Expressing outrage over what they called the serious crimes of the President, groups under the Bagong Alyansang Makabayan today marched to Mendiola and the US embassy to demand truth and accountability in the Mamasapano incident.
US Embassy, Manila
February 4, 2015
A protest rally in front of the US embassy in Manila on February 4, 2015 exposed the role of the United States in the deadly covert operations in Mamasapano, Maguindanao. The January 25 commando raid and the ensuing 12-hour battle left 44 Special Action Force (SAF) troops, 18 Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) fighters and at least seven civilians dead. Among the speakers at the rally are Makabayan Coalition President Satur Ocampo and Amirah Ali Lidasan, Secretary General of the Moro Christian People’s Alliance (MCPA). US forces were seen by witnesses in the operations. Protesters demand justice for the victims, Pres. Aquino’s resignation and the abrogation of US military pacts, notably the US-RP Mutual Defense Treaty, the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) and the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA). The rally was led by the Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (BAYAN) and local affiliates of the International League of Peoples’ Struggle (ILPS).
Prayer Gathering
9th Day after the death of the fallen of Mamasapano
Camp Crame, Quezon City
February 3, 2015
Protest-action
MRT North Avenue Station
February 2, 2015
Promotion of Church People’s Response condoles with the families of the PNP officers and MILF and BIFF elements whose untimely deaths occurred in Mamasapano, Maguindanao, due to unresolved armed conflict in the country. They offer prayers for nations that will unearth the root cause of this tragedy with prudence and wisdom.
NCCP, Edsa
January 30, 2015
Panayam ng Kodao Productions kay Prof. Jose Maria Sison hinggil sa madugong sagupaan sa pagitan ng SAF at MILF sa Mamasapano, Maguindanao noong January 25, 2015.
February 1, 2015
Ano ang inyong masasabi sa pahayag ng FBI na walang kinalaman ang US sa naganap na Mamasapano encounter?
JMS: Nasa katangian at papel ng FBI na magsinungaling tungkol sa covert operations o lihim na operasyon nito. Mahaba at malalim ang pakialam ng FBI sa proyekto na hulihin o patayin si Marwan at Usman. Nahahalata naman ito sa lantarang pagtanggap ng FBI na sila ang bahala sa reward money at sa DNA analysis. Pero may kinalaman din ang FBI sa pagsasanay sa Special Action Force, sa intelligence at pagsasagawa ng Oplan Wolverine.
May papel ang FBI sa porma ng bilateral police cooperation. Pero kasangkot din ang iba pang ahensya ng Amerikano,tulad ng US Army Special Forces. US Army facility ang GPS surveillance at real-time monitoring sa communications gadget na ipinain kay Marwan at mga aide niya. At malamang na si US Ambassador Goldberg o ang CIA station chief ang nag-utos kay Aquino.
Ayon sa mga tao sa baryong pinangyarihan ng sagupaan, may blue-eyed na Amerikanong sundalo na nakita nilang patay. At nakunan naman ng retrato ang Amerikanong sundalo mula sa Joint Staff Special Operations Task Force. Kasama sila sa pagtingin, pag-usisa at pagkuha sa mga bangkay ng mga sundalong SAF. Lumabas ang mga retrato sa mga peryodiko.
BAYAN MUNA CALLS FOR THOROUGH INVESTIGATION OF PURISIMA, AQUINO AND U.S. HANDS ON THE BLOODY MAMASAPANO POLICE FIASCO
As reports linking US operatives to Mamasapano incident surface
Bayan Muna Reps. Neri Colmenares and Carlos Zarate today said that as reports linking US operatives on the botched operation in Mamasapano are surfacing left and right thus it is imperative that a thorough investigation be launched by Congress to get to the truth.
President Aquino’s not admitting until now his responsibility, not telling the whole truth and passing the blame of the most bloody police fiasco to the commander of SAF is unacceptable and reprehensible. It is a vain attempt to hide the whole truth, especially his, Purisima’s and the US’ role in the botched operation to escape accountability.
As it is, newspaper reports say that agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and ranking Filipino police officials planned a secret operation aimed at getting a notorious international terrorist, a source who declined to be identified told the Inquirer.
The source said the target was on Washington’s list of priority terrorists: Malaysian Zulkifli bin Hir, alias “Marwan,” who had a $5-million price then on his head. The bounty was later raised to $6 million.
Based on the reports, a former ranking police official in Central Mindanao, claimed that during the meeting, which he attended, the FBI agents shared an intelligence report on the exact whereabouts of Marwan and another terrorist, Filipino Abdul Basit Usman.
The source said the Americans were certain about their intelligence data because it was provided by a mole from the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).
“They were paid cash in exchange for the information,” the source said.
The source said the FBI agents validated the information relayed to them by their mole through the use of “drones and global positioning system.“We can even see the hideout of their target,” he said.
During the meeting, it was decided that those involved in the operation would not share information with any other government agencies “to prevent a leak of the plan. They will only coordinate with other government troops—posted along the highway—on their way to their mission,” he added.
“Ito ang nakakalungkot dito ang US ang nagplano at ipinahamak ang mga SAF. Matapos ibala sa kanyon ang mga SAF pa ang may kasalanan sa pagkasawi nila,” said Rep. Colmenares
“This is one of our fears when the Philippines entered the Visiting Forces Agreements (VFA) and now the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) we are dragged into their fights and battle plans under the heading Target of US enemies. Filipinos are the ones dying for the US to get what they want. Worse because we are now seen as part of US military operations against its enemies, we also become a target of attacks by the enemies of the US. This should really be investigated and adds to the numerous reasons why these treaties should be junked,” added Senior Deputy Minority Leader Colmenares.
“Malala pa ay Si Pres. Aquino ay naghuhugas kamay at hindi ipinaliwanag kung bakit di pinaalam ang operasyon sa DILG Secretary at PNP chief. Ito ay patunay na totoo nga na si Gen.Purisima ang nagcommand ng operations.May pananagutan si Pres. Aquino sa ginawa nyang pag utos sa operasyon at pagdefy sa order ng Ombudsman na suspendido si Purisima at sa talumpati pa niya ngayon ay lalo lang nagalit sa kanya ang mga kamag-anak at kaibigan ng mga nasawi maging ang sambayanang Filipino,” he added.
“As for his part Rep. Zarate said that “even as other government agencies will conduct their own probes of the incident, Congress must also conduct a thorough investigation, since it appears that there was breakdown in the established mechanisms agreed upon by the GPH and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) as well as to see the veracity of reports that US agents or troops were also in the area after the incident,”
“There are more questions now than when this was exposed. As for example, if SAF commander keep on insisting that Operation Wolverine is very much alike the US operation to get Osama bin Laden then he has already admitted that this botched operation has US backing, support and participation. Another question is how are we certain that the US agents seen in the evacuation of the dead and wounded SAF did not take the supposed body of Marwan or his cut finger for them to test for his DNA? These are just few of the questions that have to be answered for us to get to the truth,” ended Rep. Zarate. ###
Bagong Alyansang Makabayan chairperson Dr. Carol P. Araullo presses President Benigno Aquino to come clean on event surrounding the debacle that killed at least 44 police commandos last January 25.
Araullo reacts after Aquino addressed the nation Wednesday night in a speech that Bayan says lacked forthrightness. She said that the peace process between the government and the Bangsamoro people should continue despite this incident.
2014 IBON Yearend Birdtalk
Political and Economic Briefing
UP College of Education, Diliman
January 23, 2015
More news at www.ibon.org
Peasants held an indignation rally at Mendiola to commemorate the massacre that killed 13 and injured many others on January 22, 1987.
In this video, peasant leader and massacre survivor Rafael Mariano recalls how the massacre happened.
It is notable that Corazon Aquino, the late mother of President Benigno Aquino III, was the head of state during the incident. Many participants and survivors of the massacre were peasants calling for the distribution of the Cojuanco-Aquino controlled Hacienda Luisita.