[Imc-oceania] OFF-TOPIC: Solidarity anyone?

[soluble fish]

PUNKS, ANARCHISTS, AUTONOMIST, ACTIVIST, VEGAN, QUEER, PEACE-LOVING, NATURE-LOVING CREATURES, WE NEED YOUR SOLIDARITY!
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  To:  Philippine Government, Police Force, Military, Justice Department
  
  Last February 14, a group of 11 backpackers went to Baguio to join the  festivities in the annual Baguio Flower Festival and proceed to the  idyllic mountain paradise of Sagada. They were Rundren Berloize Lao,  24, from Davao City; Aldoz Christian Munoza, 18, single, of Santolan,  Pasig City; Darwin Alazar y Padilla, 21, single, native of Tipuso,  Urdaneta City, Pangasinan; Arvie Nunez, 21, single, native of Silang,  Mayaw, Lucena City; Ray Lester Mendoza y Esquerra, 16, from San  Francisco, Makati City; Neil Russel Balajadia, 25, single, from  Santolan, Pasig City; Jethro Villegas, 21, single, of Malagos, Calinan,  Davao City; Anderson Alonzo, 18, single, also of Malagos, Calinan,  Davao City; Ronron Pandino, 20, single, from San Quintin, Laguna;  Frencess Ann Bernal, 15, single, of Camupang, Marikina City; and  Jefferson dela Rosa y dela Cruz, 20, single, of Santolan, Pasig City.  All of them just wanted to have some fun, after their musical tour  (they came from a punk music
 event that was held in Tarlac).
  
  At around 6 a.m of the same day, the group hitchhiked aboard a dump  truck along the Baguio-Bontoc Road (Halsema Highway). This was their  mode of transportation to Sagada. Around noontime, without any  provocation, they were held in gunpoint by police looking for New  People’s Army (NPA) rebels at a checkpoint in Bangao village, Buguias  town, northern Benguet.
  
  “Tinutukan agad ng mga baril na mahahaba” from the words of Rundren  Lao, one of the lads that were accused as NPAs. They were kicked and  manhandled as there were obvious signs of torture all over their  bodies. The parents of the victims were aghast when they saw the group  of youth - bruised, wounded and still in a state of shock. The group  were tied, some handcuffed, and were brought forcefully to the station  of the 1604th Police Mobile Group in Camp Molintas, Abatan, also in  Benguet.
  
  The actions done by the Benguet Police were definitely wrong, however  you look at it. These acts deserve condemnation, if not punishment by  recalling all those involved from their duties. The Sagada 11 are  innocent, adventure loving trekkers. Most likely, due to the macho,  prejudiced and unintelligent nature of police officers and the  backwardness of the police institution itself, they have assumed that  these individuals are “communists” and “armed rebels” due to the fact  that they look and dress different (punks tend to dress differently -  Rundren Lao even had dreadlocks which he cut in his attempt to escape  to maintain a low profile). The closest they can be related to  “rebellion” is due to their involvement with the non-violent peace  organization Food not Bombs, a vegetarian anti-war group where the main  activity is to recycle food to feed the poor and hungry homeless  vagrants all throughout the country.
  
  As the Sagada 11 group’s friends, comrades, fellow musicians, and peace-loving people who respect human rights, we demand for:
  
  1. The immediate and unconditional release of the Sagada 11
  2. A public apology to be issued to the victims and their families
  3. The termination of the responsible people from their duties as  police officers and government workers, whether they are directly or  indirectly involved.
  
  FREE THE SAGADA 11!
  STOP POLICE REPRESSION AND BUTALITY!
  RESPECT HUMAN RIGHTS! 
  
  please sign petition here:
  http://www.petitiononline.com/sagada/petition.html
  
  or call/fax the Philippine Embassy in your respective countries to  pressure the Philippine Government in releasing SAGADA 11 from State  prison.
  
  

"Government means the delegation of power, that is the abdication of initiative and sovereignty of all into the hands of a few; administration means the delegation of work, that is tasks given and received, free exchange of services based on free agreement . . . Let one not confuse the function of government with that of an administration, for they are essentially different, and if today the two are often confused, it is only because of economic and political privilege." - ERRICO MALATESTA [Anarchy, pp. 39-40]
		
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