Concert and dinner for a cause: Free Atty. Saladero and other political detainees

A concert and dinner for a cause…
            A night of solidarity and music…
 
for the benefit of the campaign to immediately release from prison top lawyer Atty. Saladero
and other political detainees
 
December 18, Thursday, 6pm onwards
at the My Bro’s Mustache bar and restaurant
68 Sct. Tuazon cor. Sct. Madriñan Sts, Timog (near Shell station), Quezon City
 
Confirmed performers include:
The Trio – Lester Demitillo, Becky Abraham, Cynthia Ubaldo
Empiel Palma
Ms. Lolita Carbon (of Asin)
and many more
 
tickets at P1000 – includes dinner and drinks
 
 
visit www.freeattysaladero.wordpress.com for more info, or call 4210986

Atty. Remigio Saladero Jr. handles more than 700 pro-bono cases, mostly of workers and other marginalized.
 
Last October 23, he was visited by military and police agents in his house carrying a warrant of arrest with a misspelled name and a wrong address of his. He was quickly brought to prison without any investigation, and was kept incommunicado for a time. The charges against Atty. Saladero: multiple murder, multiple frustrated murder, arson, and other grave criminal charges for allegedly participating in an NPA ambush of a globe cell site.
 
71 other activists also face the same charges. 6 of them are already in prison. And all of us can become targets, unless we resist.

URGENT CALL FOR INTERNATIONAL SOLIDARITY: Defend Human Rights Defenders! Stop Persecution of Filipino Activists!

Warm greetings of solidarity from the Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (New Patriotic Alliance) Philippines!

We are seeking your support to denounce the continuing persecution of Filipino social and political activists and human rights defenders.

A total of 72 persons in Southern Tagalog, Philippines, mostly leaders and members of people’s organizations, are unfairly accused of multiple murder and frustrated murder. Since October 23, 2008, six of the 72 have already been arrested and detained: labor lawyer Remigio Saladero; bedridden peasant leader Rogelio Galit, who is seriously afflicted with diabetes; Anakpawis (Toiling Masses) party-list local organizer Nestor San Jose and Bayan Muna (People First) party-list local organizer Crispin Zapanta; labor union organizer Arnaldo Seminiano, and labor NGO official Emmanuel Dionida.

The United Nations (UN) Declaration on Human Rights Defenders describes the situation of human rights defenders, to wit: “A great many human rights defenders, in every region of the world, have been subject to violations of their human rights. They have been the target of executions, torture, beatings, arbitrary arrest and detention, death threats, harassment and defamation, as well as restrictions on their freedoms of movement, expression, association and assembly. Defenders have been the victims of false accusations and unfair trial and conviction”.

As the world observes 60 years of the UN Universal Declaration on Human Rights, we urge you to support our campaign to bear pressure on the Philippine government to stop the wave of unjustified arrests and detention of Filipino activists and human rights defenders.

WHAT YOU CAN DO:

1) Sign the petition of DEFEND – Southern Tagalog at: http://bayan.ph/petition/

2) Organize protest actions in front of Philippine embassies/consulates on the 3rd of December, International Day for Solidarity with Political Prisoners and Prisoners of War, the 10th of December, marking the 60th International Human Rights Day to demand the Philippine government to stop persecution of human rights defenders and all forms of attacks on human rights.

3) Send messages of support and solidarity to the victims and their families through bayan_national@yahoo.com.

4) Send protest letters to the Philippine government addressed to:

H.E. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo
President of the Republic
Malacañang Palace, JP Laurel St., San Miguel, Manila, Philippines
Voice: (+632) 564 1451 to 80
Fax: (+632) 742-1641 / 929-3968
Cell#: (+ 63) 919 898 4622 / (+63) 917 839 8462
E-mail: corres@op.gov.ph / opnet@ops.gov.ph

Sec. Gilberto C. Teodoro Jr.
Department of National Defense
Room 301 DND Building, Camp Emilio Aguinaldo, E. de los Santos Avenue, Quezon City, Philippines
Voice:+63(2) 911-9281 / 911-0488
Fax:+63(2) 911 6213
osnd@philonline.com

Sec. Raul M. Gonzalez
Department of Justice
Padre Faura St., Manila, Philippines
Direct Line 521-8344; 5213721
Trunkline 523-84-81 loc.214
Fax: (+632) 521-1614
Email sad@doj.gov.ph

Hon. Leila De Lima
Chairperson, Commission on Human Rights
SAAC Bldg., UP Complex
Commonwealth Avenue, Diliman, Quezon City, Philippines
Fax: (+632) 929 0102
Email: drpvq@chr.gov.ph

*Please cc: bayan_national@yahoo.com.

For more information, please read the Bayan briefer and DEFEND-ST petition against persecution of activists at www.bayan.ph.

Down with the crackdown concert

An invitation to a concert against the political persecution of leaders of progressive organizations in Southern Tagalog. November 22, 6 p.m., ten02 Bar, Timog Ave. cor. Sct. Ybardolaza, Quezon City. See you there!

BAYAN invitation for Nov. 22 launching of Defend ST

DEAR FRIENDS:

Warm greetings from BAYAN!

Between October 23, 2008 and November 13, 2008, Atty. Remigio Saladero and five (5) other human rights defenders were arrested on trumped-up criminal charges. Sixty-six (66) others are facing threats of similar arrest. While extrajudicial killings and abductions continue, albeit not as frequently and as outrageously as before, the Arroyo regime is now resorting to wholesale illegal arrests and detention to neutralize social and political activists and cripple opposition to its illegitimate rule.

On November 22, 2008, DEFEND-ST, a Task Force to Defend the Victims of Political Persecution in Southern Tagalog will be launched at the Benitez Hall, College of Education, UP Diliman, Quezon City from 1:00 pm to 5:00 pm.

On behalf of the victims and their families, BAYAN invites you to be part of this effort to defend human rights defenders who are being unjustly portrayed as criminals. We also urge you to add your name to the signature campaign initiated by DEFEND-ST and circulate the appeal to your networks. An online petition will be available soon. In the meantime you may send back your signature through bayan_national@yahoo.com or contact us at telephone number: 925-5906 or fax: 435-6930.

Thank you very much and see you on November 22.

In Solidarity,

DR. CAROL PAGADUAN-ARAULLO

BAYAN Chairperson