RAMBO

It was sunny morning when I left our office in Daraga and boarded a jeepney going to Legazpi City. Preoccupied with lots of things for the day, I did not give a glance to the mother and son going out of an elementary Christian school, and boarding the same jeepney where I was in. Until I saw the printed at the back of the mother’s shirt.

Considering the kind of vocation I have chosen, I found the words so fitting to me that even though I had a hard time deciphering due to my eye difficulty, I hastily took out my phone and began typing and saving them in the outbox folder.

After that tiring day, I immediately showed my saved message to a colleague. And to my greatest shock, those were the words of a fellow Albayano. Though I neither met him in person nor worked with him, I still call him a fellow.

These were the words in red, printed on the back of the shirt of that woman:

“If the bullets of my enemies will
trigger them to be happy so be it… in
my 21 years..."

Rambo

I thought that that the Rambo printed on the woman’s shirt was the famous action movie protagonist from David Morrell's novel First Blood, who demonstrated heroism through raging bullets and fierce fight scenes as portrayed by Sylvester Stallone on its big screen version. I thought those words were from one of his movies. But I was wrong.

On the other hand, the author of those words was also famous. He is Rei Mon Guran. He is ‘Ambo’ to his family and ‘Rambo’ to his friends.

Rambo was a second year political science student of Aquinas University of Legazpi. He was the Provincial Spokesperson of the League of Filipino Students (LFS) in Albay and an active member of UCCP's Christian Youth Fellowship.

Sad to say, he is now dead.

He just turned 21 last 30 July 2006, a day before he succumbed to four gunshot wounds – two in the head, one in the body and another in the hand, while onboard a bus on his way to school. The outrageous killing of Rambo was accomplished ten days after churches and religious organizations held the Human Rights and Peace Summit. Two more activists were killed on the same day. Four months before, 19 March to be exact, when a very good friend of him, Cris Hugo, was extra judicially killed too. Adding to their number are five more Bicolano youth killed in a span of two years, totaling to the number of seven youth, extra judicially killed!

On Tuesday, 31 July, will be the first year death anniversary of Ambo. Still there is no justice for Rambo’s death.

Will it still be served? That is our question.

We have to be realistic on these pressing issues. The summary killings of activists I believe were done by the state itself through the military and their agents. And sadly, they were done with impunity that not even a single case was solved.

The Permanent People’s Tribunal (PPT), headed by Prof. Phillip Alston, the Special Rapporteur of the United Nations Human Rights Council on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions, pronounced that the RP President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and US President George W. Bush were liable to these extrajudicial killings of activists. In spite of this, the government has continued being obstinate on the issue and idle to prove to the international community that the verdict of the PPT is misguided.

Worse, the killings continued. And fear lurked in the hearts of many. And many more succumbed to that fear. So that gone is the many who fight for their rights. But then, there are still few who’s unafraid. Few who continued fighting for the advocacies that has been fought for by our ancestors, none other than real liberty.

I personally believe that as long as the perpetrators are being protected by the government, clear answers will always be impossible, and justice will never be served. Ever.

But still, we want justice and real freedom. And if we will lurk in the corner of our houses because of the fear that bullets would hit our borrowed bodies, nothing we shall attain.

In all kinds of liberation, blood is a necessity. Even man, when finally liberated from the chains of sin, has to sacrifice a fellow man’s blood – Christ himself. The same thing is happening in the country. In our continued search for liberation, many men have to offer their blood to attain liberty. And proud are those chosen to take part in this sacrifice. However, I am not saying that things have to be as brutal as to drain society of patriotic blood. It is animalistic and outrageous reaction of a threatened and guilty government with its sins against its people. Killing summarily its critics is the government’s last resort of survival. Unfortunately, it was wrong. For every man’s life taken extra-judicially, is an army of patriotic men bathed in that one Man’s blood.

Much to our and the international communities’ dismay, the Arroyo government continued denying its involvement in the killing of more than 863 Filipinos and forced disappearances of 197 more. It has resorted to saying that the perpetrators of the said killings are also from the line of the activists. Such ignorance! Those were the same allegations that the Jews threw to Christ when He cast out demons and evil spirits from many people during His time. They called Him Beelzebub (name of the leader of the devils), for He can cast away evils. And He said to them “… every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and a house divided against a house falleth. If Satan also be divided against himself, how shall his kingdom stand? Because he say that I cast out devils through Beelzebub. And if I by Beelzebub cast out devils, by whom do your sons cast them out?”

Funny is the government for pointing Beelzebubs and sowing confusion to the people. Where is the state’s transparency and truthfulness when it deprives the people of the truth that it must give without any prejudice of doubt, protected by the Philippine Constitution itself in Article III, Section 7? But what the government is doing is the exact opposite.

And now, these acts of the state (though how animalistic they may be) will be legalized and justified with the implementation of the Anti-Terrorism Law or the Republic Act 9372 euphemistically titled as the Human Security Act of 2007. This law slaps our human rights in both faces most especially our civil liberties.

They have been saying that this law is toothless. Yeah, for them, for this is a State Security Act. Now, our fear would be the number that will be added to the anthill of victims of human rights violations. Last 20 July, a Martial Law was unofficially declared all over the land. Lady Justice was not only blindfolded but now, she was also gagged and chained! However, in spite of this looming danger, many are still dumb, deaf and blind. Their reason: “why should we be afraid if we have nothing to fear about?” Crap! Such selfishness! They are collaborating with this fascist government in violating human rights for a temporary liberty. They indirectly consent to the commission of crimes against humanity. And they, according to Sir Benjamin Franklin, “who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary safety, deserve neither Liberty nor safety”. Would you allow a person to be stripped off of his rights when you know that that person also deserves the same right as you do? And you know you can do something to prevent that, yet you chose not to do something? Well, threefold of Rambos will be added to the list of killed patriotic youth if we do nothing.

This government of ours will do everything to silence the people especially we —the youth. The final words of the President in her recent State of the Nation Address (SONA) were disturbing, suggestive and warning when she said:

Uulitin ko: Hindi ako sagabal sa ambisyon ninuman.

But make no mistake. I will not stand idly when anyone gets in the way of the national interest and tries to block the national vision. From where I sit, I can tell you, a President is always as strong as she wants to be.

There is only one question that we have to ask ourselves. It is: For whom are we? If we say we are for the people, then be for the people and only for the people. Our interests should be always for the benefit of the people. No many buts and ifs. If you are for the government, then be for the government. It is either left or right. In this existence, there is no gray area, no neutrality. When will we ever make a stand? When we are the next victim? Let us never forget the words of Pastor Martin Niemoeller in Nazi Germany:

"In Germany they [the Nazis] came first for the Communists, and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a Communist. Then they came for the Jews, and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a Jew. Then they came for the trade unionists, and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a trade unionist. Then they came for the Catholics, and I didn't speak up because I was a Protestant. Then they came for me, and by that time no one was left to speak up."

Rambo's Death Anniversary

"If the bullets of my enemies will
trigger them to be happy so be it, in
my 21 years..."

These are the words of Rei Mon Guran,
a former student of Aquinas Unviersity
of Legazpi and provincial spokesperson
of the League of Filipino Students in
Albay.

Former, because he is dead.

Those are the words of sadness and
preparation for death but full of
courage and patriotism. As a fellow, I
definitely understand the feeling of
Ambo when he uttered those words,
words that seem to pierce every
colleagues soul and being.

And in his first year anniversary, I
again Hail him as a Hero of the youth
in the modern times, when humanity is
experiencing the greatest repression
from their co-humans, worse than
before, when men were still
uncivilized.

He was not alone though, for there are
863+ more and 197 nowhere to be found
and many still epected to follow,
depending upon the hands of those
thinking of themselves as gods.

Hail to these heroes. One thing is
sure, their blood won't be wasted.

For soon, is real liberation.

YOUTH FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF CIVIL LIBERTIES (YACL)

YOUTH FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF CIVIL LIBERTIES (YACL)

Concept Paper

Civil liberties are freedoms that completely protect the individual from government. Civil liberties also set limits for government so that it can not abuse its power and interfere with the lives of its citizens. Common civil liberties include freedom of association, freedom of assembly, freedom of religion, and freedom of speech, freedom of the press, and additionally, to due process, to a fair trial, and to privacy. They are basic rights given to every man of the world. However, there are times when these civil liberties are blatantly disregarded by the government.

In the present regime, the Arroyo government continued to implement rules and policies that benefit foreign interests and not of the Filipino people. And most of the times, violations of the civil, political are committed and human rights of the Filipino people were disregarded. The needs of the youth, most especially, were not given sufficient attention. The Philippine Constitution itself recognizes the importance of the Youth in a strong republic. In Section 13 of the Article II, it says that “the State recognizes the vital role of the youth in nation-building and shall promote and protect their physical, moral, spiritual, intellectual, and social well-being. It shall inculcate in the youth patriotism and nationalism, and encourage their involvement in public and civic affairs.” And no less than the National Hero Jose Rizal called the youth as “the hope of the fatherland”.

Even the simplest duty of the government to the youth was disregarded like better, accessible and free education and even social services to the youth. When in fact the Philippine constitution says that the government must give education the highest budget allocation, the Arroyo administration allots the national budget to debt servicing and militarization, leaving Education as the third priority.

In public elementary and secondary schools, the ratio of teachers to their pupils is 1:60. In general, there is a constraint of 25, 000 classrooms, 15 million books and 39, 000 teachers. From 27% last 1960, the national budget for education for 2002 reached only 12%. The tuition fee in the University of the Philippines, the premier state university, increased by 300%! Each year, SUCs are forced to increase their tuition fees because of the lack of subsidy from the national government. Worthy to mention here too is the program of the government to privatize SUCs, which will give unimagined burden to the already burdened Filipino nation.
The same trend is happening today. The students’ criticism on the government intensified and became a serious issue. When students protest against these atrocities being done to them, the government’s answers are riot policemen, barricades, tear gas, fire trucks and imprisonment. When the youth and students joined legal youth organizations that fight for the rights of the youth and the students, the government started tagging them as communists, front of NPA and so on. The persecution of activists started and the US-Arroyo government is behind the persecution.

These atrocities were intensified when George W. Bush, President of the United States of America, declared the worldwide “war on terror” after the 9/11 bombing, with the Philippines as second in line. The present regime intensified the militarization of many areas all over the country. It implemented dangerous and deadly regulations like the Oplan Bantay Laya I and II, Calibrated Preemptive Response (CPR, or the “no permit, no rally” policy), Executive Order 464 (that prevents cabinet members, police and military generals, senior national security officials, and "such other officers as may be determined by the President" to attend congressional hearings unless the President gives permission to those who will attend the said proceedings) and the Presidential Proclamation 1017 (the declaration of the Philippines under a State of National Emergency last 2006).

Because of this counter-insurgency and counter-terrorism strategies of the present regime, the human rights group Karapatan has recorded over 863 cases of extrajudicial killings and 197 cases of forced disappearances and abductions, whose victims were innocent citizens – youth and students especially, and members of legal organizations being tagged by the government as fronts of communists; not spared too are human rights activists, church people, journalists, lawyers and judges, who were known critics of the present regime’s puppetry and atrocities, and numerous other human rights violations. This is an ironical picture of her promise of an empowered youth and nation when she assumed power thru the people’s uprising during the EDSA People Power II.

Even the Bicolano youth were not spared from the claws of the US-Arroyo regime. To date, there are already 7 youth victims of extrajudicial killings in the Bicol region alone, namely:

Cris Hugo, 20 years old student of Bicol University and regional spokesperson of the League of Filipino Students (LFS), a progressive national organization, shot dead on March 19, 2006 by two unidentified motorcycle-riding men. He has reported to have been receiving death threats from military since 2005.

Rei “Mon” Guran, 22-years old student of Aquinas University, shot dead on July 31, 2006, while onboard a bus. He was an active member of the Christian Youth Fellowship, and provincial spokesperson of LFS in Albay.

Joel Asejo, a Bicol University Student and an active member of Tau Gamma Phi and a member of Anakbayan in Daraga, Albay. He was shot dead while in a beach in Sto. Domingo, Albay.

Farly Alcantara, 23 years old and member of the League of Filipino Students, who was shot dead last February 15; the killing happened during the visit and investigations on the political killings in the Philippines by Philip Alston, the UN Special Rapporteur on Extra-judicial, Summary or Arbitrary killings.

Roberto “Jun-Jun” Bagasbas (26 yrs. old) and Ronilo Brezuela (16 yrs. old), KABATAAN PARTYLIST Poll watchers abducted and killed while doing their duty during the canvassing of votes in Capalongga, Camarines Norte. People from the military told the residents the next day that the victims were killed in a “legal encounter” with the armed left though they were known in the community as non members of communists.

The seventh youth killed in Bicol was under Karapatan’s reported but undocumented case, but it was confirmed by Karapatan-Camarines Sur that the youth killed was a member of Suara Bangsamoro, one of the five progressive partylists who joined the 2007 election; reports said that he has 57 gunshot wounds all over the body.

Considering the widespread civil, political and human rights violation being experienced by the Bicolano youth, the voice of unity and patriotism is once again heralding in the wilderness. There is a dire need of a unified Bicolano youth.

Responding to the need and duty of a unified Bicolano Youth, we are convening the Youth for the Advancement of Civil Liberties (YACL). This alliance aims to unify the Bicolano youth in particular and other sectors who are with the youth and their advocacies like the Church, the Academe, the Media and the Bicol Movement Against inHuman Security Act, the Regional multi-sectoral alliance against HSA, whose initiative is to secure and protect the civil liberties of the Bicolano youth.

We believe that the Church, has been a prime advocate of the youth’s rights ever since. The Church also creates public opinion which is an important medium to reach out to the greater number of the Region’s youth populace.

In the same manner, the Academe plays an important role in this advocacy. They can be our venue to enlighten and awaken the intellectual sectors of the society of the real face of society and their effects on the youth and the students. The Media, being the most influential factor of any society will be the medium for the dissemination of information and of our being critical to the present atrocities being experienced by the Bicolano youth as a whole.

Objectives of the YACL

· To unify the different youth organizations to protect the civil liberties of the youth;

· To rekindle the youth’s passion for human rights advocacy and justice;

· To gather support from the various sectors;

· To educate the youth on the real situation of the youth in the country;

· To mobilize the youth, personalities, individuals, and groups for the upholding of the civil liberties of the youth;

· To unite individuals to adhere with this advocacy to prevent the further trampling of our right;

· To enrich network of youth civil, political and human rights defenders and advocates, local and international alike.

Organization Initiators:

Kabataan Partylist

National Union of Students of the Philippines (NUSP)

Student Christian Movement (SCM)

College Editors Guild of the Philippines (CEGP)

Act Now to Defend Human Rights and Morality (AND-HRM)

League of Filipino Students (LFS)

Bicol University - University Student Council (BU-USC)

“Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary safety, eserve neither Liberty nor safety.” -- Benjamin Franklin