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The pro-biotech disinformation campaign out of the Philippiness almost equals (mimics?) some of the output of AgBioView. Surely there can be no  connection?

1. COMMIES' SHAM CASE VERSUS BT CORN
2. Osama bin Laden Linked to Greenpeace & SEARICE
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1. Masipag News & Views

This commentary was published at the regular business column "Questions  of Policies" by Mr. Honesto C. General of the Philippine Daily Inquirer,  the largest national daily in the Philippines. This was also posted at  the newspaper's web page inq7.net. Comments may be sent to  This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.)

COMMIES' SHAM CASE VERSUS BT CORN
By Honesto C. General
September 16, 2001

ABOUT 25 years ago, I planted 30 hectares of corn on my farm in the  foothills of Mount Isarog at the far edge of my hometown, Naga City. I  wanted to raise corn yield in the area by supplying farmers with  registered seeds. All of us would make more money.  

The project was a disaster. First, the weather had to cooperate and  there was nothing you could do if it did not. Then, every step--land  preparation, planting, fertilizing, weeding, spraying, harvesting,  storing, shelling, and, finally, marketing--had to be taken with precise  timing. Above all, I was constantly fighting army worms, cut worms, leaf  rollers, corn borers, and corn ear worms. After two cropping seasons, I  realized corn farming was far riskier than insurance. I cut my losses  and decided to concentrate on selling insurance.  

This is why I am interested in the sham case raised by communist front  organizations disguised as farmers groups against Bt corn. These groups  warn us of impoverished corn farmers scratching out a living from a  devastated and poisoned land.  

What is Bt corn? Bt stands for Bacillus thuringiensis, a bacterium used  as a biological insecticide marketed worldwide for control of many plant  pests, mainly caterpillars of butterflies and moths. If you buy a  biological insecticide from any agricultural supply store, the chances  are it contains Bt.  

Bt corn, first marketed in 1996, is genetically engineered to contain  the toxin-producing gene of the Bacillus thuringiensis. Each and every  cell of Bt corn is toxic, but only to the target insects. When a  caterpillar attacks and feeds on a Bt corn plant, the alkalinity of the  caterpillarís gut activates the toxin that kills the pest. The farmer  saves on insecticide and spraying equipment. He need not patrol his farm  for any signs of pests. Bt corn has its own round-the-clock, built-in  defense against pests.  

The old-time spraying of insecticides is very inefficient. Most of the  insecticides falls on the ground and wasted. The spray kills not only  the targeted but also the non-targeted insects. Above all, spraying is  dangerous to the farmerís health.  

There was a furor over a lab test in the States that killed monarch  butterflies fed with Bt corn pollen. Field tests now going on show that  toxicity to monarch butterflies is minimal. Final results are expected  in a couple of months.  

Last year, American farmers planted 20 million acres (8 million  hectares) of Bt corn. So, it is not as if American corn seed producers  want to foist on the Philippines something that has not worked in the  States.  

But why are field tests being run here if Bt corn has already been  proven successful elsewhere? Because Bt corn that is effective on the  European corn borer may not be effective on the Mindanao borer. If it  works on the Mindanao borer, it may not work on the Cebu or Ilocos or  Bicol borer.

Fighting Philippine pests

Commies claim that the farmer will have to buy the weed killer Roundup  from the seed producer, raising production costs. If he is going to  plant expensive Bt corn seeds, and make more money, he had better  protect his field with the best weed killer available.  

The farmer used to save the best ears of his corn crop for seeds for the  next season, but usually lost 50-80 percent of these seeds to pests and  vermin. Nowadays, he sells his entire crop. He does not store seeds. In  due time, he goes to the store to buy seeds. Today, seed production is a  specialized line of farming.  

If Bt corn will succeed in fighting Philippine pests, and there is every  reason that it will, then corn yield will rise. Farmers will have more  income. There will be less need to import corn for our poultry and  livestock.  

Commies keep saying Bt corn is another attempt by multinational  companies at huge profits that will eventually impoverish even more our  poor farmers. Commies are scared the field tests will succeed. The poor  farmers will then make more money and will be less vulnerable to commie  propaganda.  

Commies are mouthing issues raised by Europeans. But Europeans have no  problem on food security and nutritional value. So, they are more  concerned with the environment and human health. A Third World country  like the Philippines, struggling to feed a fast-growing populace, should  rank food security as its topmost priority.  

If Bt corn were available 25 years ago, I would probably still be a  money-making corn farmer today.  

[Masipag News & Views is an occasional information release of the Farmer Scientist Partnership for Development (MASIPAG). This report, in whole or in part, could be freely published.]

MASIPAG 3346 Rhoda Subd.  Los BaÃ’os, Laguna PHILIPPINES 4030
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2. Osama bin Laden Linked to Greenpeace & SEARICE
[one of a constant stream of spam mailed black propaganda bulletins going worldwide]
Subject: Human Rights Watch Press Release
Date: Thu, 20 Sep 2001 18:00:53 +0800
From: "HumanRights Watch" This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Human Rights Watch Press Release: Osama bin Laden Linked to Greenpeace &  SEARICE

President George W. Bush announced during a White House meeting on Wednesday September 19th with Indonesian President Megawati that global intelligence services now possess convincing evidence that shows terrorist elements such as Osama bin Laden sometimes use NGO’s to funnel money to associated cells of fanatics who perpetrate terrorist  acts.

Our own independent research along with information acquired from sources  within European security services suggest religious and environmental groups in Western Europe have been the recipients of funding from Osama bin Laden and several other Egypt-based terrorist groups. 

While some of this terrorist money is retained by Manila-based NGOs like SEARICE and  Greenpeace, much of the foreign terrorist funding is then delivered by  selected NGOs to Philippine-based terrorist groups like the Abu Sayyaf, MILF and the urban assassination elements of the Philippine Communist Party (CPP) called the ABB.  Philippine National Police, NBI and ISAFP experts confirm that the senior  leaders of SEARICE are known underground members of the CPP. 

We believe the administration of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo along with the  Philippine Senate need to investigate the activities of SEARICE, Greenpeace and similar NGOs operating in the Philippines to ensure they are free of terrorist funding or money laundering efforts.  The free world likewise demands to know that well-intentioned NGOs are not tarnished by the activities of a small number of NGOs whose activities now appear to be not only duplicitous but also shameful.   Many organizations have called previously for SEARICE and Greenpeace to publicly reveal all of the sources of their foreign funding.  In every instance they have refused.  We now know they have much to hide and Malacañang now needs to demand NGO accountability.