kristine Mangunay, PDI)

Change is coming, they say. Thus change must also come to the annual SONA of the President. Only July 25, President Rodrigo R. Duterte is set to deliver his first State of the Nation Address. Here are some ways this year’s SONA can be different and meaningful.

1. We agree with the President. Let’s stop the SONA red carpet and fashion show. There is something terribly wrong when paid public servants strut around in designer gowns and suits, at work, while ordinary folks struggle to make ends meet.

2. Do away with the overkill security measures. Security for SONA 2015 seemed to rival the security for the Holy Father Pope Francis’ visit, except that those being protected inside Batasan were anything but holy. The security measures of the past were a waste of public resources and a terrible inconvenience on commuters and motorists. Every year, Commonwealth Avenue is turned into a war zone because of the presence of thousands of policemen, backed up by soldiers, container vans, razor-sharp concertina wires and firetrucks.
3. Let the people near Batasan. It’s a matter of Constitutional right. Absent any evidence of clear and present danger, there is no reason to block rallyists from getting near the SONA venue. This is also the simplest solution to the problem of heavy traffic. By allowing people to gather along Batasan Road, government can open up Commonwealth Avenue. Commuters will thank, instead of curse government.

4. No more gimmicks, please. Gloria Arroyo had her bangkang papel. Noynoy Aquino had his AVP’s and constant blaming of GMA. These don’t amount to much in terms of solutions. People want to hear about concrete programs to solve poverty, underdevelopment, unemployment, lack of sovereignty, human rights and so on. Answers and programs, not just sound bytes for the evening news.
5. Keep it real. It’s called State of the Nation Address. It’s supposed to reflect our current situation. To the President’s speech writers, don’t sugarcoat it. Don’t tell us how far we’ve come and how great life is. Don’t give us statistics on the so-called growth that’s not really felt by most. Don’t bombard us about improved credit ratings and other stats  that don’t mean squat to the poor. Give us the ugly truth so that concrete solutions can be found. We’d rather have an honest SONA than one that reads like a script for Encantadia.

The current president made many firsts during his inauguration. He had no problem breaking tradition. Let’s hope he does the same for his first SONA.

Photo from Interaksyon

Yesterday, the Philippine National Police presented before the Senate a supposed witness to the Kidapawan protest that saw two people dead and scores injured and arrested.

Charlie Pasco, a self-confessed military intelligence asset of the AFP’s 39^th Infantry Battalion, said he infiltrated the farmers’ protest and talked to Darwin Sulang who he described as a former comrade in the New People’s Army. He later said that Sulang was armed with a .38 caliber handgun. Sulang, however would die in the dispersal from a gunshot wound to the head, from an M-16 rifle.

Pasco’s testimony, apart from maligning the dead Sulang, was intended to shift the blame for the violence on the protesters. He tried to portray the farmer protesters as being armed and violent, which was why the police had to use deadly force against them.

It is very convenient for Pasco to heap accusations on the dead Sulang as the latter can no longer rebut the allegations made by the former. It is also very strange that Pasco’s testimony surfaced only now, when it is already established who actually fired their weapons on the protesters.

Who is Pasco? Why did he appear only now with his tall tale of the farmers being armed and violent?

Pasco is a professional rebel returnee. He first “surrendered” in January 2014 and “surrendered” again on March 29, 2016 or a day before the Kidapawan protests.

Here is a news release from the Facebook post of Alberto Caber, the Public Affairs Branch Chief at Eastern Mindanao Command, AFP

Meanwhile, on March 29, two years after his first surrender, a news release showed Pasco surrendered yet again to the AFP’s 10^th Infantry Division in an awarding ceremony in Digos City, Davao del Sur. He surrendered an M-14 rifle and received P60,000 for this.

We can very well assume that he must have recycled the same M-14 rifle he earlier surrendered in 2014 for which he already got paid under the same government program .

Pasco may have defrauded the Philippine government by surrendering twice to claim cash rewards OR the Philippine government through the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process headed by Ging Deles, is actually recycling rebel returnees as a form of racket.

Whichever it is, Pasco has zero credibility as a witness because he is a paid agent of the AFP. He already confessed under oath that he was there at the Spottswood Methodist church to infiltrate the rally, upon orders by his handlers from the AFP.

It is another thing altogether if he was actually in Kidapawan as he claims because it was already reported that he was busy “surrendering” and claiming a cash reward in Digos City on March 29.

What is enraging here is the lengths the PNP and AFP will go through to cover up the truth. They will not hesitate to concoct lies and slander a dead person just to save their asses. They know fully well that dead men tell no tales, but how low can you get? Sa harap mismo ng Tatay ng namatay, nagawa nilang magsinungaling, mag-imbento at magbintang!

Tatay Ebao Sulang refuted Pasco. Tatay Ebao said that he was formerly with the CAFGU and made it a point that his sons would not bear arms. He also said that he did not know rebel returnee and that his son Darwin was never friends with Pasco as the latter claims.

The PNP made a huge mistake in presenting Pasco as their witness. It shows utter desperation to cover up the truth, a move that actually backfired on them yesterday. ###

A day before the violent dispersal of Kidapawan farmers, negotiations were held between the Kidapawan provincial government and farmer leaders representing the protesters. The groups have occupied the main highway since March 30 and were demanding the release of rice support and the much-needed calamity funds.

During the negotiations, the farmers were told that the local government could only release 3 kilos of rice for each farmer and that they should leave Kidapawan because the rice will be distributed via the municipal mayors. ln other words, the government wanted the protesters to leave with hardly anything.

Three kilos was allegedly the only amount allowed by the Commission on Audit during the election period. This, despite the fact a state of calamity had already been declared by the provincial governor. No agreement was reached that day. 

ON March 30, farmers from different parts of North Cotabato, reeling from the debilitating effects of the drought brought about by El Nino, occupied the Kidapawan highway to demand from government immediate rice support and the releases of much needed calamity funds. They were demanding 15,000 sacks of rice for 6 municipalities, for the duration of the drought, until the farmers are able to recover. The root cause of the protest was government neglect of starving farmers and their families.

There were negotiations with the provincial government headed by Gov. Lala Talino-Mendoza. Instead of heeding their demands, Mendoza reportedly offered the farmers 3 kilos of rice each every three months. Government meanwhile claims there is adequate supply of rice especially for calamities. These are supposedly pre-positioned in agencies such as the regional DSWD. The drought should be considered a calamity, yet no rice was released.

ON April 1, the police conducted dispersal operations against the farmers. It is not true that they intended to “rescue” children who were with their protesting parents at the time. It is also not true that the first shots came from the ranks of the protesters as they were all unarmed. Notice also that there are no reports citing any policeman who was injured or killed by gunshots. Video footage will reveal that it was the police that charged the protesters. The farmers fought back as expected. The police started firing their weapons.

Under the law, the carrying of firearms by law enforcers within 100 meters of a protest action is a prohibited act. Firing on unarmed protesters is also illegal. Even if the protesters threw rocks, that does not justify the use of deadly force.

The police claim that they only fired warning shots. Videos will show that the firing of weapons lasted several minutes, belying the claim that these were mere warning shots. Video footage will also show that the police trained their guns on protesters. Three died as a result of the shooting. Some 116 were reported injured.

It is not true that armed groups or the NPA infiltrated the ranks of the protesters. This is a common lie peddled by the PNP to justify the shooting of unarmed civilians. The same lie was used during the Hacienda Luisita massacre in 2004 and the Mendiola Massacre in 1987.

As of this writing, we have yet to hear a strong condemnation by Malacanang of what happened in Kidapawan. We have yet to see any concrete action from the Palace that would address the demands of the protesting farmers.

All presidential bets not with the administration have come out strongly condemning the incident and the government’s failed response to the drought. Mar Roxas meanwhile has condemned the violece but kept silent on the root cause of the protest ; government neglect. Roxas then called on the PNP to probe the incident, a problematic response since the PNP was the one involved in the shooting of farmers. Roxas and Gov. Mendoza both belong to the Liberal Party.

The farmers regrouped at the local Methodist church. They were soon surrounded by hundreds of police. Power was cut off. On April 2, a search warrant was served where the police claimed that guns were being hidden inside the church compound. The search warrant storyline seems to support the earlier claim by the PNP that the first shots came from the ranks of protesters. The search ended with no guns found in the church premises.

There are also at least 78 detained protesters who were arrested during the dispersal operations.

We appeal to our friends to stand with the Kidapawan farmers during this very difficult time. We should continue to pressure the Philppine government to act on the just demands of the farmers, particularly the rice subsidy, and to stop the ongoing harassment of protesters in Kidapawan. Government must end the sige of the Methodist church in Kidapawan and allow the farmers to leave. We also call for the immediate release of all detained protesters. We appreciate all forms of material support, especially rice and other food that can be used by the farmers.

We demand justice for all the victims of the violent dispersal of protesters. An impartial probe must be carried out. Congress should also look into the issue. Police officials involved in the incident should be relieved. The provincial governor must also be held accountable for ordering the dispersal of the protesters. Lastly, the Aquino regime must shoulder responsibility for failing to address the needs of the farmers affected by the drought as well as for the continuing climate of impunity that enables state forces to carry out vicious attacks on unarmed protesters. ###

In this fast-paced world of social media and the internet, choosing a phone that’s right for you can be somewhat tricky. I have been wanting to give some helpful tips for activists who wish to buy phones that they can use for their daily work. And by work I refer to how we arouse, organize and mobilize the people. I won’t be endorsing any particular product but instead I will try to guide you based on what we call phone specs of specifications.

So how does an active, on-the-go, socially involved individual chose a phone that’s right for his or her needs? How do you keep things within a modest budget? We all know that activists live by the mantra of simpleng pamumuhay at puspusang pakikibaka. What are the considerations if you want to get the most features for the least cost?

First, you have to determine the kind of phone user that you are. Here’s a simple guide.

The call and text type

Your phone is basically for calls and texts. No frills, no apps. You don’t check Facebook and Twitter on your phone. Maybe you don’t have any social media accounts. You want a phone that can function the way phones are supposed to function back in 2001. Plus, having the occasional games when you’re bored doesn’t hurt. (Remember Snake?) For this type of user, you are good to go with a feature phone. Choose one that has a very long battery life, as these phones often do. These phones can go three days with only one charge. That’s their greatest advantage. Their prices range from P400 to P800. During the relief ops after Yolanda, this is the phone we used since there was no electricity in many parts of Samar and Leyte and we knew charging would be a problem.

 
The moderate social media user

You probably check your Facebook and Twitter feeds on your phone occasionally. Then you store a few notes and some media like photos and songs. Your phone helps in your work but is not the main “weapon” so to speak. It is a handy companion that keeps you connected and informed on what’s happening around you. You’re happy just reading updates. For this kind of user, choose a phone with a decent quad-core processor, at least 1GB of RAM, and at least a quad-HD display (which is lower than 720p HD). The camera may not be the biggest consideration for you since you just use your phone to check on updates. These phones usually come with at least an 8MP camera and an 8GB built-in storage which is enough. There are many entry-level smartphones for you ranging from P2,000 to P3,000. Recently, there have been local releases for just less than P1,000.

The active and always engaged

You keep track of the news and the work of your organization. You also want to update folks about the latest protest action, or developments in an ongoing campaign. You probably also do some media liaison work and rely on heavy texting as well as emailing news releases and advisories using your phone. You’re expected to post pictures to call attention to issues. Facebook, Twitter and Instagram are your favorite platforms for propaganda. Your use of the phone is on the moderate to heavy side. Choose one with at least an updated octa-core processor, at least 2 GB of RAM, at least a 720p HD display, and a 13MP rear camera. Don’t worry about the front camera specs because believe me, the perfect selfie may not be that crucial to your work. Internal storage must be at least 8GB or 16GB with an expandable option for micro SD card of up to 32GB so you can store pictures and videos. Also, try to look for a phone where you have a reliable messaging app that does not convert SMS to MMS even if your message string is already very long. There are already decent phones at the P4,000 to P5,000 price range. They work pretty well. Those with better HD displays and better cameras may go up to P6,000 to P7,000. For heavy users, look for a phone with at least a 2,500 mAh battery rating.  This may be good for around 8 hours of use. Some folks trade off other features for a longer battery life which allows you to remain connected longer without having to plug your wall charger mid-day. This comes in handy when you’re at a picket line, vigil or in a long caravan or lakbayan.

Your phone is your mobile office

You either travel out of town a lot or are constantly on the move. You text out statements or advisories, update your organization’s social media platforms, post and repost news, check emails and even do some minor text and photo editing. You rely on mobile internet to get your work done. Your phone is your indispensable tool from meetings to rallies. You keep a very long directory for your org contacts and allies. You need to post pictures and videos that best capture the spirit and agitation of an event. You need a reliable partner for sharing social media content. Choose a phone with un updated octa-core processor or even some really powerful quad-core and hexa-core processors. Since you have a lot of pics and videos, try to find one with 3GB of RAM and at least 16GB of internal memory with an option for micro SD card expansion of up to 32GB. At this point, for documentation purposes, you may want a better camera, moving up from the average 13MP shooter of most mid-range phones. Your phone would likely be LTE-ready for faster uploads and downloads (the fast internet remains a myth in the Philippines). Due to heavy use, the battery rating of your phone should be somewhere from 3,000 mAh to 4,000 mAh. There are also phones now with ratings as high as a 5,000 mAh. The displays of these phones are either 720p HD for Full HD. Your price range may go up between P8,000 to P10,000 at this point. You may also want to invest in a powerbank. You must have some really specialized needs to be investing this much on a phone. This means that you’re seriously considering the quality of the camera, the call and messaging functions, mobile internet, battery and possibly even editing features.

Operating system

As for the phone’s OS, that’s really a matter of preference. You have Android, IOS and Windows. Each one has its own learning curve the first time you use it. As a rule though, go for the more recent or updated versions of the OS since there is a good chance that these have less software bugs.

Now, phones are just tools. They cannot replace actual mass work, actual face to face propaganda and organizing work. Social media is just another means to get your message across to a wide audience. It is however, not the only means of getting your message across. Technology should serve our activist work and must be guided by our political and organizational objectives. No, you do not need a flagship phone. You do not need to spend P30,000 on a gadget. (Also, just think how much it would hurt if you dropped your high-end phone during a rally, or have it soaked by water cannons? I’ve seen it happen many times). However, if someone gives you such devices, then good for you. But I won’t recommend you spending your own money for flagship devices. It’s not practical, to say the least.

So if you’re an activist choosing a phone for work, choose one that can best serve your needs. Specs such as front-facing selfie cameras or how good a phone can handle graphic-intensive games should not be your primary consideration. When buying smartphones, look at the processor, the RAM, the internal memory, the camera and battery. Spend within a modest or reasonable budget. Try to look for bargains. Even relatively older models that have a stable operating system and reliable hardware should be considered if they come at a lower price. Even second-hand phones, as long as they have solid performance, should be considered. If you’re not into smartphones, then go for the basic feature phones for calls and texts.

Lastly, it’s not the quality or brand of your phone that will determine the quality of your political work. It’s how you merge theory and practice that really counts. ###

P.S. This is only a guide to choosing a phone. How I wish there is a guide for “buying” a phone, if you know what I mean. =)