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By JANESS ANN J. ELLAO
Migrante said it would flood the Kuwaiti government with appeals for Pawa’s life this week . The emir usually gives clemency to individuals on death row during the Kuwaiti Independence Day on Feb. 25.
By MARYA SALAMAT
In the Philippines, the bulk of employed health workers and professionals are in the public sector. But over the years, the effect of government neglect on health, such as low wages and deplorable working conditions of health workers, coupled with the government’s active labor export policy, have combined to shrink the number of the country’s employed health professionals and workers.
Live audio webcast interview with Nelson Mallari, secretary-general of Katribu Partylist, on his group's platforms. He discussed with Bulatlat.com the many issues confronting the Philippines tribal communities. Interview held on Feb. 22 at 11 am.
Led by the group Hustisya!, the protesters were by the wall of the Camp Aguinaldo gate, posting blue cutouts of doves printed with the name of the 43 detainees, when the soldiers hit them with a water cannon.
By RONALYN V. OLEA
In the book Pagtatagpo sa Kabilang Dulo, letters and testimonials by the families of victims of desaparecidos reveal emotions ranging from guilt, hopelessness, anger, deep longing for their loved ones, hope and courage.
By ALEXANDER MARTIN REMOLLINO
“With the long history of fraud and manipulation involving the Comelec and other government agencies to favor the incumbent regime, the concerns about the automated elections are serious and require action. We have to be ready to mobilize in huge numbers, should there be a failure of elections. We cannot let Mrs. Arroyo take advantage of that situation to perpetuate herself in power."
By ARNOLD PADILLA
In a poor country where one out of two people dies without receiving any medical attention, where more than half of the population do not have access to basic health care, community-based health workers who provide needed services to fill this health-care gap should be heralded as heroes, not thrown to jail and tortured.
Related blog post: The AFP is telling us we need more NPA guerrillas
By MARYA SALAMAT
Dr. Alex Montes is a retired surgeon. But even in retirement, he found time to serve the poor through the medical missions he organized and joined and through the trainings he conducted for community health workers and volunteers. Today, he is behind bars -- abused, tortured and humiliated by a regime that is terrified by his passion.
By RENATO REYES JR.
We call on our friends here and abroad to intensify the calls for the release of the 43. We hope that the CA will issue a favorable ruling so that in the near future, the 43 will regain their freedom, be reunited with their families and continue with their work.
By BENJIE OLIVEROS
An illegal arrest backed by lies, the use of torture, denial of visitation rights even from the government’s own Commission on Human Rights, the fabrication of pieces of evidence and witnesses, the refusal to honor the order of the Supreme Court -- all this point to what Makabayan senatorial candidate Satur Ocampo aptly called as a “grand slam day for impunity” and a “classic throwback to the martial law era.”
By ANNE MARXZE D. UMIL
and RONALYN V. OLEA
Several medical and health associations expressed outrage today over the arrest, detention and alleged torture of 43 health workers. In a press conference at the University of the Philippines College of Medicine in Manila, officials of these groups refuted the military's claim that the 43 are communist rebels who were undergoing bomb training when they were arrested in a raid on Feb. 6.
By ALEXANDER MARTIN REMOLLINO
The Ilocos Region, particularly the two Ilocos provinces, is the main focus of a “humanitarian assistance” operation and this year’s upcoming Balikatan military exercises between US and Philippine troops.
By RONALYN V. OLEA
After three days, relatives and colleagues were finally able to visit the 43 arrested health workers through the intervention of Commission on Human Rights (CHR) chairperson Leila de Lima, who earlier denounced the military for refusing access to those detained.
The Senate, which had its finest moments when it blocked the railroading designs of the administration-dominated Lower House, is now revealing its worst form because the May 2010 elections are just around the corner and the Senate has always been a jumping board for those who would want to become president. Sad as it is, the disappointing state of the Senate and the sorry state of the election campaign, and the election itself, is merely a reflection of the dismal and backward state of Philippine society.
By MARYA SALAMAT
A hundred members of Piston and the Alliance of Private Motorists against RFID marched from Edsa-Kamias to picket the offices of LTO in East Avenue last Wednesday to press for this demand. They are questioning the LTO’s seeming reluctance to refund the motorists and the LTO officers’ conflicting statements about the status of the money.
By JANESS ANN J. ELLAO
Relatives and friends of the 43 health workers -- among them doctors, nurses and midwives -- who were taken by the military and police in Morong, Rizal province, on Saturday are set to file on Monday a petition for habeas corpus before the Supreme Court. This, after the military on Sunday continued to prevent them, as well as the media, from seeing those arrested in person.
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