Philippines: The Duterte Phenomenon and out attitude towards it (tags)
Like it or not, Rodrigo Duterte has been leading the presidential polls in successive surveys.
Philippines: Unions decry deceptive, vague ‘labor agenda’ of APEC (tags)
ORGANIZED workers sneered at the so-called labor agenda in the upcoming Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Manila next month by describing it as deceptive and vague, which merely reaffirms APEC’s ideology based on the primacy of corporate power and profits over labor and trade union rights.
Philippine climate activists expose risks of dirty coal. (tags)
300-strong climate activists and anti-coal advocates stormed the Department of Energy to voice out their opposition to coal mines and coal-fired power plants promoted by the government and to launch the group’s Campaign Against Dirty Energy and for People’s Access to Safe, Renewable and Democratic Energy Alternatives.
Philippines: Coalition Clamor for the Freedom of Information (FOI) Bill (tags)
Still enough time for FOI – if House leadership supports it. With only nine session days remaining before Congress adjourns for a long election break, members of the Right to Know Right Now Coalition are reminding members of Congress that they still have enough time to pass the Freedom of Information (FOI) bill even without the prodding of Malacanang.
Philippines: Let’s All Work for a Better Party-List System (tags)
Recently, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) concluded its process of scrutinizing groups that will participate in the 2013 partylist election. It marked the end of a long and arduous process that the poll body has undertaken to cleanse the party-list system of fake partylist groups which have used and abused the system to advance their vested interests.
KAWALAN NG USAPANG PANGKAPAYAPAAN : (tags)
Ayon sa nakalap na balita ng PESANTE BULETIN, dahil sa kawalan ng usapang pangkapayapaan, lalong tumitindi ang labanan sa kanayunan sa pagitan ng AFP at ng NPA. Ayon sa mga balita dumarami ang namamatay sa mga sunud-sunod na ambus at labanan sa pagitan ng NPA at ng mga tropa ng armi sa iba't ibang dako ng bansa. Ayon sa PESANTE Buletin hindi interesado ang kasalukuyang pangulo sa usapang pangkapayapaan at sinusunod nito ang utos ng Amerika na lipulin ang MILF at ang NPA sa pamamagitan ng lakas ng militar at ng diumano'y pang-papaunlad.
More Army troops deployed to W. Visayas to crush Reds (tags)
PESANTE NEWS learned today from media sources from Cebu City that the Army has deployed more troops in Western Visayas, just months before the June 2010 deadline set by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to strategically defeat the communist-led insurgency. The Army's 3rd Infantry Division (3ID) based in Jamindan town, Capiz on Monday formally deployed 190 soldiers to units on the islands of Negros, Panay and parts of Mindanao, 3ID public information officer 1st Lt. Mark Andrew Posadas said in a statement.
An Open Letter to the People in Response to an 8th ID ruse (tags)
A group with the pornographic name of SABIK (Samahan ng mga Biktima ng Komunista) recently issued a press statement assailing the National Democratic Front-Eastern Visayas over a "child rebel" issue. The NDF-EV believes that the 8th Infantry Division is behind this group, since legal and moral predicaments hinder the military from exploiting the child, whom it claims to have recently rescued from the New People's Army. In these interesting times, it is important for the revolutionary movement and the democratic mass movement to answer such fascist and anti-democratic groups as SABIK (for publicity, we presume).
Troop additions meant to suppress protests against Cha-cha (tags)
---The National Democratic Front-Eastern Visayas today belittled the 8th Infantry Division's push for troop additions and said that the real purpose for new soldiers is to suppress the people's protests against charter change or "cha-cha". "It is not credible for Gen. Arthur Tabaquero to say that an additional 600 soldiers will ensure government victory by 2010," said Fr. Santiago Salas, NDF-EV spokesperson. "During the Marcos dictatorship, the New People's Army in Samar alone thrived while fighting against government troops numbering more than twice the present military deployment in the island. The revolutionary movement today is far stronger than it was more than twenty years ago and is fast expanding in Samar and Leyte. The real reason for additional troops is to put down protests against impending charter change and to ensure by armed force that Gloria Arroyo will remain in power beyond 2010. More troops will mean more political killings and other human rights violations."
WALANG AWAT NA KILOS PROTESTA SA PILIPINAS (tags)
Sunud-sunod na kilos-protesta ang inilunsad nitong nagdaang mga araw, laluna ng mga kabataan, laban sa tuluy-tuloy na pagtaas ng presyo ng mga produktong petrolyo at sa pagtanggi ng rehimeng Arroyo na alisin ang ipinapataw nitong buwis sa mga ito. Papalaki at papadalas na mga kilos-protesta ng mga kabataan. Umabot sa mahigit 5,000 estudyante at kabataang di nakapag-aaral ang nagmartsa patungong Mendiola nitong Hulyo 18. Sa panawagang “Kabataan at Bayan, Mag-aklas,” nag-walkout ang libu-libong estudyante mula sa kani-kanilang eskwelahan. Iginiit nila ang pagbabasura sa value added tax (VAT) sa langis, ang pagbabasura sa Oil Deregulation Law at ang pagsasabatas sa P125 across-the-board na umento sa sahod.
Walang katarungan sa ilalim ng rehimeng Arroyo (tags)
Ipinahayag ng mahigit 2,000 katao ang kanilang damdamin laban sa mga paglabag sa karapatang-tao sa mga plakard at istrimer nila. May mga nagsuot ng mga maskarang may tig-iisang letrang bumubuo ng salitang “hustisya.” Ilang metro bago ang Malacañang ay hinarang sila ng mga pulis na may suportang dalawang trak ng bumbero. Itinuloy ng mga nagmamartsa ang kanilang programa sa Morayta St. sa Sampaloc.
Orchestrated Mindanao bombings to push ATB (tags)
The NDF condemns the recent bombings in key cities in Mindanao and highly suspects the war dogs of the Arroyo regime to be responsible for these atrocious acts.
A Look Back and Ahead in an Age of Neocon Rule (tags)
A review of the past year and review of year ahead.
Shades of Imeldific as Cebu spiffs up for Asean summit (tags)
For many people in the central Philippine island of Cebu, next week’s gathering of Southeast Asian leaders will be a hindrance rather than the economic blessing these sort of events are often dressed up to be. The presence of some 6,000 armed police and troops, stepped up security and road closures for many locals spell just one thing—”chaos.” From December 11 to 14, virtually all schools and government offices in Cebu City and the nearby towns of Mandaue and Lapu-Lapu will close down for a four-day holiday for the duration of the summit.
GRP sGRP Seeks new deadline in talks with MILF (tags)
News sources in Mindanao reported today that the Philippine government failed twice to meet a self-imposed deadline to submit a new proposal to break a deadlock in peace talks with the Moro islamic Liberation Front (MILF) over territory, increasing anxiety over when the talks would resume.
2 ACTIVISTS KIDNAPPED BY GOV'T AGENTS; DETAINED INCOMMUNICADO (tags)
We are gravely concerned on the safety of two political activists who were snatched by suspected government agents on September 1, 2006, and remain missing for two days to date. The victims are: 1. Gerard Lavadia, 32, male, resident of Labangon, Cebu City; spokesperson of the defunct Estrada Resign Movement; a graphics artist; former Don Bosco seminarian; and, 2. Sharon Abangan, 33, male, fish vendor, native of Brgy. San Isidro, Talisay City, Cebu; member of Salvador Bantay Dagat Association; and campaigner of AnakPawis Party-List in Talisay
STATE of EMERGENCY has been imposed in the PHILIPPINES! (tags)
Several dozen demonstrators were arrested, mostly social movement activists and civil society leaders including Ronald Llamas, president of AKBAYAN and Professor Randy David, a well-known academic and vocal critique of the Arroyo government.
FARMERS, FISHERMEN, OTHERS WANT ARROYO OUT (tags)
Protesters carrying effigies of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, US President Bush, former Philippines Agriculture Secretary Luisito Lorenzo and Interior Secretary Angelo Reyes blocked Quezon Avenue in Manila, causing a traffic jam Thursday afternoon. "Hunger is spreading like wildfire. There is massive corruption in all agencies of the government and genuine land reform has not been implemented," said Danilo Ramos of the Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas.
Local Soldier Killed in Iraq (tags)
Local student and Army medic, Spc. Edgar P. Daclan Jr., 24, was killed Friday Sept. 10 in Iraq.