BY THE KILUSANG MAYO UNO (KMU or May First Movement Labor Centre) DEMOCRATIC SPACE Bulatlat.com Volume VIII, Number 31, September 7-13, 2008 As freedom and justice-seeking workers and trade unionists in the Philippines, we declare our complete opposition to the unjust arrest and enforced disappearances of anti displacement activists in Orissa, India. We demand for…
Month: September 2008
US-Iraq Agreement Leaked
A leaked version of last month’s draft of the proposed US-Iraq status of forces agreement (SOFA) suggests that the Iraqi parliament may not be consulted before it is signed, despite Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki’s promises to do so. The pact would govern the future US presence in Iraq. The draft indicates no intent to set…
Former “Bush Puppet” Iraqi PM Calls for US Withdrawal
Dr. Ayad Allawi, the former interim Iraqi prime minister previously referred to even by US Congress members as a “Bush puppet,” voiced his strong support for a US withdrawal timeline during a Wednesday Congressional hearing. BY MAYA SCHENWAR, T r u t h o u t Posted by Bulatlat.com Vol. VIII, No. 31, September 7-13,…
Group to Question US Troops’ Presence in SC Oral Arguments
Apart from the issues of custody arising from the Subic Rape case, Bayan said that it also plans to question the “duration and scope of the seemingly permanent presence of US troops in Mindanao.” Bulatlat.com Vol. VIII, No. 31, September 7-13, 2008 The umbrella group Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan-New Patriotic Alliance), through its lawyers, would…
ODA Failed to Improve Lives — Think-tank
Even as the Philippine government and the World Bank (WB), entered into a new agreement to review operations and mechanisms in implementing development programs as an attempt to enhance the current set of “readiness filters” in the programming of development programs and projects, IBON databank said . donor governments have failed not only to improve…
Indonesia Experience Debunks Claims of JPEPA Advocates of Increased Economic Gains
The recently-implemented Indonesia-Japan Economic Partnership Agreement (IJEPA) promised increased exports to Japan. But as the IJEPA went into effect in July, Indonesian Industry Minister Fahmi Idris said that Indonesia’s main exports, such as agricultural products and timber, will continue to face high non-tariff barriers in the form of quality standards, while Japanese high-tech imports will…
Photo of the Week: Dumpsite-Angels
Dumpsite Angels. The innocence of these girls contrasts with the harsh realities of Manila’s old dumpsite in Tondo, where they struggle to eke out a living.
(Photo by Raymund Villanueva)
As SC Upholds Neri, Use of Executive Privilege to Cover Up Crimes Feared
BY Bulatlat.com September 5, 2008 The Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan-New Patriotic Alliance) said that the recent Supreme Court decision on the Senate versus Romulo Neri gives present and future government offenders ‘unbelievably wide latitude to commit misdeeds.’ Voting 9-6, the Supreme Court yesterday upheld its earlier decision that former National Economic Development Authority (NEDA) Secretary…
Gov’t Workers Push for P3,000 Salary Hike Anew
BY NOEL BARCELONA Bulatlat.com September 5, 2008 –5:24 p.m. Members of the Confederation for Unity, Recognition and Advancement of Government Employees (Courage), staged a picket-protest in front of the Quezon City Hall at 12 noon today to press for a P3,000 salary increase for government employees. Ferdinand Gaite, Courage national president, said that it is…
Workers Crowd Hearing on P125-Wage Hike Bill
BY Bulatlat.com September 3, 2008 – 4:31 p.m. Workers led by the Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU-May First Movement), and various sectors led by the Unity for P125 alliance, attended en masse the first hearing of the P125 wage hike bill in the House of Representatives. KMU Chair Elmer Labog said, “This hearing was the result…
Moro Rights Group Calls on Gov’t to Stop Offensives, Respect Ramadhan
BY Bulatlat.com September 3, 2008 – COTABATO CITY – A Moro human rights group called for a stop to ongoing military offensives in Moro areas in Mindanao, especially during the Ramadhan. Kawagib Moro Human Rights has documented 13 civilians dead due to strafing and mortar shelling by the Armed Forces of the Philippines in North…