By BENJIE OLIVEROS Bulatlat perspective What is the impact of practically dissolving or immobilizing the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) when the House of Representatives gave it a preposterously meager budget of P1, 000? What are the implications of moving for the impeachment of another Supreme Court Chief Justice, this time around it’s Chief Justice…
I wrote this piece for two reasons. Firstly, to honor, once more, persons I have known who lived simply and with deep dedication to serving the interest and welfare of the common people. Secondly, to turn away our minds, even for only a while, from the grisly and condemnable fascist/gangland-style killings – especially of our…
By BENJIE OLIVEROS Bulatlat perspective “Change is coming.” That was the campaign teaser of Rodrigo Roa Duterte when he was running for president. His campaign slogan, mass appeal, straightforwardness and image of a man of action swept him to the presidency. President Duterte hit the ground running. He pushed the peace talks with the National…
By BENJIE OLIVEROS Bulatlat perspective Too many things have been happening lately that may be a portent of worse things to come. First is the cold-blooded murder of a 17-year old student Kian Delos Santos. People were enraged at the brazenness, brutality, and inhumanity of it all. The murder of young Kian could have been…
By BENJIE OLIVEROS Bulatlat perspective The killing of 17-year old Kian Delos Santos has enraged netizens, human rights groups, the Catholic Church, cultural artists, and has alarmed the general public. The brazenness, the impunity, and the lies being peddled as official account of the killing shocked a lot of people. Kian allegedly resisted arrest and…
Most of those who voted to reject Judy Taguiwalo were President Duterte’s allies.
By BENJIE OLIVEROS Bulatlat perspective When Kabataan Partylist Rep. Sarah Elago questioned Budget Sec. Benjamin Diokno about the absence of any allocation for free tuition in state universities and colleges (SUCs), the response was that it would cost P100 billion and the government could not afford it. But Secretary Diokno also added: “College education benefits…
By BENJIE OLIVEROS Bulatlat perspective A president’s state of the nation address (SONA) is supposed to be a report of the accomplishments of the administration and an articulation of its priorities and policy direction. There were presidents who even used people as symbolisms such as Mang Pando of the Ramos administration and the bangkang papel…
President Duterte’s attempts at balancing the interests and concerns of the different power blocs in his government and in Philippine society has been negating the changes he promised.
It is a riddle why the thousands of AFP troops, with a tremendous amount of firepower, have not yet driven ISIS fighters away, much less neutralize them.
By BENJIE OLIVEROS Bulatlat perspective Recently, House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez warned of a constitutional crisis if the Supreme Court orders a joint session of Congress to tackle President Duterte’s declaration of martial law over Mindanao. This, after two petitions were filed before the High Court to compel the Senate and House of Representatives to convene…