Category Archives: News

http://www.facebook.com/InnocenceProjectPhilippines

Dear Friends and Supporters of Give Up Tomorrow,

Now that you’ve watched Give Up Tomorrow, and have seen how wrongful convictions affect lives, families and our society, many of you have asked: What can we do about it? How can we help?

Here is one great way to help: Donate to the Innocence Project Philippines, and Forward this email to those that also want to help.

The Innocence Project is an international network of Law Schools that work with Law Students and their Professors that utilize DNA technology and provide pro bono legal and investigative services to wrongfully convicted persons, many of whom are impoverished and cannot afford the costs to defend themselves. It is a powerful force in establishing judicial reforms that redress the causes of wrongful convictions. To date, they have succeeded in exonerating over 321 people imprisoned for crimes they did not commit, and have been instrumental in establishing great improvements in judicial systems all over the world.

There is one launching TODAY here in the Philippines, and they need our help!

TODAY Saturday Dec.8, the University of the Philippines, Ateneo De Davao, De La Salle and FLAG are holding the first training camp for these volunteer law students at the DNA Analysis Laboratory, at Miranda Hall, University of the Philippines, from 8am to 5pm.

TOMORROW Sunday Dec. 9, they are entering the New Bilibid Prison from 9am to 12 noon, and the Correctional Institute of Women from 2pm to 5pm, to launch their Innocence Project Philippines 2012 Campaign.

Up until now, the startup of the project has been largely funded by the students themselves, their professors, the universities’ Legal Clinics, and a few concerned individuals. They really need our help, because a fully-functioning Innocence Project has high ongoing costs that involve both legal work and DNA lab work. Each DNA test alone can cost P30,000. The startup of the project alone will cost them P300,000 (USD$7,500). Contingents as far as Davao, Cebu and Baguio are attending today.

You can donate safely online with a credit card, or send a cheque.
Here’s how:
Visit them on facebook and follow their link to donate.
They are using Paypal as their SAFE Credit Card donation provider…you do NOT need a Paypal account to use your Credit Card.

http://www.facebook.com/InnocenceProjectPhilippines

The Innocence Project is an international, proven and sustainable institution that is making great changes NOW, in our lifetime, through DNA technology. Their Philippine contingency really needs our help to get started properly.

We also request that you please forward this email to those you believe will want to help make rapid and fundamental improvements in our Philippine Judicial System.

Thank you.

Screening at De La Salle University on December 4, 2012
*to benefit the Innocence Project Philippines.

For tickets contact:
Dino de Leon
dino.deleon@gmail.com
cell. 0915 540 6181

We’ve received many requests from people hoping to contact Paco. He would love to hear from you. He get lonely at times in Spain and would get a great deal of strength knowing that people all over the world are thinking of him.

You can write to him at the prison in Spain here:

Francisco Juan Larrañaga
Centro Penitenciario de Preventivos de San Sebastian
Paseo de Martutene n. 1
20014 Donostia-San Sebastian
Spain

In Washington D.C., Brian Evans of Amnesty International Death Penalty Abolition Campaign speaks with co-producer Patty Kim and director Michael Collins after a screening of Give Up Tomorrow. Amnesty co-presented the film at the Reel Independent Film Extravaganza in October 2012 in recognition of the World Day Against Death Penalty.

Brian explains that what attracted him to Give Up Tomorrow initially at the Good Pitch was “character and story” before the “issues”. “To me it’s much more compelling because it is not a film about human rights, it’s a film about people dealing with a human rights situation.”

Written by admin Featured News, NEWS, News HighlightsOct 10, 2012

By Don Tagala, ABS-CBN North America Bureau

October 10, 2012

NEW YORK – After watching the controversial documentary “Give Up Tomorrow” on PBS last Sunday, a group of Filipinos were moved to action, to find out what they can do to help Paco Larranaga who is currently languishing in jail in Spain for a crime he claims he did not commit.

Larranaga was only 19-years-old when he was convicted of the murder of the Chiong sisters in Cebu back in 1997.

The documentary gave viewers not only a glimpse of the Philippine judicial process back then, but it also made many viewers question if Larranaga was indeed innocent.

“Last week, the entire week, public television in the United States showed this documentary of Paco Larranaga, Give Up Tomorrow, after seeing it so many of us at arms that an innocent man, not only him, seven innocent men were imprisoned for a crime they did not commit,” Community leader Loida Nicolas Lewis said.

“It would take a lot of patience, clemency from the President (Aquino), and if not perhaps a new trial, re-open the trial, and a new task force and it would also put the Philippines in the right direction in terms of what is justice and what is rule of law,” Paco Larranaga’s cousin, Stephanie Osmena said.

It took PBS to stir these Filipinos into action — it played a big role in their new advocacy.

Community Leader Joe Ramos has been tuning in to PBS for thirty years now and he even contributes monetary donations annually to help keep the public TV station alive.

“If not for PBS, this documentary would not have seen by the public,” Ramos said, “So I hope, should Romney win, he’s going to continue with the PBS and support it.”

PBS is home to many educational shows like “Sesame Street” but it’s also home to POV, the longest running showcase for independent films that put a human face on contemporary issues around the world.

Give Up Tomorrow is not the first Filipino documentary aired on POV and POV is seen by over 97% of the American viewing public.

“POV for one is well known for giving voice to otherwise non-mainstream voices, previously it showed the film ‘The Learning’ by Filipino-American Ramona Diaz’s plight of the Filipino teachers in Baltimore, Maryland and that was very revealing.” PBS supporter Christopher Fallarme said.

“Simply because PBS does not bring too much money for big business, but there is something that PBS is doing that no big business is doing, what is that? Reach Out! In a very very benign way to other people outside America, through its shows,” another PBS viewer and supporter Merit Salud said.

Now available on the PBS website, www.pbs.org/pov/, the group is hoping that the more people watch the documentary “Give Up Tomorrow,” the more support Paco Larranaga would get to advocate for his freedom.

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