Bu-lat-lat (boo-lat-lat) verb: to search, probe, investigate, inquire; to unearth facts Volume 3, Number 9 March 30 - April 5, 2003 Quezon City, Philippines |
NEWS
AT A GLANCE GMA
joins 'Coalition of the Bayaran'- Bayan Muna The
party-list group Bayan Muna last week strongly condemned the Macapagal-Arroyo
administration for “downright sell-out of the country's sovereignty.” Reports
have indicated that of the $74.7 billion supplemental war budget U.S. President
George Bush has requested from U.S. Congress,$5 billion has been allotted to 19
countries, including the Philippines, as military financing and loan guarantees
to compensate for the economic effects of war and supposedly to "wage the
broader war on terror" in their respective countries. Bayan
Muna said the Philippines stands to gain some $14 million from the U.S.
supplemental war budget. Roberto de Castro, Bayan Muna deputy secretary general
said that if proven true, the amount would be a "trivial sum for selling
out the country's democracy and independence." Bayan
Muna accused the Arroyo administration of being a member of the “Coalition of
the Bayaran” (willingly-bribed). *
* * CPP
chides “anti-war” govt’s for softening stand on U.S. war In a statement, CPP spokesperson Gregorio "Ka Roger" Rosal also criticized United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan "for pathetically choosing to simply clean up the mess of the U.S. war instead of upholding the UN consensus against the war and taking on the historical opportunity to stand against and stop the U.S. war of aggression against Iraq." *
* *
RP gov’t to help reconstruct Iraq The
party-list group Bayan Muna lambasted the Macapagal-Arroyo administration
"for capitalizing on the spoils of an illegal and unjust war."
This,
after Foreign Secretary Blas Ople issued a directive to the Department of
Foreign Affairs and the Department of Trade and Industry to come up with a plan
to help Filipino construction firms and manpower providers bag lucrative
contracts to help rebuild a post-war Iraq. Bayan Muna Rep. Satur Ocampo said, "Just as the U.S. government has pre-conceived the immense economic and political returns after taking over Iraq, the Macapagal-Arroyo administration shamelessly envisions sharing in such war profit." *
* * 2
suspected NPA symphatizers killed, 2 others missing Puetro
Galera, Mindoro Oriental — Two suspected symphatizers of the New People’s
Army were killed in Sitio Pinagturian, brgy. Villaflor, March 23. The two were
Fransico Rabano, 42 and Mariano Rabano, 25. Franciso’s
wife Julita said that about 11 p.m. of March 22, five men in uniform forcibly entered their house and ordered them
to hand over their supposed firearm. The perpetrators ransacked their house and
burned it. Julita was able to escape but heard five gunshots. Meanwhile,
30-year-old fisherman Teodoro Manongsong reportedly went missing since March 14
after military authorities “invited him for questioning.” On
March 19, barangay councilor Luis Aspecto was ordered by Col. Jovito Palparan to
undergo tactical interrogation. He also has not been seen since. A
report by the human rights alliance KARAPATAN–Southern Tagalog quoted Puerto
Galera residents as saying that Palparan, commander of the Oriental Mindoro-based
204th brigade, accused them of giving assistance to NPA guerrillas who were
behind the Nov. 24, 2002 ambush on government troops. Bulatlat.com We want to know what you think of this article.
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