News at a Glance

Balikatan in Sulu continues

Depite popular objections, the Macapagal-Arroyo government last week announced that the Balikatan 03-3 war exercises will be held in Sulu, southern Philippines.

Reacting to the president’s announcement, the alliance Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan) said such move was part of her “fanatical” support to U.S. President Bush’s global anti-terrorist crusade.  “After giving her all-out support to Bush’s warmongering in Afghanistan ang Iraq, President Arroyo…allows the Americans to have their way in Sulu, Basilan, Tawi-Tawi and Zamboanga,” said Teddy Casiño, Bayan secretary general. 

Meanwhile, the Promotion of Church People’s Response (PCPR) said that the recent Davao bombings could have been deliberately planned to justify U.S. military intervention in the Philippines.

PCPR Spokesperson Fr. Allan Jose Arcebuche, OFM, said, “The government has welcomed anew the intervention of agents from the US Federal Bureau of Investigation to help in the case of the Davao bombings.”   “Next thing we know, more US troops and special agents will be welcomed in Davao and other regions in the guise of the US-Arroyo government’s ‘war on terror,” he said.

* * *

Canada immigration perpetuating abuse of Filipino women
 
Vancouver, B.C.- The National Alliance of Philippine Women in Canada (NAPWC) has condemned comments made in the House of  Commons by Citizenship and Immigration Minister Denis Coderre about the  Live-in Caregiver Program (LCP). 

In light of a recent online auction of  Filipino domestic workers, Coderre defended the LCP as a “good”  program. The minister insisted that he “did not think the program is bad in itself” and that communities he visited told him that the program was a good one.

Through the LCP, Canada imports Third World women (80% of them from the Philippines) for live-in domestic work and 24-hour home support work. 

But NAPCW said Filipino women under the LCP are vulnerable to abuse, violence and exploitation - even rape. “For 20 years, Canada has used this anti-woman and racist policy to exploit our women,” stated Cecilia Diocson, chair of NAPWC.  

* * *

Smart subscribers to pay for balance inquiries

The country's leading group of mobile phone users last week warned consumers of an impending change in the balance inquiry services of Smart Communications.

Referring to an announcement on the Smart website, TXTPower said that "in less than a month, what is now a toll-free call to 1515 for balance inquiries would not be free any more. The greedy Smart company will start charging P1 for every balance inquiry." 

The announcement on the Smart website says that starting May 1, 2003, calls to 1515 would cost P1 per inquiry. 

TXTPower spokesperson Anthony Ian Cruz said that "consumers have a right to have a toll-free way of knowing the balance of their prepaid credits." 

Smart's net income increased by 74 percent from P3.5-billion in 2001 to P6.3-billion in 2002. Its revenues went up from P24 billion to P33 billion.  

* * *

Justice eludes victims of militarization in Southern Tagalog

A year after the killing of Expidito Albarillo, municipal coordinator of Bayan Muna in San Teodoro, Oriental Mindoro and his wife Manuela Lalong-Isip, the alleged perpetrators are still on the loose.

The Albarillos were shot in April last year by members of a death squad whom human rights groups say have links with Col. Jovito Palparan Jr.’s 204th Brigade. They left seven children including 13-year old Adeliza. 

Eden Marcellana, secretary general of Karapatan-Southern Tagalog, said that after the was was taken up in Congress, at the Office of the President and Commission on Human Rights and Adeliza’s accounts, justice has not been served.

“Quite the contratry, Col. Jovito Palparan, Jr. was granted the Gawad Kaunlaran Award by no less than President Macapagal-Arroyo and has a promotion to a star general pending in the Commission on Appointments,” Marcellana said.

“Are generals really promoted for killing innocent people?” Adeliza asked in Filipino.

* * *

Fil-Am poets to speak their "Peace"

New York- The Filipino-American artists collective known as Pintados, jointly with the local Filipinos Against the War Coalition, will hold a poetry slam for peace dubbed “Speak Your Peace,” in Manhattan’s East Village, April 18.

“That 75% of all airport screeners in California can lose their jobs under new National Security measures, simply for being Filipino immigrants—legal, greencard holding immigrants, is something our community should be aware of and collectively address,” said Ree Obana, spoken word artist and member of Filipino-American women’s group Forward. Obana was referring to massive layoffs in the Bay Area under the post-9/11 enacted Aviation Transportation Security Act (ATSA).

Speak Your Peace will feature Kontrast, Johanna Almiron, Ree Obana, Harry Ramos,  Faith Santilla and other Fil-Am artists.  

Bulatlat.com

Back to top

We want to know what you think of this article.