Even as media killings remain unsolved and harassments continue, 13 more Filipino journalists were killed in 2005 and several instances of harassment and intimidation were recorded. BY JHONG DELA CRUZ Bulatlat.com As 2005 drew to a close, Filipino journalists agreed the Macapagal-Arroyo administration failed to protect them with 12 journalists killed and several cases of…
Day: January 8, 2006
2005 among Worst Years in Bangsa Moro History
The year 2005 is most likely one of the worst years in Bangsa Moro history. It was a year of false hopes for peace amid an escalation of a centuries-old strife. If anything, the year 2005 will be remembered as the year peace in Mindanao appeared near enough but was driven farther away. BY ALEXANDER…
Peasants Suffer in 2005, Brace for Worst in 2006
Various controversies plagued the agricultural sector in 2005 and peasants do not see an end in the immediate future. In fact, they are bracing for the worst in 2006. BY AUBREY SC MAKILAN Bulatlat.com Past surveys showed hardship among the poor in 2004 and signs of desperation in 2005. No less than President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo,…
Once Again, the OFW Saves the Day for RP Economy
It is undeniable that OFW remittances have kept the ailing economy afloat. Labor migration, once a mere stop-gap measure to tide the economy over in the economic crunch of the ‘70s, has become a major government policy, with the local government units even facilitating the recruitment of OFWs. BY AUBREY SC MAKILAN Bulatlat.com It is…
Anti-Arroyo Forces: The Broadest Ever
The Arroyo administration belittles the movement working for her ouster as a small group of “destabilizers” and “power grabbers” that are unable to muster the numbers to mount a People Power uprising. But the Anti-Arroyo movement working for her resignation or ouster is the broadest ever compared to the movement that ousted Marcos and Estrada.…
Weathering the Political Storm: Will It Last?
Macapagal-Arroyo may have limped over the hump of thorns to her presidency but this institution that she represents has been badly battered too. The issue of electoral fraud and the worms of corruption and worst-ever unethical practices that it unearthed gave birth to a political dynamics providing valuable lessons to many people. By Bobby Tuazon…
Barely Surviving 2005
The past year saw workers struggle to keep their jobs in the wake of contractualization and globalization, and their unions in the face of government policies against unionism. The labor movement also lost two of its most courageous leaders – the union presidents of Hacienda Luisita and Nestle Philippines Inc. in 2005. BY DABET CASTAÑEDA…