#USOutNow

[anakbayaneastbay]

Anakbayan East Bay Condemns the murder of Youth Activist, Freddie “Fermin” Ligiw and family!

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE March 12, 2014 Anakbayan East Bay Condemns the murder of Youth Activist, Freddie “Fermin” Ligiw and family! References: Megan Zapanta, Secretary General Justine Santos, Educational Officer Nicole Manzana, Member Marianna Zapanta, Member anakbayaneb@gmail.com Anakbayan East Bay, in solidarity with Filipino youth globally, demand justice for Freddie "Fermin" Ligiw and his family, and condemn the continued human rights abuses and state-sponsored violence committed against the masses. On March 2, 2014, Freddie Ligiw, a member of Anakbayan in the northern province of Abra, along with his brother, Eddie, and his father, Licuben, were murdered by suspected members of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP). According to the Cordillera Human Rights Alliance (CHRA), Freddie Ligiw was preparing to meet with Human Rights workers and give testimony on how the AFP 41st Infantry Battalion forcibly used him as a guide and human shield while carrying out operations against the New People’s Army in the area at the time he, along with his family, was abducted, tortured and murdered. Their bodies were found in a shallow grave with their hands tied behind their backs. Although we are miles from the homeland, youth and students in the East Bay must stand together in exposing the ongoing violence and corruption in the Philippines. In recent months, US Secretary of State John Kerry has pledged $40 million dollars in military aid to the Philippines, funds which will only intensify the brutal acts of the AFP and human rights violations in the Philippines.   "Almost half of my hard earned monthly paycheck goes to federal taxes. It pisses me off that that money is supporting heinous crimes against innocent people. That money should be used to educate the people, not murder them." Chris Guevarra, Anakbayan East Bay Vice Chair. Living in the state of California, where thousands of youth exit educational institutions in debt due to skyrocketing costs of tuition and economic interests place profit over people, we must be assertive when our U.S. tax dollars are wrongfully spent on bloody crimes and supporting atrocious military acts instead of basic necessities, such as our education and social services.   Karapatan, a human rights organization in the Philippines, reports that between July 2010 and August 2013, there have been 152 extrajudicial killings, 18 enforced disappearances, 80 instances of torture and at least 168 unsuccessful assassination attempts. Moreover, in 2014 alone, Karapatan has already documented at least 6 extrajudicial killings.   These blatant human rights abuses together with talks of increased military presence in the Philippines, reinforce our fears that Aquino is not a pro-people leader but another puppet of the US government.  Further, we condemn the relentless support of the Aquino regime of U.S. economic and imperialist interests at the expense of the lives of the Filipino people, particularly those courageously struggling alongside the masses for true justice and genuine national democracy. Anakbayan East Bay stands against human rights violations and demands that justice be served for our fallen comrade and his family. We hold President Aquino accountable, as commander-in-chief of the AFP, and demand that he prosecute the perpetrators of the unjust murder. We call on the Philippine government to cease all U.S. military aid to the Philippines, which only backs the continuous rise of human rights abuses.  We demand the government to own up to their actions, abolish political impunity and to stop the killings! Join us in our fight to end state-sponsored violence against the masses. Justice for Freddie “Fermin” Ligiw and his family! US Out of the Philippines! Walang pagbabago sa ilalim ni BS Aquino! Click here to read the full statement from Anakbayan-USA.   #StoptheKillings #Justice4FreddieLigiw #USOutNow