Tomorrow, May 9, all eyes are on Cotabato City as the indicator of the Bangsamoro vote. The past week has been marred with election-related controversies, with hundreds of teachers protesting over the conduct of preparations for the polls.
The first president from Mindanao failed to alleviate the poverty and to resolve the decades-long conflicts in the island.
Federation of government employees unions COURAGE said the dismissal of 60 employees violated the constitutional and legal rights of government employees to security of tenure.
“Is [Año] justifying the AFP [Armed Forces of the Philippines] and PNP’s [Philippine National Police] massacre of five farm workers and caretakers? The mutilated genitals and broken fingers of Jhonatan and Niño Alberga? Is he justifying how the PNP Baras and the AFP’s 2nd Infantry Division are fermenting Vilma Salabao’s remains and continued refusal to turn them over to her family after three weeks, seven requests, and superficial requirements?” the group asked.
“We continue to condemn the AFP-PNP’s modus operandi of hostaging remains and burying under lies the truth about what really happened to these five civilians,” Karapatan ST said.
All of the incidents happened in communities directly affected by the Bacoor Reclamation and Development Project, which spans 320-hectares along the Manila Bay coastline. The project is composed of two artificial islands, a road network, drainage system, containment structures, storm surge protection, and access ways.
“He poses himself as an advocate of free speech, and welcomes dissent, when in reality he is the number one violator of democratic rights in Southern Tagalog.”
“Instead of providing aid especially to vulnerable communities, the soldiers of the 85th IB are overtly sowing terror through militarization.”
The joint venture, says the BEU and others against the joint venture, would turn water from a natural resource to a profit-generating commodity, to the detriment of consumers. For starters, the union says, a 12 percent value-added tax will be automatically tacked onto water bills once the deal is closed.
“Instead of pursuing a senseless all-out war, the President should devote more government efforts to carry on peace negotiations with revolutionary groups, especially with the CPP-NPA-NDFP, and resolve the roots of armed conflict, which is social injustice.”
Women play a vital role in society and their socio-economic needs must be addressed so they could fully realize their potential.