“The Philippine National Report is significant not for what it says but for what it does not say. It is a selective, one-sided, self-serving account of the Philippine government’s so-called achievements and best practices in fulfilling its human rights obligations. It is a brazen attempt to hide the truth and evade accountability for the Arroyo…
Day: April 7, 2008
JPEPA Faces Tough Constitutional Issues as Senate Vote Nears
Ratifying the JPEPA at its present unconstitutional form creates the risk that the Philippines will be subjected to legal disputes in international courts and face liability for damages. Under the Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties, for instance, the Philippines could not invoke unconstitutionality as legal defense for non-performance of its JPEPA obligations. BY…
NDF Slams Ermita’s Appointment as Head of Rights Team in UN
“What business does a notorious human rights violator, the chief butcher of Arroyo, have speaking on human rights and to the UNHRC no less?” said Fidel Agcaoili, head of the Human Rights Monitoring Committee of the NDFP, in reaction to the appointment of Eduardo Ermita as head of the government delegation to the United Human…
Second-Generation Mall ng Trinoma
Ang ginagawa ng Trinoma Mall ay kumilala sa pangkalahatang limitasyon ng malls: maximisasyon ng MRT at lokasyon sa bukana ng northern Metro Manila, kawalan ng luntiang espasyo sa syudad (dahil na rin sa okupasyon ng mga mall sa malalaking lupa), at pati na rin ng daluyan ng tubig. Idinagdag ito pati ang façade sa harap…
OFW in Death Row Pleads for Help for Kids’ Education
On the brink of being executed, overseas Filipino worker (OFW) Rodelio “Dondon” Lanuza is frantically sending appeals through the email to be able to solicit support for the education of his two kids. BY AUBREY SC MAKILAN MIGRANT WATCH Bulatlat Vol. VIII, No. 9, April 6-12, 2008 On the brink of being executed, overseas Filipino…
Botong and San Pedro: Angono National Artists Sharing Same Death Anniversary
The greatness of Carlos “Botong” Francisco and Lucio San Pedro becomes doubly admiring because their feet remained on the ground even after they had achieved iconic status. They mirrored and represented a generation of Angono whose parents – despite being fishermen, farmers and duck raisers – were trained and disciplined to value the meaning of…
POEA ‘Sleeping in its Job’ of Barring OFW Recruitment to Iraq – Migrante
Migrante fears that recruitment of OFWs bound for war-torn Iraq would intensify in the coming months as the U.S. State Department renewed its contract with Blackwater, a U.S.-based private contractor providing security to U.S. diplomats and personnel in Iraq. This, despite the existing ban on OFW deployments to Iraq, as, Migrante said, the POEA is…
Consumers Swarm NFA Rice Outlets in Baguio, Benguet
Consumers last Thursday lined up in seven rice outlets of the National Food Authority hoping to get five kilos of the cheaper staple. The distribution system was changed Friday allegedly to get rid of “traders.” BY LYN V. RAMO Northern Dispatch Posted by Bulatlat Vol. VIII, No. 9, April 6-12, 2008 BAGUIO CITY (246 kms…
Missing the Point in the Rice Crisis
The root of the problem that led to the rice crisis, rural backwardness, cannot be solved by sporadic solutions and releases of funds. It would necessitate a reversal of the economic programs and priorities of the government. BY BENJIE OLIVEROS ANALYSIS Bulatlat Vol. VIII, No.9, April 6-12, 2008 Supposedly, if the Arroyo government is to…
Manila Government Faces Bigger, Bolder Insurgency Problem
The failure of the Manila government to address the roots of armed conflict in the Philippines through peace negotiations has emboldened two armed political groups to raise the ante of their armed struggle against the seven-year-old presidency of Philippine President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. BY GERRY ALBERT CORPUZ Politics in Command / UPI Asia Online Posted by…
Little Swiss Shop Helps Lumads in Mindanao
BY GERMELINA A. LACORTE Davao Today Posted by Bulatlat Vol. VIII, No. 9, April 6-12, 2008 DAVAO CITY – Pencils and notebooks made in Germany and Switzerland, durable umbrellas, raincoats as big as blankets because European sizes are almost twice as big as average Filipino sizes, used toys curiously making their way to the lumad…