Ipinagkait na Yaman

Daan-daang taon man ang lumipas

Tunggali-an ng uri’y di malulutas

labanan ng mga naghahari at pinagsasamantalahan

kontradiskyong laganap sa buong kapuluan

Ekta-ektaryang lupaing may bakud

Sakada’y pababang hinuhugot

Kaunting pahinga’y buong araw na pagod

Isang taong trabaho sahod ay kakarampot

Nagsisiksikan ang mga tao sa lungsod

Mga mayayama’y sa yaman ngpapalunod

Ipinagkakait ang lupa na di sana’y palayan

Ginagawang subdibisyon ngunit di naman napagkakakitaan.

Uring proletaryo’y magbuklod at magkaisa

Mamamayan, kabataan, manggagawa’t magsasaka

Panahon na ngayon, tayo’y mag-alsa at lumaban

Sa ikalalaya ng lupa ay ikalalaya ng bayan.

Akda ni:

Jose Ma. Nolen Marc P. Lasaga

Vice Chairperson

ANAKBAYAN - West Visayas State University Chapter

*Ito ay isang akdang ginawa upang ipakita ang aming pakikisangkot sa laban ng mga magsasaka at mga manggagawang bukid ng Hacienda Luisita, Inc.

Militant youth provokes city gov’t to immediately act on dengue issue

“That is so imprudent. Even if the cases now are less than that of last year, aren’t they alarmed of its increasing number? How many should be infected of it and how many should die before the city government act on this?”

Militant youth provokes city gov’t

to immediately act on dengue issue

August 17, 2010

Press Release

Comprehensive and militant youth organization ANAKBAYAN is agitated by the ‘no-action’ scenario of the city government on the issue of dengue.

“There has been an increasing rate of dengue cases and casualties in Iloilo City,” says James Saguino, Anakbayan Panay Regional Spokesperson and convener of OPLAN KONTRA DENGUE, a broad alliance of organizations to combat dengue led by Kalipunan ng mga Damayang Mahihirap (KADAMAY-PANAY).

The cases of dengue have reached its record to more than 300 with almost 10 casualties already.

No concrete actions taken yet

Saguino added “However, as we can see, it seems that the city government is not alarmed by this dilemma. As of now, no concrete actions can be seen from the ranks of the city officials to address the actual needs of the people.”

He said that immediate actions should be done as these present figures may still rise up because rain nowadays is very frequent.

He also slammed a pronouncement of a city councilor that the city cannot declare a State of Calamity because to declare such, there should be at least 20% of the population who are affected by that certain case. There were also other pronouncements from other councilors that they are not going to support any action now putting the city under a State of Calamity or State of Eminent Danger.

They claim that this declaration is not necessary because the figure this year, as of the last report of the Department of Health, is lower than last year, and there was even no declaration on the latter.

“That is so imprudent. Even if the cases now are less than that of last year, aren’t they alarmed of its increasing number? How many should be infected of it and how many should die before the city government act on this?” says Saguino. 

He added “And, let us recall why there was no declaration last year? It was because no one from the bureaucracy ever took the matter of dengue seriously despite that Iloilo City ranks on top in Western Visayas lat year.”

Gov’t failed to escalate people’s basic issue

He also exposed negligence of the government in securing the right of every Ilonggo to health services especially those who are economically-deprived.

He stressed “At this point, we can assess to which interest the city government is up to. If it can invest hundreds of thousands up to millions to projects that are not even the direct interest of the Ilonggos, why can’t they allocate supplemental or calamity fund now, knowing that health is a basic right of every citizen?”

Our summon to uphold public health, other basic social services

“We call on the city council to immediately pass the resolution being proposed by Councilor Lyndon Acap putting Iloilo City in the ‘State of Eminent Danger’ on their session this Wednesday, and shall lead to the release of a fund that will help dengue-infected patients,” he says.

“Dengue fever is a poor man’s disease. Although anyone regardless of class can possibly be infected, majority, if not all, whose case becomes worse are from the lower ranks of the society because of their financial incapability to shoulder high costs of laboratory and medical requirements to identify that he or she has been infected by dengue,” he added.

“Poor housing services, solid waste management and drainage system are also key factors to this case increase,” says Saguino.

“People especially children who live in crowded and thick communities have high risks of being infected with dengue.”

“We challenge the government to review the basics of public service. From the perspective of the youth, we are very much saddened by these actions. The government should set its priorities according to the call of times. It should at all times abide with the interests of the people.”

He stressed some basic rights of every Ilonggo that the government and the people per se should uphold: right to education, water, food, shelter, health and other basic social services. #

For reference:

JAMES SAGUINO

Regional Spokesperson

ANAKBAYAN PANAY

anakbayanpanay@gmx.com

09182143454

Militant youth group denounces first EJK, dares P-Noy

Press Release

July 7, 2010

Iloilo City---Comprehensive and militant youth organization Anakbayan strongly condemns the assassination of Bayan Muna Partylist Aklan Chairperson and Lezo, Aklan SB Member Fernando Baldomero last Monday.

61-year old activist is the first victim of extrajudicial killing (EJK) since the day President Benigno Aquino III took his oath of office.

According to the initial reports, Baldomero was at the front of his house in Brgy. Estancia, Kalibo, Aklan around 6:30 in the morning and was about to bring his 12-year old son to school when two armed men shot him to death by three gunshots in the head and neck.

“This is a big slap to P-Noy’s face. Things are clear in here. Even though former president and currently Pampanga Representative Gloria Arroyo had already bid her farewell from presidency, EJKs are still possible to occur,” says Anakbayan Panay Regional Spokesperson James Saguino. 

He added, “This slaying case happened after the announcement of the new counter-insurgency plan of the newly installed Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Ricardo David.”

Anakbayan called Gen. Mabanta ‘idiot’, criticizes OBL

AFP, in their statement last Tuesday, then denied their involvement in the said case, nevertheless predicted it as a result of a communist purge.

"We are possible suspects. But do not forget that on the other side, purging continues to be a strategy if only to tell their members that we can kill you or we can neutralize you any time," said Armed Forces spokesman Brig. Gen. Jose Mabanta.

“When there are usually killings of, let’s say anti-government activists, one of the easier people to blame are the military," he added.

However, Anakbayan National Vice-Chairperson Anton Dulce called Mabanta an idiot and was under the mistaken belief that the public is even dumber than he [Mabanta] is which would be the only possibility for them to believe such a discredited claim.

“Yet again, we hear it straight from the horse’s mouth: the AFP and its bullets do not differentiate between unarmed civilians and armed rebels” he said.

“Through Oplan Bantay Laya (OBL), the [past] Arroyo administration is conducting an inhumane war which does not distinguish between combatants and civilians and legal and underground organizations. Unless the Filipino people act to stop the killings, Philippine society will degenerate into something worse than Martial Law, not worthy of being called civilized,” said Benjie Oliveros in his article in Bulatlat as he described OBL as Arroyo’s inhumane war.

Saguino expressed disappointment to the Aquino administration. After 1190 cases of EJK, 1028 victims of torture, 205 cases of desaparecidos and more than hundreds of thousands were forcibly displaced in rural areas as a result of military operations, P-Noy has not yet presented his plan of action on how to stop political killings and enforced disappearances or at least condemn such inhumane acts.

Youth challenges P-Noy

Saguino restate the youth’s call for justice. P-Noy should bare his concrete plan or stand on this issue of political killings and other forms of human right violations.

“P-Noy should not only stop ‘Wangwang’ but also ‘Bangbang’ as soon as possible,” he said. The AFP has been the strongest perpetrator of the different cases of human rights violations in the Philippines.

The military’s power point presentation entitled ‘Knowing Your Enemy’ that tagged left-wing organizations as legal front of the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army-National Democratic Front of the Philippines (CPP-NPA-NDFP) is one of the proofs that makes us point our fingers to them [AFP]. 

Different entities, including the Supreme Court on 2008 and UN Special Rapporteur for Human Rights on 2007, alleged the AFP liable of the various cases on human rights.

He added that P-Noy enticed us to follow him in his ‘Daang Matuwid’.

Anakbayan Panay challenges P-Noy to prove it by making appropriate steps concerning this issue. Killers should be punished and these killings should be stopped. The objective of a ‘straight path’ cannot be achieved if justice and peace are yet on question.

“P-Noy should be serious on this matter. As what he said in his previous speech, ‘I will set the example.’ Now do the move,” Saguino added. # (with articles from Anakbayan Phils, Anton Dulce, Benjie Oliveros of Bulatlat, KARAPATAN and BAYAN)

Sources:

James Saguino

Regional Spokesperson

ANAKBAYAN PANAY*

anakbayanpanay@jamessaguino.4t.com

09182143454

*Anakbayan is one of the founding organizations of KABATAAN Partylist, the sole youth representation in Congress.