One year after Commander Parago's daughter's death Bayan: DCPO Taskforce Rebelyn inutile

PRESS RELEASE

FEBRUARY 24, 2010

Davao City - After a year of still unresolved rape and murder case of Rebelyn Pitao, Bayan and other human rights groups launched a protest rally at Camp Leonor today against the Davao City Police Office - Task Force Rebelyn concrete.

“Like other crimes which involves the military, Rebelyn Pitao's case remains bereft of justice. The police is not likely to pinpoint a clear suspect from the military intelligence community. This is more than a display of inutility on their part, this is an utter mockery of the rule of law,” Bayan SMR spokesperson John Birondo said.

Rebelyn Pitao was abducted last March 4, 2009; a day later, her lifeless body--bearing several stab wounds and rape marks--was found in an irrigation ditch in San Isidro, Carmen, Davao del Norte.

“There is no justification to the crime committed against an innocent civilian like Rebelyn. She was murdered because she was the daughter of NPA leader Leoncio Pitao a.k.a. “Ka Parago” – a crime that is clearly against the International Humanitarian Law (IHL),” Birondo stressed.

“The police until now has taken no actions to, at the very least, hold under investigation the suspects who were identified members of the Military Intelligence Group (MIG) of the Intelligence Service of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (ISAFP) and the Military Intelligence Battalion of the 10th Infantry Division,” Birondo said.

Bayan named Ben Tipait, Aldan Sulao, Helvin Bitang and Pedring Pedregosa of the Military Intelligence Group to be the suspects in the killing.

“There was a chance for the police to pursue the case against Ben Tipait when he was detained at the Buhangin police station last month for violating gun ban. But he was released immediately, a clear act of connivance with the MIG to protect its most trusted agents," Birondo noted.

“The immediate release of Tipait was very anomalous given that he was released on a Sunday -- a move to hide him away from investigations on Rebelyn’s murder case,” Birondo said.

“Rebelyn’s case is just one of the crimes committed by the Arroyo regime against thousands of innocent civilians. And even as Gloria Arroyo's days in power are supposedly numbered, her fascist regime through the Armed Forces of the Philippines is relentless in violating human rights and in committing crimes against humanity,” Birondo lamented.

"While these criminals enjoy the rule of impunity, the family of Rebelyn Pitao continues to struggle for the justice they have long been wanting," Birondo ended.

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Bayan hits black propaganda vs. Ocampo, Maza

Press Release

February 26, 2010

Davao City - The Bagong Alyansang Makabayan slammed the military’s smear campaign against progressive senatorial bets Representatives Satur Ocampo and Liza Maza "setting precedence of partisan campaigning and political persecution under a culture of impunity."

“Only the military has the intention to employ such a smear campaign. They have been very vocal and active in campaigning against progressive organizations and its members whom they tag as fronts of the communist movement. This scheme is evidently laid down in their Oplan Bantay Laya,” Bayan-SRM spokesperson John Birondo said.

Bayan recalled the military’s Order of Battle exposed by no less than Satur Ocampo in an International Solidarity Mission last year which contained the names of activists in Southern Mindanao Region. Celso Pojas who was killed last 2008 was among the identified personalities in the list.

“If we are to think logically, all the political killings and harassments happening in all parts of the country are orchestrated by no less than the military.Their influence is of immense force that they can turn truths into lies and make crimes without getting apprehended,” Birondo said.

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Malacañang desperate to cover up its corruption - Bayan

MEDIA RELEASE

August 21, 2009

Davao City - Palace mouthpieces are now doing anything to bail out the rottenness of the US- Arroyo regime by pretending to be transparent in the eyes of the people on the matters of expenses of Gloria Macapagal Arroyo during her trips outside the country but such act will not work according to Bayan- Southern Mindanao spokesperson John Birondo.

“Presenting the huge expenses of Gloria Arroyo’s foreign trips amounting to P2.7 Billion to the public is an obligation of the Arroyo administration and their brand of “transparency” certainly won’t work in saving the corrupt Arroyo administration from the angry people,” Birondo said.

Palace spokesperson Cerge Remonde has been conducting briefings showing the so-called benefits from the foreign trips conducted by Mrs. Arroyo since 2001. A Commission on Audit report has shown that the president has overshot her own budget for foreign travel for the past eight years by as much as P1 billion. Malacanang has sought to justify this by pointing out the benefits in terms of investments and other foreign aid.

Bayan lambasted Malacañang’s claim that the country benefits from the foreign trips of the Arroyo government like foreign investments and military aid. “The benefits of the trips abroad that Malacañang claims are not for the people. It is for the bolstering of the puppetry of this regime to the dictates of its imperialist master – the US,” Birondo said.

“We cannot even feel that there are benefits because the people are still hungry. Health Secretary Francisco Duque even admitted this during his recent visit here in Davao saying that the hunger incidence in the country particularly here in Mindanao has increased from first and second quarter of this year. There are no jobs for the workforce and the farmers remain landless,” Birondo said.

“The Filipino people will not buy the false justifications and diversions of the Arroyo regime. The crookedness of this regime will be faced with collective efforts and actions of the people that will sooner lead to the ouster of this corrupt and isolated regime,” Birondo said.

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Bayan criticizes additional P5 B to feeding program, says Arroyo only tries to appease People’s anger

MEDIA RELEASE

August 18, 2009

Davao City – Amidst the increases on the prices of basic commodities like rice and oil, Bagong Alyansang Makabayan slammed anew the move of the Arroyo administration’s additional budget for its palliative poverty reduction strategy “Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program”.

“This is a just desperate attempt of the Arroyo regime to save its image after criticisms over the very luxurious meals it had at Le Cirque, New York and in Bobby Van’s Steak House which amounted to more than a million pesos easily spent,” according to Bayan spokesperson John Birondo.

“The additional P5 billion budget is like a candy given to the Filipino people hoping that this could be Arroyo’s way out of people’s anger. Is she trying to fool us? Mrs. Arroyo has the same pattern of actions every time she is confronted with issues and anomalies,” Birondo said.

“The program itself is palliative. It does not address the root cause of poverty which is landlessness. This administration is treating us like beggars when in fact the money it spends for the program is the people’s money,” he said.

“The isolated Arroyo administration is doomed to fail in its attempt to stop the people’s wrath. The Filipinos are already aware that under the present regime prioritization of the demands of the people is impossible.”

“What the people really wanted is for Gloria Arroyo to be ousted and for her to face the cases of anomalies, corruption and murder that she has committed against us,” Birondo said.

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