Mass grave found in Philippines: ‘killing fields’

A wire report on the rebel purges of the mid to late 1980’s-1990’s is prominent in the news wires abroad. As ‘a alleged’ mass grave filled with “Hundreds of victims” was reported uncovered - some allegedly new - of people the military says were suspected of cooperating with the government was uncovered.

It is not a new story- one that is often under-reported - and often unmentioned by some in the international community who often prefer to highlight Governments alleged abuses whole downplaying those who may have supported or helped government from being victims - such as these here.

[]”…. MANILA, Philippines — Soldiers found mass graves believed to hold the remains of up to 300 people allegedly killed by communist guerrillas in the 1980s during a purge of suspected spies in the Philippines’ remote east, officials said Thursday”.…[]

There are numerous reports on alleged role of those in Uniform and of the Political group’s who are often thought of in these cases. Leading some in government to claim some in media take sides or work to tell only one side of the story.

[]…”Leftist murders spark fear ABS CBN News, Philippines Across the Philippines, masked gunmen on motorcycles have killed scores of left-wing community leaders and Ayunga fears he could be next….’{}

But all forms of this kind of violence by whatever side should be condemned in the strongest possible terms.

FYI-TV.net had this report from about not too long ago - I repost it here:

Special Report

About a Boy

…who lost his parents at age 5, grew up believing in the same revolutionary cause he knew they left him for… only to discover 20 years later that his parents were tortured and buried alive by their own Communist Party comrades on suspicion of being Deep Penetration Agents. —Winona Cueva

Another report deals with anger over ‘tax’ activities of the rebel group in another part of the Philippines by a Congressperson from a cause oriented groups.

[] …”Partylist solon condemn NPAs Philippine Information Agency, Philippine

… Akbayan representative Loretta Ann Rosales stood in the plenary on Monday to condemn the armed wing of the Communist Party of the Philippines, whose latest …” []

Philippine Oil Spill: National level Calamity declared

President Arroyo’s order is more than just a formality that most diasters require for the release of funds to handle natural disasters. It also brings the level of responce up to treaty level and allows more direct international participation in the clean-up.

[]…” Arroyo declares oil spill calamity President Arroyo on Friday declared the oil spill in Guimaras a national calamity as the slick spread rapidly and threatened some of the country’s richest fishing grounds.Mrs. Arroyo, who made the declaration during the 18th National Convention of the National Prosecutors’ Week in Cebu, said the oil disaster in Guimaras demands the cooperation and solidarity of all Filipinos. “I call upon Petron and the ship owner to immediately clean up the mess and the Task Force Guimaras and Coast Guard Admiral Arthur Gosingan to attend to environmental and health issues,” she said. …” [] ABS-CBNNEWSonline

I do not know which PR agency is advising the Petron people what to say when they appear on TV- one man in particular yesterday was talking about -”product recovery” The insensitive nature of the comment and term might lead some to believe there is more concern over product- than people the environment and safety.

But then again had the concern been with true product integrity - delivery of product to destination in the most safe & secure manner to an end user i wouldn’t even be writing this blog and those people sick and in hospital and the man who died and hundred imillion peso partail clean up bill not needed?

Uncategorized, news, News and politics, philippines, Rants, Raves, Whathaveyou..., OFW, Guimaras Oil Spill

A rare travel adivory from the South Korean gov't has some wondering as to why it was issuesd on the source of the threat information.
Korea is normally very careful in any such advisory - not like many other countries - who issue these things on mere rumor.
But this is worth looking into- even if to see what the base line information for this came from.

Korea Issues travel warning: Philippines & Indonesia

mikeinmanila wrote 1 day ago: The Government of the single largest group of Asian tourists of late to stream to these islands, Korea has issued … more »

Industry - State Of The Nation

Now the first song I really liked of the 80's strange how this song could be good for today.

General Public - Tenderness

Can't do a blog on 80's music without this one?

paleshelter TEARS FOR FEARS

cool still!

Tears For Fears - Head Over Heels

college days!

Spandau Ballet - Gold

still good after all these years.

Spandau Ballet Round And Round

I think there was song by Apo hiking society about this - tuloy ang ikot ng mundo? hehehehe
Round and Round...
fun song. But so true as in life things do go round and round and things move back and forth... like a circle of life?
Oh yeah- thats elton...
I posted that too i think.
hehehehe

Spandau Ballet True

still true... favorite slow dance song... make out song... sleep song.

Duran Duran - Hungry Like The Wolf

The one that started it all I think as far as my age group in LA at that time felt.

Rio

Ah one of my favorites!

Duran Duran - Is There Something I Should Know?

another lone...

Duran Duran - New Moon On Monday

this one is fun too...

Duran Duran - Planet Earth

I cant believe its been 25 years since this STUFF!!!

I acutally dressed that way?

Duran Duran - Girls On Film

anther one I like... what can I say I'm in a 80's mood tonight!

Bruce Springsteen - Born In The USA

just a song I like a bit...

Help Lebanon:Manila based aid group for OFW’s & Lebanese

At a meeting held in Manila’s Makati district groups of Filipino & Expat organizations are working together to seek out ways they can Helpl

The goal is to find ways to assist people in Lebanon by doing their part to make themselves available for those people in need. It’s not Politics, here or there.

But just people trying to help those both from there and here and families they worked for… Or companies that provided lively-hood to thirty thousand filipino’s get back on their feet.

In so many disasters here in the Philippines I have covered - both the man made and natural kind - people in places in Lebanon and the middle east did their part by making donations to the red cross and red crescent to assist people in the Philippines in their time of need - so now this group says it is time for them in their own way to their part. As those who can in some way or service or kind do their part to help people there regardless of ideology or faith or political color rebuild their lives after this war that has brought so much of the tragic things that Wars brings - they hope to do their part as well.

MikeinManila gives it’s space- to this and re-posts here the link and ways to reach this group.

God Bless all…

Mike

THE HELP LEBANON MEETING:

	Honorary Consulate of Lebanon, Manila Philippine National Red Cross With the assistance of International SOS IConnect Inc. Philippines

Lebanon: saving lives and restoring human dignity

The ongoing conflict in Lebanon is a human catastrophe with hundreds of civilians reported dead, thousands injured and hundreds of thousands displaced. The Lebanese Red Cross Society, through the efforts of its volunteers and with the full support of the ICRC, continues to help the most vulnerable. A report from the ICRC’s Marko Kokic and Ayad Al Mounzer of the Lebanese Red Cross.

A long prayer rings out through loudspeakers across the centre of Beirut. The sombre tone is in keeping with the city’s mood. Streets normally packed with people and traffic remain quiet. Many shops are closed. In the few that remain open, televisions bring today’s news of another day of fighting, another day of horror.

Images of dead and injured civilians caught in the crossfire and the heroic efforts of Lebanese Red Cross paramedics feature on the news bulletins every day. First on the scene, volunteer paramedics rescue the living and recover the dead. Their work is fraught with peril, with only the Red Cross emblem to protect them.

A recent incident proved just how dangerous their work can be. A rocket tore through the roof of an ambulance transporting the injured. It blew a melon-sized hole through the centre of the Red Cross emblem on top of the ambulance. Paramedics suffered minor wounds but a patient lost his leg in the incident.

Red Cross paramedics transport the seriously injured to Beirut’s hospitals. Thousands of civilians have already been wounded. One of them is nine-year old Samah Chihab who is recovering in Beirut Governmental University Hospital. A bomb cut her down as she played in front of her house in the town of Tyre.

The hospital is modern and well equipped but understaffed.

“We have received medical supplies, but no direct medical assistance,” explains Assistant General Manager, Bilal Masri, “Right now we are working at thirty percent of our capacity in terms of human resources because staff have been unable to reach the hospital”.

Many people have already fled raging battles in the south while others remain trapped. Leaving can be as dangerous as staying. Bombed cars litter the road leading south. Some still contain bodies but the security situation in many areas is still too dangerous for Red Cross volunteers to recover them.

An estimated million civilians have been displaced, many taking shelter in schools and other public buildings. Hassan Mohammed Abadi and his family are camped out in a school on Mount Lebanon near Beirut. They arrived only days ago from their southern village of Yatir where they remained amidst the fighting for almost two weeks. When it became unbearable they took a chance and fled, taking only what they could carry.

For those who are seeking to *restore* *contact* *with family members* who may have been impacted by the conflict, please click *HERE *to go to the International Committee of the Red Cross special web site called Family Links.

If you are reading this in a country other than the Philippines and wish to contribute to this effort, kindly contact the RED CROSS or RED CRESCENT society in you country of residence. For a complete list of Red Cross and Red Crescent societies throughout the world, please click *HERE*.

All donations are handled by the Philippine National Red Cross and are coursed
through the International Committee of the Red Cross to the Red Cross in Lebanon.
Donations are used solely by the Red Cross for humanitarian purposes.

For details on how you can HELP LEBANON!,
call the HELP LEBANON! HOTLINE at +632-6334060.
The HELP LEBANON! HOTLINE is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Dancing Traffic Director

Mayon Volcano is getting near to its full eruption

After days of constant steam, ash, and gas explosions and minor eruptions - the ” restive Mayon Volcano in Albay ejected ash yesterday afternoon – the 11th time in the last three days – a development which came hours after state scientists reported an “anomalous” decline in volcanic activity.” - TEMPO reports.

The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) officials at 2:07 p.m. wendnesday are unable, reports say to take the right readings- “Cloud cover prevented us from getting an accurate picture of the ash it ejected. But this only shows that the volcano is still undergoing continuous activity,” Renato Solidum Jr., Phivolcs director, told TEMPO.

Per most reports In three days, ‘294 tremors’ or mild eathquakes and “7,629 tons of sulfur dioxide were emitted yesterday.”

Israel-Hizbollah War: UN back to the drawing board.

It’s back to the drawing board for peace negotiations - blasts and attacks in the war in lebanon continues to spiral out of control and reaches to new levels.

Hezbollah Saturday and Sunday rained down on Northern Israel it’s “Deadliest barrage of rockets into northern Israel on Sunday, ” per reports I’m watching the attacks continue on Haifa and new attacks by Israel in rare daylight raid today smashed parts of south Lebanon and South Beirut.

Haifa View:

As some news networks covering this still refer to this as crisis, or a situation, or a conflict this is by all definitions - WAR - the worlds leading non-government think tank online database puts Lebanon on its page as ‘War’

Op Change of Direction Chronology Combatants Israeli Defense Forces Hizballah

War in Lebanon - GlobalSecurity.org

War is a conflict involving the organized use of weapons and physical force by states or other large-scale groups. Warring parties usually hold territory, which they can win or lose; and each has a leading person or organization which can surrender, or collapse, thus ending the war.

This can no longer be-considered a crisis, hostilities, clashes, what we see now is open warfare - any effort to attempts a cease fire after today’s level of exchange in some places - 1,000’s 155mm artillery shells hundreds of bombs from Israel while Hezbollah has sent in more than 2,500 rockets and missiles in 3 weeks.

The house to house fighting the cross border attack into Israel which started the conflict. the retaliatory attack by Israel versus Hezbollah’s go beyond normal crisis and clashes level. Israel also staging an airstrike while the head of the arab league was in Beirut shows the situation’s level of attack prowess.

The Newsweek overview on Hezbollah’s of course focuses attention on the Lebanese group backed by others in the region and its long history of warfare in Lebanon - but also touches on its regional and ties across the seas.

There is in this group something more well known to the US who after a series of attacks in Beirut forced US marines to withdraw from Lebanon along with others to forces from Europe.

•Hizbullah: In Lebanon … and America • Nasrallah’s Men Inside America • Shimon Peres: What Israel Aims to Archieve

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NEWSWEEK ON AIR

Hizbullah: Inside Lebanon & the U.S.

Guests: NEWSWEEK’s Christopher Dickey, Michael Isikoff.

Audio Clip | Complete Show | Podcast

Civil War in Iraq

Very moving - very specific.