By ACE ALEGRE Bulatlat.com BAGUIO CITY (March 23, 2011) — Vital and prime government properties in Baguio City are turning into private hands, a trend that “alarms” the city government. This as the City Legal Office is set to file adverse claims over portions of Wright Park and Casa Vallejo, recently issued certificates of ancestral…
Day: March 25, 2011
Aquino’s Transmittal to Senate of Rome Statute Not Enough
By RONALYN OLEA Bulatlat.com MANILA – For an anti-imperialist group, the move of President Benigno S. Aquino III endorsing the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC) for ratification by the Senate is a welcome development but is not enough. Aquino signed on Feb. 28 the instrument of ratification of the said treaty and…
Union of Water Employees Against Privatization, Expose Corruption in Water Districts
By Ina Alleco R. Silverio Bulatlat.com While the public is continually bombarded with reminders to save water, Malacañang is pushing for the privatization of the water industry which, critics say, will lead to higher water rates. Rodrigo Aranjuez, Water System Employees Response (WATER) national president said the public should oppose President Benigno Aquino’s plans to…
85 Countries Sign Statement Urging States to End Violations Against LGBT; Philippines Not Included
By ANNE MARXZE D. UMIL Bulatlat.com MANILA –Eighty five countries across the globe issued a joint statement at the United Nations Human Rights Council urging states to end violence, criminal sanctions and related human rights violations based on sexual orientation and gender. The Joint Statement was delivered by Colombia on March 22 during the general…
Indigenous Center for Lumads Decry Military Abuses, Attacks Against Schoolchildren

By INA ALLECO R. SILVERIO
Soldiers belonging to the 73rd Infantry Battalion forced 10-year old Jimboy Saya to hold a chain of sub-machine gun bullets and carry an M-16 rifle. The soldiers then photographed the child and distributed it to local media with the caption “NPA child warrior going to school in Dlumay.”
Woman Radio Broadcaster Gunned Down in Manila
By RONALYN V. OLEA Bulatlat.com MANILA – A woman radio anchor was shot dead along Solonian street in Maysilo, Malabon at around 9:45 a.m, March 24. Marlina “Len” Flores-Sumera, 45, of radio station dzME’s “Arangkada 1530,” was about to board a jeepney on her way to work when she was shot at by a lone…
Clergy Demands Probe Into Anti-Labor Acts in Cebu
“Something strange is happening in the labor department of Region 7,” a group of priests noted recently. In a petition, a nationwide group of priests presented to President Benigno Aquino III and Labor Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz last week a “demand” for “investigations” into the reported anti-labor acts being committed by the employers of the Visayan…
Marinduque Still Suffering From Mine Spill Fifteen Years After
By INA R. ALLECO SILVERIO Bulatlat.com Fifteen years after the Boac river mining disaster in Marinduque, environmental advocates in the island continue to press for justice for the damaged environment and the devastating effects on the livelihood and welfare of the residents. They said they remain frustrated and angry as they marked the 15th anniversary…
Soldiers Shoot at Aggay Family, One Killed

By RONALYN V. OLEA
The Aggay family was on their way to Villa Cielo village in Gattaran, Cagayan when the two armed men fired at them.
Families of Slain Environmentalists Form ‘Justice for Environmental Defenders Campaign’

By INA ALLECO R. SILVERIO
“Injustice takes place in this country on a daily basis. We suffer the loss of our loved ones who were brutally killed for defending the environment and for standing up against corruption or human rights violations; but worse, we do not have a government that supports us in our quest for justice against the perpetrators.”
Next on the Agenda of the GPH-NDFP Peace Talks: Socio-economic Reforms

By RONALYN V. OLEA
Speaking before members of people’s organizations, Randall Echanis, a member of the NDFP’s Reciprocal Working Committee on Socio-Economic Reforms (RCW-SER) said the Comprehensive Agreement on Socio-economic Reforms is the meat of the peace negotiations as it aims to address the roots of the armed conflict.