By RONALYN V. OLEA Bulatlat.com MANILA –On January 5, jail authorities at the Philippine National Police (PNP) Custodial Center at Camp Crame attempted to transfer Alan Jazmines, a consultant of the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) to Camp Bagong Diwa, Taguig City. According to the letter of PNP Chief Nicanor Bartolome recommending the…
Category: Other Stories
Malacañang-imposed restrictions mar Freedom of Information bill
By RONALYN V. OLEA Bulatlat.com MANILA – President Benigno S. Aquino III finally gave the green light for the Malacañang version of the Freedom of Information (FOI) bill. According to a report, Undersecretary Manuel Quezon III of the Presidential Communications Development and Strategic Planning Office (PCDSPO) said at a news briefing Thursday: “In our discussions…
Still struggling to teach with so little
By ANNE MARXZE D. UMIL
“Not only is it a dishonor, it is also an injustice to our teachers to teach amid conditions of scarcity and slave-like compensation. This is something that President Aquino should have learned in his years of study in Ateneo.” – Gabriela Women’s Party Rep. Luzviminda Ilagan
Heroes of Filipino migrant workers honored
By RONALYN V. OLEA Bulatlat.com MANILA – Then pastor of the United Methodist Church English Speaking (MCES) in Wanchai, Hong Kong, Bishop Solito Toquero witnessed the many hardships overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) faced in Hong Kong. “There was one domestic helper who suffered a nervous breakdown. We brought her to the psychiatric ward of the…
Urban poor slams Aquino veto of debt cap in 2012 budget
By INA ALLECO R. SILVERIO Bulatlat.com The country’s urban poor have one more reason to consider President Benigno S. Aquino III an enemy of the poor: he vetoed a provision inserted by the House of Representatives into the 2012 national budget that would have forced the government to put a limit on borrowing funds from…
Groups demand halt to criminalization of political offenses
By RONALYN V. OLEA Bulatlat.com MANILA — “Is it a crime to offer one’s life for the welfare of others?” This was the statement of Angelina “Angie” Ipong, former political prisoner, during a forum organized by the National Union of Peoples’ Lawyers (NUPL), Dec. 13. Ipong was arrested on March 8, 2005 in Lumbayao village,…
Migrante declares Zero Remittance Day on December 18
By INA ALLECO R. SILVERIO Bulatlat.com Overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) led by Migrante International and its chapters in at least 20 countries will launch coordinated protests and other forms of action on December 18, which they have dubbed as “Zero Remittance Day.” Overseas Filipinos from Australia, HK, Japan, South Korea, Macau, New Zealand, Taiwan, Kingdom…
Government afraid of groundswell of protests – activists
By ANNE MARXZE D. UMIL Bulatlat.com MANILA – If Presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda thinks that protesters who participated in Occupy Mendiola last week are just “copycats,” and so is he, said youth leader Vencer Crisostomo. Crisostomo, Anakbayan national chairman, said the government tries to downplay the protest because of its potential to attract more people…
Fisherfolk in Bohol score victory over scrapping of Panglao reclamation project
By INA ALLECO R. SILVERIO Bulatlat.com MANILA — Environmentalists and fisherfolk rejoice. The Bohol chapter of the fisherfolk alliance Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas (Pamalakaya) Bokkana-Bohol and the alliance Defend Panglao Movement scored a victory recently after the Provincial Board of Bohol officially handed down its decision scrapping the controversial Panglao Reclamation Project.…
Lesbians, Gays demand resignation of DOH’s Ona for homophobic comments
By INA ALLECO R. SILVERIO Bulatlat.com MANILA – Department of Health (DOH) Secretary Enrique Ona is homophobic. Or at least his comments at a recent convention were. Gay and lesbian activists are demanding the official’s immediate resignation after he reportedly issued anti-gay comments during the Plenary Meeting of the Philippine National AIDS Council (PNAC) last…
Solons buck BIR taxation on voluntary social fund contributions
By INA ALLECO R. SILVERIO Bulatlat.com MANILA – Two party-list lawmakers are going against the plan of the Bureau of International Revenue (BIR) to impose new taxes. Antonio Tinio of ACT Teachers Party-List and Luz Ilagan of Gabriela Women’s Party said the memorandum circular issued by the BIR imposing taxes on voluntary contributions to the…