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Women assail gang rape, EVAT, VFA

BAGUIO CITY (Nov. 9) — “Junk Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA)! Condemn the US Marines gang rape! Junk the Expanded Value Added Tax (E-VAT)!” These are the pleas of Innabuyog-Gabriela Cordillera, joined by other local progressive organizations during their noise barrage held at the Sky World Building in Session Road. Motorists joined them as they honked their vehicles to show their support.

The militants profess the unfortunate circumstances that occurred last November 1- the reports of a 22-year old Filipino woman who was allegedly gang-raped by 6 US Marines in Subic, Zambales and the instigation of the E-VAT. In line with such incidents, they have voiced their disapproval through their noise barrage.

Innabuyog-Gabriela Cordillera declares in their statement on Nov. 8, “The gang rape is clearly a display of gross disrespect, contempt and machismo by US military forces welcomed by the Philippine government as ‘visitors’ under the Visiting Forces Agreement.”

In 1999, the Philippine government approved the VFA despite the fervent resistance and protest of nationalist organizations. This alleged rape case is the most recent violation under the VFA. Militants point out that in the past years since the US-RP VFA had been going on, some US soldiers had committed 82 sexual abuse cases on Filipino women (aged 16 and above) and 15 cases involving violation against children.

One evocative rape case in 1987 was that of then 12-year old Rosario Baluyot of Olongapo. Baluyot died from sepsis (toxins in the tissue or bloodstream) because of a broken vibrator piece found in her cervix. The US soldier-alleged rapist was immediately sent out of the country to avoid local trial.

Also, some human rights violations have occurred during the Balikatan exercises. July 2002 marked Buyongbuyong Isnijal as one victim. He was shot when US servicemen patrolled the military exercises area in Lamitan, Basilan. Another civilian, Arsid Baharon, was shot last June 21, 2004. An American soldier shot him in Brgy. San Roque, Zamboanga City.

“We need justice for the Filipino woman rape victim, and for all they have violated. The US Marine perpetrators must be immediately arrested and prosecuted, and they should not be granted any bail or immunity,” Innabuyog-Gabriela asserts.

On the other hand, also in the same program, Tongtongan Ti Umili-Cordillera Peoples Alliance (TTU-CPA) reiterates their denounce of the E-VAT’s existence. According to their reports, GMA pushed for an expanded VAT law last year. It was said to be as one of her eight revenue measures to augment a fiscal crisis; estimated to generate P20-30 billion from July-December 2005 and P97-105 billion in 2006. By January 2006, GMA may still increase the VAT rate to 12% from the current 10%.

“Needless to say, some families are now trying to live by using charcoal instead of light petroleum gas (LPG), taking public vehicles even if they have private cars, tightening their belts as long as they can. With the implementation of the E-VAT, we ask, how much more can we endure the consumers’ tax and seeping poverty?” the TTU-CPA statement probes.

Tax evasion and corruption are two of the reasons the militants see why the Filipinos are currently burdened with the E-VAT [as discussed in last week’s issue (November 6) on E-VAT].

These issues are all part of the opposition movement against Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo (GMA).

Innabuyog-Gabriela demands to the Philippine government under GMA to guarantee impartiality to the people violated by the VFA. “GMA wil certainly face nationwide indignation and increasing calls for her ouster if she fails to ensure justice by allowing the US government to invoke criminal immunity for US military troops who commit crimes while in the Philippine soil,” they strongly state.

“Despite the anti-VAT sentiment of the public, the GMA administration is hell-bent in pursuing the VAT law through its immediate implementation. Even before the execution of the E-VAT, the Filipino masses were already plunged in deeper crisis, into worsened poverty,” TTU-CPA condemns the E-VAT under the GMA rule.

Militants claim that it is then necessary for the people to act against the abusive US-Philippines joint military exercises and implementation of E-VAT, which are experienced in the GMA regime. They ended the program with a resounding call for GMA’s resignation from office. # Pink-Jean Fangon-Melegrito for NORDIS

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