Lambatin ang Balikatan sa Bikol! (Trap Balikatan in Bicol!)

LAMBATIN ANG BALIKATAN SA BIKOL

Reference: Salvador “Baddy” France Chairman- LAMBAT-Bikol

Contact No: 435-5211 or 09089499604

Hitsa ng mga mangingisda sa Bikol para sa pangisdaan at kalikasan, kabuhayan at kapayapaan.

Magkakaroon ng”Fluvial Protest” o Paglalayag Laban sa Balikatan ang mga mangingisda ng Albay sa pangunguna ng LAMBAT-BIKOL

Petsa at Oras: March 16, 2009/ 8:00am- 11:00am

Oras ng programa sa Legazpi City Port: 9:00 am- 11:00am

Ang dambuhalang oktopus sa daigdig na kinakatawan ng imperyalistang US na pangunahing sumisipsip at nagpapahirap sa kabuhayan ng mga mamamayan lalo na sa mga magsasaka at mangingisda ay nanghihimasok din sa ating soberanya. Dadaong ngayong Marso sa Kabikolan ang mga US warship para sa RP-US Balikatan Exercises.

Sa gitna ng sobra-sobrang paghihirap ng mga mangingisda sa Bikol dulot ng samu’t-saring dahilan tulad ng:

• maliit na huli ng isda sa dagat dahil nilason na ng operasyon ng Lafayette ang dagat sa Albay Gulf
• palagiang pagkakaroon ng red tide sa karagatan ng Sorsogon,
• pagpasok at paglimas sa yamang dagat ng mga commercial fishing vessels sa mga munisipyong pangisdaan sa Ragay Gulf, Masbate at Camarines Norte,
• pagpapalayas sa mga mangingisda na nakatira sa mga baybayin para bigyang daan ang mga proyektong eko-turismo ng gubyerno katulad ng nangyayari sa Embarcadero sa Legazpi City, at iba pang mga beach resorts na dinidevelop sa Caramoan, Camarines Sur.

Mas pinalalala ang kalagayang ito ng makadayuhan at pabor sa mga kapitalistang mga batas at programa ng gubyerno tulad ng Fisheries Code, Agricultural and Fisheries Modernization Act, Mining Act of 1995 at gayundin ang kapabayaan at kawalan ng suporta ng gubyerno sa sektor ng mga mangingisda.

Ang lugmok na kalagayang ng mga mangingisda at magsasaka sa Bikol ang idinadahilan kung bakit andito daw ang mga Amerikanong sundalo para makatulong daw ang BALIKATAN na “humanitarian mission” nga daw ang isasagawa. Malaking kasinungalingan at kayabangan ito!

Hindi pa nga dumadating ang bulto ng mga sundalong Kano sa Bikol grabe nang pananakot, psywar, pambubugbog sa mamamayan, pangunahin sa mga magsasaka at mangingisda na hinahagupit na ng Balikatan clearing operations. Para sa paghahanda sa pagdating ng mga sundalong Amerikano, ang mga dadaungan at pupuntahan ng mga ito ay tinambakan na ng pwersa ng AFP.

Labis na pangamba ang nararamdaman ng mga mangingisada sa isinasagawang urban SOT sa mga kostal na barangay sa Albay at sa malawakang “clearing operations” ng AFP. Pinapatawag nila ang mga Brgy Councils at binibigyan ng babala ang mga mangingisda. Ang CMO unit ng Philippine Army ay nagtatalakay ng mga paninira laban sa mga organisasyong tumututol sa isasagawang BALIKATAN exercises sa Bikol. Ang Bureau Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) sana ang ahensya na dapat na tumulong sa mga mangingisda, ay nagpalabas pa ng pahayag na magkakaroon daw ng anim na buwang “fish ban” o pagbawal sa pangingisda sa loob ng 15 kilometrong perimeter mula sa baybaying dagat sa mga lugar na kung saan dadaong ang mga barko ng US troops.

Sa kalagayang may presensya ng napakaraming militar sa kostal na mga barangay sa Albay, malaki ang posibilidad na tataas pa ang mga insidenteng tulad ng pambabaril at pagpatay sa mangingisdang si Domingo Barbado sa Adiangao, San Jose, Camarines Sur.

Ang salaysay ng mga mangingisda ng Adiangao, wala silang mahuli ng araw na iyon kaya nagpasiya silang bumalik sa pampang ng Adiangao. Bigla na lamang silang hinarang ng bangka ng BFAR. Nakasakay sa bangka ng BFAR-Task Force Kalikasan ang humigit-kumulang 20 kalalakihan na armado ng mahahabang baril. Kasabay sa grupong ito si Mayor Jaime Delena ng Presentacion, naka-sibilyan subalit armado rin ng mahabang baril. Pinagbabaril ang walang kalaban-labang mga mangingisda. Mula noong Marso 3, walang nangingisda mula sa mga taga-Adiangao at maging sa mga taga-Presentacion, Camarines Sur.

Hindi papayag ang mga Bikolanong mangingisda sa ganitong sitwasyon.

Makikipagkaisa ang mga mangingisda at mga magsasaka sa iba’t-iba pang sektor at malawak na mamamayan upang ipaglaban ang kaligtasan at kapakanan ng mga mangingisda at magsasaka.

Tutulan ang pandarambong ng US ating likas na yaman.Pangalagaan ang ating karagatan, kalikasan at kabuhayan.

Tutulan ang militarisasyon sa kalunsuran at kanayunan.

Ibasura ang VFA upang matigil ang Balikatan exercises, at mapalayas ang US troops sa bansa.

Proteksyonan ang buhay at kabuhayan ng mga Bikolano.

Proteksyonan ang kalikasan at kapayapaan ng mga komunidad ng Bikol.

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Bicolano Women Assert Sovereignty on International Women’s Day

Ref: Jenelyn Nagrampa, Convenor of Women’s Movement Against Balikatan (WOMB)

We just recently commemorated the International Working Women’s Day last March 8, but this year’s commemoration carries a special meaning more so for Bicolano women because the Balikatan exercises are to be conducted on the region. We celebrated our womanhood by marching on the streets and forming an alliance called Women’s Movement Against Balikatan (WOMB) to show our vehement opposition against the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) and the Balikatan.

WOMB symbolizes the nurturing character of women who are willing to give their all to protect their children against harm. The Balikatan will definitely put Bicolanos in harm’s way not only because of the military operations to be conducted by US and Filipino troops but due to the moral decay they will bring to the region.

The presence of the US forces in the region will further aggravate prostitution and the use of illegal drugs and substances, which is already a deep-rooted social problem that our government refuses to resolve. Add to this the fact that in the 1990’s GABRIELA has filed over 97 cases of rape and sexual assault against various US servicemen in Subic and Clark. Fifteen of these cases involved children as victims. Aside from these three thousand other cases of sexual abuse involving both women and children were also filed during 1980 – 1988. All of these cases are unresolved. Not even one US serviceman was punished.

We hope that Nicole is the last victim of the VFA and we are calling on Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to immediately scrap this onerous treaty and cancel the Balikatan exercises. We as Filipinas should also assert the sovereignty of our country.

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Day 2-Anti-VFA Caravan Update – Local Bayan Muna leader’s life threatened

Anti-VFA caravan update
8 am February 24, 2009
No. of vehicles: 56
Participants: 1120
References: Prof.  Jocelyn Bisuña, spokesperson, BAN BALIKATAN, 09086198971
Jariz Vida, secretary general, BAYAN Muna- Camarines Sur

Military harassment against anti-VFA caravan intensifies!
Local BM leader’s life threatened

The military harassment against the anti-Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) caravan has been intensifying since last night, with the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) even using dump trucks and fire trucks to block the caravan. Now, the blocking soldiers are in full battle gear and they even fielded operatives to specifically harass and threaten Jariz Vida, secretary general of BAYAN Muna-Camarines Sur.

According to Prof. Jocelyn Bisuña, spokesperson of BAN BALIKATAN, “the AFP is really getting desperate to sabotage our caravan, now they are resorting to sinister tactics to frighten the participants. In Brgy. Sioton, Magallanes,  Sorsogon, 20 elements of the 3rd and 7th Scout Ranger Company forcibly took our coal for cooking and threw it on the road. They also tried to confiscate our rice. They also threatened a driver not to join the caravan anymore and just to go home,”

“Last night around 6pm the military has deployed at least 50 police and soldiers in full battle gear and they even sabotaged the program by not allowing it to start until 9 pm and surrounded the south contingent in Rizal Park, Sorsogon City,” added Bisuña.

“They also fielded intelligence agents to infiltrate our ranks, but they were unsuccessful in Sorsogon. While in the north wing around 10 pm last night three operatives of the Military Intelligence Battalion (MIB) in separate motorcycles chased the jeepney Jariz Vida is occupying and they tried to get him. Fortunately he was able to get away,” said the professor.

Meanwhile Jariz Vida, secretary general of BAYAN Muna- Camarines Sur, “the MIB has been trying to abduct or kill me since April 2006 when they tried to shoot me in Naga City. They failed then and they thought that they can get me now. If anything happens to me then we have nobody to blame but them. Nothing will stop me though from continuing to fight for our rights and the betterment of Bicolanos.”

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Bikolano oragons join protests against Balikatan war exercises in Bicol, consolidates with widening calls to repeal VFA

The brave, the strong Bikolano faces a new adversary.

ORAGON (Organisadong Bikolano Para Sa Nasyunalismo) LABAN SA BALIKATAN, a formation of Metro Manila-based Bicolanos, has expressed its unity with fellow kababayans to battle against the RP-US Balikatan war exercises in Bicol. Thousands of Bicolanos have already commenced on February 22 a region-wide caravan that will conclude on February 25 with a massive display of protest against the RP-US Visiting Forces Agreement and the Balikatan war exercises in Bicol.

The provinces of Albay, Sorsogon, and Masbate have been identified by the government and the Armed Forces of the Philippines as sites for the war games, despite deceiving declarations by the military that only “humanitarian missions” shall be conducted.

ORAGON contends that the Balikatan war exercises, apart from being an explicit encroachment on Philippine sovereignty, likewise amounts to intensified militarization of the Bicol provinces. ORAGON believes that the people of Bicol, however resilient, do not need another disaster in the form of Balikatan, the region having been recently ravaged by supertyphoons, lahar flows and landslides, red tide, and crop infestations.

Past Balikatan experiences have only proven that the poor rural communities bear the brunt of military operations. In fact, a 1-year old baby girl from Barangay Balanac of Ligao, Albay has already been tragically killed when soldiers from the 901st Infantry brigade of the Philippine Army fired grenade launchers during a clearing operation. The operation has also left 9 members of the baby’s family and relatives wounded by shrapnels, and their homes burned. It was found out that Balanac’s neighboring barangay shall be a site for balikatan, hence the military clearing operations.

Balikatan war exercises are inclusions under the RP-US Visiting Forces Agreement, which ORAGON consequently opposes. For its part, ORAGON vows to contribute to the swelling protests back home against Balikatan. Being composed by students, professionals, and community residents in Metro Manila, the group plans to reach out to more Bicolanos to gather support and give battle to Balikatan in Bicol.

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Army Checkpoints all over Bikol as the Anti-VFA and Anti-Balikatan Caravan Kicks Off

Militarization in Bikol intensifies due to Balikatan exercises
Army checkpoints all over the region as anti-VFA caravan kicks off

As the anti-Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) caravan starts today the region has experienced increased militarization by the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) particularly in the areas where the Balikatan exercises are to be conducted.

Military checkpoints have now sprouted all over the region to delay or stop the caravan. Numerous checkpoints were set up in Sipocot, Libmanan, Pamplona, Pili, and Nabua, Camarines Sur as well as Irosin and Cumadcad, Sorsogon. The military has gone into red alert for the caravan and there have been sightings of US troops in Pili, Camarines Sur.

According to Professor Jocelyn Bisuña, spokesperson of BAN BALIKATAN, “Military presence and activity has definitely increased in Bikol especially in Albay, as we start our caravan. The AFP has even killed a 1 year old girl and injured her family in their clearing operations for Balikatan and to discourage people in joining and supporting our caravan,”

“It is as we feared, the AFP and the PNP has now unleashed their operatives to sabotage the anti-VFA caravan.”

“In Albay alone they have militarized all the coastal communities facing the Pacific Ocean. The AFP has also called for barrio meetings for Balikatan and deployed soldiers in Barangays Bongabong, Baranghawon in Tabaco City and Brgys. Joroan, Bano and Nagas in Tiwi, as well as Brgys San Roque, Rawis, Manito, Homapon up to Taysan in Legazpi City. They will also place a military detachment in Brgy. Calayucay in Sto. Domingo,” said Bisuña.

“The military has even entered universities to garner support for Balikatan like in Aquinas and Bicol University. Fortunately, most of the students and faculty saw through their lies and are against Balikatan. The military has also implemented a curfew in some barangays in Legazpi City like San Roque, saying that because it is near the naval facility. In the town of Santo Domingo all the barangay captains were summoned by the Army to support the Balikatan exercises,” added the patriotic professor.

Meanwhile Joel Ascutia, chairman of CONDOR-PISTON-Bikol said, “A certain policeman named Batumbakal went to the jeepney terminals in Guinobatan and Jovellar, Albay and specifically asked for our members. He said that they were ordered by the military to do this,”

“This is a direct harassment on our ranks and a violation of our right to livelihood as well as our freedom of expression. But we have news to the military we will still participate in the caravan and we are already mulling to file charges against them,” said Ascutia.

Bisuña further says, “The worst the AFP has done so far is the killing of Rafaela Polborido, 1 year and 4 months old and the injury of her family by a grenade launched by elements of the 901st Infantry Brigade in Brgy Balanac, Ligao City, Albay.

“It is very ironic that Brgy. Balanac where the human rights violations are being done by the military is just adjacent to Brgy. Paulba were a so-called medical mission is to be done by the US troops. Are they ensuring that more people would come to the medical mission by injuring and terrorizing them first?”

“We will not allow these desperate moves of the AFP and the PNP to stop the anti-VFA caravan. By doing this they only emboldened us more and showed the righteousness of our call to junk the VFA, the MDT and the Balikatan exercises,” ended Bisuña.

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Regional Caravan Against Balikatan to be Launched in Bicol

Nakatakdang ikasa ng BAN BALIKATAN-Bikol, mga alyansang nabuo sa mga probinsya ng rehiyong Bikol tulad ng UMALAB-CA ng Camarines Sur, SUMABA KA ng Sorsogon, ALMA-ALAB ng Albay, ALMA-LABAN ng Masbate at Youth Stop Balikatan ng mga kabataan sa rehiyon (YSB-Bikol).

Mainit namang debate saan mang bahagi ng bansa ang Visiting Forces Agreement dahil sa kaso ni Lance Corporal Daniel Smith at maging ang Senado at Kongreso ay nababahala dahil sa usapin ng Integridad at Soberanya ng bansa ang nakataya na niyuyurakan ng bansang Estados Unidos na patuloy namang sinasamba ng mga alipuris nito sa administrasyong Arroyo.

Ang Balikatan 2009 ay ika-25 military exercises na sa ating bansa at ang pakikilahok ng sundalong amerikano sa usaping internal ng ating bansa ay hindi kailanman ginagarantiya ng konstitusyon ng Pilipinas at maging ang VFA ay hindi naman kinakilala sa bansang Estados Unidos. Ang ipinagmamalaking Humanitarian Missions ay pantabing lamang at pansuhol upang patahimikin ang mamamayang tumututol dahil sa benepisyong maibibigay nito sa ating mga kababayan ngunit maliit na bahagi lamang ito dahil ang pinakalayunin ng Balikatan ay war-games.

Sa huling bisita ng Chief of the Armed Forces of the Philippines na si General Alexander Yano sa rehiyong Bikol binanggit nito sa mga panayam ng media na nakahanda diumano ang AFP na kanselahin ang Balikatan Exercises sa Bikol kung ang VFA ay may depekto. Ngunit para sa mga bikolanong dumarami ang hanay ng mga tumututol ay maaring tuluyang mahinto lamang ang Balikatan sa Bikol at buong bansa sa sama-samang pagkilos ng sambayanan at tuligsain ang pamahalaang Arroyo sa pagiging bulag, bingi at inutil sa kawalang aksyon at pagpapaka-tuta sa imperyalismong US.

Ayon kay Ken Serrano tagapagsalita ng UMALAB-CA, “wala ng makakapigil sa Sakbayan ng Mamamayan Laban sa Balikatan sa loob ng rehiyong Bikol na hinati sa dalawang bahagi. Merong magsisimula sa probinsya ng Sorsogon at may magmumula din sa Camarines Norte na sisimulan sa Pebrero 23 hanggang 25 ngayong taon kasalukuyan at nakahanda na ang lahat ng rekisitos upang walang maging dahilan ang AFP at PNP sa ating rehiyon na antalain o pigilan sa pamamagitan ng mga checkpoints ang mamamayang tutol sa Balikatan.”

Dagdag pa ni Ken, “buong lakas na lalabanan ng makabayang mamamayang bikolano at ng mga kasaping alyansa ng BAN BALIKATAN-Bikol ang Balikatan Exercises na ito sa ating rehiyon dahil sa loob ng mahigit 100 taon na pagkakatali ng bansang Pilipinas sa Imperyalistang US ay nananatili pa ring atrasado at nasa ilalim ng kontrol ekonomiya, pulitika at militar at nawawala ang esensya ng pagiging malaya ng bansa na mula pa noon ay pinaiikot sa kamay ng iilan lamang ang kalayaan at demokrasya.”

Inaasahang libo-libong bikolano ang dadagsa sa Sakbayan ng Mamamayan Laban sa Balikatan upang irehistro ang pagtutol, igiit ang integridad at soberanya, wakasan ang panghihimasok ng US sa ating bansa at ipaglaban ang kalayaan ng bansa sa kamay ng Imperyalismong US.

Dagdag pa nito, “walang karapatan ang AFP/PNP na harangin an gaming delegasyon saan mang panig ng kabikolan na dadaanan ng Sakbayan dahil karapatan naming ipahayag ang aming saloobin, karapatan naming makapagsagawa ng malayang asembliya at pagtitipon at kung patuloy na lalabagin ito ng AFP o PNP ay nakahanda kami na harapin ang mga ito at maging ang mga makabayang Abogado na sumisimpatiya ay nakahandang tumulong sakaling i-harass ang mobilisasyon.”

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Transport Sectors Unite Against Balikatan

Sektor ng Transportasyon Magkaisa, Tutulan ang Balikatan

Magsasagawa ng protesta ang sektor ng transportasyon sa pangunguna ng CONDOR-Bicol, ng BUSINA LABAN SA BALIKATAN simula 5:00-5:30 ng hapon ngayong araw, Pebrero 20, 2009 para ipahayag ang pagtutol sa isasagawang ika-25 BALIKATAN Exercise na gaganapin dito sa Bicol at sa iba pang bahagi ng bansa.

Naniniwala ang CONDOR na panabing lamang sa tunay na pakay ng Estados Unidos ang “humanitarian missions” ng BALIKATAN Exercise. Kapalit ng mga serbisyong gamot, daan at repair ng mga paaralan ay sisingilin tayo ng mas pinatinding mga polisiya sa pulitika, ekonomiya at militar para patuloy na makapagdomina ang kanilang bansa. Ang katangiang  ito ng US ay pinatunayan ng maraming karanasan mismo ng ating bansa at iba pang mga bansa sa daigdig.

Tinututulan ng sektor ng transportasyon ang dominasyon ng Estados Unidos dahil numero unong nagpapahirap sa sektor ang mga polisiyang imposisyon nito sa bansa gaya ng Oil Deregulation Law, ang 12% Vat sa langis at ang bago ngayon na 200-1,200% na pagtaas sa mga babayaran sa mga traffic at administrative violations at at mga administrative fees at charges sa driver’s at conductor’s license na ipapatupad sa ilalim ng LTO Department Order #2008-39 at Department Order 2008-38 na nakatakdang iimplementa ngayong taon.

Dagdag na pasanin ito sa sektor ng transportasyon na patuloy nang dumaranas na higit na kahirapan dahil sa pagbapabago-bagong presyo ng mga produktong petrolyo, nagtataasang  presyo ng mga peyesa, samu’t saring bayarin sa pagkuha ng prangkesa, rehistrasyon, nagtataasang bilihin, at sebisyo sosyal. Napakalinaw ng motibo ng DOTC at LTO na ang pagpataw ng mga dagdag na bayarin ay hindi upang disiplinahin ang sektor kundi patuloy na gatasan o pagkakitaan ng gobyerno ang dugo at pawis ng buong sektor ng trasportasyon upang magkamal ng malaking pera para sa kanilang mga layaw at interes dahil sa talamak ng na korapsyon ng pamahalaang ito. Ang pera na dapat sa ay mapupunta na sa mga hapag kainan ng aming pamilya ay legal na nanakawin at pagpapapasasaan.

Kung kaya kami kasama ang buong pamilya namin at mga mamamayan ay tumututol sa lahat ng anyo ng maniobra ng Rehimeng Arroyo at Estados Unidos para mandambong sa mamamayang Pilipino at sa yaman ng ating bansa.

Mariin naming tinututulan ng BALAKATAN Exercise, ang Visiting forces Agreement at mga polisiyang direktang tumatama sa aming sektor.

TUTULAN ANG DOMINASYON NG ESTADOS UNIDOS SA LARANGAN NG PULITIKA,EKONOMIYA AT MILITAR NG ATING BANSA!

Ibasura ang Oil Deregulation Law, 12% VAT sa langis,

TUTULAN ANG PANIBAGONG  DEPARTMENT ORDER #2008-39 AT DEPARTMENT ORDER 2008-38 NA 200-1,200% PAGTAAS SA MGA PENALIDAD NG SEKTOR NG TRANSPORTASYON.

– CONDOR – PISTON – BIKOL

Reference: Joel Ascutia, President

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“Child killed, families injured by AFP’s Balikatan clearing operations!”-BAN BALIKATAN

The Bikolano Alliance for Nationalism against Balikatan (BAN BALIKATAN) and KARAPATAN-Bikol condemned the killing of a 1 year old child in the Balikatan clearing operations conducted by elements of the 901st Infantry Brigade in Purok 5, Brgy Balanac, Ligao City, Albay.

According to Prof. Jocelyn Bisuña, spokesperson of BAN BALIKATAN, “This is unforgivable! A child is now gone because the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) is targeting Filipino citizens just to please their US foreign master,”

“Rafaela Polborido, 1year and 4 months old, died at midnight of February 19 when she succumbed to the wounds she sustained, when soldiers shot and fired grenade launchers on their house. This is part of the continuing harassment and the violation of Bicolanos’ rights by the military. Recently they also harassed drivers and people in Guinobatan and Jovellar in the same province threatening them against joining the anti-Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) caravan,” said Bisuña.

Meanwhile John Concepcion, spokesperson of KARAPTAN-Bikol said, “not only was Rafaela killed her whole family and others were injured as well, Jocelyn Polborido 30 years old, Ina Polborido 5 years old, Daisy Polborido, 4 years old, Eufemia Polborido, 28 years old, Julius Polborido, 2 years old, Andrea, 4 years old, Rose Dalima 31 years old, Roderick Dalima 5 years old, Mary Rose Dalima, 10 months old and Emerson, 9 years old. We are now assisting the families in whatever action they may take to hold the soldiers accountable,”

“We hope that this is the last, but if the Balikatan continues then we fear that more cases like these may happen,” added Concepcion.

“This is the military’s way to intimidate the Bicolano people into agreeing to the Balikatan exercises, but we will not be cowed. The anti-VFA caravan will continue and we will further intensify our struggle against foreign intervention and to junk the VFA and Balikatan,” ended Bisuña.

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Youth Stop Balikatan to be launched today

In April of this year, an estimated 6000 American and 2500 Filipino troops will be forcefully injected in the Bicol Region to participate in the 25th Republic of the Philippines-United States Balikatan Exercises. The provinces of Albay, Masbate and Sorsogon are the confirmed target locations of the said exercises.

Previous military exercises in the Philippines provided adverse effects to the masses: Exploitation of minors, abuse of women, extrajudicial killings, prostitution and threats to health, damage to properties and resources and legalization of drugs.

In this regard, Youth Stop Balikatan, a youth alliance denouncing the RP-US Balikatan Exercises, was formed.

Realizing the need to act on this issue, YSB will be launching three consecutive activities on 18 February.

All participants are invited to attend the Regional Convention from 1:00pm to 5:00pm at Camarines Sur Polytechnic Colleges. This will be followed by a torch march from CSPC-BCAT Hostel to Plaza Quezon, where a free concert will take place featuring Indie Bands like Tanikala, Musikang Bayan and Stolen Shots.

YSB will also be hosting group discussions to further inform the public of Balikatan and the agreements between RP and US that led to the current situation, and of the effects it will bring about to the Filipinos especially to the Bicolanos.

The convenors encourage everyone to unite and take part in uplifting their rights as citizens and in condemning this form of foreign intervention.

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US soldiers now conducting illegal census in Sorsogon and Masbate

News Release
February 10, 2009
Reference: Prof. Jocelyn Bisuña, spokesperson, BAN BALIKATAN

“US troops combat operations in Bicol imminent!”-BAN BALIKATAN
US soldiers now conducting illegal census in Sorsogon and Masbate

The Bikolano Alliance for Nationalism against Balikatan (BAN BALIKATAN) lambasted the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the US armed forces for laying the grounds for combat operations in the region and for trying to fool Bicolanos about it.

According to Prof. Jocelyn Bisuña, spokesperson of BAN BALIKATAN, “It is really insulting that the AFP and the US troops are belittling the collective intelligence of us Bicolanos. They have been trying to fool us all along but their spokespersons do not coordinate so their real intent has been exposed by their own statements. The Balikatan has not yet started but there are already so many violations, what more if it is in full swing.

“First let us start with the Filipino spokesperson of Balikatan exercises, according to Maj. Ramon Zagala, 6,000 US troops will join 2,500 Filipino soldiers with warships and even F-16 fighter jets, starting February 25. If this does not mean US military operations, then I do not know what is.  This run counter to what the 9th ID said, from the date of the exercises and even to its very nature,” said Bisuña.

“Second, in the middle of January a US naval officer came to inquire at different Albay hospitals asking if they have orthopedic facilities and experts. This is highly irregular because if they will only hold humanitarian missions then they would already have a complete medical profile of the provinces months before the actual activity. Another point is that they are only asking about orthopedic facilities and experts, this is the usual branch of medicine that treats injuries from combat operations,” added the patriotic professor.

“Third, a US drone was also found to have crashed in Masbate around 6:30pm last January 29 in between the towns of Esperanza and Pio V. Corpuz.. They were evidently mapping the areas where they will conduct their military operations,” she said.

“Fourth, this time according to the Executive Agent for the Balikatan exercises, Col. Rodolfo Santiago, US troops are conducting “census” in Sorsogon because it is necessary to identify potential beneficiaries of the Balikatan projects like civil works, medical and dental missions and rehabilitation and construction of facilities.

The US Troops were seen at Bgy. Liyang in Irosin, Sorsogon and in Bgy Mayngaran, Masbate City, Bgy Bagacay, Marintuk, Lalaguna and Balatukan in Mobo town, barangays Marcilla, Dapdap, Panisihan, Buenvista, Armenia, Sawang, Buenasuerte and Magsaysay in Uson town and in the municipality of Cataingan proper all in Masbate province.

BUt everybody knows this is not part of the “humanitarian missions”, continued the professor

“The Balikatan has not yet started, but there are already so many deceiving statements about its real activities and motives,” ended Bisuña. # # #

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