The 11th Baguio Flower Festival or Panagbenga opens on January 30 and the revelry is highlighted by the parade of flowers on February 25 and 26. Visitors to Baguio City (246 kms from Manila) will be very excited about the various activities lined up this year. Equally interesting, however, is the political bickering that surrounds…
Day: January 22, 2006
DA Employees Reject Privatization, Rationalization of Gov’t Agencies
Government employees under the National Federation of Employees’ Associations of the Department of Agriculture joined calls against the privatization policy of the Arroyo administration. It vowed to fight against the rationalization of government agencies and to push for a P3,000 ($56.65) across-the-board monthly salary increase. BY FLORENCE BATAWANG AND KATHERING DEL ROSARIO Northern Dispatch Posted…
Politics Eyed in Abra Town Mayor’s Slay NPA involvement least of the police’s concern
A young and outspoken town mayor in Abra was murdered on Friday the 13th. Investigators are looking into various angles, and they think that politics could be the reason for the killing. While they have raised the possibility that the New People’s Army (NPA) could be involved, this is the least of their concern. BY…
Mindanao Lumads Defend Ancestral Land vs Large-scale Mining
Leaders of Lumad organizations from six regional federations representing some 10 major tribes in Mindanao vowed to defend the last of their ancestral lands against the assault of large-scale mining. BY TYRONE VELEZ Bulatlat.com Dipolog City— Leaders of Lumad organizations from six regional federations representing some 10 major indigenous tribes in Mindanao vowed to defend…
More than 80% dissatisfied with GMA’s performance – IBON
Bulatlat.com Based on the latest survey of an independent research think-tank, it appears that four out of every five Filipinos are dissatisfied with Gloria Macapagal Arroyo’s performance as President while three out of every five Filipinos think that the economy has gotten worse. Majority of Filipinos think that the economy has gotten worse and an…
CAP Employees Unite with Plan Holders, Prepare Protests
BY MAUREEN A. HERMITANIO Bulatlat.com Plan holders are up in arms over the failure of a pre-need company to give them their hard-earned money. Surprisingly, the company’s employees are now behind them in their struggle. Employees of College Assurance Plan (CAP) are preparing for protests over a series of retrenchments, violation of their collective bargaining…
Despite gov’t decision favoring land distribution Hacienda Luisita Workers Still Face Uphill Battle
BY ABNER BOLOS Bulatlat.com The strike may have been lifted last December 8, 2005, but the struggle of the farm workers of Hacienda Luisita, Inc. (HLI) is far from over. Among the unresolved issues are coverage of land distribution and number of agrarian reform beneficiaries. Farm workers in Hacienda Luisita asked the Department of Agrarian…
On the 19th year of the Mendiola Massacre Peasants’ Blood Compact Signals 100 Days of Protest vs GMA, Chacha
On January 22, 1987 at the historic Mendiola Bridge, soldiers drew first blood as they opened fire on demonstrators calling on the government to implement genuine agrarian reform. Since this resulted in 13 demonstrators being killed, this came to be known as the Mendiola Massacre which has been commemorated ever since. In remembering what happened…
Lawyers on Subic rape case: `Without Warrant, Trial of Four US Soldiers Cannot Proceed’
With the failure to serve the warrant of arrest to the four U.S. Marines accused of raping a Filipino woman, just where is the Subic Rape Case heading? Lawyers said that it is going nowhere and as early as now, justice for the rape survivor is being denied. BY DABET CASTAÑEDA Bulatlat.com The Subic Rape…
Erap Comeback, Anyone? Does Joseph Estrada have what it takes to regain his so-called lost presidency?
Five years have passed since Joseph Estrada was ousted as President. But for those who continue to support him, Estrada is merely on a leave of absence and he will assume his duties as President anytime soon. BY AUBREY SC MAKILAN Bulatlat.com Joseph Estrada, popularly known by his nickname Erap, is said to be perceived…
Officers’ Jailbreaks Show Deep Division in AFP
What now looks like an emerging series of escapes from jail by leaders of the Magdalo group, which tried to stage an armed uprising at the Oakwood Hotel in Makati City on July 27, 2003, is not just a matter of lapses in security. More than that, it shows a deep division within the Armed…