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CREATED:20060224T203300Z
DESCRIPTION:GABRIELA Network Opposes De Facto Martial Law!  On the 20th anniversary of 
 People Power and the ouster of Marcos, a State of Emergency/Martial Law has 
 been declared in the Philippines.  All rallies are banned.  email and 
 texting banned.  Massive rallies are still going on being met with violent 
 dispersal by Philippine National Police and Armed Forces of the 
 Philippines.  THE MOST ONEROUS EMERGENCY IN THE PHILIPPINES IS ITS DE FACTO 
 PRESIDENT  In an act of collective punishment, Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, 
 while still claiming the title and position of president of the Republic of 
 the Philippines and despite the general perception that she cheated at the 
 elections, has declared a State of National Emergency throughout the 
 archipelago.   Even though the justification given were nebulous reports of 
 an impending coup by some military officers, Macapagal-Arroyo chose to 
 punish all the people of the 7,100 islands of the Philippines.  
 Proclamation 1017 declaring a state of emergency bans all rallies and 
 demonstrations, allows warrantless arrests, seizure of private property, 
 including media outlets; and the transfer of civil authority to the Armed 
 Forces of the Philippines on the say-so of the President.  By any other 
 name, it is martial law.  It requires constitutional changes so vast that, 
 among others, they effectively remove such guarantees as freedom of the 
 press.  They have also effectively blocked much of the Internet, preventing 
 thousands including senators from text messaging or emailing. Violence is 
 raging in the streets and everyday people are hiding indoors fearing for 
 their safety.  No Philippine president would, of course, dare undertake 
 such a drastic grab for power without the approval of its colonial master. 
 It is no coincidence that this comes while 5,500 US troops are in the 
 Philippines, distributed in strategic areas from the north to the Muslim 
 south.  It is the largest number of US troops to be in the country in a 
 decade.  The US sees the Philippines as the second front in the war on 
 terror and views Arroyo as one of its closest allies.  It also intends to 
 open new bases territories close to the region's vast oil and natural gas 
 reserves.  GABRIELA Network condemns this obvious and pathetic ploy of 
 Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and her cronies to set themselves up as the new 
 Philippine dictatorship.  We note that the whole thing:  alleged 
 conspiracies of the left and right; coup attempts by military officers - 
 never court-martialed for their actions- stinks of the of the late Dictator 
 Ferdinand Marcos.  We join with the people of the Philippines:  from former 
 President Cory Aquino, to the church to the mass movement, in demanding the 
 ouster of Macapagal-Arroyo.  We call on all men and women who believe in 
 true democracy and liberation to join us in opposing this president's 
 declaration of de facto martial law.  Here’s what You can do next…  
 DEMAND AN END TO THE DE FACTO MARTIAL LAW:  Call/Fax the Philippine 
 Embassy:  202/467-9300 or 202/467-9417 (fax)  The SF Philippine Consulate 
 General: 415/ 433-6666 to 69 or 415/ 421-2641 (fax)     Join GABRIELA 
 Network’s demonstrations against the Bush – Arroyo Regime   Get in 
 touch with us.  We’d love to come and speak to you or your group.     Get 
 more information - Good Sources include: http://www.bulatlat.com    
 http://www.gabnet.org   \n 
 https://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2006/02/24/89133.php
SUMMARY:EMERGENCY NATIONAL RALLY AGAINST DE FACTO MARTIAL LAW in Philippines
LOCATION:LEAFLETTING: 10AM-5PM@ Philippine Consulate, 447 Sutter at Powell, San 
 Francisco  MARCH: 4PM @ Powell & Market  RALLY: 5PM @ Philippine Consulate
URL:https://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2006/02/24/89133.php
DTSTART:20060224T200000Z
DTEND:20060225T030000Z
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