Analysts of global economic developments deemed that the US-led ‘war on terror’ will intensify and escalate as a result of the US financial and economic crisis.
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Army Moves to Evict Peasants From Land
By virtue of a 1991 Deed of Transfer between the DND and the DAR, some 6,000 peasants and other residents in a 3,100-hectare area within a military reservation in Nueva Ecija should have acquired ownership of the land they live on and till. But they have not, and now they face the possibility of being driven away from the area.
Is President Arroyo Doing a Sarah Palin?
By Carlos H. Conde I ask this in light of the insistence by Press Secretary Jesus Dureza that the press conference that was to have taken place last Oct. 2 had to be limited to economic issues and that the members of the Foreign Correspondents Association of the Philippines (Focap) had to provide in advance…
Activists Blame Labor Export Policy amid BBC’s ‘Racist’ Skit
BY BULATLAT Activists from various organizations said the government’s labor export policy makes Filipinos vulnerable to racism and other abuses. Members of Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan), Migrante International, GABRIELA, among others, held a protest in front of the Department of Foreign Affairs, 1:30 p.m. The BBC comedy Harry and Paul portrayed a Filipina dressed as…
Political Prisoners Assail Release of Teehankee, GMA’s ‘Double Standard of Justice’
BY BULATLAT An organization of political prisoners added its voice to the condemnation of Mrs. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s issuance of executive clemency to convicted murderer Claudio Teehankee. Donato Continente, spokesperson for political prisoners of Selda (Society of Ex-Detainees against Detention and for Amnesty), said, “How easy it is for this government to free a child killer…
Groups Slam Senate ‘Railroading’ of RP-Japan Trade Deal
BY ALEXANDER MARTIN REMOLLINO Bulatlat Two groups opposed to the Japan-Philippines Economic Partnership Agreement (JPEPA) have condemned what they described as the “railroading” of the treaty last night at the Senate. The JPEPA was approved, close to midnight, with a vote of 16-4. Those who voted “Yes” were Senate President Manuel Villar, Senate President Pro-Tempore…
Proposed Health Budget for Medical Tourism Hit
BY BULATLAT An organization of doctors and health professionals has slammed the proposed health budget for 2009, saying that the increase will benefit foreign medical tourists and not Filipino patients. In a statement, the Health Alliance for Democracy (HEAD) said, “The much-ballyhooed increase in the Department of Health (DOH) budget for 2009 is actually a…
Filipino Teachers Mark World Teachers’ Day with Protest
BY BULATLAT In commemoration of the World Teachers’ Day, more than 300 public school teachers trooped to the Batasang Pambansa Complex this afternoon and called for higher salaries for teachers and rank-and-file government employees. The World Teachers’ Day was first inaugurated by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in 1994 to commemorate…
New PNP Chief Hit for Criminal Raps Filed vs 27 Activists
BY BULATLAT Activists from Southern Tagalog slammed new Philippine National Police (PNP) Chief Jesus Versoza for criminal charges filed against 27 of their colleagues. Members of Bayan Muna-Southern Tagalog led a picket protest in front of Camp Crame. The group deemed that Versoza will ‘continue his predecessor’s record of human rights violations.’ Twenty-seven activists from…
Rights of Filipino Deportees from Sabah Neglected – Mission
BY BULATLAT A fact-finding mission said the Philippine government failed to protect the rights of Filipino deportees from Sabah, Malaysia. In a statement, Connie Bragas-Regalado, chairperson of Migrante International slammed the inter-agency committee (IAC) for not monitoring the cases of Filipino deportees. The IAC was created by the Arroyo government through Administrative Order 116. Its…
7 Stranded OFWs in Kuwait Remain in Jail
BY BULATLAT Seven out of the 40 stranded workers in Kuwait remain at the Central Jail in Kuwait, according to the Asia Pacific Mission for Migrants (APMM). In a statement sent through email, Ramon Bultron, managing director of the APMM, blamed the Philippine Embassy for not providing the travel documents of the stranded Filipino workers.…