By Prof. Jose Maria Sison Chief Political Consultant National Democratic Front of the Philippines Posted by Bulatlat DEMOCRATIC SPACE Vol. VIII, No. 4, February 24-March 1, 2008 I am happy to observe that the broad united front of patriotic forces is determined to arouse and mobilize the broad masses of the people in the national…
Tags: Arroyo administration
People Power Fatigue?
The Arroyo government and its allies say that the Filipino people are tired of people power. Does this mean that the Filipino people are tired of condemning massive electoral fraud, putting a stop to extrajudicial killings and enforced disappearances, resisting repression, fighting corruption, struggling against hunger and poverty? That is wishful thinking on the part…
Systematic Suppression
The Arroyo administration seems bent on trying every trick in the bag just to undermine Engr. Rodolfo “Jun” Lozada, star witness at the Senate investigations on the controversial National Broadband Network project. First he was sent off to Hong Kong just as he was set to appear before the Senate, then he was abducted upon…
In Wake of Lozada Exposés: Protests Expected to Lead to Leadership Change
BY ALEXANDER MARTIN REMOLLINO Bulatlat Vol. VIII, No. 3, February 17-23, 2008 For businessman Jose “Joey” de Venecia III, son of ousted House Speaker Jose de Venecia Jr., the series of anti-government rallies that has been started by various groups in the wake of Engr. Rodolfo “Jun” Lozada’s testimonies on the National Broadband Network (NBN)…
The Breaking Point
The highhandedness, the arrogance, the repeated episodes of flagrant abuse of power are all calculated to intimidate, coerce and deter would-be whistleblowers, investigations, and mass protest. What they miscalculate is that strong-arm, illegal and criminal tactics cannot always deter whistleblowers and will even inevitably spur more damaging investigations. BY CAROL PAGADUAN-ARAULLO Streetwise / Business World…
‘Strong’ Peso and Weakening Dollar Hurting Workers
Prior to the specter of a U.S. recession, the Arroyo government had been making much of the historically unprecedented but unsustainable appreciation of the peso. She’s been crediting it to her fiscal managers and “good economic fundamentals.” But Labog says these economic fundamentals cannot be good if they are hurting the very people who should…
In Aftermath of Erap Verdict, a Focus on Arroyo
It is ironic, indeed, that the Arroyo administration, which seemed to have successfully upheld the rule of law and, by doing so, sent a strong signal that it is serious in fighting corruption, is now being regarded as if it were the one on trial. But, according to analysts and critics, there is basis for…
Purges, Personalities and Other Myths
Because this innovative approach of new politics has apparently gained popularity, it is loathed by the likes of Gonzalez precisely because it can disenfranchise the powers-that-be by raising the political consciousness of the people. Bereft of visions and programs that address the people’s democratic interests, they trivialize the elections through manipulation, disinformation and the spreading…
Everyone’s a Suspect
The Anti-Terrorism Bill, which the Macapagal-Arroyo administration is pushing for with support from the U.S., has been criticized by several sectors – including media groups – for containing a definition of “terrorism” so broad it may include even legal protest actions in its list of “terroristic” acts. It turns out we could expect a bill…
On a Temporary Downturn?
While President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo may claim the economic problems did not begin with her administration, she cannot escape the fact that she is presiding over an economy that is not on a mere temporary downturn, as government claims, but in an ever worsening state. By Benjie Oliveros Bulatlat.com Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Augusto Santos announced Dec.…
Anti-Arroyo Forces: The Broadest Ever
The Arroyo administration belittles the movement working for her ouster as a small group of “destabilizers” and “power grabbers” that are unable to muster the numbers to mount a People Power uprising. But the Anti-Arroyo movement working for her resignation or ouster is the broadest ever compared to the movement that ousted Marcos and Estrada.…