This story
was taken from Bulatlat, the Philippines's alternative weekly
newsmagazine (www.bulatlat.com, www.bulatlat.net, www.bulatlat.org).
Vol. V, No. 36, October 16-22, 2005
NEWS AT A GLANCE With or
without dengue, many Filipino children are dying A health professionals
group, Health Alliance for Democracy (HEAD), this week warned the Filipino
public to be alert on what the Department of Health (DoH) is not saying. The
warning was issued following an announcement by the DoH that the season of
dengue – which kills several children every year – is over. In a press statement, HEAD
said the health department ignores the fact that the Philippines’ infant
mortality continues to rise. The infant mortality rate of 29 percent per 1,000
live births (or under-5 mortality rate of 40 per 1,000 live births), ranks among
the highest in Southeast Asia. “An even greater number of children die before
they reach the age of five years,” HEAD added. Only 59 percent of births are
attended by health professionals, and around 10 mothers die every day due to
pregnancy and childbirth-related causes. Belying the government
claim that health is a top priority, the group asked Health Secretary Francisco
Duque III why he was only asking for a mere P10.575 billion budget for next
year. Bulatlat
* * *
Progressive congressman wants U.S. warships probed, seized
Bayan Muna Rep. Joel Virador this week urged
local officials of Zamboanga City, southern Philippines to probe and seize a
U.S. warship escorted by a gunboat reported to be anchored off the province on
Oct. 11.
Virador said that “no foreign vessel is allowed
to enter the Philippine coastal territory.” “Is this part of the anti-terror
campaign of the government? Or is this another covert operation between the U.S.
and the government which the Filipino people are not aware of?” Virador asked. Under the guise of helping
the Philippines fight “terrorism,” the BM congressman said that “the U.S. is
seizing every opportunity to re-enter the Philippines and regain its military
presence in the embattled island in order to reconsolidate its strategic
presence in the Pacific.” Bulatlat
* * * Government ‘bounty system’ endangers
peace talks Reacting to a top police
official’s proposal to restore the reward system for the arrest or killing of
suspected leaders of the underground Left, the Communist Party of the
Philippines (CPP) said Oct. 14 that the government’s revival of its "bounty
system" only exposed government’s “complete disinterest in pursuing peace
negotiations.” * *
* Political earthquake to rock presidential palace Rep. Rafael Mariano of the Anakpawis (toiling
masses) party-list described Oct. 14 the “stern” warning by President Gloria
Macapagal-Arroyo’s allies against the “option” to declare martial law as
“tremors of a political earthquake that will rock Malacanang.” If the president declares martial law or
national emergency while Congress is not in session, Mariano cited “three
scenarios of resistance:” “Senate President Franklin Drilon and House Speaker
Jose de Venecia must immediately convene Congress; the people must resist
Macapagal-Arroyo’s dictatorial rule through the intensification of street
protests; and the Armed Forces must uphold the Constitution and defy an illegal
and unconstitutional order coming from an illegitimate commander-in-chief.” However, Mariano warned that “a declaration
of martial law will further widen the cracks within the administration.”
Bulatlat © 2005 Bulatlat
■
Alipato Publications Permission is granted to reprint or redistribute this article, provided its author/s and Bulatlat are properly credited and notified.
CPP spokesperson Gregorio "Ka Roger" Rosal said that the bounty system "will
only make the resumption of formal peace talks more difficult." He added that as
in the past, “the funds for the ‘bounty system’ will only be used to line the
pockets of high ranking military and police officers.”
Police officials have ordered the arrest of leaders of the CPP, as well as the
New People’s Army and the National Democratic Front after government authorities
unilaterally suspended the Joint Agreement on Security and Immunity Guarantees (JASIG)
signed by the both the Philippine government and the NDF.
Rosal clarified that the CPP-NPA and NDF are “genuinely interested in sitting
down formally with the government side and seriously going through the peace
talks for as long as the other side is also genuinely interested and also acts
in accordance with the agreements and not keep on casting aside previous
agreements and distorting facts.” Bulatlat