“These are not isolated acts by rogue elements. They are part of a systematic campaign to silence legitimate peasant organizing and human rights work in the countryside.”
“I explained that I considered the incident a form of harassment because the police showed up at my house late at night and I was even warned that I was allegedly included in a military “hot list” and dissuaded me from joining rallies lest I’ll be abducted “should higher ups” mandate it,” Bergula said.
The Presidential Communications Office claims that the scandal is nearing its ‘endgame’. However, Bulatlat’s timeline of related activities suggest that the investigation has yet to reach its climax, much less a resolution.
In the view of many affected, the barricades on Nov. 30 were more than concrete and shields, they symbolized a system that protects those who loot public funds, while brutalizing those who demand transparency.
Over fourteen years ago, I ventured into Mindanao with preconceptions etched in my mind. But the longer I stayed, the more I saw, the more I learned to reject the narratives I was fed. A colleague once said, ‘There are over 200 books written about Mindanao, yet none come close to capturing its essence.’ Conflicts are full of contradictions, and the real reasons are often obscured by those who want to hide them.
The deadlock exposed the bicam not as a venue for reconciliation but as a bargaining table over pork.
The university cited Colmenares’ role in advancing legal accountability in the Philippines and beyond, particularly through international human rights mechanisms and domestic legal reforms.
“Many people were crying because of the Court's decision. It was as if they had lost hope."
At immigration, Julie Jamora was told she had been blacklisted and denied entry into the Philippines and told to return to the United States.
Workers said that they were required to work extremely long hours and were housed to cramped, undignified conditions, often sharing beds while fearing reprisals if they complained or left their jobs.
Wala na akong aasamin
walang kahapong lilipas, walang darating na bukas
at ang ngayon ko’y hindi sumisikad o umaatras
walang nagaganap sa akin!
Kung ako’y mamamatay
Kailangan kang mabuhay
Upang ikwento ang kwento ko
Ipagbili ang mga gamit ko
Upang makabili ng kapirasong tela
At mga tali
(y’ung puti na may mahabang buntot)
Like many young workers, she has been unable to access government aid, citing strict qualifications she and others do not meet.
Because ancestral lands are rich in natural resources, the extreme militarization is driven by corporate greed.
The zine, published days before the 10th year of the Kentex fire tragedy, serves as a reminder not just of the tragic fate of the workers but also of how labor exploitation kills and continuously takes lives.
The first-term senator made the admission during a televised interview in early November when he acknowledged receiving outside funding for his May 2025 senatorial bid but said he did not list donors because they requested anonymity.
Simple lamang ang layunin nito: mapataas ang moral ng mga bilanggong pulitikal, maipadama ang pagkalinga at pagpapahalaga, at maghatid ng pag-asa sa gitna ng pagsubok.
Sinabi ni Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Secretary Cristina Roque na sapat daw ang P500 na noche buena para sa pamilyang may apat na miyembro.
“The government continues to reward institutions long linked to serious human rights violations while workers are left behind.”
Rights group Katungod, in an interview, said that this pattern of harassment by the military and other state agents against farmers has been happening on the islands of Leyte and Samar.
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