SUMABA KA launched Provincial Formation on February 4

February 4, 2009
News Release
SUMABA KA! (Speak Out!)

The delegates to the first assembly of SUMABA KA have successfully launched its provincial formation today. Elected as officers are: Reynaldo Mendoza, Chairman; Eduardo Ferreras, Vice-Chairman; Pilar Gabito, General Secretary; Genoveva Capsa, Deputy GenSec. Appointed as Treasurer and Auditor are Maria Luisa Hababag and Karapatan, respectively. Three spokespersons were elected during the Convenors Meeting of January 17. They are Reverend Lemuel Igdanes, Provincial Spokesperson; Brother Lito Bonifacio, Spokesperson for the Ist District of Sorsogon; and Mr. Eduardo Ferreras, Spokesperson for the 2nd District of Sorsogon.

Thirty three (33) delegates attended the launching activity. They came from the various sectors and institutions that matter in the Sorsogon body politic, namely, the Church, academe, government employees, legal and other professions, basic sectors (peasants, fisherfolks, women, youth and students) and patriotic individuals and organizations. They will represent the people of Sorsogon in the latter’s struggle to free Sorsogon from the uninvited, unwanted and sinister presence of US troops in the province under the RP-US Balikatan war exercises.

The assembly affirmed and reiterated the views and stand of the convenors of SUMABA KA in the Convenors Meeting of January 17, to wit:

Balikatan violates Philippine sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity;

The Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA), under which the Balikatan operates, subsumes the authority of the local government officials of Sorsogon;

Balikatan will gravely disrupt the economic activities of the people in the areas where it will be held, thus, jeopardizing the livelihood of the people, especially the farmers and fisherfolks, in these areas;

Balikatan will expose the people of Sorsogon to more serious human rights violations and exacerbate the very fragile peace and order situation in the province;

Balikatan will contribute to the significant growth of prostitution and its consequences, like sexually-transmitted diseases (STD’s), fatherless children and broken homes;

Balikatan will abet the proliferation of drugs, and drug abuse, and the crimes attendant to it; and,

It will promote moral decay and social decadence in the province.

The so-called “humanitarian missions” that will be conducted by the US troops can never hide the true color and essence of Balikatan which are military intervention and external aggression. Military intervention and wars of aggression are the hallmarks of US global policy in the 21st century as exemplified by the experiences of the people of Basilan and Sulu, and the peoples of Iraq and Afghanistan.

“Humanitarian Missions” is merely one of the three components of the Balikatan war exercises, with the other two being Combat Operations and Intelligence Operations.

Mga Sorsoganon, Magkasararo asin SUMABA KA kontra sa Balikatan!

BAN BALIKATAN in Bicol!

BIKOLANO URAGON! BALIKATAN PALAYASON!

NO TO RP-US BALIKATAN WAR EXERCISES!

NO TO US MILITARY INTERVENTION AND WAR OF AGGRESSION!

SUMABA KA (Speak Out!) Against Balikatan!

Pahayag ng SUMABA KA ( SPEAK OUT ) hinggil sa Balikatan
Rev. Lemuel S. Igdanes, Provincial Spokesperson

Ang SUMABA KA (SPEAK -OUT) ay isang malawak at nagkakaisang patriotikong organisasyon sa lalawigan ng Sorsogon, mga nagmamahal sa kapayapaan at soberenya ng bansang Pilipinas ay mariing tinututulan ang pagsasagawa ng BALIKATAN 2009 dito sa BIKOL nayong darating na Abril 2009.

Kagyat naming pinagkakaisa ang aming mga tinig at nananawagan sa lahat ng mamamayan ng Sorsogon na maging mapagbantay sa gagawing BALIKATAN Exercises ng AFP at tropang militar ng Kano. Pinaninindigan namin sa muli na ang SORSOGON ay handang muling ipaaabot ang kanyang tinig gaya ng mga naunang pagtutol sa anumang ikasisira ng buhay at pagyurak sa sangnilikha.

Mariin naming tinututulan ang pagpasok ng nasabing “pagsasanay militar” at makataong pag tulong sa pamamagitan ng “humanitarian missions” na isasagawa at gagawin sa loob ng anim na buwan simula Abril 2009.

Sa katotohanan sila ay nagsimula na noon pang Enero 7, 2009 na hindi man lamang dumaan sa tamang proseso at protocol. Hindi sila ngbigay ng kaukulang respeto sa opisina ni Governor Sally Lee. Repleksyon mismo ito ng kanilang kawalan ng respeto sa soberanya at karapatan ng lokal na pamahalaan at mga lokal na mga mamamayan.

Sa halip na magbigay respeto sa opisina ng Gobernador, sila ay agad na dumiretso sa munisipalidad ng Juban. Si Mayor Fragata nakausap at nakadaupang palad ni Capt. Kelly Schmader, Commandeer ng 13th NavalConstruction Regiment ng US Pacific Fleet.

Kung magtutuloy tuloy ang ganitong kawalang respeto sa lokal na pamahalaan ano pa kaya sa mga ordinaryong mamamayan ng Sorsogon at iba pang karatig probinsya?

Tinututulan namin ang BALIKATAN 2009 at ipinaaabot ang mga maaaring maging epekto nito sa buhay, ariarian ng mamamayang Pilipino na nasa Sorsogon kung saan apat na munisipalidad ang sasaklawin:

1. Juban

2. Irosin

3. Matnog at

4. Bulan

Una,ito ay labag sa ating Saligang Batas at panteritoryong integridad. Ayon sa Section1 @ 25 of Article 11 ng Konstitusyon ng Plipinas na nagbabawal ng pagkakaroon ng dayuhang base militar at tropang militar sa ating bansa.

Ikalawa, ito ay para sa tinatawag na “global hegemony at expansion of territory” ng US upang ang kanilang eonomikong interes ay lumago. lalot higit na humaharap ngayon ang US sa isang global financial crisis, potensial ang Pilipinas na pagkukunan ng hilaw na materyales gaya ng ginto, bakal oro at iba pang yamang mineral sa pamamagitan ng pagtatayo ng transnational na korporasyon na magmimina sa ating mga bundok, sa pahintulot ng GMA pamahalaan.

Ikatlo,mas lulubha ang di-mapipigilan ang sagupaan sa pagitan ng AFP at NPA at mas lalong dadami ang madadamay na mga sibilyan. Kung susuriin, ang insurhensya ay internal na problema sa pagitan ng nag-aaway na panig ( GRP at CPP NPA NDF) a hindi kailanman dapat makialam ang US sa ganitong sitwasyon.

Ikaapat, dadami ang kaso ng paglabag sa karapatang pangtao, walang habas na pamamaril gayan ng ginawa nila sa Basilan at Sulu, sapilitang pagpapalikas,paninira ng aria-arian at pamamaslang, pananakit at pananakot sa ordinaryong mamamayan.

Ikalima, dadami at kakalat ang prostitusyon, at ang mga nakakahawang sakit gaya ng AIDS, herpes, syphilis, gonorhea at paglala ng kriminalidad at pagkakalat ng droga na makakasira sa moral na aspeto ng mga tao at buong kumunidad.

At ikaanim, dinadagdagan nito ang suliranin na pinapasan ng mamamayan ng Sorsogon. Di na nga tayo magkandaugaga sa pagpasan sa ekonomikong kalalagayan gaya ng napakataas na presyo ng prime commodities gaya ng bigas asukal atbp at sa napakababang pasahod, hirap na nga tayong maiangat at maiayos mga buhay natin anupat tayo ay paglalaruan, at aalisan ng karapatan sa sarili nating bayan.

Saan na tayo nito papunta? Hahayaan ba nating sa sarili nating bayan harap harapan tayong magdusa at maglingkod sa mga dayuhang walang ibang hatid satin kundi hirap at pasakit?

Ito na ang tamang panahon upang ang panghihimasok ng US sa ating bansa ay ating tutulan. Kung naniniwala tayong ang Pilipinas ay para sa mga Filipino, manindigan tayo at patunayang ang karapatang mabuhay ay hindi lamang para sa iilan at makapangyarihan. Ito ay regalo ng Dios sa pamamagitan ng pinagmumulan ng lahat ,kay Hesu Kristo na Panginoon at Diyos ng buhay at kasaysayan. Siya ay pumunta upang magbigay buhay at palaguin ito (Juan 10:10).

Kung mahalaga sa atin ang buhay, manindigan tayo upang protektahan ito. Hindi lamang para sa sariling kapakanan, kundi para sa buong sambayanan at mga susunod na henerasyon ng Sorsoganon na nagmamahal sa kapayapaan, katarungan , hustisya at pagmamahal at kalayaan.

Makialam ka Sorsoganon! SUMABA Ka! (SPEAK OUT) para sa Buhay at Kalayaan!

SUMABA Convenors' Meeting Video

CLICK HERE and watch the video of Prof. Josephine Bisuna of BAN Balikatan discuss the Visiting Forces Agreement or VFA and the Joint US-RP Military Exercises, Balikatan.

SUMABA KA holds Convenors’ Meeting

News Release
Sorsogon City
January 17, 2009

SUMABA KA HOLDS CONVENORS MEETING

SUMABA KA (Sorsogon United Movement Against Balikatan for Peace)launches its opening activity against the US-RP Balikatan in the province of Sorsogon with a meeting of its Convenors Group. Pastor Lemuel Igdanes of the UCCP Barcelona, Brother Lito Bonifacio of the Sorsogon Baptist Church and Mr. Eduardo Ferreras, Secretary-General of the Provincial Transport Alliance (PORTA) were elected as Provincial Spokesperson, Spokesperson for the Ist District and 2nd District of Sorsogon, respectively. SUMABA KA is part of BAN BALIKATAN (Bicolano Alliance for Nationalism Against Balikatan), a regional formation of organizations and individuals against Balikatan.

SUMABA KA formulated and affirmed its stand against the conduct of Balikatan in the province, namely: it is a transgression of Philippine sovereignty and territorial integrity; it is an interference on Philippine internal affairs; it will cause economic dislocations on the farmers and fisherfolks and will cause gross human rights violations within the radius and perimeter of the war exercises; it will contribute to the immense growth of prostitution, the proliferation of prohibited drugs and spread of sexually-transmitted disease in the province and a host of other social problems. Also the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) under whose mandate the Balikatan operates will subsume the local government units under its authority, thus, placing these LGU’s of a sovereign government under a foreign power.

On January 7, US troops surreptitiously entered the province without observing the customary protocol of courtesy call to the Local Chief Executive of the province, Sangguniang Panlalawigan and church dignitaries which stirred a torrent of protests and consternation among patriotic and civic-spirited citizens from the basic social sectors, church, academe, the professions and local government officials.

The US-RP Balikatan is a joint exercise between the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the US Armed Forces. It has a very bad image and reputation in Mindanao.#

Sorsogon alliance vs Balikatan launched

News Release
January 17, 2009
Reference: Prof. Jocelyn Bisuna, spokesperson, BAN BALIKATAN

More sectors speaking out against Balikatan exercises!
Sorsogon alliance vs Balikatan launched

More and more sectors are now voicing out their opposition against the planned Balikatan exercises in the Bicol region. Now, a Sorsogon-wide group named Sorsoganon United Movement Against Balikatan at Para sa Kapayapaan or SUMABA KA (SPEAK OUT) is launched to demand a stop to the exercises.

According to Jocelyn Bisuna, spokesperson of the region-wide alliance BAN BALIKATAN, “Aside from people’s organizations and human rights advocates, Sen. Francis Escudero and the Catholic Church in Legazpi have already taken their position. Sen. Escudero pointed out the ‘hidden agenda’ that may be behind the Balikatan exercises and expressed fear that it may be used to interfere with Philippine affairs.

“Meanwhile Bishop Lucilo Quiambao voiced out his view that the Balikatan will just be a bane to Bicolanos because civilians will be the ones caught in the crossfire when US troops are engaged in armed encounters. The bishop also said that prostitution would increase with the presence of US troops and the morality of our youth will be endangered,” said Bisuna.

“It is good that more and more people and organizations are now coming out and standing up against Balikatan 09. It is even better now that an alliance like SUMABA KA has been formed to carry out the campaign against this new type of invasion,” added the patriotic teacher.

“We hope that other formations like these will be formed at the soonest time possible in other Bicol provinces so that we can show the US troops that we do not want them here and we have not forgotten our history,” ended Bisuna.

Here are photos from the SUMABA KA Convenors' Meeting:

The convenors of SUMABA KA are the following Fr. Rene Mabute, Sorsogon State College(SSC) President Dr. Antonio Fuentes, Pastor Lemuel Igdanes (UCCP), Atty.Joven Laura, Mr. Lito Bonifacio, Mrs. Elisea Bonifacio (Baptist), Mrs. Jenny Decano, SSC Student Council President Jayboy Evano, Joey Goiz, Red Lasay, Noel Gepulle (KADAMAY), Enrique Ermino (LFS), Mark Rosas (KARATULA), Eduardo Ferreras (PORTA), Reynaldo Hababag (BAYAN), Jing Francisco, Teodoro Escanilla (KARAPATAN), Constantino Jerus (KMP) and Lisa Dugan (UMASA SORSOGON BAY) . # # #