By RONALYN V. OLEA
“I’ll keep mentioning this case to the President…It’s just a matter of time, you can expect some action,” Justice Secretary Leila de Lima said when asked about the Morong 43 case. “It’s the case I would want to focus on after the [IRRC],” De Lima said, referring to the Incident Report and Review Committee on the Aug. 23 hostage taking incident.
Category: Top Stories
Mediation Panel Favors Land Distribution at Hacienda Luisita
By JANESS ANN J. ELLAO
On a roller coaster ride in their struggle for the land they till, victory seems to be within grasp for the farm workers of Hacienda Luisita after the mediation panel announced that the land should be distributed, effectively revoking the Stock Distribution Option being imposed by the Cojuangco clan.
Aquino’s Budget Cut on Education Is Worse Than Arroyo’s – Kabataan Party
By JANESS ANN J. ELLAO
With the massive cuts in the budget for state colleges and universities, students could expect more increases in tuition and other fees. This would make tertiary education more inaccessible to the poor.
Student Abducted, Tortured and Missing for Two Days Before Being Surfaced
By RONALYN V. OLEA
Elke Bacalso was abducted on September 8. He is not even an activist, but he is the son of a former political detainee and he campaigned for Kabataan Party-list during the recent elections.
Hacienda Luisita Mediation Panel Suggests Another Referendum
By JANESS ANN J. ELLAO
“The farm workers of Hacienda Luisita had been through so many referendums already. All of these were merely used by the Cojuangco family to deceive the farm workers and keep the land.” – Lito Bais United Luisita Workers Union acting chairperson.
Is the Open-Skies Policy the Answer to Lucio Tan’s Anti-Worker Schemes?
By MARYA SALAMAT
In the short-term, this may close the gap in air transport service that a strike in the Philippine flag carrier would create, but at the expense of sabotaging the demands of Filipino workers.
Peasant Leader Killed in Davao City, the 7th Extrajudicial Killing Under the New Administration
By ANNE MARXZE D. UMIL
His colleagues said Naldo Labrador, 39, a member of Paquibato District Farmers’ Association (Padifa) and Farmers Association in Davao City- Kilusang Magbubukid sa Pilipinas (FADC-KMP) was killed Sept. 3 because he was accused by the military of being a supporter of the New People’s Army (NPA). But the root cause, said Pedro Arnado, chairman of KMP-SMR, is the issue of land.
For ABS-CBN, Six to 16 Years of Service to the Company Does Not Seem to Matter
By MARYA SALAMAT
Her labor case took seven years before the DOLE issued a decision saying Wheng Hidalgo is supposed to be treated as regular employee at ABS-CBN. But instead of gaining job security, Hidalgo was moved around from graveyard to late afternoon shift, and later terminated for rejecting the company’s insulting, long-delayed regularization offer. “I cannot understand why…I gave ABS-CBN my service, love, loyalty,” Hidalgo said.
Inspiring Pioneer of Philippine Drivers’ Movement Gave His Final ‘Boundary’
By ANNE MARXZE D. UMIL
and MARYA SALAMAT
Medardo “Ka Roda” Roda, a towering presence in the struggle for the just treatment of transport workers and of the marginalized sectors for more than three decades, is unarguably the most famous and most well-loved transport leader this country has ever had. He inspires the younger progressive transport leaders and stymies the yellow transport leaders into ignominy by comparison.
Sali Na Bayan!: Amplifying the People’s Voice
By RONALYN V. OLEA
A triumph of press freedom, Kodao Production’s radio program is again on the air, now entitled ‘Sali Na Bayan!’ from 2 to 3 p.m. at DZUP 1602 KhZ AM radio.
Violence and Poverty Haunt Children in Ilocos Region
By JOAN GARCIA
Due to landlessness and intrusions of both foreign and local commercial fishing vessels in the region, children are forced to work for their family’s survival. CRC-Ilocos also documented that children are most affected from the aerial bombardment of the 41st and 50th IBPA, which is part of the military’s counter-insurgency campaign.