In a landmark decision last September 18, a Philippine court has ordered a preliminary injunction stopping the government’s approval of a genetically modified rice in the country. BY GREENPEACE Posted by Bulatlat Democratic Space Vol. VII, No. 33, September 23-29, 2007 In a landmark decision last September 18, a Philippine court has ordered a preliminary…
Day: September 22, 2007
Bakit Tagilid Lumakad ang Talangka?
NI RAUL FUNILAS Inilathala ng Bulatlat Vol. VII, No. 33, September 23-29, 2007 Ang ama daw nila ay may disiplinang Ipina-iiral sa kanyang pamilya, Titing pagkasala’y grabeng magparusa – Lahat nang kapitan, inihaharumba. Sa haplit ng lupit na lintik ang sakit, Kaya kung lumakad ay nakatagilid; Dahil sa ang turo ay laging kumapit Hilahing pababa…
25 Lawmakers Want UP Tuition Hike Probed, Halted
House Resolution No. 245 directs the House Committee on Higher and Technical Education to investigate the effects of the recent increase in tuition and other fees at the country’s premier state university. BY AUBREY MAKILAN Bulatlat Vol. VII, No. 33, September 23-29, 2007 At least 25 members of the House of Representatives have demanded an…
Penalize GMA, Not Sugar Workers – Sugar Workers’ Group
A leader of the National Federation of Sugar Workers (NFSW) has raised concern over reported plans by the U.S. to impose penalties on all sugar exports from the Philippines should the Arroyo government fail to address a complaint initiated a few months back by the International Labor Rights Forum (ILRF). He said that penalties should…
Edjop, Lean Remembered
Two men who lived in different times and who died in the hands of state agents under fascist regimes were remembered and honored Sept. 20 at the Bantayog ng mga Bayani. BY EMILY VITAL Bulatlat Vol. VII, No. 33, September 23-29, 2007 Two men who lived in different times and who died in the hands…
Back in Business
Jose Miguel “Mike” Arroyo’s name cropped up in a corruption scandal once again. It has barely been a week since the Sandiganbayan found Joseph Estrada guilty of plunder and a scandal has erupted again involving the husband of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. BY BENJIE OLIVEROS Analysis Bulatlat Vol. VII, No. 33 September 23-29, 2007 Jose Miguel…
Basilan Military Bans Reporter from Coverage, Columnist Gets Death Threats due to NBN Exposé
A Zamboanga-based reporter of the Philippine Daily Inquirer was reportedly banned from covering military operations in Mindanao. A columnist of the Philippine Star meanwhile received death threats due to his exposé of an anomalous government contract. BY ACE ALEGRE Bulatlat Vol. VII, No. 33, September 23-29, 2007 A Zamboanga-based reporter of the Philippine Daily Inquirer…
Days of Reckoning
Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo is not yet off the hook. She may have to face her day of reckoning as a private citizen or even before her term ends in 2010. BY THE CENTER FOR PEOPLE EMPOWERMENT IN GOVERNANCE (CENPEG) Posted by Bulatlat Vol. VII, No. 33, September 23-29, 2007 The conviction of former President Joseph Estrada…
Kilometer Zero: Treading the Three-decade Mindanao Conflict
The roots of the Moro rebellion can be traced to as far back as the American occupation, when the colonizers prevented the Moro people’s democratic participation in local administration. The American colonizers also crafted policies and programs that sequestered ancestral lands, voided Sultanate property, and awarded deeds to landless families from Luzon and Visayas. BY…
Religion & Politics in Asia
Democratic politics in many Asian countries represents a marginal adjustment by vested interest groups which continue to trample on the rights of citizens while hiding behind flimsy policies and manipulated mandates. BY MICHAEL VATIKIOTIS Contributed to Bulatlat Vol. VII, No. 33, September 23-29, 2007 The sight of hundreds of saffron-robed Buddhist monks marching in protest…
New Lawyers’ Group for Human Rights Formed
Amid the worsening state of human rights in the country, a new organization of lawyers committed to the defense and promotion of human rights was formed. This will certainly bring hope to the increasing number of victims and relatives of human rights violations. BY KAREN PAPELLERO HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH Bulatlat Vol. VII, No. 33, September…