International Committee DEFEND Condemns Continuing Oppression of Prof. Sison

By International Committee DEFEND

We, the International Committee DEFEND, hereby condemn the long-running scheme of Philippine and Dutch government authorities at the highest level to oppress and criminalize Prof. Jose Maria Sison by subjecting him to false charges of murder against him and to an endless politically-motivated criminal investigation.

The oppression of Prof. Sison by Dutch authorities began on January 26, 2005 when Philippine foreign secretary Alberto Romulo and Dutch justice minister Piet Hein Donner met and agreed to subject Prof. Sison to false murder charges in connection with the killing of Philippine military assets Romulo Kintanar in 2003 and Arturo Tabara in 2004.

The Romulo-Donner agreement led to the intense surveillance on Prof. Sison, the taking of testimonies by the Dutch police from witnesses provided by Philippine authorities in Manila from January 2006 onwards and the arrest of Prof. Sison on August 28, 2007 as well as raids on the office of the NDF Information office and the homes of members, consultants and staffers of the NDFP Negotiating Panel.

The scheme to oppress and criminalize Prof. Sison and other Filipinos abroad is part of the so-called legal offensive of the Arroyo government to preoccupy and stigmatize leaders of the opposition by levelling false criminal charges against them through the instrumentality of so-called Inter-Agency Legal Action Group (IALAG) of the Oplan Bantay Laya. This agency is so notorious that the UN special rapporteur on extrajudicial killings and summary executions, Philip Alston, has recommended its abolition.

It is important to be aware of the political context in which Prof. Sison is subjected to endless criminal investigation despite the decisions of the District Court of The Hague on September 13, 2007, The Hague Court of Appeal on October 3, 2007 and the examining judge on November 21, 2007 that there is no prima facie evidence against him. In its decision, the Hague Court of Appeal pointed to the political context in which the witnesses against Prof. Sison are unreliable and that it is doubtful whether he can cross-examine the witnesses who are managed by the Philippine military.

In its June 5, 2008 decision on the complaint of Prof. Sison demanding the end of the overextended criminal investigation against him, the District Court of The Hague declared that up to now there is no incriminating evidence against him. But the court decided to give the prosecution an unspecified amount of time to further interrogate witnesses and further examine the things seized in the raids on August 28, 2007.

It is anomalous that in its decision the court claims falsely that the lawyer of Prof. Sison withdrew the demand for the termination of the criminal investigation. In fact, the lawyer vigorously reminded the court that the prosecution had asked for an extension of the investigation up to mid-June 2008. It is even more anomalous for the court to claim falsely in its decision that the examining judge closed the preliminary investigation on November 21, 2007 after supposedly giving the prosecution a blank check on the interrogation of witnesses.

The June 5, 2008 decision of the District Court of The Hague has created a series of problems. It has not made clear what are the grounds and in respect of what facts is the prosecution allowed the unspecified or unlimited time to continue and complete investigation. The prosecution is practically allowed to generate witnesses and evidence as freely as it wishes and to prolong the investigation as it pleases.

Since the prosecution received the aforesaid court decision, the prosecution has casually tried to enlist the assistance of the office of the examining judges in the supposed task of investigation, without clarity of grounds and without a modicum of respect for the role of the examining judge in accordance with definite provisions in the Code of Criminal Procedure.

It seems like anything goes in the sphere of criminal investigation, prosecution and even in judicial decision-making so long as the political interests of the highest officials of government are served. Is the supposed rule of law in The Netherlands being bent or degraded to subserve the political collaboration of the Dutch and other governments against individuals like Prof. Jose Maria Sison who intelligently and courageously exercise their freedom of thought at and expression in the service of the people?

#Philippines #JoseSison #Statement #InternationalCommitteeDEFEND #Asia

Gloria M. Arroyo is ripe for ouster by the broad mass movement

By Prof. Jose Maria Sison

Chief Political Consultant

National Democratic Front of the Philippines

15 February 2008

Gloria M. Arroyo, the fake president, is ripe for ouster by the broad mass movement of the Filipino people as a result of her record of moral bankruptcy, subservience to foreign interests, brazen corruption and systematic human rights violations.

The flagrant use of bribery to remove Rep. Jose de Venecia from the speakership and the use of kidnapping in an attempt to silence Rodolfo Jun Lozada have served to underscore the issue of corruption and to outrage the broad masses of the people.

The Arroyo regime has become so isolated and so desperate that it has directed its military and police minions to concoct tales about anti-Arroyo assassination plots and spread fears about possible violence in mass actions in order to intimidate the people and the legal democratic forces.

The regime is seeking to justify the state violence that the military and police are poised to unleash in order to disrupt and stop the growth of the mass actions. In this regard, the regime and its military and police henchmen are being called upon to respect the right of the people to speak and assemble.

As far as I know from the official pronouncements of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP), the New People’s Army (NPA) is sympathizing with and encouraging the legal and peaceful mass actions in the urban areas and is directing its military tactical offensives against the people’s enemies in the countryside in consonance with the strategic line of protracted people’s war.

The sheer growth of the legal and peaceful mass actions in the national capital region and on a national scale in the coming days, weeks and months can encourage the military and police to withdraw support from the Arroyo ruling clique and can suffice to cause the resignation, impeachment or outright ouster of the illegitimate and morally bankrupt president.

#Philippines #NationalDemocraticFrontOfThePhilippines #JoseSison #Statement #GloriaArroyo #Asia

Jose Maria Sison is the Chief Political Consultant to the National Democratic Front (NDFP) of the Philippines. The NDFP represents the popular movement of the Filipino people in their struggle to end U.S. domination and control of their country. The NDFP is leading the struggle of the Filipino people to sweep away the corrupt U.S. puppet government of President Arroyo.

The U.S. is intervening militarily in the Philippines in an attempt to prop up the Arroyo government and stave off the Filipino people’s revolution. Under the phony ‘war on terror,’ the U.S. military has troops and advisors in the Philippines directing a dirty war against the peasants, workers and patriotic people. The current repression, including assassinations of trade unionists, disappearances of political activists and a dirty war in the countryside is all ‘Made in the USA.’ The kidnapping and murder of unarmed activists is happening at a higher rate than during the Marcos dictatorship.

In the Philippines, the U.S. is replicating the counter-insurgency war it uses in the country of Colombia. The U.S. and Philippine militaries defend the interests of U.S. corporations robbing the Philippines of its natural resources, agricultural products and the labor of the peasants and workers. The U.S. defends the small wealthy elite of big landowners and rich capitalists. Professor Sison, however, is on the side of the people.

The Netherlands government is acting as an attack dog on behalf of U.S. imperialism. While the Netherlands is a small country, it is imperialist and its ruling class follows the lead of the small class of billionaires and millionaires who rule the U.S. The Dutch government happily sends its young people to war with U.S. and British imperialism in Afghanistan. They brought the Dutch troops home from Iraq in 2005, but only under strong public pressure from their people at home. The Netherlands government backs the U.S. dirty war in Colombia by allowing the use of military bases on the Caribbean colony of Aruba. When the U.S. says, “Jump!” the Dutch government asks, “How high?”

The arrest of Jose Maria Sison is the real crime. We demand freedom for Professor Sison. We will work tirelessly for his release and for an end to U.S. intervention in the Philippines. The peoples of the world cry out for peace, freedom and justice. Freeing Professor Sison is a part of making that happen.

#Philippines #NationalDemocraticFrontOfThePhilippines #JoseSison #Statement #Asia

The editors of Fight Back! have met Jose Maria Sison on many occasions and we have a great respect for his clear thinking and hard work on behalf of working and oppressed people everywhere. We urge all of our readers to do everything possible to help gain his immediate release.

RELEASE JOMA SISON!!!

-BAYAN USA

Fil-Am Alliance Condemns Dubious Arrest of NDF Political Consultant

The US Chapter of Bagong Alyansang Makabayan, or BAYAN USA, an alliance of over 12 Filipino organizations in the US, vehemently condemned the arrest of the National Democratic Front Chief Political Consultant Jose Maria Sison last night by the Dutch Police on false charges of multiple murders.

The alliance further condemned the raiding of homes by the Dutch police of the NDF personnel.

Sison was arrested last night for multiple murders of Romulo Kintanar and Arturo Tabara. Police say Sison ordered the murders from the Netherlands back in 2003. Sison will be put on trial in the Netherlands, not the Philippines.

While the New People's Army has already come forward with admittance to the killings, Sison maintains he is not in the leadership of the NPA nor the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP).

BAYAN USA maintains the real reasons for Sison's arrest are political not criminal. Emergency actions will also be set at Dutch consulates across the country calling for Sison's immediate release.

“Behind the actions of the Dutch police is the Arroyo government, which since its ascendency has been in pursuit of Joma Sison and worked tirelessly to subdue his meaning to the people,” states BAYAN USA Chair Chito Quijano.

The alliance, a member of the International League of Peoples Struggle, an international organization of which Sison serves as Chair, has been calling for a de-listing of Sison from the US and EU terrorist lists.

“It is in every interest of the US and Arroyo governments to confine Professor Sison for his politics. As the Chief Political Consultant to the organization that comprises one half of the stalled NDF-GRP peace negotiations, the Arroyo government is declaring to the world it is not interested in resuming peace talks,” Quijano added.

BAYAN USA has also supported the resumption of peace talks between the NDF and GRP. The Arroyo administration just recently called to intensify the all-out war in Mindanao under the auspices of the US War on Terror as a measure to raise its annual pork barrel of military aid from the US government.

BAYAN USA also asserted it's been a year of hot water for the Arroyo administration, with isolation from human rights watchdogs such as the UNHRC, Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, and even a US Senate hearing that may influence US military aid to the Philippines. Sison, a political refugee in the Netherlands for nearly 20 years, has been one of the most famous and vocal critics of the Arroyo regime.

Earlier this year, a European court nullified Sison's terrorist listing. Since his listing of 2001, Sison had his assets frozen and right to work stripped. Sison remains on the US State Department's terrorist list.

For more information, contact BAYAN USA at info @ bayanusa.org. ###

#Philippines #JoseSison #BAYAN #Statement #Asia

Reported Murder Charges Have No Factual and Legal Basis, are Politically Motivated and Meant to Deceive the People

By Prof. Jose Maria Sison

NDFP Chief Political Consultant

Several times every year, Philippine reactionary authorities make the propaganda that they are filing charges of rebellion and the common crime of murder against me. But always the allegations are invalid and ineffective because they lack factual and legal basis and because the Philippine authorities have no jurisdiction over my person.

My Philippine lawyers have always competently and successfully fended off these false allegations. Once more they are ready to take the appropriate legal actions to defend me from what are now being publicized as charges of murder to be filed against me in connection with the deaths of Romulo Kintanar and Arturo Tabara in 2003 and 2004.

There is no factual and legal basis for charging me with murder for the deaths of Kintanar and Tabara. The false allegations are politically motivated and meant to deceive the people and divert their attention from the criminal culpabilities of the Arroyo regime for electoral fraud, corruption and gross human rights violations.

Moreover, I am beyond the jurisdiction of the Philippine authorities under Philippine and international law. There is no extradition treaty between the Philippine and Dutch government. I am also protected by the Refugee Convention and Article 3 of the European Convention on Human Rights, which prohibits the Dutch government from expelling me to anywhere I am in danger of torture and other ill treatment.

By their official statements appearing in www.philippinerevolution.org and other publications, the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) and the New People’s Army have long admitted responsibility for giving battle to Kintanar and Tabara as armed and dangerous agents of the reactionary government, who committed serious crimes against the revolutionary forces and the people. They consider as acts of the revolution what they have done to the two.

The leadership of the CPP and the national command of the NPA are in the Philippines.

I should not be misrepresented as the omnipotent entity making decisions for the CPP and NPA. I am simply the chief political consultant of the NDFP negotiating panel.

The false accusations against me for rebellion and the common crime of murder are monotonously recurrent and are barefaced lies. They fail to draw away the attention of the people from the culpability of the Arroyo regime for the murder of more than 680 legal activists, the forced disappearance and torture of some hundreds more and the massive military assaults on the working people in the various regions.

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#Philippines #News #JoseSison #Asia

#Philippines #News #JoseSison #Asia