Ka-Blog!

Something about water...

My wife and I arrived home bone tired from the day.  Passing by my father’s house, Mama informed us that our landlord went to them earlier and told them that we left the tap running.  The water had been running for several minutes already and there is no one in the house, he said.  So he had to turn it off from the main.

       This may sound like stupidy of the first order from our part.  But while the house we are now renting had been built with a water line, today is the first time that it had been serviced by the water utility.  So who would blame us if we left the tap open all the time?  For a long time, it was as useful as Toting Bunye.  We paid it no heed whether its mouth was open or closed.

       It has been almost six years since we lived in a house that was serviced with water.  All this time, we have been guilty of contributing to the lowering of the water table deep under ground of the four houses we lived in since that time.  When we were living in Sampaloc, the houses we rented were right beside the MWSS reservoir.  Water was then super abundant and I remember it to be always cold.  I loved to take a bath in that house.

       Tonight, before entering our house, I turned the water main on.  Inside, we found our bathroom floor caked with thick rust that gushed from the long useless tap.  Sighing my desire to have an early rest away, I stripped down to my shorts and readied myself. 

       Water is pouring from the tap.  Wonderful!

        I first looked for the cleaning liquids in the cupboard.  Then I splattered them on the bathroom walls and floor and on the toilet bowl like a modern artist does on the canvass.  While waiting for the agents to penetrate the tiles’ littlest nooks and crannies, I opened the tap to full to flush all the rust away.

       Then I started to rub like mad.  All the hard water and grime that I have never gotten to clean thoroughly for lack of water, I scrubbed away. And then I scrubbed some more.  The bathroom being small, I was done in no time.

       Then I lit a perfumed candle and an incense stick.  The bathroom smelled very nice.

       But I wasn’t content yet.  While the bathroom looked and smelled clean, it still didn't feel clean.  But I knew it was no longer the bathroom.

       So I stripped naked.  Lit a menthol cigarette, opened a Herman Wouk book and took a great dump.  This part ends here.  No details please.

       After flushing my babies away, I washed my underwear.  Then I rinsed it thoroughly.  Water is no object this time.

       Then I took a luxurious bath—for the second time today.  No water from the showerhead yet.  I did it the Pinoy way—with a dipper.  But it felt so good.  I lathered slowly and scrubbed vigorously.  I used an antibacterial soap on my body and my wife’s facial scrub on my face.  Then I rinsed thoroughly.  Water is no object this time.

       After toweling down, I asked my wife to clean my face with an astringent.  She did it twice.  While I have no illusions that my handsome mug would turn fair all of a sudden, I am quite confident that it is now cleanest than ever before.

       Then I opened my laptop and wrote this.

       Something about having water that makes one feel clean.

"Isabela, a home..."

Rely on the Department of Tourism’s advertisements to make a tourist destination seem like no destination at all.

       Imagine this: Zamboanga as a golf destination or Surigao being Siargao and nothing else.  Or Silay City being defined only as old houses.  Granting the TV plugs only have about three minutes for each province, one wishes though that they would produce adverts that are a bit unique and original.  But if the DOT is only good at aping Susan Calo-Medina’s ‘Travel Time’ to death, should we expect them to produce anything good?

       Or is it just me?

        My mother sometimes says that all I am good at sometimes is criticizing the government, to which I say ‘Yes, that I am definitely good at.’

       Can’t help it though.  Be governed as badly and you’ll become of only two things: (a) be fatalistic and be very religious, and (b) be very critical and turn activist (at least).  Sadly for this country, most Filipinos are choosing the first option, which only means that those who have chosen the latter have a lot more work to do.  Haayy!

       Back to tourism.  The earliest time I remember that the DOT caused me to murder some of my neurons was when I logged on to Isabela Province’s sub-page on the WOW Philippines website.  In the second biggest province of this gorgeous country of ours, imagine the geniuses at the DOT counting the concrete hulk of Magat Dam as one of the top tourist destinations.  Asses!

       My home province is beautiful for those who know how to appreciate beauty.  Aside from its old churches, majestic mountains and nature parks, I expect the DOT to include its other natural wonders that are worthy to behold.  But since it is quite obvious that the government’s tourism thrust is focused on sex tours and golf, this is nothing but a pipe dream.

= = = = = =

        As a counterpoint to the DOT, I wish to describe here the Isabela I grew up in, specifically its northern district—San Pablo, Cabagan, Sta. Maria, even Tumauini, Sto. Tomas, Delfin Albano and Ilagan.

       Far into the distant east of Ybanag Isabela, the majestic peaks of Sierra Madre pierce the sky.  At sunrise, their broad shoulders shield the rising sun from expectant eyes before finally breaking out.  And just as the sun begins to peek over the blue mountains fog would slowly lift from the rolling foothills revealing sights that even nature would be proud to claim its own. 

       The foothills themselves delight the senses.  My favorite is a specially shaped hill that looks like an overturned bowl.  Its Ybanag name is Pinatakag, precisely describing its shape.  The tall cogon grasses carpeting the hills are delightfully pungent when they are wet with fog.  Spider webs sport sparkling dew drops strung between grass blades and shrubs before they evaporate from the warming sun.  Clumps of wild guavas feed both the birds and the foraging children out to pasture their cattle.

       Along the Maharlika highway, majestic acacias border fields planted with pregnant corn.  Beside the grand Cagayan River are golden rice fields swaying with the wind.  Gentle turns would reveal even more delightful sights at the end of every bend.  Reasonably smooth roads and paved shoulders make driving in these parts comparatively safer than on most Metro Manila streets.

       The Cagayan River is our lifeblood and delight.  Shallow and swift in some parts, it is deep and green in some.  Along its banks are groups of men and women chirpily fielding gossips at each other as they wash the day’s laundry.  Nearby, squealing kids splash on the cooling waters, some showing off their acrobatic diving skills from the carabaos’ stable backs.  Before heading home, they will gather freshwater mussels picked from under pebbles on the water’s edge.  By then, the men folk would have stopped plowing and would have waded into the water to haul in the fish nets laid across the river’s flow early in the morning.  Several kinds of fishes are usually caught, to be had for lunch and dinner fried or swimming in broth. 

       At noontime, neighbors would congregate to play a friendly game of bingo or tong-its.  In between their banter, afternoon radio soaps would waft through the open bamboo windows towards where the kids would be forced to take their afternoon naps under the trees.

       In the afternoons, the gentle carabaos are fetched from the fields or from pasture.  Somewhat reluctantly, they would turn home and patiently stamp hoof designs on the soft, brown earth.  Boys, browned by the tropical sun, nonchalantly ride them on their wide backs as they march home.  As they cross the many streams, immaculate egrets pick little fishes and mussels with their long beaks from their clear beds littered with smoothed pebbles.   

       As the setting sun kisses the Cordilleras, the sky would turn yellow, to orange, to red.  On some days, even the clouds would turn purple.  As the sun dips lower, bright rays would shoot from behind the mountains, signaling the end of the day.  As night falls, a light breeze would flow and corn tops would sway, waving the sun goodbye.

       By then, cooking fires are lit, the roosters are perched on their roosts while the chicks snuggle under the hens' wings, the bells are rung, and the children are home.

       This is Isabela for those who have their senses peeled.

Decisions, decisions

This is so hard!

       There are times in one’s life when hard decisions need to be made.  This early Saturday morning, I am going through one such agonizing time.

       Through the years, I have built a respectable collection of audio CDs that could make a music radio station or a record shop feel insecure.  I admit I have been to Hidalgo Street in Quiapo that often, which is saying I am a pirate CD freak. 

       Name them, I’ve got ‘em—from Matt Monroe to Michael Bubble.  But I must hasten to add that I am quite picky with the albums I buy.  I skipped most of the late 90’s and the new millennium music—you know, Backstreets, Christinas and Hales.  I have Nirvana, E-heads, Yano, True Faith and other local bands, however.  What I am dying to have is a CD of Weird Al Yankovic.  It’s been more than a decade since I lost my cassette copy of Weird Al. I miss him so much. And progressive and underground songs?  Got them, too—from Asin to songs produced by Armas.   

       But my problem really is this: I don’t think Creative or iPod has a mobile music player that could take in all of the songs I want saved. If they can’t do it, my Quiapo iPod sure can’t either.

       Since I attended the Radio Journalism course at the Ateneo I have become fairly good at picking songs from my CDs and converting them into wav, mp3 or wma files.  So far, I have converted all of my Beatles songs (the hundreds of them), New Wave (New Romantics they call them in Britland), The Jerks, Tambisan sa Sining, Sining Lila, The Hotdogs, Pinoy Rock and other classics and underground songs.  In the pipeline are Queen, Bob Marley, E-heads, Yano, Beach Boys, The Platters, Sinatra, and many others.

       In the next months, I will try to edit their sound qualities.  Remember that most of these songs were recorded and edited using manual equalizers that rely solely on the technician’s ear.  Digital editing software makes it so much easier to eliminate pops, hisses and noises.

       What I find hard to decide on is which songs to put in my portable player.  Songs go in and out as fast as Erap’s girlfriends enter or exit his bedroom door.

        I tried converting all of them to wma.  While the level of compression is great—imagine a 160 kbps When in Rome classic shrunk down to only 12 kbps!—sound quality is hopelessly compromised it is unacceptable to my fine-tuned ear.  I can’t let Chikoy Pura sound ngongo like gloria, can I?  So I settle on mp3 at the least.  What’s the use of insisting on stereo earphones with very wide ranges if the audio files sound as muffled as CBCP statements?

       Ancient Greeks said that the more you know the more you don’t know.  It is certainly true in this case.  The day when I learned audio editing is the day I was confronted with so many new problems I don’t have a clue how to solve. 

Gadgets

There were very few gadgets in rural Isabela when I was growing up. (This was before I grew sideways).  I only remember my grandfather’s Remington typewriter—yes, those with green circular keys—which my father pounded like mad preparing countless office reports.  I was around six when I asked my father what he was doing and I never forgot his reply: I am earning money for our food, son.

       If I am asked which gadget I remember most, this typewriter is it.  I now know that it was my father’s gnarled hands which fed me and my siblings but I still look at that typewriter with, uhm, love.

       When I was in college, my mother bought me my own portable typewriter.  It had a black, hard plastic cover cum carrying case.  You know those.  It got me through my many undergrad thesis rewrites.  My first draft was actually kindly typed on a computer by my dear friend Jaz when she was still foolishly in love with this barber hating-guy Erel (who kept tagging along my whirlwind of a college social life—so you get the picture).  But the copy that San Beda College lib now keeps stares back at its many discerning readers on pica.

       I got introduced to many other gadgets when I became an activist/writer/propagandist.  I came to like Olympia brand typewriters as they were very easy to use.  The long barrels were also very useful for the mimeographing papers I begun to type on then.  From there, I was introduced to mimeographing machines by a dear comrade.  By the time he let me go, I could churn propaganda leaflets as fast as the professionals at Recto Avenue.  (This skill is now sadly lost even among activists due to the advent of risographs.)

       As CEGP’s media bureau chief, it was my task to prepare several copies of statements, news releases, letters to the editor and the like.  I would print them on dot matrix and take them on foot to the doorsteps of the scattered media outlets.  There were no fax machines then.  Only when I became spokesperson of ACT did I get to use fax regularly.

       Then beepers came.  This is when I first heard the dreadful word “techie”.  I had several side jobs then and I went through several models, from big pamato to oh-so-cute yellow ones with little and shiny chains in the vain hope that snatchers wouldn’t be able to touch them.  Happily, beepers came and went like the shawarma and Zagu stalls.

       Cellular phones came soon after.  The first one I bought was actually for my mom who insisted on being given a way to track our whereabouts.  It was a Nokia 100 analog phone with huge green letters on its two-liner LCDs.  Remember those?  It now rightfully spends its retirement days among my mother’s antique collection of brass irons, silverware and WWII Japanese monies.

       My first GSM phone was a Motorola.  My wife and I bought a pair because it was such a pain preparing for a church wedding and we needed to be in touch even if we were attending separate rallies.  We still keep them somewhere.

I now lost count how many cellphones I bought, lost and sold.  Lately, my wife handed me down her Sony Ericsson which has got Bluetooth capabilities, cameras, colored LCDs, cool games, polyphonic speakers and other blings.  Her new phone is so sexy it once got featured on the pages of FHM.  No deal, though.  Nokia 1100 is still the easiest phone to use while driving. (Grin.)

       I now wonder how my life is enhanced and controlled by gadgets. 

Among my favorite current gadgets is my Compaq Presario notebook.  It’s got an Intel Celeron Mobile processor and enough HDD room for my audio and photo editing tasks.  It keeps me connected to our volunteers past, present and future as well as our network of community radios worldwide.  It puts food on the table and gas on the tanks, as well.

My favorite laptop peripheral is a Targus wireless optical mouse.  It came as a freebie when I bought the notebook.  I actually had a choice between it and a webcam.  But I am not into video conferencing and internet sex (yet) so I opted for the former.  No regrets.  It is heavy but so ergonomically designed I hardly feel finger and hand cramps even after hours of audio editing work.

I also borrow my wife’s digital camera.  Before digital, I was heavily into photography.  I owned lots of manual cameras and even more lenses—from ultra wide to super telephotos.  My last camera is of the ill-fated APS family.  I do not take as many pictures now as I only delight myself with my wife’s pictures which are infinitely better than mine. (Check out my Romblon Blog—those pix are hers.)

My flash disc is very useful.  It’s been with me for at least a year.  It keeps almost all of my written outputs, some pix, even an oh-so-impressive resume`. Ahem.  I thought I lost it once only to be found by my favorite carwash boys on the car floor several weeks later.  I never knew how much I relied on the little thing until then.

       Just tonight, I bought an mp3/mp4 player.  It says iPod as its brand and it’s got a cute silver bitten apple, too.  But I got it so cheap and its manual was written in so typically Chinese English I have no choice but to admit I bought it from Quiapo.  (The manual reminds me of my students' writing efforts.) But this newfangled thingy (yes, thingy because it’s so small and as thin as Ronalyn Olea) is such a wonder.  It’s on the gigabyte level, it’s got a colored LCD, it’s got a voice recorder, it’s got an FM radio tuner, it's got games, and it plays videos, too.  Heeelllloooo, Paris Hilton!

       One thing about it, though, was that it was only available in pink or baby blue.

       I chose baby blue.  I have my reputation to protect, you know. 

690

‘690 pa lamang po ang bilang ng pinatay’

-         Human Rights worker Lorena ‘Aya’ Santos

(correcting what I wrote that there are already 700 victims of Gloria M. Arroyo’s Oplan Bantay Laya—28 June 2006)

I ache to

feel happy that

there are ten

people less

than my horrid

number

But

I

can’t

And

I

wish

we’re only talking

about the gay bar

with such a name

In this

case

though

only funeral parlors

and mathematicians can

be happy with

an exact number

I

am

not

690

an exact number

but is it right

to use it

as quantifier

or qualifier?

6-9-0

digits

Each one

a life

snuffed

Noble lives

and innocent victims

hapless as

fatalities

hapless as

numbers

But not

as memories.

-10:50 p.m.

  29 June 2006

  Sta. Rosa, Laguna

Mabuhay ang dwRC Radyo Cagayano 90.1 FM

FACTSHEET:

Hinggil sa Pagpasok at Pagsunog sa Radyo Cagayano, Centro, Baggao, Cagayan

July 2, 2006

2:00

ng umaga

Biktima:

Station Manager: Susan Mapa 

DJ reporters:

Arnold

Agraan , Joy Marcos , Richard Ayudan , Arlyn Arella , Armalyn Baddua

Perpetrators:

8 naka-bonet na armado lalaki; isa ang nakasuot ng relos na pang militar at ilan ang nakasuot ng combat boots, isa sa kanila ay naka-fatigue, may dalawa (2) naka M16.  Hinihinalang mga elemento ng 17th IB/PA  dahil malapit lamang sa istasyon ang isang headquarter nito.

July 2, 2006 - 2 am pinasok at sinunog ng 8 naka-bonet na armadong mga lalaki ang Community Radio “ Radyo Cagayano”  sa Centro, Baggao, Cagayan. Gamit ang gasolina na nakalagay sa dalawang galon ng mineral water. May naka military watch at ilan ay naka kombat shoes. Isa sa kanila ay nakapatig at tinatawag nila ng ”comander at sir”.

Iginapos at piniringan ang mga biktima. Kinuha ang lahat ng cellphones nila. Inilabas sila sa tantiyang tatlong hakbang lamang at pinagsamasama silang lahat. Tinutukan ng  kalibre 45 si Richard Ayudan habang inilalabas sa loob ng istasyon.

Sugatan  sina Armalyn, Arlene sa kaliwang binti/paa, si Joy nama’y pumutok ang kanang pisngi dahil sa umabot sa kaniya ang shockwave ng putok galing sa loob ng istasyon at may galos sa kanang balikat, at may pasa sa kaliwang bahagi ng leeg ni Richard dulot ng pagkakadiin ng baril na itinutok sa kaniya.

Gasolina ang gamit nilagay sa 2  bote ng mineral water.

                                                                        

Sa kabuuang personal na kagamitan ng mga staff ay umaabot sa P39, 130.00. Pitong (7) cellphone na may kabuuang halagang P21,000.00, personal na kagamitang nagkakahalaga ng P13, 000.00  (mga damit – pantalon, underwears, t-shirts and blouses, alahas- relo, gold and silver necklaces, silver bracelet;  sapatos, tsinelas at mga toiletries), pati ang perang nakalagay sa kanilang bag na may kabuuang P5, 130. 00.   

Ang pagkakatayo ng istasyon ay sa pamamagitan CDF ng BAYAN MUNA partylist sa opisina ni Cong. Satur Ocampo noong 2003.  Ayon sa station manager, ”ito ay bahagi ng political reppresion on press freedom at ang walang humpay na pagkitil sa kalayaan sa impormasyon. Sa katunayan nito, ang groundbreaking ng radyo July 1, 2003 ay tinangka ang buhay ng 3 lider magbubukid na tumulong sa paglilinis sa paligid nito.  Tatlong taon naming itinatayo ang istasyong ito, sa ngayon nasa stage kami ng test broadcast pero talagang ayaw nilang makapagtagal ang istasyon”. 

Sa pag-iimbestiga ng mga pulis sa pangunguna ni SPO3 Jose Durwin, head ng COMPACT, Baggao, Cagayan;  may nakitang magasin ng .45  at 2 basyo (musers) ng .45 sa pag-aaral ng mga taga Radyo Cagayano, sadyang iniwan ito ng mga “perpetrators” upang idiin sila at upang palabasing may armas at nagtatago ng mga bala ang mga biktima. ####

Radyo Cagayano

Community Radio

Baggao, Cagayan

ALERT: Community radio station razed down by masked men
July 1, 2006

Radyo Cagayano, a community radio station based in Baggao, Cagayan (a province more than 320 kms. north of Manila), was totally burned down before dawn of July 1 (Sunday) by eight armed men wearing ski masks.

Reports reaching NUJP said the arsonists entered the compound at around 2 a.m., poured gasoline into the radio transmitter and booth facilities, and set them on fire.

The arsonists reportedly held at gunpoint, blindfolded and hogtied six radio staffers who were at the station compound. They were identified as Susan Mapa, radio station manager, and staff members Erik Ayudan, Arnold Agaraan, Armalyn Badua, Arlyn Areta, and Joy Marcos. They all suffered bruises.

Local organizations condemn the incident as an attacka against press freedom and point to the Army's 17th IB (under the 5 ^th Infantry Division) as the perpetrator.

In 2002, when the station held a ground-breaking ceremony for the newly-constructed building that houses the station facility, the farmer-leaders who came were attacked with bolos after they left the station allegedly by soldiers manning a checkpoint.

Reports say the radio facility is a joint project of the local mayor and local peasant organization called KAGIMUNGAN. The project was initiated in 2002 with government funding facilitated by Bayan Muna. After many delays and harassment, the facility had just started broadcast operations last May.

(IFJ-NUJP

Manila

Safety Office)

= = = = = = = =

UPDATE: Media Groups Condemn Burning of Community Radio Station
July 3, 2006 

Media groups expressed outrage over the burning of a community radio station in Cagayan province. The National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP) and the World Association of Community Radio Broadcasters (AMARC) condemned the burning as an attack to press freedom and the people's right to communicate. 

NUJP spokesperson Jose Torres, Jr. called on the Arroyo administration to find and punish the perpetrators, even as he said their group claims government culpability on the crime because of its inaction on other attacks on media. 

The station of dwRC 90.1 FM Radyo Cagayano, located at the town proper of mountainous Baggao was burned by eight armed men wearing ski masks at 2 a.m., July 2.  The suspects took the mobile phones of the station manager and five staff, whom they blindfolded and tied up and forced out before setting the station on fire, using two gallons of gasoline. 

At a press conference this morning, dwRC station manager Susan Mapa, cried as she recalled how the armed men wrapped her malong (blanket) around her head.  She said some of the suspects were in camouflage and combat boots and carried M-16 rifles.  Mapa said she heard one of the suspects referred to their leader as "sir."

Mapa said the five other radio station staff were injured as the suspects tied them up and forced them down on the floor. The five were identified as: Arnold Agraan, Joy Marcos, Richard Ayudan, Arlyn Arella, and Armalyn Baddua. She recounted that the six of them ran toward the nearby parish convent as the station was set ablaze while the suspects escaped.

An estimated P1.5 million worth of radio equipment were razed, and the personal belongings of the staff worth P39,130.

Mapa said that the police investigators led by SP03 Jose Durwin found a magazine of a .45 handgun and two spent bullets. "Gustong palabasin ng mga nanunog na nagtatago kami ng baril," she said.  (The perpetrators wanted to make it appear that we were keeping guns at the station.)

Mapa questioned the delayed reaction of the Philippine National Police (PNP), whose headquarters were only 300 meters away from the station. The police arrived at the convent at 5 a.m., three hours after the incident, and merely interviewed them. The investigators went up to the site later at 9 a.m.

Brig. Gen. Jaime Buenaflor, civil relations chief of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) has denied the allegations in a radio interview.

Bianca Miglioretto, vice president of the Women's International Network of Asia Pacific and an official of the international network AMARC, said they will relay the news about the station's burning to their 3,000 member stations. The community radio is a member of AMARC Asia Pacific.

"Community radio is one way of giving a voice to the voiceless if this voice is taken away by burning the people's community radio station, it is a grave violation  of their right to communicate," said Miglioretto.

"We will start a campaign of protest to pressure the Philippine government to give justice to the people of Radyo Cagayano," she added.  (From Bulatlat.com)

----

NUJP statement:

We demand an accounting

The National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP) expresses its outrage over the burning on Sunday (July 2) of radio station dwRC Radyo Cagayano in Baggao, Cagayan by eight armed men wearing ski masks who also blindfolded, muzzled and tied station manager Susan Mapa and volunteers Erik Ayudan, Arnold Agaraan, Armalyn Badua, Arlyn Areta and Joy Marcos.

While thankful that no lives were lost in this latest atrocity, the burning of the station was as brazen an attack on Press Freedom and the People's Right to Know as any of the scores of murders that have claimed 81 colleagues' lives since 1986, when democracy was supposed to have been restored to our benighted land, and 44 since President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo came to power in 2001, the highest toll of any administration.

For while the arsonists deigned to spare the lives of our dwRC colleagues, they struck at the very heart of why the media exist – the inalienable right of the people to free access to information by which they can chart their individual lives and our future as a nation and as a people.

The brazenness of the arson is underscored by the fact that reports reaching the NUJP indicate the station was a joint project of the mayor of Baggao and a local farmers' organization with government funding from the party-list Bayan Muna.

Again we demand that the Arroyo government order its law enforcement agencies to act with dispatch to find, arrest and prosecute the brains and perpetrators of this condemnable atrocity.

For, as we have said again and again in the still unsolved cases of so many of our murdered colleagues, and as various human rights and sectoral groups have pointed out in the case of the hundreds of activists killed or involuntarily disappeared since this administration came into power, inaction can only mean culpability or, at the very least, a tolerance of such a wide-scale and wanton violation not just of the media's but of the people's civil, social, political and human rights.

Reference:
JOSE TORRES, JR.
Spokesperson
National Union of Journalists of the

Philippines

09209010013
(02) 411-7768

= = = = = =

MEDIA STATEMENT

3 July 2006

Ref: Ms. Sonia M. Capio

GMA accountable for latest attack against media freedom

“Ngayon Na, Bayan!”-Kodao Productions condemns in the strongest term possible the latest attack against media freedom in this country. At

two o’clock

in the morning of July 2, eight armed and ski-masked men burned down DWRC Radyo Cagayano 90.1 FM in Baggao, Cagayan. They burned, hogtied and terrorized the station’s staff members and confiscated all their mobile phones. The victims are station manager Susan Mapa and staff members Arnold Agaraan, Arlyn Areta, Erik Ayudan, Armalyn Badua and Joy Marcos.

Our anger is underscored by the fact that Kodao Productions provided technical assistance to the operators and staff of DWRC as far back as 2003. We have also provided them trainings, the latest of which was in April of this year prior to the station’s test broadcast on May 27.

“Ngayon Na, Bayan!” – Kodao has strong reasons to believe that the perpetrators of this crime come from the ranks of government forces. Radyo Cagayano’s operation has been delayed by harassments by personnel of the 17^th Infantry Battalion of the Philippine Army’s 5^th Infantry Division many times. On

July 1, 2003

, elements of the same unit hacked Joey Javier, severely injuring his arm. Javier was president of KAGIMUNGAN, the local peasant organization responsible for setting up and eventually operating DWRC. All these belie the statement from the local police that it was the handiwork of the New People’s Army.

DWRC has now compellingly joined the ranks of Kodao, the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism, ABS-CBN, ABC-5, The Daily Tribune, Ang Pahayagang Abante, and many other media outlets and practitioners who have suffered the impunity of the escalating human rights violations by government personnel and instrumentalities. Our award-winning radio program “Ngayon Na, Bayan!” was the first media casualty hours after Malacanang announced Presidential Proclamation 1017 on

February 24, 2006

.

We hold President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, as commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of the

Philippines

, accountable for this latest act of human rights violation, on no less than a media organization. We urge our colleagues in the media in the

Philippines

and other countries to join us in our condemnation against attacks to press freedom and the people’s human rights. ###

= = = = = =

ALYANSA DAGITI MANNALON ITI CAGAYAN KAGUIMUNGAN Tuguegarao City, Cagayan

July 02, 2006

Press statement

Referrence:       ISABELO ADVIENTO

General Secretary

KAGIMUNGAN (Provincial Peasant

Alliance

of Cagayan)   

Malungkot ang buong mamamayan ng bayan ng baggao at ng buong magsasaka sa lambak ng Cagayan dahil sa pagkasunog ng pinaghirapan at ito lang ang aming tanging pag-asa upang maipahayag  ang aming mga lehitimong kahilingan at karaingan para sa magsasaka na patuloy na pinagsasamantalahan at inaapi ng borgesya komprador, panginoong may lupa at dayuhang kapitalista sila ang nagpapasasa sa lakas naming mga bisig na gamit ang armadong lakas upang higit pag supilin ang karapatan ng mamamayan na malayang magpahayag.

Ang pangyayaring ito ay isang pagkitil sa aming karapatan at ng malayang mamamahayag, hindi lingid sa lahat na noon pang kasalukuyang tinatayo ang radio Cagayano ay may mga pagpigilna ng militar sunud-sunod na harassment sa aming mga lider magsasaka at maging sa ming mimbro, at ito ang sanhi ng pagkataga ni Joey Javier na tangkain patayin ang aming mga lider aktibista at maraming pangigipit sa amin para pigilan , hadlangan  ang pagtatayo ng comunity radio.

Ang  pagsunog ay naganap sa oras ng Alas 2;00 ng madaling araw ng 8 (walo) armadong kalalakihan na nakabonete at agad binuhusan ng gasulina ang compound at ang mga nagbantay na staff ng radio Cagayano ay ginapos, at binusalan,pati mata sina Erig Ayudan  nasa teknikal ng radio Cagayano taga Mocag, Arnold Agraan taga Hasienda intal, Armalyn badua, Joy marrcos Arlyn Arella at ang Stasyon maniger na si Susan Mapa napakalupit ang ginawa ng mga salarin sa aming hanay . isang karumaldumal na pangyayari, sinunog na nga ang radio Community ginapus, binusalan,at tinakitan sa mata..

Kinukondena naming ang mga may kagagawan nitong pagsunog ng  community radio na walang ibang suspek kundi ang mga military na mula pa nuong kasalukuyang tinatayo ang radio cagayano ay maraming harassment , pananakot, pangigipit sa amin mga magsasaka upang hadlangan ang radio Cagayano. Ang radio Cagayano ay hindi pag-aari ng isang tao kundi ito ay pag-aari ng buong mamamayan lalo na sa bayan ng baggao na kung saan maraming sakripisyo, hirap para lamagng maitayo ang isang radio na tunay na maglingkod sa mamamayan at tanging pag-asa, sandigan upang maipahayag, maiparating ang mga karaingan at hinaing ng mamamayan lalona sa mga magsasaka na patuloy ng pinagsasamantalahan at inaapi ng kasalukuyang sistema.

Parusahan ang squad arson at likidator ng 5^th ID PA na sila ang maykagagawan sa lahat ng nangyayari ngayon sa mga progresibong organisasyon at maging sa mamamahayag, isang pagkitil sa karapatang mamamahayag at walang ibang utak kundi ang isang papet pasista at kurap na si GMA ginagawa lahat ng paraan upang mapanatili sya sa poder subalit di kami titigil hanggat di sia mapatalsik sa poder gamitin man ng armadong lakas di kami natatakot ang bawat pagkitil sa karapatan ay ito ang hudyat upang higit pang lalakas ang aming hanay,   

Kaya’t nananawagan kami sa lahat ng mamamayan ng Baggao at ng buong lambak ng Cagayan laluna sa mga masugid na tagasubaybay bagamat ito’y radio testing broadcast pa lamang ay marami ng nakikinig at naghihinayang sa pagkasunog, batay sa aming namonitor maraming naghihintay sa pagbukas ng radio halos lahat ng boong baggao na naabot ng signal ay nakasubaybay lagi, kayat naghihinayang ang boong mamamayan sa lambak Cagayan,  ibayong palakasin ang ating hanay at singhilin ang mga maykagagawan sa pagsunog sa radio cagayano , pagpatay sa mga lider aktibista, paghuli at pagkulong sa mga leder at miembro ng KAGIMUNGAN at pagsasampa ng kaso at ibapang mga karahasang nagaganap ngayon, ito ay isang paghadlang sa lumalakas na kilusang masa sa lambak ng Cagayan at ng buong bansa, bahagi rin ito ng all out war ni rehimeng Arroyo na ang pangunahing maapektuhan ay ang inosinteng mamamayan at ng mamamahayag kong kayat magkaisa tayo huag tayo matakot, samasama upang patalsikin si GMA at singilin parusahan ang mga maykakagawan sa mga sunudsunod na krimen.

Humihingi di kami ng tulong mula sa LGU at boong mamamayan ng Baggao upang haliin at parusahan ang salarin sa pagsunog sa Radio Cagayano na walang ibang suspek ay ang military mismo.

Katarungan para sa mga biktima ng karahasan!

Parusahan ang mga salarin sa mga nagaganap sa kasalukuyan!

Patalsikin si GMA

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July 3, 2006

NEWS RELEASE

                                    CONTACT PERSON:Bianca Miglioretto, Vice President

Women’s International Network of

Asia

Pacific

WORLD ASSOCIATION OF COMMUNITY RADIO BROADCASTERS (AMARC)

                                                                        Tel No.  928-19-56

Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights guarantees the right to Freedom of Expression.

A community radio is one form of the people to freely express their views and tell their stories.

While Article 19 today is mostly used to guarantee the freedom of the mainstream media such as the case of the Daily Tribune during Presidential Proclamation 1017. AMARC, the World Association of Community Radio Broadcasters stands for the peoples’ right to communitcate as a two way interaction. People should not just have the right to consume free media but people’s right to access to the media must also be guaranteed. Community Radio is one way of giving a voice to the voiceless. Radyo Cagayano was to give a voice to the people of Cagayan Valley, to the farmers, the women, the youth even the children.

If this voice is taken away by burning the people’s community radio station, it is a grave violation of their rigt to communicate.

AMARC has been supporting the establishment of community radio stations around the world for over 20 years. AMARC pressures for legislations that are favorable to community radio, it defends the rights of communities to access the airwaves and we conduct training, link community radio stations from around the world with each other. We document their experiences so that stations can learn from each other and we facilitate programme exchange among community radio stations and world wide radio campains for women’s rights, against racism, on HIV/AIDS, for the right to communicate.

Radyo Cagayano is a member of AMARC Asia Pacific and we strongly condemn the brutal attack by armed men in combat booths on the radio station. The radio was operating only for one month and it seems there are forces that fear what the people of

Cagayan

Valley

have to say. They do not want to give people the possibility to speak freely for themselves. So they want to silence the voice of the people with armed force.

AMARC demands from the Philippine Government of Gloria Macapagal Arroyo and her agencies, to find the culprits and punish them and make them pay for the damage they did to Radyo Cagayano and the people of

Cagayan

Valley

.

AMARC will use its network of over 3000 member stations all over the world to disseminate the sad news about the brutal attack on Radyo Cagayano. Through the Solidarity network of AMARC we will start a campaign of protest to pressure the Philippine Governement to give justice to the people of Radyo Cagayano and trial the perpetuators who destroied the facilities Radyo Cagayano. And we also demand form the Philippine Government to immediately stop attacks on media and up-hold Article 19 of the Universial Declaraion of Human Rights. #