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By MARYA SALAMAT
“The number one threat to Filipino health and job security is the US-Aquino Regime,” whose PPPs “result in privatization, in the abandonment of health as a right of the people, and in denying health workers decent wages and jobs.” – Health Alliance for Democracy.
By LYN V. RAMO
Why, they asked, are they being made to suffer human rights violations, when they have only been working for the indigenous farmers, laborers, small-scale miners and urban poor and, in the process, traveling long hours to reach far-flung villages, some of which could only be reached on foot?
By INA ALLECO R. SILVERIO
“The hospital claims to be a Christian Institution. It even carries the slogan 'Cure the sick and care for every individual who works for the common good of all.' Too bad the slogan doesn’t apply to the employees.” – Our Lady of Mercy Specialty Hospital Employees Union
By MARYA SALAMAT
"If you take the proper nurse to patient ratio in this country more than 364,000 nurses are actually needed…but owing to the volunteer-for-a-fee practice of private health facilities, compounded by the low government budget for health,.. the Philippines finds itself today in a situation where it has seemingly surplus nurses but it also has a pressing need for their services."
By RONALYN V. OLEA
"Why do they keep on insisting that my husband Edwin is the Edwin Bustamante in the charge sheets? My husband is not a criminal,” Lyn Dematera said, in reaction to the continuing detention of her husband, one of the Morong 43.
Dr. Alexis Montes was wiping away his tears throughout the program on Feb. 3 organized by church workers who were involved in the campaign for the release of the Morong 43. It was evidently an emotional moment for him, less than two months after he and 32 others were released after 10 months in detention.
From the time of the raid and their subsequent arrest to the nightly interrogations, they were told that they did not have rights. But the "Morong 43" struggled on internally and against their captors, interrogators, and eventually their prison custodians.
A year ago today, the military and police illegally arrested and detained the "Morong 43" health workers. While most of them have been freed and are now trying to pick up the pieces of their lives, many still have nightmares and still feel vulnerable and exposed to danger.
Sidebar: 'Morong 43' Recall the Nightmare and the Struggle | Dr. Alexis Montes: ‘The Journey Is Not Yet Ended’ | Related Stories: Lawyers Push for Immediate Release of One of Three Remaining 'Morong 43' Detainees | What Newsbreak Failed to Report About the ‘Morong 5' | More 'Morong 43' stories, photos and video
By RONALYN V. OLEA
Atty. Julius Garcia Matibag of the National Union of People’s Lawyers and one of the legal counsels of the Morong 43, said they are hopeful that Edwin B. Dematera would soon be released because they have proven that he is not the same person being accused of rape before a Las Piñas court.
By MARYA SALAMAT
Many hospitals are charging new nurses fees in exchange for work, training and experience, which are required for nursing jobs abroad. This offshoot of the government’s exploitative labor-export policy needs to stop, according to the Gabriela Women’s Party.
By INA ALLECO R. SILVERIO
Bayan Muna Rep. Teddy Casiño said agriculture agencies and government-ran agricultural schools are mandated by the law to promote organic farming. So why are they promoting genetically modified crops like Bt eggplant?
By MARYA SALAMAT
“Health is about people, not profits. The provision of health services should never be contingent on the patient’s ability to pay or the public hospital’s capacity to generate its own income. The provision of health services should be guaranteed by government to its people." –- Health Alliance for Democracy
By RONALYN V. OLEA
Two more of the so-called “Morong 43” were freed today, Dec. 28, after their lawyers convinced the court that the supposedly pending criminal cases that the police and military cited to prevent their earlier release involved namesakes.
Members of the Morong 43 and their children decorate a Christmas tree on Monday, three days after their release from prison after more than 10 months of incarceration. Some of the health workers said Christmas this year is one of their happiest ever. (Photos by Ronalyn V. Olea / bulatlat.com)
33 of the 'Morong 43' Walk Free
By JANESS ANN J. ELLAO
Mercy Castro and Judilyn Oliveros gave birth while in police custody and had been under “hospital arrest.” Their release on Friday signaled not just a new beginning but, most importantly, a continuation of their struggle and commitment to help the poor.
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Morong 43 Recall Abuse by Military