Shots shattered the evening calm as a peasant leader, Marcelino Beltran, went out of his house to greet some “visitors.” The visitors pumped bullets into his body and he died two hours later – the eighth to fall following the Nov. 16 massacre of seven farmers at Hacienda Luisita.
Bulatlat Contributors
Root of High Oil Prices
By Arnold Padilla, IBON Senior Researcher A recent article by Reuters tried to explain why oil prices are high. It gave five major reasons: Rising demand driven in particular by Chinese and Indian markets, lack of spare supply capacity, political tensions in the Middle East and financial crisis of Russian oil giant Yukos, stricter environmental…
Kerry/Edwards Follow the Failed Bush/Cheney Policy on the Middle East
By SAMAR ASSAD Counterpunch Statements by presidential candidate Sen. John Kerry and his running mate Sen. John Edwards on issues concerning the Palestinian-Israeli conflict indicate that if elected this coming November 2nd, they would follow the same policies as the Bush-Cheney administration concerning the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. Four years of unbalanced Bush-Cheney policies have failed to…
Oil Giants Can Control Surge in World Prices
By IBON Foundation Global oil prices are reaching record highs not because of unmanageable factors. In reality, giant transnational oil corporations that exert monopoly control over the global oil industry have the capacity to bring down oil prices. Super companies like Exxon Mobil (US), Chevron Texaco (US), Royal Dutch Shell (Britain-Netherlands), British Petroleum (Britain), Total…
NPA Dies in Manila Prison
A New People’s Army rebel died Oct. 21 while detained at the Maximum Security Compound of the National Bilibid Prison in Muntinlupa after suffering from severe diarrhea and mental disturbance. By DABET CASTAÑEDA Bulatlat.com A New People’s Army rebel died Oct. 21 while detained at the Maximum Security Compound of the National Bilibid Prison in…
Samar Folk Struggle to Regain a Paradise Lost
A mining company has allegedly destroyed a historic and stunningly beautiful island in Eastern Samar. Now, the residents are fighting back to protect their environment, themselves and their future, facing a formidable enemy that has been, according to them, deceiving the residents and pitting them against each other. By MAUREEN JAPZON Bulatlat.com TACLOBAN CITY –…
Deregulated Fares Loom in the Wake of Oil Deregulation
The call to nationalize not only aims to protect the downstream oil sector. It also helps stem the tide of deregulation, liberalization and privatization of related economic sectors like transportation. By DANILO ARAÑA ARAO Bulatlat.com Deregulated land transportation fares, anyone? The deregulation of the downstream oil industry will not only result in continued increase in…
Poor Man’s Diet: Of Noodles, Chicken Skin and Isaw
“Kumakalam ang tiyan,” “mahapdi ang sikmura,” and “namumuti ang mata sa gutom” are all expressions pertaining to hunger. That there are so many of them in Filipino indicates how prevalent hunger is among Filipinos. Meanwhile, the most commonly eaten food today – noodles and streetfoods such as isaw (grilled chicken intestine) – are not enough…
Killing of Eastern Visayas Labor Leader Decried
The killing of labor leader Samuel Bandilla last Oct. 15 places at 20 the number of militant leaders slain in Eastern Visayas under the Macapagal-Arroyo administration. By MAUREEN JAPZON Bulatlat.com TACLOBAN CITY – It was 10 p.m. last Oct. 15 when Samuel “Sammy” Bandilla was felled by assassins’ bullets in the vicinity of Barangay 65,…
Two Treasure Hunters Tortured, Killed
The victims were almost unrecognizable as they lay at the funeral parlor. Some of their fingers were cut off and those that were not had chipped-off nails. They also sustained broken bones in different parts of the body and stab wounds in the stomach. Their bodies were literally black and blue all over. By DABET…
Dagupan Poor Give Way to ‘Bangus’
Dagupan City authorities want to build a bangus (milkfish) processing plant with a production capacity of 60,000 milkfish a day. If the local officials have their way, 274 households will be dislocated from their homes and transferred to a place devoid of basic services. By JONG DELA CRUZ Bulatlat.com DAGUPAN CITY – Is bangus (milkfish)…