At least 84 overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) are still reportedly stranded in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. They are among the 100 OFWs who were forced to live under a bridge in Al-khandawa district after fleeing from their abusive employers. By ACE ALEGRE Posted by Bulatlat MIGRANT WATCH Vol. VIII, No. 2, February 10-16, 2008 At least…
Day: February 9, 2008
Something Had to Give: How Oil Burst the American Bubble
BY MICHAEL T. KLARE TomDispatch.com/Truthout ALTERNATIVE READER Posted by Bulatlat Vol. VIII, No. 2, February 10-16,2008 The economic bubble that lifted the stock market to dizzying heights was sustained as much by cheap oil as by cheap (often fraudulent) mortgages. Likewise, the collapse of the bubble was caused as much by costly (often imported) oil…
America’s Middle Classes Are No Longer Coping
BY ROBERT REICH The Financial Times/Truthout Posted by Bulatlat| Vol. VIII, No. 2, February 10-16,2008 It is an election year and the US economy is in peril of falling into recession or worse. Not surprisingly, Washington is abuzz with plans to prevent it. President George W. Bush has proposed a $150bn stimulus package and all…
Suharto: A Declassified Documentary Obit
Edited by Brad Simpson National Security Archive Electronic Briefing Book No. 242 (http://www.gwu.edu/~nsarchiv/NSAEBB/NSAEBB242/index.htm) Posted by Bulatlat ALTERNATIVE READER Vol. VIII, No. 2, February 10-16, 2008 As Indonesia buries former President Suharto who died January 27 at the age of 86, the National Security Archive posted the day after a selection of declassified U.S. documents detailing…
POEA Memo 04: Protecting OFWs or Avoiding Responsibility?
POEA Memorandum Circular 04 that is supposed to protect OFWs would only enable the government to pass on its responsibilities to employers who would, in turn, pass the additional costs to OFWs. Also it would discourage employers from directly hiring OFWs and thereby, leave OFWs to the mercy of exploitative recruitment agencies, said Migrante International.…
GRP-MILF Ceasefire Fails to Stop Human Rights Violations
Despite the ongoing peace negotiation between the Government of the Republic of the Philippines (GRP) and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and the ceasefire agreement signed by both parties, peace still remains elusive in Mindanao. BY GERRY ALBERT CORPUZ Posted by Bulatlat HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH Vol. VIII, No. 2, February 10-16, 2008 In its…
Through the Decades
Through the Decades. This couple walks with linked arms along the streets of Baguio City, as sweet as young couples usually are.(Photo by Ace Alegre/Bulatlat.com)
Contractual Workers Stage Strike in Laguna Industrial Hub
Two hundred contractual workers of the Korean-owned Hanjin Garments, Inc. staged their first strike. But the police tried to violently disperse their picket line three times, the most recent attempt was last February 6, which resulted in injuries to more than 30 workers and the arrest of four leaders and supporters. BY DABET CASTAÑEDA LABOR…
Truth and Consequence
Truth and Consequence. If politics were a game, perhaps “Truth and Consequence” would be its name. The ouster of Rep. Jose de Venecia, Jr. as House Speaker clearly shows that he is not anymore on the “good side” of the powers-that-be.(By Flon Faurillo/Bulatlat.com)
JPEPA Economic Invasion: Who among the Senators will be the Collaborators and Patriots?
The treaty symbolizes the second invasion of the country by Japan and that senators may choose to be patriots or collaborators when they vote on the controversial agreement, said Arnold Padilla of the No Deal coalition. BY IBON FOUNDATION Posted by Bulatlat Vol. VIII, No.2, February 10-16,2008 No Deal!, a coalition of organizations and individuals…
U.S. Troops Sighted During Sulu Massacre
BY ALEXANDER MARTIN REMOLLINO Bulatlat Vol. VIII, No. 2, February 10-16, 2008 U.S. troops were present during the Feb. 4 assault by combined Army and Navy elite forces on Barangay (village) Ipil, Maimbung, Sulu that killed eight non-combatants, including an Army soldier on vacation. Worse, they tolerated what had taken place. Soldiers from the Army’s…