By JANESS ANN J. ELLAO
Finardo Cabilao was known for investigating allegations of abuses committed against OFWs in Malaysia. He often went out on a limb for these OFWs. Relatives, friends and nongovernment groups believe that Cabilao was brutally murdered because of this.
By JANESS ANN J. ELLAO Bulatlat.com MANILA — The prostitution case that was to be filed against 18 members of the Kapatiran sa Gitnang Silangan, a Migrante-affiliated group in the Middle East, and the runaway overseas Filipino workers arrested and detained since August 14 has been dismissed. “All of them were already released except for…
By DEE AYROSO
In a remote village in Samar, children are forced to go to school to another village, walking for hours to attend their classes, after the soldiers started coming in and committed atrocities. What happened to Bay-ang illustrates the extent militarization damages not just communities but the education of poor Filipino children, particularly in the countryside.
By JANESS ANN J. ELLAO
The International Day of the Disappeared on Aug. 30 was marked in the Philippines with a ringing of the bells to honor those taken by the regime — a warning to the government that the families left behind by these desaparecidos “are watching” to make sure that, soon, “we will get the justice we deserve.” View slideshow
By MARYA SALAMAT
The massive layoffs in the Philippines brought about by the global financial crisis and the increasing appetite of companies for more profit have exposed yet again the Arroyo regime’s sympathy not for workers but for capitalists. And instead of ensuring that workers’ rights are protected, the Department of Labor and Employment has become an even more willing tool by companies to satisfy their greed.
By RONALYN V. OLEA
Under the bill, no justification can be offered that would allow torture and other inhuman punishments. Those who torture will be penalized as principals, as well as their superiors in the military, police or law enforcement establishments who ordered it.
By BENJIE OLIVEROS
The presence of US troops exemplifies and strengthens US domination of the Philippines. When the Philippines was named as “the coordinating country” of the US in its dealings with the Asean, it meant that Manila could be counted on to promote US interests not only in the country but in the whole region.
The CHR fact-finding mission is in response to a resolution approved by the provincial government of Surigao del Sur asking the CHR to look into the alleged abuses by the military against Lumads. Progressive groups will hold a parallel solidarity mission to the province.
By ALEXANDER MARTIN REMOLLINO
In her revelations of the violations committed by US troops while on Philippine soil, former Navy officer Nancy Gadian also affirmed what has always been the core of US expansionism: using its military power to exploit the wealth and resources of another country. This was the core strategy in practically all the wars America had fought. Its so-called “war on terror” in the Philippines is no exception.
By MARYA SALAMAT
Hundreds of workers at Wyeth, the pharmaceutical giant, have been holding protest pickets to seek guarantees for their jobs and the survival of their 50-year-old union as the company sets to merge with Pfizer.
By RONALYN V. OLEA
The Court of Appeals has granted the Filipino-American activist’s amparo and habeas data petitions, saying that Melissa Roxas’s story was credible. But it also pointed out that Roxas failed to show that the military was behind her abduction and torture, hence President Arroyo and elements of the armed forces cannot be made respondents in the case.