Pressured by the military, officials of a high school in Quezon City rejected the enrollment of a student activist. She could only enroll at the school, they told her, if she signed a waiver that would prohibit her from participating in protest actions and rallies. Aghast and angry, the student decided to fight back.
Day: June 20, 2009
Foreign Imposition
Foreign Imposition. The US government and other foreign powers such as the European Union and Japan have been pushing for the rewriting of the 1987 Philippine Constitution. They are after the removal of provisions that protect the country’s patrimony to allow them to exploit further our resources.
(By Flon Faurillo)
Bonding
Bonding. A mother and her child share a tender moment of bonding along a busy street in Bacolod City.
(Photo by Owen S. Bayog)
America and Torture Have a Long and Painful History
By BEN EHRENREICH Truthout Posted by Bulatlat Perhaps we protest too much. Torture, after all, is a venerable American tradition. We were waterboarding captives in one of our earliest wars of occupation, the Philippine-American War, which cost as many as 1 million civilian lives. In 1902, Teddy Roosevelt himself wrote with laconic praise of “the…
Humanitarian Rhetoric and U.S. Imperialism in Iran: The Electoral Façade
By ANTHONY DiMAGGIO Counterpunch Posted by Bulatlat It is worth reflecting on one central question regarding Iran: why does the recent election enjoy so much attention in the U.S.? My research on Iran suggests that Americans’ attention to Iran revolves around two issues. More superficially, much of the Iran focus is motivated by the conflict…
Torture Survivor Turns Over a New Leaf as He Weds Sweetheart, Vows to Continue Fighting for Justice
MANILA — Today, June 20, members of the organizations of victims and relatives of victims of human rights violations, Desaparecidos and Hustisya! as well as the human rights alliance, KARAPATAN, turned out in a jubilant mood to show their support to the wedding of torture survivor Raymond Manalo, and his sweetheart, Kristel Alminiana, in a…
Video: Con-Ass According to Juana Change and Pacquito Yu
Con-Ass According to Juana Change, Pac Yu
Another OFW Faces Execution in Kuwait
Jakatia Pawa of Zamboanga Sibugay was convicted of killing her employer’s daughter; a Kuwaiti court has upheld the verdict. Migrante International denounces the Arroyo regime for not doing enough to save OFWs on death row in other countries.
After Paltry Wage Increase, State Workers to Campaign for More
The recently signed Salary Standardization Law 3 (SSL3) sets new salary rates for state workers. It’s a welcome respite amid the economic crisis, as well as an initial victory of the campaign for better wages. But government workers say SSL3, apart from giving really small increases, still has numerous anti-worker provisions. It is crying out for improvement.
A Familiar Disaster: In Benguet Town, the Ground Shakes and Houses Disappear
The sinking of portions of Mankayan town, in which at least five houses were destroyed, occurred despite warning signs. And many residents point to the decades-old mining in the area as the culprit in the disaster.
Ifugao Group Comes Out with First Album
BAGUIO CITY, the Philippines – Gopnad, an Ifugao cultural group, will release its first album soon, a collection that aims to promote environmentalism and social consciousness among the youth. The group’s album, titled “Soul Tunes of the Tinawon,” has 12 songs sung in three dialects: the Tuwali, Ayangan and Kalanguya. Tinawon is the indigenous rice…