Media insists that the proposed law is “anathema to democracy” while lawmakers contend that it is a measure to counter the tendency among journalists to resort to “trial by publicity.” BY AYI MUALLAM Pinoy Press Posted by Bulatlat The debate over the Right of Reply Bill (RORB) pending in the Senate and the House of…
Category: Other Stories
Arroyo’s Generals: Militarization and Patronage
The number of Generals surrounding the President of the Philippines raises questions about the nature of the regime. What is the relationship between President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and the military, which includes all branches of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), and the Philippine National Police (PNP), the leadership of which consists mainly of graduates…
Students Intensify Efforts to Stop Hikes in Tuition, Other Fees
Students from various state and private higher education institutions held a series of protests against another impending round of fee hikes for the coming school year. In the midst of the global financial crisis, students argued that increasing the cost of education will drive them out of schools. BY JEFFREY OCAMPO Contributor Bulatlat Students from…
Philippine Gov’t ‘Lawyering’ for US on Smith Transfer, Lawyers’ Group Says
A lawyers’ group has denounced the Philippine government for “lawyering for a foreign government” on the transfer of convicted rapist L/Cpl. Daniel Smith of the US Marines to Philippine prison facilities. BY ALEXANDER MARTIN REMOLLINO Bulatlat A lawyers’ group has denounced the Philippine government for “lawyering for a foreign government” on the transfer of convicted…
More Filipinos Think Gov’t Won’t Deal with Crisis Well
As the country faces uncertainty in the face of the global economic downturn, the latest IBON survey shows that majority of Filipinos doubt that the administration will be able to address the crisis well. BY IBON FOUNDATION Posted by Bulatlat As the country faces uncertainty in the face of the global economic downturn, the latest…
OFW Remittances amid Crisis: Government’s Dependable Source Faces Challenges
The situation OFWs are now facing is a wake-up call for government which has mythologized overseas remittances as some kind of magic bullet for development BY SONNY AFRICA IBON Features Posted by Bulatlat Even as overseas Filipino workers’ (OFW) remittances grew by 13.7 percent last year, the slowdown in growth in December 2008 draws attention…
‘Katas ng VAT’ Did Not Reach Majority of Filipinos
According to the January 2009 IBON Nationwide Survey, 62.5 percent of the 1,500 respondents said that the government subsidy package did not reach them, while 18.1 percent said that it did. BY IBON FOUNDATION Posted by Bulatlat Malacañang released this week the final P4-billion ($82,850,041 at the current exchange rate of $1=P48.28) tranche of the…
To Control Or Not to Control: Is the RH Bill Necessary?
The proponents of the bill say a law is necessary to protect women’s and families’ health, but its opponents say the bill not only endangers women’s health but family ties, too. BY NOEL SALES BARCELONA Correspondent Bulatlat Who will win the fiery battle on the passage of the controversial Reproductive Health (RH) bill now pending…
Red Before Maroon: My Reminiscences of UP
My memories of UP are registers of cognitive and affective experiences. And If I believe in rebirth, then UP to me is like a way station before the quarters of pleasures and pains. Where I am now, remembering is the only answer to dismemberment. BY TOMAS T. TALLEDO* Posted by Bulatlat 1. Anamnesis. To Plato…
Lawyers’ Group to GMA: Terminate VFA
An organization of lawyers has called on President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to immediately terminate the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) and “save the Philippines from humiliation and injustice.” BY ALEXANDER MARTIN REMOLLINO Bulatlat An organization of lawyers has called on President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to immediately terminate the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) and “save the Philippines from humiliation…
Alliance Formed vs Revival of Nuke Plant
Environmental advocates, scientists, activists, members of the academe and religious sectors, peasants, fisherfolk, health professionals and personalities recently linked up to form a broad opposition against the proposed revival of the Bataan Nuclear Power Plant (BNPP). BY RONALYN V. OLEA Bulatlat Environmental advocates, scientists, activists, members of the academe and religious sectors, peasants, fisherfolk, health…