By MARYA SALAMAT
The Supreme Court decision came just a month after the National Union of Peoples’ Lawyers, representing progressive partylists Bayan Muna, Gabriela partylist and Anakpawis and transport group Piston, filed a petition questioning the RFID project of the LTO.
Category: Top Stories
In Historic Nationwide Caravan, Peasants Push Struggle for Land and Justice
Partylist Groups Push for Accreditation, Slam Arroyo Regime
By MARYA SALAMAT
Act, Migrante and Courage accuse the Arroyo administration of having a hand in the Comelec’s decisions to bar them from the partylist race. The rulings were released quite late last year, thus not allowing enough time for the three partylist groups to challenge the decisions. The groups have been active in campaigns against the Arroyo administration’s policies, corruption scandals and rights abuses.
For Moros, Dreams of Peace and Homeland Hanged in Balance in 2009
By ALEXANDER MARTIN REMOLLINO
As the curtain was beginning to fall on 2009, the on-and-off peace negotiations between the Government of the Republic of the Philippines and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) resumed in Kuala Lumpur, with both parties agreeing to begin talks on the drafting of a Comprehensive Peace Compact that would resolve the Moro question. The year, however, drew to a close without any far-reaching movement in the GRP-MILF peace process.
Misunderestimating the Philippine Left
By REP. RAYMOND PALATINO
Manny Villar’s brave decision to openly embrace a platform-based unity with the Left has smashed the taboo in Philippine politics. From now on, the participation of the Left will be expected in future electoral contests for top political posts.
In 2009, Human Rights Took Serious Beating from Arroyo Regime
By MARYA SALAMAT
Human-rights violations in 2009 are “numerous and varied and no sector of society is exempted,” belying the Arroyo government’s claim that steps have been taken to improve the Philippine government’s human-rights record, according to Karapatan. And with Oplan Bantay Laya 2’s deadline in 2010 fast approaching, more abuses are certain to occur, it said.
Agrarian Reform in 2009: More of the Same Failed Program
By RONALYN V. OLEA
In 2009, the landlord-dominated Philippine Congress extended the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program for another five years. Did the landed legislators, among them President Arroyo’s close relatives, go against their interests in passing CARPER? Or did they simply lengthen the agony of Filipino peasants, given that the new program seems worse than the original?
Disasters in 2009: Poor Filipinos Victimized Many Times Over
By JANESS ANN J. ELLAO
While climate change is not a recent phenomenon and is a result of years of destructive practices, most Filipinos do not know much about it until recently. And it has been a hard lesson learned for many Filipinos as it took the destructive effects of typhoons Ondoy and Pepeng to drive home the point. The devastating effects of climate change are more intense in poor countries where majority of the people live in poverty.
Labor in 2009: Joblessness, Rights Violations, Violence Confronted Filipino Workers
By MARYA SALAMAT
The year 2009 began, ended and paved the way to 2010 with the festering problem of joblessness for millions of Filipinos. The global financial crisis only revealed the stark reality of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s inherently flawed job-generation strategies. The Arroyo regime fell short of its employment target. Worse, thousands of jobs, especially in the export industry, were “massacred” in 2009 even as unionists faced violence, intimidation and murder.
Labor Migration in 2009: A Terrible Year to Be an OFW
By JANESS ANN J. ELLAO
The regime of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo changed the face of labor migration in the Philippines. It pursued its labor-export policy aggressively, begging receiving countries to accept more overseas Filipino workers. In the meantime, it shirked its responsibilities toward OFWs in distress, in many instances even becoming complicit in the abuse of overseas workers.
Politics in 2009: Arroyo Regime Brought Philippines Deeper Into Crisis
By BENJIE OLIVEROS
While it would take more than a change in president to effectively address the worsening economic and political crisis, if Arroyo and her minions are able to get away with keeping themselves in power — by declaring a failure of elections, martial law, or charter change — the Filipino people would sink faster and deeper into the quagmire of backwardness and poverty.