Amid the unabated political repression, killings and human rights violations of the administration of Gloria Macapagal Arroyo (GMA), the militant Cordillera Peoples Alliance (CPA) has successfully carried out its 9th Regional Congress from October 21-23, 2006 in Baguio City, with a membership that expanded to some 200 member organizations from 130 since its last Congress…
Month: November 2006
Graveyards of the Living
Here, in the first public cemetery I have ever entered, the living may not be thriving, but definitely, they are surviving among the dead. BY TRINA FEDERIS Bulatlat.com Cemeteries are for the dead. This idea was imprinted in me early on due to our semi-annual visits to my grandfather’s grave in Libingan ng mga Bayani…
RP Stands to Lose P9 B a Year in Tariff Revenues under JPEPA
The country stands to lose more than P9 billion annually in tariff revenues under the Japan-Philippines Economic Partnership Agreement (JPEPA). Meanwhile, the gains to Philippine exports that government economic managers claim will happen under JPEPA are similarly overstated. Some 80% of Philippine exports to Japan already enter tariff-free and will not be affected by the…
‘How can students like us cope?’ – UP Grad
Daisy graduated from the university only last April, after struggling for four years juggling odd jobs and academic duties. Her story is a depiction of the hardships of students who can barely pay their stay in college, even in a state university such as UP. And when she learned about the proposed tuition fee increase…
UP could be State University No More
The University of the Philippines (UP) represents a beacon of hope for the Filipino family who have been so used to neglect and suffering: quality education at a reasonable cost. But the latest tuition hike proposal being pushed by the very officials of the university may permanently extinguish the chances of the common Filipino family…
Hacienda Reyes’ Farmers Oppressed, their Rights Violated
The farmers of Hacienda Reyes – owned by the family of a town mayor in Quezon province – already bear the burden of an oppressive crop-sharing scheme. To make matters worse, when they ask for their rightful share their rights are violated, with not a little help from the military and the police. BY DENNIS…
Labor Lawyers Bring Fight to CHR
For the failed abduction of one of its lawyers on Oct. 5, labor lawyers of the Pro-Labor Legal Assistance Center will file a case against an Army intelligence officer at the Commission on Human Rights on Monday, Oct. 30. BY DABET CASTAÑEDA Bulatlat.com Labor lawyers of the Pro-Labor Legal Assistance Center (PLACE) will ask the…
Trailing Hadji Akmad Bayam
The inclusion of a Hadji Akmad Bayam in the charge sheet in connection with the bomb blast in Makilala, North Cotabato last Oct. 10 has generated considerable controversy. The reason? The Hadji Akmad Bayam included in the Makilala charge sheet works with the office of Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita, said leaders of the Moro Islamic…
An Urgent Appeal to the Permanent Peoples’ Tribunal (PPT) of the Lelio Basso International Foundation for the Rights and Liberation of People (Foundation)
Second Appeal of the Filipino People Dr. Salvatore Senese President and Dr. Gianni Tognoni Secretary General Dear Sirs: In 1980, at the suit of the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) and the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) the Filipino and Bangsa Moro peoples jointly presented their case before the PPT. They indicted Ferdinand…