[APWSLMembers 447] Beltran's Birthday wish: Let 2007 be the year that sees Macapagal-Arroyo's removal from office

[Kilusang Mayo Uno]

 From the Office of Rep. Crispin Beltran
South Wing Room 602 House of Representatives
Constitution Hills 1126 Quezon City, Philippines
Reference: Rep.Crispin Beltran (+63)9278711080
Ina Alleco R. Silverio, chief of staff 931.6615, 09195065269

News Release Sunday, January 07, 2007

Beltran's Birthday wish: Let 2007 be the year that sees
Macapagal-Arroyo's removal from office

Anakpawis Representative and political detainee Crispin Beltran today
celebrated his 74th birthday while still under detention on charges of
rebellion and sedition. He has been incarcerated since February 25,
2006 and remains under close guard at the Philippine Heart Center.

"I only have one birthday wish: that the incumbent but illegitimate
president who lied, cheated and stole (and continues to steal from the
people) be removed from office this year. It is her administration
which abets and orders the assassination of political activists, human
rights advocates and members and leaders of progressive party-lists
and militant people's organizations. It is also upon her approval that
I remain detained on false accusations and testimonies. My first and
biggest birthday wish is for her to be removed from office, whether by
impeachment, resignation, or ouster via popular people's uprising,"
he said,

Beltran's friends, family and supporters from Anakpawis party-list and
other groups led a 'birthday picket' in front of the Philippine Heart
Center and called for Beltran's immediate release. Next month, on
February 25, he will make one year in detention unless he is released.

"Pres. Macapagal-Arroyo has not even declared martial law, but the
abductions and killing of civilians vocal against her corrupt
government are seeming unending. All her declarations that she has
achieved progress for the Philippines and gained headway in the
country's fight against poverty ring false and hollow. There is
widespread homelessness, unemployment, and increasing incidence of
hunger and malnutrition among Filipinos. In her desperation to remain
in power, she clings to the US government, banks on its support, and
gives in to all its demands, including the surrender of a convicted
rapist to the US authorities. She also persists on maintaining the
zombie-like campaign to amend the Constitution despite strong public
opposition. The year 2007 should be the year that sees
Macapagal-Arroyo's removal from office," he said.

"The Arroyo slate should be roundly defeated in the May midterm
elections, and the zombie Cha-cha put away once and for all. There is
no way that the likes of Macapagal-Arroyo can become prime minister,
and the same goes for her closest allies and their self-serving
political ambitions," he said.

In the meantime, the activist lawmaker said that Malacanang's
backpedaling on the issue of the review of the Visiting Forces
Agreement was pathetic. He said that Malacanang couldn't retreat fast
enough from its own proposal for a review.

"Malacanang's various spokespersons lead by Ignacio Bunye and Raul
Gonzalez all sound sheepish, having been chastened by US embassy
officials who put their feet down against the VFA review. It's clear
who's really calling the shots on this matter, and it's definitely not
Malacanang. Not even Gonzalez who has a reputation for scathing,
biting remarks can stand up to the US embassy," he said.

Beltran lauded resigned VFACom director Undersecretary Zosimo Paredes'
resignation, and his declaration of opposition to convicted rapist
US Marine Lance Cpl. Daniel Smith's transfer to the US Embassy.

"Paredes made a patriotic stand, to criticize the US and its bullying
manner. There was bravery is what Paredes did There is no shame or
blame in what Paredes did. We can only hope that other government
officials would possess even some measure of patriotism, enough to
speak out against the treacherous foreign policy of the Arroyo
government and its slavish obeisance to the US," he said. #

-- 
The torturer is a functionary. The dictator is a functionary. Armed
bureaucrats, who lose their jobs if they don't do their tasks
efficiently. That, and nothing more than that. They are not
extraordinary monsters. We won't grant them that grandeur. - Eduardo
Galeano



News Release January 7, 2007


    Detained lawmaker and veteran
labor leader turns 74


The Free Ka Bel Movement, Anakpawis Party-list 
and Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU) today held a 
'birthday picket' in honor of Anakpawis 
Representative and political detainee Crispin 
Beltran in front of the Philippine Heart Center 
where Beltran remains under incarceration after 
almost 11 months on the charges of rebellion and 
sedition. Beltran celebrates his 74th birthday 
today, and 50 of these 74 years he spent being a 
respected labor leader and beginning 2001, a progressive people's lawmaker.

FKBM, Anakpawis and KMU members and leaders and 
other supporters  held their 'birthday picket' in 
front of the PHC because they were not allowed 
inside the building. They came bearing balloons, 
birthday cards, and a cake decorated with a sign 
for a P125 across-the-board nationwide wage 
increase. Beltran is one of the main authors of 
the legislated wage hike bill the House of 
Representatives passed last December prior to the 
Christmas break. A similar bill is being 
deliberated upon in the senate under the Sen. 
Jinggoy Estrada's Committee on Labor.

"We are most grateful to Ka Bel for all that he 
has done to serve and protect the interest of 
workers and the rest of the working people," they 
said. "He is a true servant of the poor and 
exploited. He should be released immediately."

FKBM spokesperson Dennis Maga said that it was an 
outrage that a convicted rapist such as US Marine 
Lance Cpl. Daniel Smith has been essentially 
freed from jail while Rep. Beltran, a renowned 
labor leader, internationalist, and patriotic 
congressman, remains incarcerated.

"Where is the justice in this? Ka Bel has been 
incarcerated for almost 11 months, and it's 
appalling that he has had to celebrated the 
holidays in detention and under the close watch 
of government security men. He is now 74 and the 
greater part of his past year he spent under 
arrest. He should be released immediately. We 
won't have him spend another year of his life 
under detention. The charges against him are all 
false and fabricated," he said.

For her part, Beltran's chief of staff Ina Alleco 
Silverio said that Ka Bel's health remains under doubt.

"The last 11 months are beginning to take its 
toll on Ka Bel. It's been 11 months, and the 
knowledge that he is innocent and that the 
Macapagal-Arroyo administration continues to hold 
him out of pique and under false accusations is hurting his health," she said.

Silverio said that there were reports that it was 
justice secretary Raul Gonzalez who was most 
adamant about keeping Rep. Beltran under 
detention. She said that knowing Gonzalez' 
penchant for vindictiveness and personal attacks 
while veering away from the legitimate issues, 
Gonzalez is making sure that none of the Makati 
courts handling Rep. Beltran's case will issue 
decisions that will favor the latter's case.

"The Department of Justice and Malacanang itself 
should admit that they really have nothing on Ka 
Bel and that the charges against him – like all 
the charges against the Batasan 5 and other 
leaders of progressive and militant people's 
organizations and party-lists - are based on 
false and fictitious testimonies and information," she concluded.#