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“We have pointed out even before that the government should address the shortages first before they throw money into the implementation of the K to 12 curriculum. It is like wasting money while nothing is being solved.” – France Castro, Master Teacher in Mathematics and ACT Teachers’ Party second nominee.
"Twenty six years after our Constitution mandated free high school education, the government has not been able to make high school accessible to a substantial number of Filipino children." – ACT Teachers’ Party Rep. Antonio Tinio
The schools of the Mangyans have to deal with shortages, water being cut off during heavy rains, and harassments from the military. But they persist and are even planning to expand.
Read also: All the Mangyans want is for their children to learn
Aside from the PCOS machines, Smartmatic claims that it sold to the Comelec numerous equipment worth P1.8 billion, including 5,000 mobile satellite antennas (BGAN) and 680 VSATs for transmission of results to polling and totalization centers with little or no cellular coverage. “If these really had worked, why is it that some 30-percent of the PCOS machines still failed to transmit results on election day?” – KontraDaya
"Smartmatic and the Commission on Elections should be held accountable for non-compliance to and violations of automated election laws and the unconscionable expenses for a defective and non-transparent foreign-controlled voting technology" – Bayan Muna Rep. Neri Colmenares
There has been progress such as in passing laws for human rights and providing a ‘veneer of transparency,’ but none in walking the talk and producing results.
The farm workers are complaining that a year since the Supreme Court decision became final and executory, they are nowhere near owning the land that is rightfully theirs while the Cojuangco-Aquino clan has already been given an advance payment and the decisions of the Department of Agrarian Reform would result in President Aquino’s family retaining control over the land.
"The residents would prefer to live along danger zones than relocating to death zones.” – Kadamay
Citing former Air Force Col. Eduardo Kapunan’s right to “full liberty”, lawyer Lorna Kapunan led her team of lawyers in offering to Branch 98 Rizal Regional Trial Court six exhibits, all but one of which were objected to by the private prosecutors from the National Union of Peoples’ Lawyers.
The international lawyers’ group called on the Government of the Philippines and the NDFP to resume the negotiations based on their previous agreements “to earnestly, patiently and sincerely address and comprehensively resolve the underlying social, economic and political reasons for the armed conflict and resistance.”
“Who among the elected and losing candidates from the senatorial to the local level would know how many votes had they really garnered in this election? Or if the ranking of the senatorial candidates and party list groups accurately reflect their true votes?” – AES Watch
Instead of helping the stranded OFWs, Ambassador Ezzedin Tago allegedly ordered that they be denied electricity and water and food and medicine donations be embargoed.
“Coupled with the implementation of the K-12 program – which has been signed into law despite the opposition by teachers, parents and students – the new spate of tuition increases in basic education will surely aggravate the education crisis in the country.” – Kabataan Partylist
A document with the title “MUNICIPALITY OF TINOC (Target Persons),” which bears the logo of the the Charlie Company of the 86th Battalion (Highlander) of the 5th Infantry Division (North Star), Philippine Army, listed the names of human rights defenders and development workers in the Cordillera and Ilocos regions who are now the subject of intense surveillance and threatening text messages.
“The fight for our rights does not stop at this historical triumph. We will join forces with other workers in other factories experiencing the same working conditions and capitalist suppression—especially now that we have once again proven the power of strikes.”
Read also: What prompted Coke workers to strike
“These irresponsible threats (from Comelec Chairman Sixto Brillantes) are meant to muzzle election stakeholders especially critics for them to just keep quiet amid the publicly-exposed blatant transgressions of the election law, the repeated errors, malfunctioning, and glitches of the PCOS machines, data inconsistencies, and recently, the bypassing of canvassing rules.” – AES Watch
"Our evidence is strong. The suspects were positively identified, again and again, by our two main witnesses.” – Julian Oliva Jr., counsel of the families
“What happened in this election “are very serious concerns of the Filipino people….This constitutes a grave travesty of the peoples’ right to suffrage and the integrity of the votes”– AES Watch
Related Story: Comelec ‘shortcuts’ made votes vulnerable to manipulation – election watchdogs
“We seriously hope that the Human Rights Victims Claims Board will be composed soonest. Martial law victims cannot afford to be disenfranchised, much more neglected again.” - SELDA
Accused former Air Force Col. Eduardo Kapunan admitted in court that he ordered the surveillance of labor leader Roland Olalia, who was later found brutally murdered with companion Leonor Alay-ay, in 1986.
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