The Philippines, as in other countries in the world, is currently facing threats of a dry spell, and President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo is going around telling the people to conserve water to be able to cope with the impending crisis. She is, however, barking at the wrong tree. The dry spell that looms over the country…
Category: Salungguhit
Impending Breakdown?
By Flon Faurillo / Bulatlat The Filipino people have been badly bruised so far by three repressive measures – the calibrated preemptive response policy (CPR), which discarded the maximum tolerance policy in dealing with protest actions; Presidential Proclamation No. 1017, which declared a “state of national emergency” throughout the country; and Executive Order No. 464,…
Impending Breakdown?
The Filipino people have been badly bruised so far by three repressive measures – the calibrated preemptive response policy (CPR), which discarded the maximum tolerance policy in dealing with protest actions; Presidential Proclamation No. 1017, which declared a “state of national emergency” throughout the country; and Executive Order No. 464, which prevented cabinet-level officials from…
Promised Land?
In July 2000, a typhoon that ravaged parts of the Philippines caused a huge garbage dump in Payatas, Quezon City to collapse, crushing more than a hundred nearby shanties and burying more than 500 residents. The tragedy shocked the nation and Payatas came to be considered as a symbol of urban poverty in the Philippines.…
Impending Breakdown?
The Filipino people have been badly bruised so far by three repressive measures – the calibrated preemptive response policy (CPR), which discarded the maximum tolerance policy in dealing with protest actions; Presidential Proclamation No. 1017, which declared a “state of national emergency” throughout the country; and Executive Order No. 464, which prevented cabinet-level officials from…
Disunity and Paucity
By Flon Faurillo Bulatlat The opposition and administration camps are now frantically preparing for the May 2007 national and local elections. The Lakas-NUCD-led administration coalition party has been downplaying the opposition’s chances of winning, harping on the alleged disunity among them. Indeed, some opposition personalities have expressed their intention to run for the Senate with…
Duplicity
By Flon Faurillo / Bulatlat President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has recently backtracked on her avowed pro-Charter change stance, in the wake of protests from various segments of society including major church groups. Her move was apparently intended to diffuse the outrage spawned by the Charter change drive, particularly the questionable manner in which House Resolution No.…
Representatives of Whom?
Caption head, Caption (By Flon Faurillo)
Ghost of the Marcos Era
By Flon Faurillo Bulatlat.com Is the country being visited by the ghost of the Marcos dictatorship? This appears to be the case. Today as in the years immediately before the declaration of martial law on Sept. 21, 1972, the Filipino people are reeling from poverty and an economic crisis that fuel social and political unrest.…
What Independence?
By Flon Faurillo / Bulatlat The Melo Commission, formed purportedly to probe the spate of extra-judicial killings under the Arroyo administration, takes pains to present itself as an independent body. Retired Supreme Court Justice Jose Melo, who heads the commission, has declared however that the body will not look into who the suspects are but…
Cleaning Up
By Flon Faurillo / Bulatlat Petron and the Sunshine Maritime Development Corporation are pointing fingers at each other on who should be accountable for the oil spill in Guimaras, even as both should be bearing responsibility – having entered into a contract. The government, for its part, is clueless on what to do to address…