Philippines - Ranking Red exec named party-list third nominee (tags)
The Anakpawis party-list announced on Monday that it was adding the name of Randall Echanis, a political consultant of the Communist Party of the Philippines-National Democratic Front (CPP-NDF), as its third nominee, a move which observers say could hasten the integration of the extreme left into the political mainstream.
Philippine Chief Justice Corona urged to resign (tags)
TWO days after a "court holiday" was declared in support of impeached Chief Justice Renato Corona, Bantay Gloria Network (BGN) responded with a "national day of action" to press for the removal of Corona from his post.
Sri Lanka Crushing of the Tigers, A Lesson for Noynoy Aquino III? (tags)
If the Aquino administration is to deliver on its promise to crush the decades-long insurgencies in the Philippines by 2013, it might be worthwhile to study Sri Lanka’s success in defeating terrorism. On July 3, newly appointed military Chief of Staff Ricardo David Jr. said the Aquino government hopes to crush the communist New People’s Army and the separatist Moro Islamic Liberation Front by 2013. Three years may appear overly ambitious given the experience of former President Gloria Arroyo in 2006, when her government vowed—but failed—to end the twin insurgencies before her term ended on June 30.
Imelda Marcos bids for seat as Philippine race begins (tags)
Former Philippine first lady Imelda Marcos has launched her campaign for a seat in parliament, as the country's congressional race formally began.
International Women's Day in the Philippines (tags)
In the Philippines poor children die at three times the rate of the children of the rich, according to latest UN data.
STOP YOUR SUPPORT TO HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATOR AND CORRUPT US-Arroyo Regime (tags)
Deeply inspired by your promise of “Change We Could Believe In” during the last presidential campaign we would like to reiterate our support to your administration. We believed you would put a stop to the bankrupt policies espoused by your opponent, Senator John McCain and his fellow Republicans. With regard to the Philippines, our country of ancestry, we hoped that the “Change” you were talking about would mean a re-thinking of U.S. support for the administration of incumbent President Gloria Arroyo, whose record of corruption and violation of human rights has now surpassed that of the dictatorship of President Ferdinand Marcos.
Philippines: Urban poor strongly represented in new socialist party (tags)
Bulacan, Philippines, February 1, 2009 – “We are the bat people, the people who live under bridges in Manila”, explained urban poor organiser Ka Lisa as she took a small group of international observers around a section of an urban poor relocation settlement in Bulacan, about 60 kilometres north of Manila.
MILF CONDEMNS ILAGAN CITY BLASTS (tags)
The Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) on Friday condemned the recent Iligan twin blasts as evil acts and vehemently denied to being the perpetrator of the atrocity that claimed the lives of not only the Christian residents of Iligan City but even the Muslims as well. Eid Kabalu, MILF spokesman and civil-military affairs chief, told The Manila Times that the MILF as an organization has nothing to do with the bombing that killed three persons and injuring 47 others.
PESANTE CONFIRMS HR RIGHTS GROUP FINDINGS: Rights abuses continuing in RP (tags)
Pesante-USA, a Filipino American peasant , environmental and human rights advocacy groups confirmed thorough relaisble news sources that human rights abuses are continuing in the Philippines with 21 extrajudicial killings taking place in the third quarter of the year, a local rights monitor said Thursday. Pesante reported that of the killings 19 took place on the restive southern island of Mindanao where the government is fighting Muslim and communist secessionist groups, substantiated and according to a report by Karapatan, an umbrella organization of human rights groups in the Philippines.
We, Filipino Americans in the United States are aghast at the height of callousness of the Department of Justice as it issues statements that shows its impartiality towards a former government official who is going to be deported by the US government while it wields a heavy hand on a peace consultant of the NDF in the Philippines. We, in the Alliance-Philippines (AJLPP) vehemently condemn the defiance of DOJ and the PNP in its insistence on not transferring Randall Echanis from the Manila City Jail to Camp Crame. This recycled policy of treating political dissidents like common criminals is a worn-out Marcosian tactics being used now by the US-Arroyo regime.
TILL NO EQUITY BILL, PGMA US VISIT-A SPOILER? (tags)
The Justice for Filipino Veterans (JFAV) expressed dismay that the equity bill was not discussed last Wednesday, June 25. Instead, the legislative visit or the lobby by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo took precedence in the House of Representatives. She awarded the "order of the golden" heart in behalf of her government for US representatives even if the US lower house did not act upon the bill and discussed it on the floor. The information received from the veterans lobby group in Washington DC, the American Coalition of Filipino Veterans (ACFV) said the bill will a chance to be voted on the floor on Wednesday, June 25. But it was not the case.
Delay in peace talks deliberate, says MILF (tags)
The Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), the largest Muslim separatist rebel group in the country, accused Manila on Wednesday of delaying the peace talks. Manila is negotiating peace with the MILF, an army of about 12,000 rebels with millions of Muslim supporters. Peace talks were stalled after both sides failed to sign an agreement on the Muslim ancestral domain.
Conversion of rice fields created rice shortage (tags)
In the Central Luzon plains, Nueva Ecija is unique. In this farming province, the biggest rice producer in this region, you see rows upon rows of rice paddies. But it had more rice lands before the phenomenon of land conversion in the late 80s. The large landowners converted their lands to non-agricultural use so these would not fall under the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Law enacted in 1988. Land conversion was also necessitated by population rise and the urbanization of many towns of the province.
US Church and Labor Leaders to Pres. Arroyo: “Stop the Killings and Release Ka. Bel (tags)
The Philippines News Today, a local newspaper in the cities of San Francisco, Seattle and Vancouver, Canada will release a full page Ad of American and Filipino progressive organizations and individuals calling among other things, an end to political killings in the Philippine and the immediate release of detained Congressman and labor leader Crispin Beltran and all political prisoners. The Supreme Court of the Philippines recently dismissed trumped up case against six Congress leaders including Beltran. Another local newspaper, Diaryo Pilipino, based in Southern California issued the same statement a month ago. Both newspapers have combined circulation of 60,000 that target to reach the majority of Filipinos living in the West Coast of North America.
Anti-USA demonstration in Manila - January 3, 2007 (tags)
Philippines court, minister back transfer of US marine rapist
PHILIPPINES: Citizens' impeachment complaint against President Gloria Arroyo (tags)
AKBAYAN (Citizens' Action Party) solons today formally endorsed the second impeachment complaint against President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo (GMA) as more citizens and groups filed their complaints against the president.