February 18, 2021

Dear Partners and Colleagues,

In the spirit of defending our fundamental freedoms, we inform you of the continuing saga of red-tagging by the Philippine government to civil society organizations, specifically, the intensifying harassment and attacks on labor organizations and church people.

Research and education work is not a crime. The Ecumenical Institute for Labor Education and Research (EILER) strongly denounces the allegations of the National Intelligence Coordinating Agency (NICA). In the NICA’s letter to the Bureau of Immigration (BI), EILER is branded as a Communist-Terrorist Group-affiliated. The said letter was received by our volunteer staff from the BI only on February 3, 2021.

The red-tagging endangers the lives of EILER’s Board of Trustees, its staff, and the workers it serves. Our volunteer researcher and lay missionary, Otto De Vries, has been maliciously accused by NICA that he was “engaged and actively participating in protest rallies of Communist-Terrorist Group (CTG) front organizations.” Under EO 70 (2018), the NICA sits as a member of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC), and heads the NTF-ELCAC’s Situational Awareness and Knowledge Management (SAKM) Cluster.

The wrongful allegation is another violation by the Philippine government in its relentless series of harassment and attacks on church people and labor rights defenders. Further, the attacks on civil society organizations indicate the eroding democratic governance in the country, in a critical time the focus should be on relief and recovery amid the pandemic.

Contrary to the accusations of NICA, EILER neither supports terrorism nor publishes materials to recruit terrorists. EILER is an established non-profit, non-governmental organization that has tirelessly advanced labor education, research, capacity-building, campaigning and advocacy work since 1981. It has published numerous research materials and has produced documentaries on the plight of the Filipino workers for 40 years.

We would like to assure our partners that we will continue to serve the workers through our projects, research and education work. We also appeal for your support in this very difficult time. We hope that you can sign on to endorse our official statement (attached), in support of our campaign to end red-tagging, as well as to put an end to the culture of impunity.

We urge our partners, civil society organizations and trade unions to stand in solidarity with EILER in condemning the attacks and in defending our democratic rights. We kindly ask for  you to:

1)    Issue statements supporting EILER’s call for defending labor rights and defending our institution so that we may continue serving the workers. You may also include our publicly-shared photos from any joint activities of our organizations and the hashtags below for online posting.

2)    Issue statements supporting Otto’s mission to the Philippines.

3)    Share our campaign to stop red-tagging and hold those in power accountable for perpetuating the culture of impunity.

4)    Endorse our statement by affixing your signature.

Our calls:
No to Red-tagging!
Hands off Otto! Hands off Labor Rights Defenders!
Research and education work is not a crime!
Stand with EILER! Hands off civil society organizations!

Thank you very much for your solidarity.

Sincerely,
Rochelle M. Porras
Executive Director
Institusyong Ekumenikal para sa Edukasyon at Pananaliksik sa Paggawa
Ecumenical Institute for Labor Education and Research (EILER)

Amid Duterte government’s lowest land distribution record in CARP history, hungry, pandemic-vulnerable Negros farmers ask president: Why do you break our hearts? Why can’t you fulfill your land reform promise?

Carrying “broken hearts” made of red cartolina, about 50 landless Negros Occidental farmers belonging to national peasant federation Task Force Mapalad (TFM), staged a post-Valentine protest-rally in front of the provincial office of the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) in Dawis, Bacolod City on Monday, February 15, to express their frustration over the failure of the Duterte administration to fulfill its promise of completing land distribution under the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP). 

“First you gave us hope, you made us look forward to a much better future, free from the clutches of hacienderos, because you repeatedly vowed that we would have land. But now, you’ve broken our hearts, our dreams, Mr. President, because you failed to deliver what you promised,” said Teresita Tarlac, president of TFM’s Negros-Panay Chapter.

Tarlac said TFM farmers were apprehensive to hold a rally amid the pandemic, but extreme hunger aggravated by the sharp increase in the prices of basic commodities made them decide to go out and hold a rally and tell President Duterte of their plight.

“Hunger and the lack of adequate nutrition will make us vulnerable to illnesses, which in turn will make us susceptible to Covid-19. We have no other choice but to fight for our right to land, to our right to food and nutrition, so we can shield ourselves from diseases, including Covid-19,” she said.

“President Duterte has to see CARP as the most viable solution to our problem. He must give us our land now, ” added Tarlac. 

In January 2020, while in North Cotabato, President Duterte reiterated his vow to complete the CARP’s land acquisition and distribution (LAD) component within his term, adding that he had directed DAR Secretary John Castriciones to fully implement the program, particularly in Negros Occidental, the province with the biggest LAD balance nationwide.

In May 2019, as a response to the chief executive’s directive to complete the distribution of agricultural landholdings to their tillers, the DAR said its target was for CARP to be LAD-free by 2022. In August 2020, the DAR shortened the land acquisition process from to 291 to 112 days supposedly to fast-track CARP.

Low and unmet land distribution target, lowest performance in CARP history 

However, according to TFM, it is clear from the records of the DAR itself that there is a big credibility gap between what President Duterte promised and what the department does.  

“While the DAR has been projecting to the media that it is doing its job, the truth is the current administration does not only have low and unmet land distribution targets. It is also, on record, the worst CARP implementor in terms of LAD since the land-to-the-tiller program started in 1988,” said Tarlac.

Data from the DAR show that in 2020, the department was only able to distribute a total of 18,789 hectares (has.) of agricultural landholdings nationwide or nearly 40 percent short of its 30,154-hectare target for last year.

“The nationwide LAD balance is still about 500,000 hectares. If the DAR’s LAD target is only over 30,000 hectares yearly, how can the CARP be LAD-free by 2022? At 30,000 hectares yearly, it would take the DAR over 15 years or three more administrations after the Duterte administration before it completes land distribution nationwide,” Tarlac said.

“Worse, missing the target means land distribution will be forever or never,” she added.

From 2016 to 2020, or during the last five years under the Duterte administration, its total LAD accomplishment nationwide was only 142,806 has., according to TFM’s computation based on DAR data.

“That total LAD performance is just equivalent to a yearly average accomplishment of 28,561 hectares – the lowest ever in the history of CARP, ” said Tarlac.

“We thought President Duterte’s predecessor, who came from a haciendero family, was the worst CARP implementor. But we were proved wrong. How come this happened when our current chief executive issued strong directives to the DAR to complete CARP before he stops down from office?” the TFM leader added.

From 2010 to 2015, or during the first five years of Benigno Aquino III’s presidency, the DAR distributed a total of 525,151 has. of agricultural landholdings under the CARP, or an annual average of 105,030 has., based on data from the DAR.

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Shay Cullen
6 February 2021

Most people do not have any awareness of the terrible crimes against children that are going on around them every day and night. The secret hidden crimes against children are an everyday occurrence and like most crime, they are hidden of course and unless someone is looking and searching, they’ll never know what is happening. Sexual abuse of children is done in a secret silent place. The abuser knows in his conscience and mind that it is very wrong and that he will be punished if it is ever discovered. In the Philippines, the penalties are severe and rightly so.

The child abuser is never content with one act of abuse or with one victim. There are many and most paedophiles are serial abusers. They abuse many children that is why a long sentence for child sexual abuse does justice for the victim-survivor. It is small recompense for the enormous life-long hurt, pain and suffering endured by the child. Then, no one can know what the pain and suffering is for the child unless it has happened to them.

 Judge Gemma Theresa B. Hilario-Logronio of the Olongapo City Regional Trial Court Branch 12, a family court, is one truly honourable judge that decides fairly on the evidence. Very recently in January 2021, she sentenced to life in prison the abuser of a child who was only 11 years when raped three times by her uncle. He will rape no more children. The same judge found Johnny Torres Medina guilty last May 2020 in a landmark decision. He was found guilty beyond reasonable doubt of child sexual abuse of two 11-year old children. He was sentenced to life in prison. These decisions have given much needed justice to the child victims and encouragement to other victims and the child protectors and advocates. The most astonishing case of a child who testified clearly and directly was a three year old, who was sexually assaulted by her biological Father 22 July, 2019. Harly Villaceran Bartolaba, the abuse was witnessed by her older sister. The 3-year-old described clearly what he did to her with his fingers causing her private parts to bleed. The judge was impressed with the testimony and strong evidence and found him guilty and sentenced him to 14 years in jail.    

 At the Preda Foundation, we know what the child suffers because we see and hear it in the healing process of the child victim-survivor. The Emotional Release Therapy enables the child to finally let out all that is bottled up inside her. It is an exercise in total freedom. It is a mighty release of deep feelings of pain, anger, hurt, hatred and anguish. It is enough to make one cringe and shiver and want to get away from the shouting, howling children, beating and punching the cushions as if beating the life out of their rapist.

 After that, they have a sense of freedom, a great weight has been lifted and they become self-confident, empowered and can clearly testify without fear and shame. Many victims of sexual abuse have no hope of finding relief, freedom from the past trauma, and releasing the shock and fear, anxiety, buried pain and anger that they carry within them all their lives. Many succeed to bury it deeply within yet the scar and the wound is there ready to open with a reminder by any triggering event.

 Two child victims, nine and 11 years old when they were abused, got justice from Judge Maria Angelica T. Paras-Quiambao of the Regional Trial Court Branch 59 in Angeles City, Pampanga last 11 June 2020. In an 81-page decision, she found Christina Limpin Mendoza, 22, guilty beyond reasonable doubt of five counts of human trafficking for sexual exploitation by a foreign paedophile. The trafficker was sentenced to several life terms of imprisonment. This is a powerful message that child abusers and human traffickers will bear the full weight of the law.

 Judge Maria Cristina J. Mendoza-Pizzaro has also given justice to many child victims of rape and abuse. Last 10 June 2020, the sixth division of the Court of Appeals ruled in favour of upholding the conviction of a child rapist who she convicted on 15 November 2018 for qualified rape of a seven-year old child. The original judgement and conviction was made by Judge Maria Cristina J. Mendoza-Pizzaro who has a long significant history of a no-nonsense application of the law with many just convictions of child sexual rapists and traffickers. They will never abuse or rape children again.

 The majority of child sex offenders are relatives of the child. The victim is trapped in the family and easily available. In the past year, this is terrifying and detrimental to the child’s well-being since she or he cannot escape into the night away from the approaching rapist- a biological father, a live-in partner of the mother, a brother or cousin or uncle or community paedophile. They are all the abusers of the 107 children that we helped rescue and protect last year 2020 and heal in the Preda Home for child sexually abused and trafficked children.

 A vulnerable child is weak, powerless against a large male abuser. If he is a relative, he has ascendency over the child and exerts extreme pressure and fear. A child, when being molested, is mentally paralysed and frozen in fear, they tell their therapist. The fear is generated by threats. “I will kill you and your brothers and sisters and mother if you tell anyone. This is a secret. Hide it deep within you.” And she does for all her life. How hard and shameful it is for a child to accuse her own father or brother of raping her? To go public would be to bring disgrace and punishment on her family. They would blame her for the rest of her life and they would not believe her. This is the additional suffering of the child victim, not to be believed and helped.

 The child can be in a worse situation if she gets the courage to tell her mother. That is not always relief and salvation. Many mothers are totally dependent on the father or live-in partner for support. Many mothers choose not to believe their daughters because of the devasting effect it would have if the news got out to the neighbours or the authorities. There is the shame, the fear of retaliation by the abuser and the loss of financial and emotional support of a husband or a live-in partner. In some cases, we have had a most despicable crime where the child’s mother held down the child while the father raped her.

 The only real answer is for the truth to come out and the abusers held accountable. For victims of on-line child sexual abuse, it is the telecommunication corporations that control the Internet Server Providers (ISPs) that must answer for not obeying section 6 of RA 9775 and for allowing the on-line sexual abuse of children and child pornography to run rampant. When will the government, the National Telecommunications Corporation, and the public stand up and demand justice for children is the big question.