Day of Action: Junk the VFA, Justice for the Abducted

**Please forward widely**

DAY OF ACTION AGAINST THE VISITING FORCES AGREEMENT

10 years of the VFA = 10 years of military occupation, abductions, and rape

Wednesday, May 27, 2009

PROTEST and Meeting with the Philippine Consulate General

3:30pm

@ the Philippine Consulate [**note location change**]

447 Sutter Street, San Francisco

Teach-In on the VFA

6pm

@ SOMCAN

1070 Howard Street (c/s: 7^th Street)

San Francisco, CA
Both events featuring special guest speaker Senator Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan and representatives of BAYAN-USA, GABRIELA USA and NAFCON-Norcal

In the wake of the abduction of Filipino American human rights advocate and health worker Melissa Roxas and her companions Juanito Carabeo and John Edward Handoc, please join BAYAN-USA and GABRIELA USA as we condemn the US-Philippines Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) and demand justice for victims of abduction and all human rights violations with an action and educational forum on the 10th anniversary of the VFA’s ratification.

LFS Music Break! “I Want You” by Caroline Calderon

First off, we would like to thank all of you who came and supported the 7th Annual Diwang Pinay! We were proud to support and showcase many of our community’s talented artists. It’s important that we help cultivate and provide a space for our artists to present their skills to the community, while educating ourselves on the important issues we face. With that said, for this music break, we’d like to show one of this weekend’s performers. Props to Caroline and the many talented folks who performed Sunday! Hopefully we’ll get to see you perform again soon! And support independent artists!!!

San Francisco Filipino Women Rise Up Through Art: May 3, 2009

For Immediate Release

April 21, 2009

Contact: Marisa Mariano, Chair, Babae-GABRIELA USA, 415-333-6267, info@babaesf.org

San Francisco Filipino Women Rise Up Through Art

San Francisco, CA—As the weekend of International Worker’s Day, or Mayo Uno, approaches, the women of Babae-GABRIELA USA, League of Filipino Students, and Diwata Young Women’s Group prepare to not only celebrate the contributions of the working class worldwide, but to also celebrate the experiences and contributions of one of San Francisco’s distinct immigrant working populations, Filipino women. On Sunday, May 3, 2009, Babae, LFS, and Diwata hosts the 7th Annual Filipina Women’s Showcase, Diwang Pinay.

Diwang Pinay (Spirit of the Filipina) is an annual performance and silent art auction by Filipina/Filipina- American performers, writers, and artists. “With a 40,000 Filipino population in San Francisco, and more than half of whom are women, it is only appropriate to give light and praise to the different ways Pinays are living, resisting, and surviving today in the San Francisco Bay Area and beyond,” states Marisa Mariano, chairperson of Babae.

GABRIELA USA Denounces US-Philippine Collusion in the Acquittal of a High-Profile Military Rape Case

For Immediate Release
April 23, 2009

Reference: Raquel Redondiez, Chair, GABRIELA USA, 415-244-9734

GABRIELA USA Denounces US-Philippine Collusion in the Acquittal of a High-Profile Military Rape Case

Filipina-Americans in the United States express our disgust and anger at the news that the Court of Appeals in the Philippines has acquitted Lance Corporal Smith in the 2005 rape case of “Nicole.” Lcpl. Smith was convicted of raping “Nicole” on December 4, 2006, and legalities around custody and sentencing has been ongoing for the past three years. Due to the highly contentious Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA), Smith has been in the custody of the U.S. Embassy instead of a Philippine prison. However, on March 12 of this year, a questionable recantation by “Nicole” was released while in the same month, monetary compensation and the termination of her legal counsel casted doubt on who prepared the content of the affidavit.

In this long and dirty case, US and Philippines collusion through loopholes in the VFA have demonstrated that in the Philippines, the rule of law and justice are commanded by American interests and corrupt politicians. The Court of Appeals has failed Filipino women worldwide. Instead of holding Smith accountable of rape, the appellate court has repealed the justice that was already rightfully won by “Nicole” and her family. After years of struggling and fighting with huge and broad support from Filipino organizations like GABRIELA in the Philippines and worldwide, Smith’s acquittal from his legitimate conviction in 2006 is a betrayal to both Nicole and her loved ones, but also to all of the Filipino women, children and men who have been victims of sexual assault and crimes by US military servicemen.

SMITH ACQUITTAL A COLLABORATIVE MANEUVER BY ARROYO & US GOV’T TO PROTECT VFA

RP court acquits US Marine convicted of raping Filipina

MANILA, Philippines – Lance Cpl. Daniel Smith, the American who was earlier convicted by a lower court of raping a Filipina in Subic, was acquitted by the Court of Appeals (CA).

The Philippines has many ‘Nicoles’

The Philippines has many “Nicoles,” but only Suzette Nicolas was served justice when the Makati Regional Trial Court convicted Lance Cpl. Daniel Smith of rape on December 4, 2006.

From 1981 to 1988, when the US military bases were in the Philippines, 3,274 cases of abuse of women and children were filed against US servicemen in Subic and Clark. However, not one of the US servicemen was convicted.

Data from the Olongapo City prosecutor’s office showed that during the same period, cases of rape and sexual abuse involving children ages 11 to 16 were filed against US servicemen. Another 82 cases of sexual abuse involving young women were also recorded. All of these cases were dismissed.

Ninety-seven of these cases, in which 15 children were involved, were filed by the non-government Bikolana Gabriela against American soldiers in Clark and Subic.

Smith was the first-ever American military personnel who was convicted of committing a crime on Philippine soil since the establishment of the US military bases at the Subic Bay Naval Base in Zambales province and Clark Air Base in Angeles, Pampanga and the passage of the Visiting Forces Agreement in 1999. – GMANews.TV

News Release
April 23, 2009

Reference: Rhonda Ramiro, Secretary-General, BAYAN USA, email: secgen@bayanusa.org

SMITH ACQUITTAL A COLLABORATIVE MANEUVER BY ARROYO & US GOV’T TO PROTECT VFA– BAYAN USA

BAYAN-USA, an alliance of Filipino organizations in the United States, declared the recent court acquittal of US Marine Daniel Smith of a rape conviction back in 2006 as a collaborative move by the US and Arroyo governments to protect the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA).

The controversial decision comes right after a Philippine Supreme Court (SC) ruling to probe into the circumstances surrounding the affidavit issued by rape victim Nicole and the leakage of a draft Court of Appeals (CA) ruling of acquittal for Smith last week, prompting CA officials to act fast.

The 2005 rape of 22 year-old Filipina Nicole leading to the 2006 trial and conviction US Lance Corporal Smith was a landmark case that marked the first time in the 100+ history of US military presence in the country that a US military personnel was actually convicted under the Philippine judicial system for a crime committed in the Philippines. But the events following the celebrated conviction, beginning with Smith’s transfer of custody from Philippine jurisdiction to the US Embassy drew such outrage and condemnation from the streets that it sparked a burgeoning patriotic movement inside Philippine Congress to abrogate the 10 year-old VFA military agreement, which allows for the “temporary basing” of US military troops in over 20 ports throughout the Philippine archipelago.

THE 7th ANNUAL PINAY SHOWCASE: DIWANG PINAY …. still we rise ….

THE 7th ANNUAL DIWANG PINAY

THE 7th ANNUAL PINAY SHOWCASE

DIWANG PINAY

…. still we rise ….

WE HAVE A NEW DATE AND LOCATION!!
Sunday, May 3, 2009
4:30pm-5:00pm – Open Gallery Viewing
5:00pm- Show starts!
Location: Bayanihan Community Center
1010 Mission St San Francisco, CA 94103

SAVE THE DATE!!! SAVE THE DATE!!!

Please visit http://sites.google.com/site/sfdiwangpinay/ for more updates!

Founding Assembly of Gabriela USA, First Overseas Chapter of Gabriela Philippines, Marks Milestone in the Progressive Women’s Alliance 25 year History

 

Gabriella USA 1st Founding Assembly

IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 31, 2009
Reference: Raquel Redondiez, GABRIELA-USA, Chairwoman, (415) 244-9734, email: amihan33@gmail.com

 FOUNDING ASSEMBLY OF GABRIELA-USA, FIRST OVERSEAS CHAPTER OF GABRIELA-PHILIPPINES,  MARKS MILESTONE IN THE PROGRESSIVE WOMEN’S ALLIANCE 25 YEAR HISTORY

Los Angeles, CA–On March 29, 2009, over one hundred Filipinos from across the U,S. came together to celebrate 25 glorious years of women’s resistance led by GABRIELA, an alliance of Filipino women’s organizations in the Philippines. At this special event, scores of women representing 4 different organizations came together to formally establish GABRIELA-USA, the first overseas chapter of the progressive and world-renowned Philippine women’s alliance.

The founding assembly of GABRIELA-USA was aptly named “Sulong GABRIELA: Celebrating the Advances of the Filipino Women’s Struggle! Twenty Five Years and Onward!” During the all-day event, members of Filipinas for Rights and Empowerment (FiRE) in New York, Pinay Sa Seattle, Babae in San Francisco and Sisters of GABRIELA Awaken (SiGAw) in Los Angeles affirmed their commitment to GABRIELA’s principles, approved chapter bylaws and adopted a two-year plan on developing and building an alliance of Filipino women’s organizations that have localized grassroots approaches.
Proud of their long lineage of strong Filipino women’s leaders, the four women’s organizations that comprise the national women’s alliance were elated to extend GABRIELA’s vision and mission to the U.S. Along with taking up the local issues and concerns of Filipinas in their  respective regions, GABRIELA-USA also places prime importance to supporting the women’s and struggle in the Philippines.
Emmi De Jesus, Secretary-General of GABRIELA Philippines, was the keynote speaker of the US chapter’s founding assembly where she shared the rich and full history of victories of the women’s movement in the Philippines in which GABRIELA is an integral force.