Bu-lat-lat (boo-lat-lat) verb: to search, probe, investigate, inquire; to unearth facts Volume 3, Number 10 April 6 - 12, 2003 Quezon City, Philippines |
NEWS AT A GLANCE Arroyo
gov't should answer for Davao wharf bombing Political
party-list Bayan Muna last week held the Macapagal-Arroyo government reponsible
for the April 2 bombing in Davao City that killed at least 15 civilians and
injured at least 44 others. In
a statement, Roberto de Castro, Bayan Muna deputy secretary general, castigated
the police and the military “not only for their apparent failure to prevent
such incident from occurring the second time, but also for failing to apprehend
the actual perpetrators.” The
first explosion which took place barely a month ago killed 21 people. De
Castro said that instead of merely declaring Davao City under a “state of
lawlessness,” the Macapagal-Arroyo administration should accept blame for such
a serious lapse in security. Furthermore, De Castro warned the government not to capitalize on the incident by asking for additional emergency powers. *
* * Militant
group scores GMA’s anti-terror scheme * * * Filipino
health workers demand protection of people’s health Amid
the killer pneumonia brouhaha, Filipino health workers reiterated their call to
increase the national budget for health. “The
virtual panic created over SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome) is because
of the chronic crisis people have seen of our health care delivery system. SARS
threatens to exacerbate the health crisis the country is facing,” said Dr.
Joseph Carabeo of the Health Alliance for Democracy (Head). Carabeo
further said, “Though the virus SARS is not here, there is another S.A.R.S.
that has long been here. This is S-everely A-nemic R-esources for (Health) S-ervices.”
Carabeo said public hospitals have been charging fees for services and
medicines because their budgets have been severely cut.
“Many who are sick opt to delay or even forego medical treatment,” he
explained. The
Head leader challenged the Arroyo government to review its priorities, “What
we need is the kind of response
that requires a substantial investment of resources, sincerity and not political
gimmickry. The government allots only P0.50 for every Filipino’s health. * * * Activist-solon
scores libelous, anti-Left pseudo-documentary Bayan
Muna Rep. Crispin Beltran over the weekend expressed indignation over a
documentary broadcast on RPN-9 at 10 p.m. last April 3. Beltran
said the sequestered TV station portrayed members of people's groups such as the
Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU) and the League of Filipino Students (LFS) as rabble
rousers. Mass actions led by KMU and the LFS were particularly featured, and the
organizations were labeled as “communist fronts.” There
were also simulated scenes or
supposed “re-enactments” of incidents where
ordinary people were being threatened and abused by supposed communist
"thugs." The armed men who were supposedly portraying members of the
New People's Army (NPA) were depicted as kidnappers and thieves - stealing food
and other supplies from the ordinary 'masa.' "If
the writers and producers had the courage to attack LFS,
KMU, Bayan Muna, as well as the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP)
and the New People's Army (NPA), then they shouldn't be afraid to take credit
for their work,” Beltran said. Beltran
said that there were no credits but he suspects Malacanang's hand in its
production as “President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo was portrayed like she was a
savior, and her programs the solutions to the country's problems.” "Definitely,
the National Security Council (NSC) and the Department of National Defense's (DND)
so-called intelligence arm were involved,” Beltran said.
He
said that Bayan Muna is considering filing charges against the producers and
makers of the documentary. Bulatlat.com We want to know what you think of this article.
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