Piercing Pens

Here are some Gloria Dolls stolen from Ellen Tordesilla’s blog:

Two House bills that seek to repeal Batas Pambansa 880–which was used to justify the arrest of Dinky Soliman and Enteng Romano yesterday–have already been approved by the House of Representatives Committee on Human Rights: Bayan Muna’s House Bill 1555 and Akbayan’s House Bill 4802.

HB 1555, or the proposed The Freedom of Expression Act of 2004 by Rep. Satur Ocampo and other Bayan Muna Representatives, provides for the following:

a) no permit requirement for the holding of a public assembly;
b) non-interference from law enforcement authorities during public assemblies;
c) extension of police assistance when requested;
d) no dispersal of public assembly; and
e) immunity from arrest and taxation.

Police arrested this afternoon former Social Welfare Sec. Dinky Soliman, one of the leaders of the anti-Arroyo Black and White Movement, according to GMA-7’s 24 Oras.

Soliman was arrested with eLagda leader Vicente Romano III, and other supporters of Black and White Movement. The group held the weekly flash protest at Baywalk today.

Mindanews’s Patricio Diaz in his column “Comment” expressed what I’ve been thinking for some time now:

“[Congress] should have amended or repealed the martial-law presidential decrees which are now being partly invoked to legalize the suppression of the freedom of the press, freedom of speech and freedom of peaceable assembly.

“For instance, PD 880 is still operative. It’s basically the basis of the ‘Calibrated Preemptive Response’ that suppresses the freedom of peaceable assembly. ”

From the Moral Majority/eLagda egroup:

Designated time and place of flash protest for March 17:
BAYWALK, Roxas Blvd – 6:30 to 7:15 PM

Plan of action:
1) Wear BLACK. BRING ALSO HAT, SHADES, AND IMPROVISED HOOD similar to the hooded witness of DOJ (see attached photo).
2) Assemble at the Aristocrat Restaurant, Roxas Blvd. between 6:15 to 6:30
3) Wait awhile for other groups in black. Take a snack, if you wish, while waiting for others.
4) By 6:30 cross Roxas Blvd. single file towards Baywalk.
5) Put on your “Makapili” hooded outfit and mingle with the regular Friday strollers at Baywalk.
6) When the signal is given, line up single file along the road and face the street.
7) Do the “thumbs down” sign to passing vehicles.
8) On cue, disperse quietly.

Suggested preparations:

1) Invite as many friends, or officemates, as you can
2) If you’re an employer or a manager, invite all your subordinates to join you. Offer to “treat” them after the flash protest, if you can afford it. Hey, it’s Friday after pay day. So you can have your regular “gimmick” after this.
3) If you’re from the same office, arrange for carpooling going to the Aristocrat restaurant.
4) If you’re outside of Metro Manila, and there are enough of you to organize a protest action, just select your own place, but follow the “MAKAPILI” theme.

For feedback on last week’s MRT flash protest, please visit our blog: www.blackfridayprotest.blogspot.com

Continue reading “Baywalk Makapili Friday Protest”

Got this on the mail today:

To Those Who Are Not Out in the Streets
(A response to the email of one S. C. Austero)

Dear S.C. Austero and Others Who Are Not Out in the Streets,

I too, am angry. I am angry that there are people like you who have become so jaded, so cynical that you would rather “lose our freedoms and our rights just to move this country forward,” meaning wherever GMA and her cohorts are taking it.

Let me make it clear. I don’t claim to speak or fight for you or the entire Filipino people. I want GMA out for the sake of MY rights and MY freedoms. I will fight any government that steals MY vote, MY taxes, that lies to ME and tramples on MY human rights and civil liberties. If you don’t want to join me in this fight, then don’t. I’m sure there are many others who believe that government is there to serve the people, not rob them blind.

Posted below is Manuel Buencamino’s answer to an open letter by S. C. Austero to “Tita Cory, Senators, Congressmen, Businessmen, Media people, Leftists, and all Bleeding Hearts Out There.”

In the letter that sounded like it was sent out straight from Malacañang’s propaganda bureau, Austero berates Aquino, et al for “sabotaging” the Philippines, declares he chose to forgive Arroyo’s Hello Garci act because it was what the bishops taught us. He also naively believes Mrs. Arroyo and company’s story about the Left-Right conspiracy, and sees nothing wrong with the current regime’s authoritarian tendencies.

Here is Buencamino’s reply:

Dear Schubert Caesar Austero,

I am angry too. Really angry. And depressed. I hope this letter makes at least one of us feel better. It’s honest. It may be too frank at times but we need to take stock of ourselves and the opposition.

Continue reading “Response to Open Letter: Don’t Be Angry, Get Smart”