Latest Event Updates
Fishers warn against Chinese encirclement of Ph territory
News release
August 23, 2019
Fishers warn against Chinese encirclement of Ph territory
Manila, Philippines – The militant fisherfolk group PambansangLakasngKilusangMamamalakayangPilipinas(PAMALAKAYA) on Friday backed the house resolution filed byBayan Muna Representative Carlos Zarate and lawmakers under the Makabayan bloc, pushing the investigation on the impacts of Chinese development plans in three strategic Philippine islands, namely, Fugaisland in Cagayan province, and Grande and Chiquita islands in Subic, Zambales.
In a statement, PAMALAKAYA said that “not only the national security would be at stake if the government allows China to transform three of our strategic islands into Chinese economic hub, but also the national sovereignty and socio-economic rights of the farmers and fishermen who are direct victims on the takeover of our territory,”
Pamalakaya condemns serious threats to its Luzon leader opposing Chinese aggression in the West Philippine Sea
News Release
August 19, 2019
Pamalakaya condemns serious threats to its Luzon leader opposing Chinese aggression in the West Philippine Sea
Manila, Philippines – The Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas (PAMALAKAYA-Pilipinas) strongly condemns the threat to the safety and security of its Vice-Chairperson for Luzon and Pamalakaya-Central Luzon Chairperson, Bobby Roldan, who received a threatening text message last August 16. Roldan is a fisherfolk leader from Bataan, an organizer in fishing communities in Central Luzon, and a common face at protests in front of the Chinese consulate in Makati City and has even attended the fourth State of the Nation Address (SONA) of President Rodrigo Duterte last July to highlight national sovereignty in the West Philippine Sea.
“We vehemently condemn the harassment against Roldan, who fights for the rights of small fisherfolk in the West Philippine Sea and against Chinese aggression in our territory. Whoever is behind those malicious and derogatory messages and threat, is clearly a traitor to the nation and the Filipino people,” Fernando Hicap, PAMALAKAYA National Chairperson and former Anakpawis Party-list solon said in a statement.
The text message sent to Roldan said “Salot ka! Pekeng mangingisda! Npa! Walang diyos! Mamamatay tao! Tantanan mo na panlilinlang m0 sa taumbayan, susun0d na cl sa lilinisin namin laban sa dem0ny0ng gaya mo! Magbag0ng buhay ka na!” At the same day, a threatening message was also sent to Joseph Canlas, Chairperson of Alyansa ng Magbubukid sa Gitnang Luson (AMGL) and Anakpawis Party-list Central Luzon Regional Coordinator. Pamalakaya-Central Luzon is part of AMGL.
“Hindi biro ang ganitong harassment sa gitna ng malawakang pagpatay at pandarahas sa mga magsasaka at aktibistang lumalaban para sa karapatan. Kaya inilalantad namin ito para mabigyang proteksyon ang aming lider-mangingisda at mga magsasaka sa Central Luzon,” Hicap added.
Hicap said that two Pamalakaya leaders have been gunned down in Guihulngan City, Negros, namely namely Alberto “Leboy” Tecson, Vice-Chairperson of Pamalakaya-Guihulngan City, killed on July 24, 2017, and his successor Jaime Delos Santos, Chairperson of the same Pamalakaya chapter, killed on October 6, 2018. At least 6 fisherfolk activists, 3 in Negros Oriental, 1 in Masbate, 1 in Sorsogon, and 1 in Batangas, have been killed under Duterte’s watch.
“Anti-subversion revival an attack against Filipino patriotic spirit” – fisherfolk group
News Release
August 14, 2019
“Anti-subversion revival an attack against Filipino patriotic spirit” – fisherfolk group
Manila, Philippines – “Multiple decades have passed but the long-censured McCarthyist thought continues to live on secretary Año to feed into his anti-communist hysteria. It has been globally recognized that subscription to a certain ideology is not tantamount to a criminal act, more so to a terrorism,” This was the reaction of the militant fisherfolk group Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas (PAMALAKAYA) on Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) secretary Eduardo Año on his proposal to restore the long-repealed anti-subversion law.
PAMALAKAYA was referring to McCarthyism, a baseless principle existed during 1940s to 1950s, that served as a political witch-hunt against suspected communist members and sympathizers in the United States.
In a statement, the fisherfolk group said anti-subversion law contravenes the basic principles of the constitution that recognize the people’s rights to freedom of speech, assembly, and to organize.
“Año’s dangerous proposal would heighten political repression and vilification campaign against legal and democratic organizations that advocate for genuine change and social reforms. It is a direct attack to the patriotic spirit among the Filipinos, as well as to the political opponents of the administration,” Fernando Hicap, PAMALAKAYA National Chairperson said in a statement.
As Dar takes over agriculture department, fisherfolk demands scrapping of fisheries liberalization policies
News Release
August 14, 2019
As Dar takes over agriculture department, fisherfolk demands scrapping of fisheries liberalization policies
Manila, Philippines – Fisherfolk group Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas (PAMALAKAYA) joined the call of rice watch group Bantay Bigas to the newly-appointed agriculture secretary William Dar to protect the local rice industry amid the detrimental impacts of the Republic Act 11203, otherwise known as the Rice Liberalization Law (RLL) to small rice farmers across the country.
“We are one with the rice farmers and poor consumers in demanding the repeal of RLL and enactment of a nationalist and democratic proposal, House Bill 477 or the RICE Industry Development Act (RIDA), filed by lawmakers under the Makabayan bloc,” Fernando Hicap, PAMALAKAYA National Chairperson said during the protest in front of the Department of Agriculture (DA) yesterday.
“Nothing favorable can come out from Duterte’s shady “joint exploration” deals with China” – fisherfolk group
News Release
August 11, 2019
“Nothing favorable can come out from Duterte’s shady “joint exploration” deals with China” – fisherfolk group
Manila, Philippines – Amid President Rodrigo Duterte’s pronouncement that he would discuss a “60-40 sharing favoring the Philippines” on a “joint exploration” with China, the Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas (PAMALAKAYA) raised its opposition and straightaway slammed it as “sell-out” and nothing favorable for the country could come out from his shady negotiations with the Asian imperialist power. The Duterte administration has only publicized a lowly Memorandum of Understanding on oil and gas exploration in November 2018.
“Nothing favorable could come out from this shady and non-transparent deal of Duterte with China. He is dealing for himself and his cronies, not for the Filipino people,” PAMALAKAYA-Pilipinas National Chairperson and former Anakpawis lawmaker Fernando “Ka Pando” Hicap said in a press statement.
Fed up with the lies, fishers vow to have Duterte’s 4th SONA a final one
News Release
July 22, 2019
Fed up with the lies, fishers vow to have Duterte’s 4th SONA a final one
Manila, Philippines – Parading with them a wrecked fishing banca bearing resemblance to the Gem-Ver 1, the fishing boat that was rammed and sank by a Chinese fishing fleet in Recto Bank, hundreds of fisherfolk under the national fisherfolk group Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas (PAMALAKAYA) on Monday took the streets of Commonwealth Ave. in Quezon City, in time of President Rodrigo Duterte’s 4th State of the Nation Address (SONA).
PAMALAKAYA said the fishing banca symbolized not only the Gem-Ver 1, but the worsening condition of the Filipino fisherfolk under the Duterte administration due to his foreign policies with China that affect the national sovereignty and dignity of the Filipino people.
“In a very serious situation, this is how we describe the socioeconomic condition of the Filipino fisherfolk, which are already the country’s poorest of the poor, under the Duterte administration. President Duterte’s foreign policies with China have intensified the harassment, bullying, and intimidation of Filipino fishers in the West Philippine Sea,” Fernando Hicap, PAMALAKAYA National Chairperson said before tens of thousands from various sectors who attended the United People’s SONA protest today.
DENR slammed for issuing ECC to Bulacan Aerotropolis
News Release
July 8, 2019
DENR slammed for issuing ECC to Bulacan Aerotropolis
Manila, Philippines – The militant fisherfolk group Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas (PAMALAKAYA) on Monday slammed the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) for providing environmental compliance certificate (ECC) to San Miguel Corporation’s (SMC) P700-billion Bulacan Aerotropolis, a reclamation project that will be constructed in the 2,500-hectare coastal waters in Bulakan, Bulacan. The group recorded around 700 fishing and coastal families in seven sitios of Barangay Taliptip in Bulakan are under the threat of displacement to pave way for the aerotropolis.
The fisherfolk group said Bulacan Aerotropolis is the 4th reclamation project to be given an environmental permit by the DENR. Others projects that has already acquired an ECC include the 419-hectare Horizon Manila Project, the 148-hectare Manila Solar City, and the 318-hectare Manila Waterfront Project.
PCG-Marina report enough to sue Chinese perpetrators – fisherfolk group
News Release
July 9, 2019
PCG-Marina report enough to sue Chinese perpetrators – fisherfolk group
Manila, Philippines – One month after the Recto Bank incident, the activist fisherfolk group Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas (PAMALAKAYA) said the incident report of the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) and Maritime Industry Authority (Marina) which proves that the Chinese vessel did intentionally ram a fishing vessel carrying 22 Filipino fishermen should be used in court to sue the Chinese perpetrators.
In a statement, PAMALAKAYA National Chairperson said that “with the result of the PCG-Marina investigation, there is no need for a joint probe between China and the Philippines, which the Duterte administration has been pushing through, because we already have sufficient information to hold the Chinese perpetrators accountable for almost killing our poor, helpless fishermen inside our own territory,”
“The PCG-Marina incident report says it all; the Chinese vessel intentionally rammed and abandoned our fishermen where they could have been killed if not for the Vietnamese fishermen who rescued them. This is enough evidence to bring the Chinese perpetrators to justice even without a one-sided Philippines-China joint probe in favor to the offenders,” Hicap, former Anakpawis Party-list solon added.
Support impeachment raps vs Duterte, Congress urged
News Release
July 7, 2019
Support impeachment raps vs Duterte, Congress urged
Manila, Philippines – A former solon and now fisherfolk leader is urging the newly-elected legislators in the 18th Congress to support the impeachment complaint his organization will file against President Rodrigo Duterte as soon as the lawmakers convened on July 22.
Fernando Hicap, then Representative of Anakpawis Party-list during the 16th Congress and now national chairperson of the militant fisherfolk group Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas (PAMALAKAYA), said his group “will lead the filing of impeachment against President Duterte for violation of the constitution, treason, and betrayal of public trust by compromising the West Philippine Sea and rights of the Filipino fisherfolk to China.”
PAMALAKAYA said President Duterte has violated the constitution when he had a verbal agreement with Chinese President Xi Jinping in 2016 that China can legally fish in the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone (EEZ), which according to the national fisherfolk organization, violates Article VII, Section 21 of the Philippine Constitution which states that “No treaty or international agreement shall be valid & effective unless concurred in by at least two thirds of all the Members of the Senate.”
Amid jail threat, fisherfolk seeks Duterte’s impeachment
News Release
July 5, 2019
Amid jail threat, fisherfolk seeks Duterte’s impeachment
Manila, Philippines – Fisherfolk under the group Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas (PAMALAKAYA) on Friday trooped Mendiola, Manila to call for the impeachment of President Rodrigo Duterte for compromising the fishing rights of Filipino fishers as well as the resources of the West Philippine Sea.
“Duterte is culpable of treason and violating the constitution for allowing China to exploit our marine territory which is exclusive for the Filipino people. His questionable deals with China also violate the fishing rights of our fishermen in the West Philippine Sea. The longer he stays in power, the longer our fishers will suffer and fish stocks will be jeopardized,” Fernando Hicap, PAMALAKAYA National Chairperson said during the protest.
The fisherfolk group is unperturbed by the threat of President Duterte that anyone who will file impeachment complaint against him will be subjected to arrest, saying that “with the violations in the constitution that the President has committed, he is the one that should be jailed.”
Pamalakaya-Pilipinas 