Day: November 3, 2008

Amid the Noise. Amid the blare of horns and the roars of vehicle engines, a man lies under a tree along Taft Avenue, his sleep apparently uninterrupted. He does not seem to particularly mind that the place he has chosen is one of the busiest streets in Manila, a street that does not lose its noise even in the deepest hours of the night. (Photo by RONALYN V. OLEA)

Yes, the big economic crisis is hitting Germany, too. The signs are first, the government coalition conducted hasty meetings to come up with a decision to allot 500 billion Euros top save suffering banks; Karl Marx’s famous book ‘Das Kapital’ is selling better than it has for years; employees of the Opel auto plant in…

In August, 27 activists in Southern Tagalog were charged with arson, destruction of property and conspiracy to commit rebellion in relation to the burning down of a telecommunication company’s cell site in Lemery, Batangas. Just recently, warrants of arrest were issued this time against 72 activists accused of multiple murder and frustrated murder in connection…

Even as they were accompanied by representatives from the Commission of Human Rights (CHR), members of the Balao family and officers of the of Cordillera Peoples Alliance (CPA) were denied entry to military camps in Manila last Oct. 27. BY CYE REYES Northern Dispatch Posted by Bulatlat HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH LA TRINIDAD, Benguet (247 kms.…

The peace coalition Kalinaw Mindanao criticized the Arroyo government for spending P500 million ($10,216,591) in its military operations against the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), describing it as “irrational, wasteful of public funds, and prolonging the agony of half a million war refugees.” BY BULATLAT HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH The peace coalition Kalinaw Mindanao criticized the…

“The moment…governments systematically export their own people just like commodities to be bought and sold, they definitely infringe on our right to human development. This is forced migration and modern-day slavery, not development.” BY RONALYN OLEA MIGRANT WATCH Bulatlat Close to 200 migrants from 35 countries gathered in Manila Oct. 28 to 30 and stood…

That afternoon of October 29, until 7:30 p.m., the Mehan Garden in Manila was teeming with people. There were people chatting in Cantonese, in Spanish, in French, in English, in Filipino, in Nippon-go, in Korean, in Turkish. In their glances to one other, you can perceive that despite the differences in culture, in language, belief,…