Etniko Bandido Infoshop

By: Safehouse Infoshop/Etniko Bandido Infoshop

Pandemics and natural calamities only highlight the inequalities in society. With four typhoons hitting the archipelago within less than a month, floodings, landslides, water and power outages across provinces made the pandemic even worse. The climate and health crises drown the poorest in the poor countries to the bottom of economic hierarchy, while state-backed corporations take the profit. To show support to these vulnerable sectors, direct-action groups organized themselves in different provinces and cities like Bicol and Cagayan, sending food and clothing , setting up solar techpacks, and even hitch-hiking to typhoon-stricken areas.

Solar techpak project initiated by 350.org assemble by volunteers like people from Etniko Bandido Infoshop. It was meant to be deploy in Catanduanes, one of the devastated region hit by super typhoon Rolly.

One of these initiatives was done in Barangay Nangka in Marikina city, an urban settlement along the dreaded Marikina. Almost a decade after typhoon Ondoy which claimed the lives of thousands, the same community faced the same onslaught despite disaster risk-reductions. One of the volunteers who live near the site recalls the flood which was knee-deep on the second level of their house.With the collaboration of different Food Not Bombs chapters (from Marikina, Cainta, and Lucena), infoshops, and individual volunteers, a food and clothing- drive was successfully accomplished on November 22, 2020.

Another initiative of food and water distribution made by Food Not Bombs Albay happened in November 14, 2020. There are 50 families or 200 individuals benefited on this. The goods composed of 5 kilos of rice, 4 canned goods and 2 liters of water gallon.

The action was organized in a horizontal, transparent manner, without any need for leaders. Hundreds of clothes were distributed. Two cauldrons of hot soup, two giant-woks of pansit, and yummy Laing and rice meal were distributed to a number of streets near the river. There were also other relief drives in the area. But according to a resident, none of these relief drives bothered to go to their community by the river. This community was what our drive consciously targeted to accommodate. Lunch and dinner were served with love. Fliers and zines were also distributed, demonstrating how similar horizontal and transparent mutual aid activities can be done by just about anyone, be it by small groups or individual, with or without money and permission from authorities.

For the success of the activity, we would like to thank first the community in Balubad, Baranggay Nangka for letting us into their community. We also thank all those who helped in asking for food donations from marketplaces, those who gathered clothing from friends, those who helped prepare and cook the food, friends who provided transportation, and those who contributed financially.

For mutual-aid and solidarity!

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ARCHIPELAGO
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(W)aterways
(G)overnance
(B)elonging
(S)tructures ARCHIPELAGIC RADIOOctober 14, Wednesday
Rotterdam 1400–1545h CET
Manila 8:00–9:45pm GMT+8RADIO (Firefox/Safari)
https://varia.zone/en/pages/stream.html
CHAT
https://webchat.freenode.net/ Channel: #varia
PAD
https://pad.vvvvvvaria.org/WGBSAMRadioR++++++++++

LANGUAGE
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Englishes (as opposed to just the one English) will be spoken. We may revert to other languages if this proves constraining. DIY interpretation/translation will be provided on the spot, when needed.++++++++++

GEOGRAPHY
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(ISLAND) Varia
A Rotterdam space for developing collective approaches around everyday technology.
(ISLAND) To Be Determined
A transitional, migratory structure (or yet-to-be-determined network) of sleeper cells that activate–deactivate for leaking access to cultural capital.
(ISLAND) EtnikoBandido Infoshop
A community center located in the slums of Pasig, Metro Manila dedicated to anti-authoritarian social relations and critical and technical thinking against systematic cultured mind-setting.++++++++++

HISTORY
++++++++++This radio broadcast is the result of conversations and working relationships that navigate the concept of what an archipelagic construction could mean, in terms of organization, belonging, and self. It was constructed between an archipelago of friends such as but not limited to Angeliki, Asher, Bas, Chung, Clara, Reinaart, and Tanex.This radio broadcast departs from conversations about the essay “Sketches of Archipelagic Poetics of Postcolonial Belonging” by maryamdeluz and Marco Cuevas-Hewitt. The essay was an (ISLAND) of a mutual aid anarchozine package compiled by EtnikoBandido. The zine package was an (ISLAND) of Comfort People Safety Curtain 24 Hour Souvenir Shop—a collective work produced by an active cell of To Be Determined. The work was an (ISLAND) of the Fictioning Comfort show at Showroom Mama Gallery from July–September 2020, curated by Worknot. Financing received for this archipelagic construction from the Mondrian Funds and Stimuleringsfonds was redistributed more or less equally to all the (ISLANDS).This current self-funded radio broadcast is part of the Terracotta Universe City workshop by Jatiwangi Art Factory (Jawa Barat) for students of WdKA (Rotterdam) and ZhDK (Zurich).(Unfaith)Full transcript WGBS Archipelagic Radio: https://pad.vvvvvvaria.org/WGBSAMRadioR
Fictioning Comfort: http://www.fictioningcomfort.space/
Comfort People Safety Curtain 24 Hour Souvenir Shop: http://www.fictioningcomfort.space/24h-souvenir-shop/++++++++++

ARCHIPELAGIC CONVERSATION
++++++++++Panelists and moderators will be experimenting with a proposed format of archipelagic conversation, allowing for silence (water) to flow between speech (islands). Mimicking conventions of shortwave radio, after a speaker is done with their intervention, they will say “over.” The rest of the group will wait approximately 5 seconds before adding a response. This is a welcoming of (radio) silence as a necessary part of (archipelagic) conversation. The listeners are encouraged to have parallel conversations on the IRC chat window, where it is OK to nongkrong on top of the speakers. Moderators will be actively monitoring IRC to give voice/volume to the neighborly din.

We were told by friends in Malaysia that the transmission of the COVID-19 pandemic has gradually subsided since the pandemic struck earlier this year.

Until the Sabah state election was held on September 26. Power-mad politicians have campaigned in Sabah which at that time was spreading brutally this pandemic.Politicians from Peninsular Malaysia, who originally came from controlled areas, entered Sabah which at the time was experiencing a contagious outbreak had campaigned to ensure their party won.

And then brought the epidemic of the disease back to the Peninsular thus triggering new infections and clusters when the virus spreads again.As a result of politicians not taking care of these SOPs and quarantine, the situation in Malaysia today is getting worse where the people are restless with the new wave that is hitting soon. Politicians are blaming the people again for the new wave as if the people are not following the SOP and social distancing. Malaysians to some extent began to reject these irresponsible politicians because they did not take seriously the issue of involving the health of the people.

The people are fed up with dirty politics and political coups that are more important than the health of the people. Because of that, the people began to show their dissatisfaction through various mediums, to make politicians aware of the courage to take responsibility for the no and the mistakes they have made.Friends there demanded that these politicians step down from their respective seats because they had failed in managing the well-being of the people.

Salute Malaysian friends!

by Bandido

I first knew Pong way back in 2004. I saw them in a punk gig with a full battle gear street punk look alongside his friends Tonton and other Makati punks. I visited them in their hang out place in Makati, and then I knew that Pong lived in a jeepney and sometimes he stayed in university rooms or friend’s house in Makati. When his family moved into the relocation site in Cavite, Pong and his older brother still stayed in Makati. Pong was literally a nomad, moving from place to place. When I was working as a tricycle driver, Pong and others would visit me in our terminal hang out and eat together after I finished my work. If we wanted to visit the anarchist space in Cubao, we would go together and sleep outside on the streets at nighttime.

Pong did not finish his graphic design study and instead lived as a street punk and artist. He was actively the one who was making posters, flyers for gigs and events, doing banners for any political activities like demonstrations, banner-hanging actions, etc. His forte was a black and white drawing using a ball pen. The images of his artwork related to anti-war (Food Not Bombs), anti-civilization, counter-culture punks and anarchism.  He was inspired by the Black Bloc, anarchist personalities and Zapatistas. You would see that in his sketch book, zines or recycled bond paper. Pong stayed updated with socio-political events happening globally, and you noticed it with his drawings. I can say that he was an internationalist because of his concern with the situation around world. He drew Carlo Guilliani as a tribute for his loss; Carlo Guilliani was an Italian anarchist who was shot by the police in the Genoa Anti-G8 mobilization in 2001. In memory of Alexandros Grigoropoulos who was shot by special forces in Greece, Pong also drew images of him supporting the December 2008 riots in Exarchia. He also made a portrait of Santiago Maldonado, an Argentinian anarchist who was a victim of forced disappearance. An image of Palestinian girl Ahed Tamimi was also in his artwork. When Tukijo, a Kulon Progo farmer, was released from jail, anarchists celebrated it, and again Pong drew a portrait of him getting out of prison and hugging his comrade. I gave this Pong masterpiece personally to Tukijo when we visited him in Indonesia in 2015.

In 2005-06, we worked together alongside other friends to campaign for the release of the Sagada 11 punks. Pong and I had many meetings with Asian Human Rights Commission, as they were the ones who were helping us in Manila with their para-legal advice and other stuff. AHRC asked Pong to make an illustration in solidarity with the torture victims. We organized a demonstration, together with other friends from Manila, Cainta and Bulacan, for the International Day against Torture that we held in Welcome Rotonda.

Pong was a diligent promoter of anti-election propaganda through his creative illustrations depicting the system of repetitive voting.

Pong as a street artist portrayed images that were relatively important to him. He supported indigenous struggle, not only Lumad for its self-determination, but also the Zapatistas, an indigenous community who are autonomously living in Chiapas, Mexico. He criticized urbanization, industrialization, poverty and the destruction of ecology. He was aware that capitalism and the State are mainly responsible for the madness happening in our world.

Most of the infoshop and autonomous spaces here in the Archipelago had mural paintings made by Pong. He was willing to share his talent with the community and friends; he liked to draw friends’ faces and give it to them as a gift. Most of the time, he would draw in his sketchbook or he would ask a friend if he could do a mural on their house. He had difficulty putting prices for his work, as he was not comfortable seeing his artwork as a commodity that needed to be purchased. He was willing to give it for free or for an exchange of trade.

For me, I know Pong had an anti-establishment and anti-institution critique in general, especially in the art world. As an artist, he was not amazed or interested to put his work in a gallery that was enclosed. He would be happy to exhibit his work in public places, streets, gigs/events, neighborhood areas, abandon buildings and squatters’ areas. I learned from him that for the people to appreciate art is to show it in public so the people could raise questions and create an awareness. He always participated in art exhibitions on streets like the events “Lansangan Koneksyon” and “Sining sa Kalye”. But because we were proud of his work to be exhibited in other venues like Ishmael Bernal Gallery, we managed to convince him in 2012 to participate in a group exhibition. The group art exhibition was part of the five-day event Anarkiya Fiesta in the University of the Philippines.

Aside from punk, Pong had a soft taste of music. He introduced to us songs like “Tonight the Streets are Ours” by Richard Hawley and to the band CocoRosie. If he was staying here in our infoshop, we always talked of many things from love life, family matters, socio-political issues, gossip, etc. He loved watching movies together with my girlfriend, and they would stay up all night movie tripping.

Pong not only inspired people, he CHALLENGED each of us, showing that despite how hard the life is, anyone can make something different.

PONX NOT DEAD

HE WILL REMAIN WITH US

This video has been created by a group of people in the Philippines, known as Local Autonomous Network (LAN), to document what is happening and to call for international solidarity and shared with A Radical Guide to help raise awareness and support around this issue.  No matter where we are in the world, we are in this together and will stand together to dismantle these oppressive systems of capitalism and colonialism.

#governmentareincompetent #communitynotauthority #mutualaid

Members of KASAJDOI-ACTO Pasig/San Joaquin-Quiapo route stage a rally, appealing to the government to allow them to resume operations in order to survive the Covid-19 crisis.

According to Ding Bugas vice-president of KASAJDOI-ACTO, they are not given a chance to go back at work. Only 17-18 Public Utility Jeepney (PUJ) route allowed by Land Transportation Franchise and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) to resume operations and their route Pasig/San Joaquin- Quiapo are not included. They comply to suspend their operation because of the lockdown in relation to Covid-19 pandemic. At first, most of their member manage to acquire financial subsidy coming from the government but not all of them are lucky to be listed in Social Amelioration Program for drivers (SAP). They are already struggling for almost six months. Most of them are renting houses here and they cannot afford to pay their rent anymore. KASAJDOI-ACTO had approximately 300 members and the active members which are still living in Metro Manila are 105, the other 36 members of the association went back to their provinces as they cannot live in Metro Manila any longer.

They are now begging in streets, hoping someone might help and see their situation. All the collected money will be shared equally, so each of them can have at least 100 pesos to bring back to their families. This amount is not enough to support their family compare to the earnings that they can get if they resume operation. According to them, every day they can earn 700 – 1000 pesos daily excluding the boundary and fuels/diesel.  

In solidarity with them, we share 28 food packs as part of our mutual-aid action. We understand that they needed much support coming from private individuals like us.

August 16, 2020

Covid 19 pandemic in the Philippine context shows how irrelevant and unreliable the government in dealing with the health crisis. Instead of strengthening and supporting the medical and financial needs of the people, they’ve focus their effort on controlling the movement like we are living in a police state situation. Mutual aid sprouted in many communities in the Philippines, supporting each other and working together to lessen the suffering, as the government neglect the people with no clear plan on social services.

We are propagating against the existence of police authority and calling to build a much better community. In this pandemic era, we experienced the harsh condition, the neglect and the incapability of the government to handle health crisis. They’ve given much support on deploying police in uniform to fight the spread of Covid 19 virus and passed Anti-Terrorism Law which we see is inappropriate in this kind of situation. The history of abused, coercion and oppression of the police and military will soon be more legal in this kind of law.

We are calling to abolish police.
Build a just and better community without authority.

for order check this website: https://black-mosquito.org/de/community-not-authority-komunidad-hindi-awtoridad-soli-t-shirt.html

At this moment in time, abuse of power and the dominance by police, military, politician and State itself are became common practices in different parts of world. In the US, the police killed George Floyd in broad daylight with witnesses standing in front of them. The urge to repress the breathing of a human being justify how State’s forces cruel intention towards its people. This kind of killing and violence made by the police, military and authority in uniform in many parts of the world shows how savagery and dangerous in living under this system. In the Philippines alone, more than 20,000 lives lost since 2016 in the so-called War on Drugs instigated by the State. In the history of human kind, you cannot make an assurance living peacefully while at the same time having a police or military in your community because this people are being summoned by the State to suppress and oppress the people, being an authority gives them an entitlement to use their guns in any way possible. It is very clear for an ordinary citizen to see how authority behave, they are not here “to protect and serve”, they are just here to show their power over its people. That’s the very essence of “Authority”.

While the Philippines are struggling with the Covid 19 pandemic crisis; still most of the people cannot go back to work, health services are declining, starvation and hunger are experienced by most of the population, with no clear plan how to stop the pandemic and yet politician in the Senate and Congress are busy passing Anti-Terrorism Bill. One of the gravest misconducts made by the politician, instead of helping many communities affected by the health crisis they focus their power on decision-making to secure their property, position and interest and leaving most of the people in despair and agony.

June 12,2020 As we celebrating, Independence Day. Many people showed up to protest and voice-out their grievances specifically against the Anti-Terrorism Bill and the incompetency of the government to address the issue of the Covid 19 pandemic. Anarchist also participated on the event of action and shared an statement; ” Flush the Terror Bill in the Toilet Bowl “.  The venue of the demonstration are in University of the Philippines Diliman Quezon City, the government warns the public not to do public mass gathering as it will violates the quarantine restriction and they deploy police in uniforms in all the entry points going to UP Diliman to intimidate and harassed the people from participating.

What we are experiencing now is a clear manifestation of how State/Government function, it is undoubtedly that the State are not here to serve the people but for us to be in an unlivable community threaten by fear and terror with the used of their police and military as their private armies.

The Anti-Terrorism Bill can be interpreted in a lot of ways and with a lot of loopholes on it, there is a guarantee that this bill will be abused by the people in power. There is no clarity to ensure the public that their rights will not be violated.

Some of the questionable provision in the bill:

“Provided, That, terrorism as defined in this Section shall not include advocacy, protest, dissent, stoppage of work, industrial or mass action, and other similar exercises of civil and political rights, which are not intended to cause death or serious physical harm to a person, to endanger a person’s life, or to create a serious risk to public safety. “

“SEC. 13. Humanitarian Exemption. – Humanitarian activities undertaken by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), the Philippine Red Cross (PRC), and other state-recognized impartial humanitarian partners or organizations in conformity with the International Humanitarian Law (IHL), do not fall within the scope of Section 12 of this Act.”

“SEC. 29. Detention Without Judicial Warrant of Arrest. – The provisions of Article 125 of the Revised Penal Code to the contrary notwithstanding, any law enforcement agent or military personnel, who, having been duly authorized in writing by the ATC has taken custody of a person suspected of committing any of the acts defined and penalized under Sections 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 and 12 of this Act, shall, without incurring any criminal liability for delay in the delivery of detained persons to the proper judicial authorities, deliver said suspected person to the proper judicial authority within a period of fourteen (14) calendar days counted from the moment the said suspected person has been apprehended or arrested, detained, and taken into custody by the law enforcement agent or military personnel. The period of detention may be extended to a maximum period of ten (10) calendar days if it is established that (1) further detention of the person/s is necessary to preserve evidence related to the terrorism or complete the investigation; (2) further detention of the person/s is necessary to prevent the commission of another terrorism; and (3) the investigation is being conducted properly and without delay.”