BROAD ANTI-BALIKATAN alliance formed; Arroyo urged to act on four demands

> FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
> February 6, 2002
>
> BROAD ANTI-BALIKATAN alliance formed; Arroyo urged to act on four demands
>
> Disproving President Arroyo’s claims that only a handful of
communists are
> opposing the entry of US troops and that critics are merely resorting
to
> rhetorics, various personalities and groups launched an alliance
dubbed OUT
> NOW! in a gathering this morning at Balay Kalinaw, University of the
> Philippines, Diliman, Quezon City.
>
> In a unity statement read by OUT NOW! convenor and Gabriela
chairperson Sr.
> Mary John Mananzan OSB, members of the new alliance demanded the
following:
> 1. That the Macapagal-Arroyo government release to the public the
Exercise
> Plan and Terms of Reference of Balikatan 02-01 including the mission,
> situation, objectives, type of training exercise, duration, area,
forces,
> concept of training and logistics involved. In particular we want to
know,
> the role of US forces in such exercises;
> 2. That bilateral relations between the Philippines and the US,
including
> the 1999 RP-US Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA), the 1951 Mutual
Defense
> Treaty (MDT) and the Military Assistance Agreement (MAA) be reviewed
to
> prevent US armed intervention in our internal affairs;
> 3. That the government first resolve the issue of the Abu Sayyaf’s
> collusion with civilian and military officials, politician-warlords
and
> self-styled negotiators; and
> 4. That pending satisfactory resolution of the above issues, the
Balikatan
> 02-01 exercises be suspended and US troops be immediately pulled out
> especially in Zamboanga and Basilan.
> Initially, Mananzan said OUT NOW! will proclaim as “US troops-free
zones”
> various ports, urban poor communities, schools, factories and
offices. A
> protest fluvial parade has been set tomorrow by militant fisherfolk.
>
> OUT NOW! comprises about 75 prominent individuals, 54 people’s
> organizations, three regional coalitions and three sectoral
alliances,
> making it the biggest assembly of groups and individuals fighting US
> military intervention in Philippine affairs.
>
> Broad array of forces under OUT NOW!
>
> Apart from Sr. Mananzan, other convenors include the Most Rev.
Deogracias
> Iñiguez Jr. DD, Catholic bishop of Iba, Zambales and vice
chairperson of
> the Episcopal Commission on Ecumenical Affairs of the Catholic
Bishops
> Conference of the Philippines; former AFP Inspector-General and Junk
VFA
> Movement spokesperson Capt. Danilo Vizmanos PN (ret.); and Bayan Muna
> party-list representative Satur Ocampo.
>
> They led more than 100 initial signatories to the OUT NOW! unity
statement
> which includes ex-Sen. Wigberto Tañada; movie directors Gil Portes,
Carlito
> Siguion Reyna, Joel Lamangan and Mel Chionglo; actress Isabel Lopez;
> writers Pete Lacaba and Bibeth Orteza; Ramon Magsaysay Awardee
Bienvenido
> Lumbera; and Julie Po, secretary-general of the Concerned Artists of
the
> Philippines (CAP);
>
> Dr. Reynaldo Lesaca Jr. of the Health Alliance for Democracy; Fr.
Allan
> Arcebuche OFM of the Churchpeople’s Cry: US Troops Out Now! (CRY OUT
NOW!)
> and Bishop Rolando Tria Tirona of Malolos, Bulacan; MNLF founding
member
> Abdula Kamlian and Amirah Ali Lidasan of the Moro Christian People’s
> Alliance;
>
> UP Dean Lito Manalili and Prof. Judy Taguiwalo ; Dr. Elmer Ordoñez of
the
> Lyceum; members of the newly-formed UP Rise Up Against Aggression
(UP
> RAGE); and representatives of two youth alliances dubbed
Anti-Imperialist
> Movement of the Youth (AIM OF THE YOUTH) and the Kabataan Laban sa
Agresyon
> at Giyera (KALASAG);
>
> Lawyers led by former IBP president Arthur Lim and Public Interest
Law
> Center managing counsel Edre Olalia, Jayson Lamchek, Rom-Voltaire
Olalia,
> Rachel Pastores, Pete Meliza, Nenita Mahinay,Domingo Añonuevo,
Josephine
> Sidiangco, Dennis Gorecho, Perfecto Caparas III, Manuel Tan John
Baterna
> and Claire Padilla.
>
> Hall of Shame
>
> A Hall of Shame -- with pictures of Uncle Sam, President Arroyo,
Defense
> Sec. Angelo Reyes, National Security Adviser Sec. Roilo Golez,
Presidential
> Spokesperson Rigoberto Tiglao and Justice Sec. Hernando Perez -- was
> displayed by convenors to symbolize “unmistakeable acts of treason
> committed by these officials in allowing US troops to reenter the
> Philippines and engage in highly questionable actions.”
>
> The gathering was capped by the singing of Bayan Ko, a patriotic song
> dubbed as the nation’s national anthem. ###
>
>
> ----------------------------------------------
> OUT NOW! (Out with US troops now!)
> Office: 23 Maamo Street, Sikatuna Village
> Quezon City, Philippines 1101
> Tel. Nos. [632] 4359151, 9225211
> Telefax Nos. [632] 9225211
> ----------------------------------------------