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Raymond Palatino of multisectoral alliance POWER hopes that City Resolution 6165, ‘A Resolution Expressing the Strong Opposition of the City Council of Manila to the High Electricity Rates Charged by Power Companies’ will inspire other city councils in Metro Manila to pass a similar measure.
“They [foreign investors] would invest here not to develop Philippine media or to enlighten Filipinos but to gain profits.” – Dean Luis Teodoro
“We feel that the Aquino government has let the people down. There are many who continue to suffer five months after the calamity, and the government’s reconstruction is inherently anti-poor.” – Sr. Edita Eslopor, spokesperson of People Surge.
"The military cannot say that they do not have the money to transport their witnesses. It has all the resources—helicopters, tanks and all kinds of vehicles—and a huge budget. It is their duty to bring their witnesses without delay.” – Mrs. Erlinda Cadapan, mother of Sherlyn
Lawyers of the Tiamzon couple asked the court, presided by Judge Madonna Echiverri, to give them five days to study the records and the evidence so they could appraise their clients about the charges being filed against them, but the court proceeded with the arraignment.
“The No Build Policy arbitrarily bans dwellings within prohibited zones without social acceptability, feasible relocation, and livelihood alternatives presented to the displaced families.” – Clemente Bautista, Kalikasan PNE
“If the Aquino administration is only after the accumulation of prisoners [among NDFP consultants] and does not want to address the roots of the armed conflict, then President Benigno Aquino III would be held liable by the Filipino people for killing the peace talks.” – Luis Jalandoni, NDFP panel chairman
“Trumped-up charges are obviously meant to stifle the freedom of movement of political dissenters. This is the bigger crime.” – Cristina Palabay, secretary general of Karapatan
“If the Aquino government is indeed worried only of our safety, how come they are allowing big business and foreign investors to construct infrastructures right where our loved ones died during Yolanda? Why are the mining and logging operations in farflung areas lashed by Yolanda still continuing?” -- People Surge
Under the “Interruptible Load Program” or ILP, shopping malls and factories are set to use their diesel generators this summer so that they would not have to draw power from the grid. The problems is, power consumers would be billed for it.
“The fight against charter change is not about votes in Congress but about the demands of huge numbers of people gathering and forcing their district representatives not to throw support for charter change.”
Part 2 | Who will benefit from Chacha? Not the poor, progressive groups say
Of the P2.26-trillion budget, only the P1.4-trillion were debated and seemingly visible to the public. The rest of the national budget are in the category of lump sum funds, falling under the discretion of the President, and as such are actually pork barrel funds.
Since the tuition in UP increased by 300 percent in 2007, the number of students applying for student loans have also dramatically increased. Recent data from the Office of Scholarships and Student Services (OSSS) showed that 5,391 students applied for loans in UP Diliman alone during the second semester of school year 2013-2014.
RELATED STORY | Almost another blot in UP’s record as a state university
“What they are doing to us is inhumane. Where is justice?” – Jaime Quiambao, one of the arrested farmers of Hacienda Luisita
Today, the survivors of Yolanda’s wrath are also finding it difficult to get back on their feet, not only because they lack appropriate services from the government -- on the contrary they are being “evicted” and forced to accept loans or “cosmetic” solutions of short-term jobs – they also have to contend with increased military deployment.
“Without doubt, she will be a big loss not only to the movement in Malaysia but to the global movement that is striving for a just and better world for the poor and oppressed.” – Sarojeni Rengam, Pesticide Action Network Asia and the Pacific
“The Moro people will continue to endure the national oppression, economic subjugation and dire poverty and backwardness albeit under the signboard of a supposedly newer and better form of regional autonomy.” – Moro Christian Peoples’ Alliance
Renato Mendoza, a leader of the Alyansa ng Magbubukid sa Asyenda Luisita has but one message for President Aquino: “Order your family to stop grabbing our land.”
"Principled negotiations, not the surrender of one party to the other, is what makes for genuine and enduring peace.” – Bp. Deogracias Iniguez, Philippine Ecumenical Peace Platform
“Subsistence fisherfolk need new boats, at least 10-12 horse power motor engines and new nets because all their fishing gears were swept away during super typhoon Yolanda.”
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