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Gov’t to spend P 518 million for new Cafgu recruits---Pamalakaya report

The left-leaning fisherfolk alliance Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas (Pamalakaya) on Saturday said the national government will spend P 518 million in taxpayers money to fund the operations of 8,000 new Civilian Armed Forces Geographical Unit (Cafgu) over the next three years in a bid to cut in half the strength of communists rebels by 2010.

Based on the existing P 60 subsistence allowance per day for each Cafgu, the militant group said the government will set aside P 480,000 a day for new 8,000 Cafgu recruits or P 14.4 million a month and P 172.6 million a year.

“The government has huge money for senseless and unjust war, but there’s no money for food, basic social services and general welfare of the people,” said Pamalakaya national chair Fernando Hicap in a press statement. Hicap said the government was not responding to the Filipino people and international community calls for the disbandment of the para-military forces.

The militant leader said since 1987, the dismantling of Cafgu paramilitary forces had been brought forward to the attention of the national government because of its involvement in the spate of extra-judicial killings and left and right human rights abuses in the countryside.

Aside from being used to sow terror against the people, Pamalakaya said the Cafgus had been used as private armies of despotic landlords and politicians and multinational corporations. “That’s why we are calling for its’ disbandment since time immemorial, but Congress failed to act on this standing legitimate demand for nearly two decades now,” Hicap said.

“Perhaps, Mrs. Arroyo would mobilize Cafgus, including the new recruits for election cheating purposes in the May 2007 national and local elections,” Hicap added.

“The government is using public funds to violate the basic human rights of the people. This is totally foul, grossly unfair and graphically detestable,” Hicap added.

Hicap further said, at the present, the Army employs 52,740 Cafgu regulars, and this employment cost taxpayers money by P 3.16 million, P 94.53 million per month and P 1.139 B a year. “This is where our taxpayers money go. The government and the military is appropriating people’s money for state sponsored terrorism,” the Pamalakaya leader added.

Armed Forces Chief of Staff Hermogenes Esperon Jr. last week said the AFP will recruit and additional 8,000 Cafgus and 3,000 Army troops in line with President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s thrust to crush communist insurgency by 2010.

The AFP chief said half of the 3,000 Army troops will act as cadres or leaders of new Cafgu units while the other half will act as augment field units. Esperon said the 3,000 new Army cadres or leaders are authorized to form 90 Cafgu units with 7,920 members. Latest military reports pegged the NPA strength to 7,400-armed members.

The new Cafgu recruits would serve as village defense or stay behind units while military troops raid suspected lairs of the New People’s Army specially in focus areas such as Central Luzon, Southern Tagalog, Bicol and Caraga regions and the provinces of Samar and Davao. According to Esperon, the new Cafgu paramilitary forces will be recruited in known NPA hotspots. #

posted by: GerryCorpuz at 07:56 | link | comments |

Leftist group calls DoJ secretary advice to Chief Justice a pressure

“Now it can be told which party is pressuring the Supreme Court.”

The rabid anti-Charter Change group Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas (Pamalakaya) said the ill and immoral advice of Justice Secretary Raul Gonzales for Supreme Court Justice Artemio Panganiban to cut down on his social activities to avoid such pressure was in fact a open act of political pressure for the high tribunal to decide in favor of people’s initiative filed by Palace backed pro-Chacha groups.

“ Secretary Gonzales, the undisputed champion in carrying out the dirty job for the ruling syndicate in Malacañang is now attacking not only the Chief Justice but the Supreme Court and the entire justice system to save the anti-people Chacha and the political career of his illegitimate, puppet and corrupt president,” said Pamalakaya national chair Fernando Hicap in a press statement.

Hicap said Secretary Gonzales was acting like as if he is the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court and that Panganiban was just a political animal who is busy in round-the-clock publicity stint by attending to several social functions related and not related to his work as chief of the high tribunal.

“ If we are in Chief Justice shoes we will cite this aging politician and dilapidated puppet of Mrs. Arroyo in contempt of court or even go beyond to teach this has been politician a lesson of a lifetime,” the Pamalakaya leader added.

Gonzales on Saturday said Chief Justice Panganiban should steer clear of social occasions where politicians are present but also be wary of nosy reporters to avoid pressure. The controversial DoJ secretary further said Panganiban should only limit his social functions related to his work as Chief Justice.

“ Secretary Gonzales and leaders of mysterious groups such as Sigaw ng Bayan and Ulap are performing their roles to the hilt as back up dancers of Mrs. Arroyo. They are ganging up all members of the Supreme Court in the name of President Arroyo’s political survival, in the name of their illegitimate and immoral interests and in the name of puppetry and anti-national policies of the regime. This is unpardonable,” Hicap added.

The militant group believed that there was a concerted effort on the part of Malacañang and the President allies to pressure the high court to act in favor of people’s initiative as a mode to revise the 19-year old constitution.

Pamalakaya said President Arroyo and House Speaker Jose de Venecia are leading the pressure forces to compel the Supreme Court to act in favor of the petition seeking charter change through people’s initiative, which the group said was only the initiative of President Arroyo, the House speaker and politicians allied with the present administration.

“ We will make sure that the politics of the plebians will prevail over the politics of the local patricians and their foreign masters on the issue of Charter Change. This is the beginning of more action packed protests against Chacha and Mrs. Arroyo’s greed for fame, fortune and power and her de facto dictatorship,” Pamalakaya said referring to last Friday’s anti-Chacha rally in Morayta that was attended by not less than 3,000 farmers, fisherfolk, urban poor and worker activists in Central Luzon, Southern Tagalog and National Capital Region (NCR).

posted by: GerryCorpuz at 07:53 | link | comments |

Militants kick off caravan for peace in Bulacan

The leftwing fisherfolk alliance Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas (Pamalakaya) said leftist and peace activists will stage today a Caravan for Peace from Quezon City to Bulacan to protest the spate of political killings and unbridled human rights abuses in the province.

Pamalakaya national chair Fernando Hicap said Pamalakaya, party list group Anakpawis and the peasant leftist group Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP) will lead a 10-vehicle caravan from Manila to Bulacan province to initiate peace dialogues with the local government officials of Bulacan led by Governor Josie dela Cruz, Obando Mayor Zoilito Santiago, Malolos city mayor Danilo Domingo and Hagonoy Mayor Felix Ople.

The caravan will pass through coastal towns of Bulacan namely Obando, Bulacan, Malolos, Paombong and Hagonoy, where reported cases of politically motivated killings and human rights abuses by government troops are rampant.

A special mass will be conducted in Obando town plaza in the memory of fishefolk leaders Orlando Rivera of Obando and Napoleon Rivera who were killed by alleged security forces last August this year.

Hicap said a petition requesting Bulacan government officials to pullout army troops in the coastal areas of Bulacan will be submitted during the brief dialogues with the local government officials.

“ We will deliver a strong political statement against extra-judicial killings and other forms of human rights abuses perpetrated by agents of the state. We will oblige the local government officials of Bulacan to make a stand in defense of civil liberties, human rights and dignity of life ,” Hicap added.

Pamalakaya said they will not take no for an answer from local government officials of Bulacan, saying it is time for the LGUs in the province to make a political act in behalf of the people and not in behest interest of the ruling fascist regime in Malacañang. #

posted by: GerryCorpuz at 07:51 | link | comments |

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