Military

Philippines: AFP should focus awareness drive on human rights in its ranks

MANILA — The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) is grossly deceptive in its latest scheme to hold so-called awareness drive to justify continuing military presence in urban communities during the elections. Instead of rounding up urban poor communities and universities to lecture against cause-oriented groups, the AFP should focus awareness drive on human rights among its ranks. This election season, they should all go back to the barracks and take a study leave on human rights. We don’t need them dictating upon the people the AFP’s choice of candidates in the guise of ‘awareness drive’ which actually consists of lectures against activist groups as what they did at the Philippine Normal University, Philippine Christian University and other schools and communities. We join the various groups in demanding immediate and total pull-out of AFP troops who will likely repeat the scenario of active military role in the fraudulent 2004 elections.
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Army Bombs Panabo Villages, Residents Outraged


Outraged. Manay residents Josephine Rebante (right) and Antonia Ayko (second from right) rail against the military’s bombings. (davaotoday.com photo by Barry Ohaylan)

In an effort to save face after Communist guerrillas raided the Davao Prison and Penal Farm, the military dropped more than a dozen bombs on villages in Panabo. When the smoke cleared, only a chicken and a tukmo were found dead. But the residents were furious at the army?s ?grossly wrong and irresponsible? action that put their lives in danger.

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Attacks on Leftists in Philippines Continue

MANILA — The militant Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP) and the ANAKPAWIS party list group condemned the latest attack on one of its leader in Central Luzon by forces of the military late last night as armed men looking for Ka Joseph Canlas, chairman of the ALyansa ng Magbubukid ng Gitnang Luzon (AMGL), a regional chapter of KMP and ANAKPAWIS-CL coordinator forcibly entered his home in Barangay Balite, Arayat, Pampanga..

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Philippines: Killings of Activists, Journalists Severely Damages 2007 Election Credibility — Bayan

MANILA — The killings of activists and journalists have become so untenable that it would be enough to destroy the credibility of the upcoming May 2007 elections.

This was the warning aired by the umbrella group Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan) as cases of killings and attempted murders of activists and journalists escalated over the past two weeks.

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