By BENJIE OLIVEROS Bulatlat perspective On September 16, 1991, 12 senators, collectively called the “Magnificent 12,” went against the wishes of President Cory Aquino and voted for the non-renewal of the US-RP Military Bases treaty. This paved the way for the pull out of US troops in the country and the turnover of the biggest…
Tags: BENJIE OLIVEROS
The not-so-invisible hand of the US
Paramilitary cult groups were known for their brutality, brazenness and impunity. The purpose, as US counter-insurgency, counter-terror manuals revealed, was to generate enough terror and fear.
Student debt, the bleak future for the youth?
By BENJIE OLIVEROS Bulatlat perspective Shortly upon taking over the presidency of the premier state university in the country the University of the Philippines in 2011, Alfredo Pascual hosted a dinner discussion with the media to respond to questions regarding his policy directions. When asked whether his administration would impose a tuition increase, Pascual said…
Attacks on environmental activists, indigenous peoples, and the destruction of the environment
By BENJIE OLIVEROS Bulatlat perspective Recent Bulatlat.com articles show an alarming trend in the country and the world: the murder, harassments, and forced evacuation being committed against environmental activists and indigenous peoples. The series of articles on Lumad killings and the harassment and surveillance on an environmental activist show why the Philippines is the deadliest…
Deconstructing the phenomenal AlDub fever
By BENJIE OLIVEROS Bulatlat perspective On September 26, the episode that featured the first date of Alden Richards and Yaya Dub in the All for Juan and Juan for All segment of popular noontime show Eat Bulaga, the hashtag #AlDubEBforLOVE reportedly drew in a record-breaking 25,652,800 tweets. AlDub has garnered a broad segment of followers…
No country for old, even young workers
By BENJIE OLIVEROS Bulatlat perspective The Aquino government, according to its Twitter posts, intends to declare as ‘milestones’: the purported decrease in unemployment and the 13th month pay tax exemptions. Filipinos have a term for this: “consuelo de bobo.” According to data and analysis of Ibon Foundation, the country is still suffering from the worst…
Could President Aquino escape accountability for the Mamasapano fiasco?
By BENJIE OLIVEROS Bulatlat perspective When former president Fidel V. Ramos was insisting that the ultimate responsibility for the Mamasapano fiasco lies with President Benigno Simeon Aquino III, being the commander-in-chief, Malacañang responded by saying that Ramos should wait for the results of the investigation. The Board of Inquiry of the Philippine National Police (PNP)…
The President and his men
By BENJIE OLIVEROS Bulatlat perspective The Mamasapano fiasco triggered the second worst crisis to confront the Aquino the son’s presidency. The first crisis was the result of the expose’ of Aquino’s version of pork barrel funds, the Disbursement Acceleration Program (DAP). The anger toward the discovery of the DAP gave birth to the #MillionPeopleMarch and…