 The Philippine Navy’s “friendliness” with the US Navy comes at the cost of peace and progress for the rest of the Philippine nation. For in conducting the Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training (CARAT), the Philippine Navy has reduced itself to a reserve army of the US Navy and a steward of the US in maintaining its hold in the Asia-Pacific region. This conviction rallied members of the League of the Filipino Students (LFS) in a march on Fil-Am Friendship Day to the US Embassy in Manila to denounce the Aquino administration’s pursuance of US interests in the country amidst strong opposition from the group and other militant progressive organizations. US[er]-friendlyThe anti-imperialist group pointed out the abusive relationship between the Philippines and the US, claiming there is no friendship in the US manipulating the submissive Philippine government into furthering its own agenda while compensating the condition of Filipinos. “While US Ambassador Harry Thomas Jr. denies CARAT’s involvement in the West Philippine Sea dispute with China, there’s no denying that the naval exercises serve the US’ aim of interoperability following its strategic defense plan released January this year that calls for the rebalancing of US military forces toward the Asia-Pacific,” explains LFS Chairperson Gemma Canalis. With the US gaining a foothold in Mindanao and other bases and ports in the Philippines, the LFS contests it would be easier for the imperialist state to then execute its plans in the Asia-Pacific to preserve itself as the sole economic superpower, which it maintains by exploiting the people of its neo-colonies like the Philippines. Call to actionThe LFS criticized President Aquino for the allowing the continued US use of Philippine facilities and territory and called on the rest of the Filipinos to protest the blatant exploitation of the Philippines by the US government. “In face of foreign neoliberal policies permeating our country, we should all unite in registering our demand for a Philippines able to govern itself and free from the dictates of the imperialist US. We cannot rely on Aquino’s ‘daang matuwid,’ for in his two years in power he has made clear that his road is going down the path of poverty for the Filipino people in favor of foreign capitalists. Only through collective action shall we be able to forge our own nation with a government that will truly serve the interests of its people,” says Canalis. (via lfs.ph)
 Despite the Aquino government’s position that the deployment of US spy planes over the West Philippines Sea will not aggravate China, the militant youth organization League of Filipino Students believe otherwise. The Aquino government is insincere in resolving the PH-China dispute over Scarborough Shoal through diplomatic relations. Yesterday, they released a statement giving full support to Sonia Brady, the Philippine ambassador to China, in pursuing talks and consultations to settle the standoff. However, on the same day, news of Aquino’s plea for deployment of US spy planes to monitor the West Philippine Sea also broke out. While the Department of Foreign Affairs boasts of its thrust to negotiate the issue through diplomacy, Aquino, on the other hand, shows insincerity in resolving the dispute altogether by dragging US support on the matter. The possible deployment of spy planes is just an addition to the well-orchestrated US narrative as a sloppy excuse to maintain permanence in the region. Nearing its 3rd month, the Scarborough row between the Philippines and China must be seen within the context that early in 2012, the US planned to re-balance its military forces in Asia-Pacific. Since then, the Filipino people have witnessed the outright puppetry of the Aquino government; intensely manifested by the following accounts: - Monthly top-level talks between US-PH officials, the most recent of which is the meeting between Aquino and Obama on the first week of June which translated to the forging of US Senate Resolution 481, assuring greater cooperation between US-PH in the context of the territorial row between China,
- The inter-operationability of US Armed Forces (USAF) and Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) through the recently resumed Balikatan exercises, and the sustained US military presence (and operations) in Camp Navarro which houses some 600 members of USAF,
- The frequent port calls of US nuclear warships; drone flights over PH airspace “for reconnaissance purposes” which allegedly killed jihadists in Sulu; the presence of the largest defense contractor for US nuclear warships (AMSEC-Huntington Ingalls) in Subic that has provided for “replenishment of supplies” of the USS North Carolina and USS Louisville; the construction of the National Coast Watch Center or radar that will determine intrusions in the West Philippine Sea; and, last but definitely not the least, Aquino’s most recent request for spy planes for surveillance and monitoring of the West Philippine Sea.
- Possible railroading of the Philippine Senate of the PH-Australia Status of Visiting Forces Agreement (SOVFA) upon resumption of session. Austraila has been hailed as the “junior partner” in terms of military relations and close ally in the re-balancing of forces in the region.
On July 4, the Philippines will be celebrating the US-Philippine Friendship Day. But there’s no reason to celebrate. The relationship that the Philippines have with US is that of a dog being dragged by the chains of neo-colonialism by its imperialist master. On Aquino’s third SONA, the League of Filipino Students calls on the youth and Filipino people who have preferential love for the country and freedom to march as one to break away from shackles that bound us to slavery, poverty, and the litany of capitalist imperatives. We need to collectively put a dead end to Aquino’s “tuwid na daan” of puppetry, and struggle for true national liberation, sovereignty, and patrimony. (via lfs.ph)
 (via lfs.ph) Sa pagbubukas ng pasukan ngayong Hunyo ay problema na naman ng mga magulang kung saan huhugot ng pera pangtustos sa pag-aaral ng kanilang mga anak. Bukod dito, dadagdag pa sa kanilang problema ang implementasyon ng programang K+12 ng administrasyong Aquino ngayong taon. Ang K+12 ay programang pang-edukasyon na nangangahulugan na bawat bata ay dumaan sa Kindergarten, ang unang apat na taon ay tatawaging Junior Highschool at ang karagdagang 2 taon pa ay tatawaging Senior Highschool, kung saan ang 2 taong ito ay maglalako ng Vocational-Technical courses (baking, welding, cosmetics, automotive, etc). Pinagmamayabang ng inutil na Pangulo na ang K+12 ang lulutas sa krisis ng edukasyon at disempleyo sa bansa. Ngunit kung susuriin nang mabuti ay malinaw na hindi ganito ang kaso. Dagdag taon, dagdag pahirapSa kasalukuyang kalagayang binabarat ang sahod ng mga manggagawa at mataas ang presyo ng langis at ibang produkto, ang karagdagang taon sa batayang edukasyon ay nangangahulugan ng dagdag gastusin para sa mga mag-aaral at kanilang mga magulang. Ang dalawang karagdagang taon ay nangangahulugan ng karagdagang gastos para sa school supplies, baon, pamasahe, at mga proyekto sa paaralan. Ibig sabihin nito ay mababawasan ang badyet ng pamilya para sana sa pambayad-kuryente, pagkain sa araw-araw, at iba pang bilihin. Kalaunan ay mababawasan din ang mga hindi makakapagtapos ng pag-aaral dahil sa kahirapang dulot ng dagdag dalawang taon na ito. Sa bahagi ng gobyerno ay nangangailangan din ng karagdagang gastos para tustusan ang mga pangangailangan sa sektor ng edukasyon. Sa kasalukuyan, may kakulangan na ng 97, 685 silid-paaralan at 132, 483 guro sa buong kapuluan. Ngunit dahil mas pinipili ng gobyerno na laanan ng pondo ang pambayad utang-panlabas at militarisasyon, hindi pa rin maresolbahan ang matagal nang problema ng edukasyon sa bansa. Ang hindi pagkalutas sa mga problemang ito ng pamahalaan sa matagal na panahon ay nagpapakita na walang puwang sa sistema ng edukasyon ang K+12 at iba pang dagdag gastos. K+12 ni Aquino, para kanino?Sinasabi rin ng administrasyong Aquino na ang K+12 ang lulutas sa usapin ng malawakang disempleyo sa bansa. Dahil daw sa karagdagang 2 taon, magtatapos ng hayskul ang mga kabataan pagtungtong ng edad 18 at kung gayon ay nasa legal nang edad para maghanap ng trabaho. Kabulaanan ito dahil kalakhan ng mga trabaho ay nangangailangan pa rin ng diploma ng pagtatapos sa kolehiyo bago ituring na propesyunal ang isang empleyado. Kung tutuusin nga, maging ang mga tapos mismo ng kolehiyo ay nahihirapan din sa paghahanap ng trabaho sa bansa. Mananatili lang ang kalagayan kung saan mamamasukan ang mga kabataang ito bilang mga kontraktwal na trabahador. Sa kabilang banda, mas madali rin umano makakahanap ng trabaho sa ibang bansa ang mga gradweyt dahil ang K+12 ay sang-ayon sa kurikulum ng ibang bansa. Ang ganitong kaisipan ay malinaw na pinapakitang tinutulak ng gobyernong ito na magpaalipin na lang ang mga kabataan sa dayuhang kumpanya sa halip na maglingkod sa sariling bayan at malapit sa kani-kanilang pamilya. Kontrahin ang K+12!Napatunayan ng pagsulpot ng dati nang problema ng mga siksikang sild-aralan at kulang na mga pasilidad na mas nangangailangan pagtuunan ng pansin ng gobyerno ang paglutas sa mga ito sa halip na ipatupad ang programang tulad ng K+12. Sa panimulang pagbubukas ng klase ngayong Hunyo 4, tumambad sa buong publiko ang kalunus-lunos na kalagayan ng mga mag-aaral sa elementary at hayskul. Tampok dito ang mga nagsisiksikang estudyante sa isang classroom, na kung saan nagresulta para isailalim ang mga ito sa ‘homestudy’ program. Ang ilan pa nga ay ginawang 3 shift ang mga klase. At sa malaon pa, ipanawagan ang mataas na badyet sa edukasyon. Tanging sa sama-sama at solidong pagkilos ng kabataan at mamamayan makakamit ang isang siyentipiko, makamasa, at makabayang porma ng edukasyon! EDUKASYON, KARAPATAN NG MAMAMAYAN!ITAAS ANG BADYET SA EDUKASYON!TUTULAN ANG K+12 NG REHIMENG US-AQUINO!ISULONG ANG MAKAMASA, SIYENTIPIKO, AT MAKABAYANG EDUKASYON!
 (v ia www.bayan.ph) News Release May 29, 2012 References: Renato M. Reyes, Jr (BAYAN secretary general) Eleanor de Guzman (BAYAN dep-secretary general) While we welcome the decision of the Senate to convict Chief Justice Renato Corona for culpable violation of the Constitution and betrayal of public trust, we believe that the fight for true accountability in government has a long way to go. It does not end with Corona’s conviction. It still remains to be seen if the end of this process will even lead to the accountability of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo and other officials guilty of plunder and gross human rights violations. We now say to the Aquino government, tama na ang palusot! The current regime should stop making excuses for its continuing failure to prosecute Arroyo for the crimes of plunder, human rights violations and wholesale election fraud. The current regime should stop making excuses for its failure to hold accountable its own officials facing allegations of misdeeds. The current regime should stop making excuses on its failures to address the most pressing economic problems and issues of the people. It is expected that the Aquino regime will hail the Corona conviction as the “crowning glory” of its so-called “daang matuwid crusade”. We take exception to this for the simple reason that outside the impeachment, the Aquino government has not done much in terms of political and economic reforms, respect for human rights and the cause of justice. There is no “daang matuwid” for many of our people who continue to reel from poverty, oppression and injustice. In fact, even as the impeachment verdict is handed out, the Philippine government is again making excuses before the United Nations Human Rights Council on why impunity in human rights violations continues in the country. Bayan supported the impeachment of Corona mainly on the basis of the key role he has played in abetting Arroyo’s schemes to evade accountability. Lest we forget, the campaign by the House of Representatives (HoR) to impeach Corona gained wide public support because of his collusion with Arroyo. The temporary restraining order (TRO) issued by the Corona-led SC in November last year that would have allowed Arroyo to flee triggered this impeachment. It is unfortunate however that the Aquino and LP-directed prosecution chose to downplay the issue of Arroyo in favor of a somewhat hypocritical crusade regarding the SALN of the Chief Justice. This raises the question of whether Aquino is indeed serious in making Arroyo accountable. Of utmost importance right now is the vigilance and direct action of the people that will counter efforts by President Benigno Aquino III and his Liberal Party (LP) to take advantage of Corona’s ouster to control the judiciary for their own selfish political and economic agenda. Concerns raised about the possibility of an “Aquino court” are valid and should not be dismissed. Corona’s conviction is not the be all and end all of reforms to rid the bureaucracy of systemic graft and corruption. On the contrary, it’s just a small step forward as more thoroughgoing reforms are needed. However, we fear that under the Aquino government, it will still be business as usual, at least for its political allies and KKK’s. The people must therefore press on with their legitimate demands and struggle for genuine change that goes beyond Aquino’s overused “daang matuwid” rhetoric. The challenge for all government officials to disclose their bank records, foreign and domestic, should stand. The Chief Justice is likely not the only government official to use foreign currency deposit accounts to conceal presumably ill-gotten wealth. ACT Rep. Antontio Tinio already filed a bill to be heard on June 5 in House Committee on Banks amending the Foreign Currency Deposit Account to remove absolute confidentiality, and if they are consistent, this should be supported by all those who voted to impeach Corona. #
 FOR A PRO-PEOPLE AND
PRO-STUDENT U.P.
STUDENT REGENT!
League of Filipino Students-UPLB
May 18, 2012
Official Statement on the Upcoming UP Student Regent Selection 2012
The League of Filipino Students-UPLB (LFS-UPLB) calls for a pro-people and pro-student UP Student Regent as the General Assembly of Student Councils (GASC) convenes this May 22, 2012 at the Electrical Engineering Auditorium at the University of the Philippines (UP) Los Baños.
The UP Student Regent is the sole representative of the students to the UP Board of Regents, the highest policy-making body of the University of the Philippines System. Being the student regent of the premiere national university, the UP Student Regent must vigilantly and militantly address the issues and genuine interests of his/her constituents.
Worsening Crisis in Education
With the worsening crisis in Philippine education, thousands of Filipino youth are denied of their right to education on the basis of their financial capacity. Added to that, tuition hikes are rampant both in private and public schools this coming academic year. The UP Student Regent must not only address the tuition and other fee increases in the university but also the crisis faced by the whole education sector. The UP Student Regent must strive to increase both the quality of UP education and its democratic access.
Campus Repression and State Fascism
UP, being the bastion for democracy and activism, produces students who will militantly uphold their democratic rights. However, instead of hearing and attending to the demands of the students, some elements of the UP administration work to repress these students to pacify them. On a national level, the state retains the status quo through fascism – a systematic way of repression wherein violence is no stranger. The UP Student Regent must also tackle the elating repression among UP students and safeguard the rights of the students.
The Plight of Workers and Farmers
Currently, seven out of ten farmers still do not have their own land while a handful of landlords own lands of thousands of hectares. The Filipino workers, on the other hand, still make the day with only their meager wages. In the workplace, violations to their rights are still happening. The UP Student Regent must also focus on the issues of the workers and farmers since they comprise the majority of the population of the Philippines. He/she must be in the forefront of promoting policies that will uphold the rights of the workers and farmers.
Continued Imperialist Control
The US and its imperialist cohorts in the IMF-World Bank continue to impose policies that will truly benefit their countries and not the Philippines such as the Department of Education’s K+12 program; it is but a reactionary act of the government to satisfy the demands for cheap labor of foreign countries. More than that, they also impose policies on our economy, politics, and military; the Visiting Forces Agreement permits US military bases in the Philippines even though it is a direct violation to our national sovereignty. Thus, the UP Student Regent must promote nationalism in its truest sense – that is nationalism guided by a national democratic line.
These are among the numerous issues the Filipino youth are facing in a semi-colonial and semi-feudal society.
In this light, the LFS-UPLB strongly challenges the GASC to critically deliberate and consecutively select a UP Student Regent who will unwaveringly stand for the students’ democratic rights and raise and link their issues to the issues of the Philippine society as a whole.
For a Pro-People and Pro-Student UP Student Regent!
Iskolar ng Bayan, Ngayon ay Lumalaban!
League of Filipino Students - UPLB
Official Statement on the Escalating Human Rights Violation in the Province of Quezon
May 14, 2012
Oppose US-Aquino's Oplan Bayanihan! Stop Militarization, Save the People of Quezon!
The League of Filipino Students-UPLB highly condemns the massive deployment of the Philippine Army in the province of Quezon that causes numerous human rights violations.
The province of Quezon is very rich in natural resources, both in agriculture and mineral deposits. It is no wonder why investors and big businessmen eye the lands of the province to gain huge profit. The Aquino administration uses the state and its power to uphold the interests of these ruling classes by deploying the Philippine military in the projected areas. The armies then are operating in the guise ofpeace and development; but their true nature lies in the spirit of suppressing people's uprisings and protests.
While this is not new for the rotten Philippine government, the recent deployment in Southern Quezon is indeed alarming because of the numerous battalions operating in a given area.
"A case of abduction in Macalelon town in March 27, 2011 was already reported to Karapatan. Unidentified armed men allegedly took farmer Felix Balaston to the 85th Infantry Battalion's camp. He remains missing to date.
Just recently, last March 22, 2012, some drunk members of the 74th Infantry Battalion were reported to have manhandled some youth in San Andres town namely Rey Rodrigo (16 y/o), Reynaldo Delos Santos(18y/o) and Elmer Desuyo(21 y/o).
Other cases of threat, harassment, intimidation, illegal arrest and detention perpetrated against local farmers are also being verified by KARAPATAN-ST."[1]
Such cases are just among the multiple human rights violations caused by the Aquino administration and its counterinsurgency program, Oplan Bayanihan. The Aquino administration must face the reality that the Filipino people, in the end, will realize their legitimate rights and fight for it. Also, the reality that there is no insurgency happening; that there is indeed a civil war between the Government of the Republic of the Philippines and the National Democratic Front of the Philippines - two political formations fighting to seize the political power. But the truly nationalistic and patriotic should be aware that only one of these two upholds the democratic rights of the Filipino people.
It is in this light, we call on the Filipino youth to join and integrate among the ranks of the masses of farmers and workers as they uphold the national democratic struggle of the Filipino people; it is only then that a society with justice and genuine freedom is achieved. The streets may serve only as the arena for our diplomatic protests. But the countryside, where the youth can be really armed, serve as the true arena - the battlefield - where legitimate calls turn to legitimate and diplomatic rights.
Oppose US-Aquino's Oplan Bayanihan!
Stop Militarization, Save the People of Quezon!
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[1] STOP MILITARIZATION, SAVE THE PEOPLE OF QUEZON! - KARAPATAN-SOUTHERN TAGALOG PRESS STATEMENT http://www.facebook.com/notes/karapatan-southern-tagalog/stop-militarization-save-the-people-of-quezon/289933094429974
The League of Filipino Students UPLB sympathizes with the families, friends, and relatives of Ray Bernard Peñaranda, Rochel ‘Cesil’ Geronda, Given Grace Cebanico, and Wilbert de Ocampo – victims of crime and murder in Los Baños. We are one in calling for justice for them and for all other victims of like crime and human rights violations.
With the death of Given Grace, the local government tightened up security in Los Baños; increased police visibility, installed CCTV cameras, set up lamp posts, etc. However, with the recent murders of Peñaranda and Geronda, these actions done by the local government have been greatly criticized by the citizens of Los Baños.
The League of Filipino Students UPLB is one in calling for a peaceful Los Baños community but we strongly argue that increasing the number of police, lamp posts, surveillance cameras and the like will not fully resolve the increasing crime rate – or even unrest – in Los Baños.
We call for substantial solutions – prioritizing basic social services among others – that will really elevate the citizens from the worsening crisis that our country experiences and prevent them from committing crimes.
 PROCLAIM ANTE NOW!
The issue of the University Student Council (USC) chairpersonship – a pressing issue among Iskolar ng Bayan as the question whether it will be Ynik Ante (SAKBAYAN) or Marion Joyce Divino (Buklod) who will serve as chairperson becomes a prevalent subject of conversation in the campus.
Automated election results show that Ante (with 1479 votes, 36 votes more than Divino) is the clear winner for this year’s USC-CSC elections. However, during the February 29 Central Electoral Board (CEB) meeting, the CEB – the supposed body only mandated to formulate the election code and proclaim the winners of the elections – erroneously decided to proclaim Divino as the chairperson for the lame reason of Ante’s late tuition payment, that she is not a bona fide student of the university; the body argued that Ante did not follow the agreements stated in her promissory note signed by the Vice Chancellor for Instruction. Yet, Ante was able to pay on the same day (February 29) as the deadline stated on her promissory note. Chancellor Cruz also attested that there should not be a problem of being a bona fide student on the basis of financial incapacity or problems.
We condemn this act of the CEB and their initial act to try to disqualify Ante of her candidacy during the start of the USC-CSC elections.
We, the League of Filipino Students UPLB along with all Iskolar ng Bayan who believe in and uphold the integrity of the students’ elections call on the CEB to reconvene as soon as possible and proclaim Ynik Ante as the real USC chairperson-elect. We also call for Ms. Divino to voluntarily concede and respect the decision of the electorate – that the electorate chose Ante as our USC chairperson.
*original text from lfs.ph
While he and his family are notorious land grabbers concealing historical truths that Hacienda Luisita has been acquired by public funds and for this they should be ashamed to say that the militants are outsiders trying to agitate the poor farmers, the ignoramus President is now again on a rampage spewing dribbles against authentic nationalism being espoused by the League of Filipino Students (LFS).
We, the League of Filipino Students, are enraged by the statement of the supposed-to-be honourable President of the Republic of the Philippines. By likening organizational discipline of the LFS to that of Marcos, clearly he denies, that the disciplined mass movement, to which LFS has been a part of, brought down Marcos dictatorial rule. Aquino III is trying to slaughter the youth’s nationalist desires by discouraging students to join organizations like LFS, and breeding the youth to become egocentric creatures—follow him in his self-indulgent old days of disco-hopping and beer-drinking, and later be a Play-Station-aficionado president of the republic.
We would like to remind Aquino III that the history of ousting the Marcos regime is not a history of the struggle of the Aquino family, but of the Filipino people. Aquino III is completely slow on the up take to know the historical role of LFS—starting as a broad alliance against tuition fee increase; reviving closed student councils, student publications, recognizing political student organizations, fraternities and sororities, and fighting against arbitrary school fee hikes implemented by the fascist government of Marcos.
Never did Aquino III realize that the organization he is accusing as a dictator of the few is the same organization that has been part of the struggle that overthrew the Marcos dictatorship and positioned her mother in Malacanang. Aquinos are becoming political rags that have benefited most from the downfall of Marcos dictatorship, and are sleeping in bed with the clerico-fascists in prolonging historical lies.
Long before Aquino III’s name existed in political limelight, LFS have already earned the reputation as nationalists who fought hard against the dictatorship. His statement is utterly irresponsible and an apex of stupidity for him who was never been a part of the organization and has no understanding of the principles defended by LFS.
As members of the nationalist LFS, we have persevered to remould ourselves towards patriotic and selfless direction. We have remained to be firm in organizational discipline in order to effectively advance the aspirations of the suffering masses of workers and peasants. We follow democratic principles inside the organization and all the time consider the ideas and views of each member before crafting any course of action, and strictly enforces centralism to maintain the organization’s unity of will and action. With the interest of the toiling people as the point of departure for our political thrusts, LFS’ organizational principle is completely the opposite of Marcos’ as he became a marionette of US imperialism and local landlord class, that Aquino, lest he is not aware of, is upholding up to the present days.
We can never forgive Aquino III for maligning the memories of martyrs coming from the LFS in UPLB — Ambo Guran, Mark Velasco, and Chris Hugo — along with other nameless faces that offered their time, brains and life to the cause for national democracy.
Aquino III needs a historical doctor, and the suffering people, very soon, will restore his mental health and will teach him lesson. Years from now, when his regime will fully be exposed as a rabid US maniac, defender of land snatchers and drainer of public coffin, Aquino III will find himself rotting in the dustbins of history. The masses in millions will laugh at his extreme ignorance and absolute infamy as champion of the system he is trying to save from harm.
In commemoration of the 34th anniversary of LFS today September 11, we proudly raise our fists in giving the highest honour to all comrades that sacrificed and offered their lives against martial law, and up until today versus the class dictatorship of capitalists and landlords represented by Aquino III. We will carry on our tasks in militantly arousing, organizing and mobilizing the broadest number of youth and students to stop Aquino III for turning back the wheels of history.
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