Paano kung malapit ka nang manganak pero stranded ka pa rin sa quarantine facility? Isang buwan nang naghihintay ang mga buntis na OFW para sa resulta ng kanilang #COVID19 tests at quarantine certificate.
Pakinggan ang kanilang hinaing.
The post Buntis na OFWs, stranded sa quarantine facilities ng OWWA appeared first on AlterMidya.
Inulat ng Department of Labor of Employment (DOLE) sa isang sesyon ng Senado na aabot sa limang milyong manggagawa ang mawawalan ng trabaho sa pagtatapos ng lockdown o Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ) sa Kamaynilaan. Ipinatupad ang ECQ sa National Capital Region (NCR) mula Marso 15 hanggang Mayo 31, at nakapailalim na ito sa General Community […]
The post Kuwento ng mga construction worker sa lockdown sa pandemya appeared first on Manila Today.
As the crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic continues, many universities in the country have proceeded with the implementation of online classes for the summer term. Our Lady of Fatima University – Valenzuela Campus (OLFU) is no different than others. The school has conducted a Special Online Summer Term or SOST program, which is said […]
The post Our Lady of Fatima University students complain about SOST program’s enrolment system failure appeared first on Manila Today.
“The legislation can be used to violate people rights in the same way the Bayanihan Act was used for mass arrests of ECQ [enhanced community quarantine] violators. Only the anti-terror law is 100x worse.”
By ANNE MARXZE D. UMIL
Bulatlat.com
MANILA – Progressive organizations slammed the hasty approval of Anti-Terrorism Bill amid the pandemic, saying it will “make the country a police state, where protests and dissent are now equated with terrorism.”
On Friday, May 29, the majority of the members of the House Committees on Public Order and Safety and on National Defense and Security voted in favor of the adopted Senate version of the bill which seeks to repeal the Human Security Act of 2007. Only representatives of the Makabayan bloc and Quezon City 6th District Representative Jose Christopher Belmonte voted against it.
Renato Reyes Jr., secretary general of Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan) warned that the legislation “can be used to violate people rights in the same way the Bayanihan Act was used for mass arrests of ECQ [enhanced community quarantine] violators.”
“Only the anti-terror law is 100x worse,” Reyes said on Twitter.
Using Bayanihan to Heal as One Act as justification, the Philippine National Police arrested over 41,000 alleged violators of enhanced community quarantine as of May 2.
Edre Olalia, president of the National Union of Peoples’ Lawyers and transitional president of the International Association of Democratic Lawyers, said that if passed, the law “will be the manual for an omnipotent Big Brother in a police State. “
“It will terrorize targeted critics, dissenters and social advocates more than the real terrorists with unbridled State power and prejudice through subjective definitions, arbitrary arrests, and extended detentions,” Olalia said in a statement.
Read: Why the anti-terror bill is sanctioned state terrorism
Bayan Muna Rep. Carlos Isagani Zarate criticized the security sector for “pushing for these draconian measures while the country is battling the coronavirus disease.
Vague definition
Zarate added that the bill can be easily weaponized and used against critics and members of the opposition due to the vagueness and broadness of the definition of terrorism which is further exacerbated by the associated broad powers that the Anti-Terrorism Council.
Under Section 4 of the Senate approved bill, terrorism is committed by any person within or outside the country regardless of the stage of execution the following:
– Engaging in acts intended to cause death or serious bodily injury to any person, or endangering a person’s life
– Engaging in acts intended to cause extensive damage or destruction to a government or public facility, public place or private property
– Engaging in acts intended to cause extensive interference with, damage or destruction to critical infrastructure
– Developing, manufacturing, possessing, acquiring, transporting, supplying or using weapons, explosives or of biological, nuclear, radiological or chemical weapons
– Releasing of dangerous substances, or causing fire, floods or explosions
If found guilty in any of these acts, the penalty is life imprisonment without the benefit of parole and no bail.
The following acts will also be punished with life imprisonment, no parole and bail:
– Planning, training, preparing and facilitating the commission of terrorism
-Conspiracy to commit terrorism
-Recruitment to and membership in a “terrorist” organization
-Providing material support to terrorist
-Possessing objects connected in the commission of terrorism
-Collecting or making documents connected with the preparation of the commission of terrorism
– Foreign terrorist
Anyone who will also be found guilty to commit the following will also be imprisoned of 12 years:
– Threat to commit terrorism
-Proposal to commit terrorism
– Inciting to commit terrorism
-Voluntarily and knowingly join any “terrorist” organization
– Being an accessory to commission of terrorism
The Senate bill also allows to secretly wiretap, record private conversation, collect data and the likes of a person or organization declared as terrorist. It also allows warrantless arrest and detention of a mere suspected terrorist up to 24 days.
‘Recipe for impunity’
Meanwhile, penalties for law enforcers who commit violations of this proposed law have been reduced. A law enforcer who will be guilty of violating the rights of suspected/detained terrorist is reduced to 10 years from 10-12 years of imprisonment (under the HSA 2007).
Kabataan Party-list Rep. Sarah Elago underscored that the bill would further embolden state security forces to violate human rights. She said that under the new Anti-Terror Bill, penalties for law enforcers for the following acts were removed:
– Failure to deliver suspect to the proper judicial authority within three days
– False or untruthful statements or misinterpretation of material fact in joint affidavits
– Unjustified refusal to restore or delay in restoring seized, sequestered and frozen bank deposits, accounts, assets and records
– Loss, misuse, diversion or dissipation of seized, sequestered and frozen bank deposits, placements, trust accounts, assets and records
– Payment of P500,000 for unproven charge of terrorism.
The Senate bill also removes the provision on the Committee for the Redress of Grievances which originally was stated in the HSA 2007.
Read: Anti-terror bill removes safeguards, accountability of state security forces
Human rights group Karapatan said that by passing proposed bill, the House joint committees just basically “threw out all the position and recommendations of human rights organizations and international experts in the name of fast-tracking President Duterte regime’s desperate bid to crush dissent, civil liberties, and people’s rights.”
In a separate statement, the National Union of Journalists in the Philippines also condemned the passage of the bill at the committee level. “In this classic example of railroading, the House discards a legislative process that allows potential flaws in proposed laws, particularly those that could adversely affect basic rights and freedoms, to be corrected,” the group said.
The NUJP said the bill would negate so many rights, including freedom of the press and expression.
“As it is, this anti-terror bill is patently anti-people and unconstitutional. It will also further worsen the sorry state of human rights in the country as well as heighten the state of impunity of the state security forces,” Zarate said.
The post ‘Anti-terror bill to transform PH into a police state’ — groups appeared first on Bulatlat.
Labis labis na ang pahirap. Kasuklam suklam na ang paraan ng pagharap ng administrasyong Duterte sa kasalukuyang krisis ng pandemiya sa Pilipinas. Mahigit dalawang buwan na ang nakalilipas pero wala paring maramdamang anino ng tunay na pagkalinga ang pamahalaang ito sa gipit na kalagayan ng maraming mamamayan, kabilang na ang mga manggagawang Pilipino sa ibayong dagat. Patung-patong na ang kasalanan nito sa pang-araw araw na pananatili pa nito sa pwesto. Ang nakuhang emergency powers ni Duterte sa kalagitnaan ng krisis ng Covid-19 ay ginagamit para lamang magkamal ng militaristang kapangyarihang manupil at hindi upang gamitin sa pagharap at pagsugpo sa sakit.
Kulang na nga at mabagal ang ayuda, nagawa pa ng gobyerno nito na unahin ang pagbabawas ng buwis ng mga malalaking korporasyon sa pamamagitan ng Corporate Recovery and Tax Incentives for Enterprises Act (CREATE) na isa sana sa maaaring panggalingan ng 667 bilyon pisong karagdagang pondo para mailaan sa pagharap sa krisis ng covid. May paluwag siyang binibigay sa mga kakamping oligarkiya habang ang mga “bagong bayaning” ofws ay gigipitin sa pagpiga ng sapilitang bayarin at pagpapasapi sa Philhealth insurance. Samantala, kung hindi pa nangalampag at nag-ingay ang libu-libong istranded na umuwing mga ofw, hindi pa sila makakalaya mula sa mahigit isang buwang pagkakulong sa mga quarantine facilities ng gobyerno.
Ubos na raw ang budget, at kailangan muling mangutang o di kaya’y ipagbili ang ilang asset ng gobyerno, pero hindi malinaw na maipaliwanag kung saan napunta ang 275 bilyong pisong inaprubahan ng kongreso, 500 milyong dolyar na utang sa World Bank at 200 milyong dolyar na utang naman sa Asian Development Bank. Nagawa pa nga nitong unahin ang planong pagbili ng mga armas sa U.S. na nagkakahalaga ng mahigit 75 bilyong piso, liban pa sa nauna nang ginastos nito na 2.4 bilyong pisong halaga ng mga armas mula sa Israel.
Sintunado ang tugtog ng mga ahensya ng gobyerno ni Duterte sa pagsasalarawan ng tunay na kalagayan ng pandemiya sa bansa. Habang si presidential spokeperson Harry Roque ay nagsabing naabot na ang target na 30,000 per day na test sa covid, iba naman ang aktwal na bilang at pahayag ng DOH. Sinasalungat din niya ang subok na at naisapraktikang mass testing sa iba’t ibang panig ng mundo, na nasa protocol ng World Health Organization (WHO). Pilit na binabaluktot ito sa pagbanggit ng mga terminolohiyang “expanded and targeted” testing. Liban pa rito’y tuluyan ng ipinasa ang obligasyong ito sa pribadong sektor. Sa kasalukuyan 289,732 pa lang ang na test sa Pilipinas. Ibig sabihin nito’y 2.64 lang sa bawat isang libong tao ang na test . Malayung-malayo ito sa direktiba ng WHO sa panawagang malawakang testing ang kailangan sa pagsugpo sa Covid-19.
Walang nagingibabaw sa batas, liban lamang sa humahawak at nagpapatupad nito! Kaya itong paikutin ng mga nasa posisyon at kapangyarihan. Libu-libo ang hinuli at inaresto sa paglabag sa quarantine, at may kung ilan na rin ang namatay at pinatay. Samantala, ang mga nagunguna sa mga paglabag nito ay mga tauhan ng administrasyon ni Duterte. Masaklap pa, mismong sa bibig ni Duterte lumabas ang pag-aabswelto, tulad na lamang ng kaso ni Gen. Debold Sinas ng PNP.
Mahaba pa ang talaan ng mga kapabayaan ng rehimeng Duterte sa mamamayan at mga manggagawa sa ibayong dagat. Araw araw pa itong nadadagdagan at patuloy na pinatitindi. Ang pinakahuli’y ang pagratsada ng kongreso at senado ng Anti-terrorism bill 2020 na ang pinakalayunin bukod sa pagsupil sa mga katunggali sa pulitika at kritiko ay ganap na maisakatuparan ang militaristang pamamahala katambal ng naunang emergency powers na kanyang nakuha. Hindi man nito nakamit ang pagpapalawig ng kapangyarihan sa pamamagitan ng Pederalismo , ngayon ay madali na itong makukuha sa tambalan ng dalawang nabanggit. Nahubaran na ng tuluyan kung anong anyo mayruon ang kanyang gobyerno.
Ang mamamayan kasama ng mga manggagawang Pilipino sa labas ng bansa ay hindi na makapaghihintay pa ng eleksyon. Sapat sapat na ang mga krimen ng rehimeng ito upang ang taumbayan mismo ang magpatalsik sa kanya sa puwesto. Hindi habang buhay ang paghawak sa kapangyarihan. Hindi habang panahon ang kapabayaan at kasinungalingan. Hindi habang panahon ang pagkikibit balikat at pananahimik. Ngayon ay panahon ng paglaban. Pasismo ng Estado Biguin ! Duterte Patalsikin!
Serbisyong Medikal Hindi Batas Militar! / Free Mass Testing Now! / Universal FREE health coverage now!
PUBLIC not private health insurance! / PUBLIC health not private profit! / Health care is a HUMAN RIGHT! / NO to mandatory PhilHealth payments! / NO to mandatory PhilHealth membership!
Migrante Europe
The post Pasismo ng Estado Biguin ! Duterte Patalsikin! appeared first on Migrante Europe.
The Office of the National Task Force to End the Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) recently released in social media posts (especially in Facebook) the names of organizations linking pro-people organizations to the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP); fomenting threats and condemnations from among the online followers of the military and the Duterte government.
The gross red-tagging of people’s organizations, partylist groups, and even of religious groups is a blatant disregard of basic democratic rights.
These organizations are legal pro-people organizations; the partylist groups elected in Congress (Bayan Muna, Gabriela, ACT, Kabataan and Anakpawis) are all duly recognized by the Commission on Elections (COMELEC), each party represents a specific marginalized sector in the country, bringing pro-people concerns thru participation in Congress. And other organizations representing the media, students, indigenous people, migrants, environment, farm workers, urban poor, labor and others.
The religious groups identified are the following: National Council of Churches in the Philippines, Iglesia Filipina Independiente (IFI), United Church of Christ in the Philippines (UCCP), Promotion of Church Peoples’ Response (PCPR). The tagged organizations are duly recognized faith groups doing spiritual and social ministry to Filipinos, with longstanding history for promoting social justice and defending human rights.
Migrante International, an international organization of migrant Filipinos abroad (and a co-signatory of this call) is one those red-tagged in social media; we manifest our support to Migrante, aware that this organization will not be cowed by this recent malicious branding.
Rodrigo Duterte and his war-freak police and military forces, in the name of National Task Force to End the Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC), is using the dirty-old tactic of red-tagging.
We are all aware that this recent red-tagging is stained with violence and malicious intent as it were in the past, consistently defaming the value of human rights and of our dedication to serve the poor. We want to remind the implementors and campaigners of this red-tagging scheme that we will pursue legal investigation and accountability for the threats, intimidations and violence done to the leaders, organizers and members of the named groups.
We call our fellow Filipinos to never be deceived by the hopeless campaigns of the National Task Force to End the Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC); be completely aware that the Department of National Defense, the Armed Forces of the Philippines and other sectors of the state forces are using peoples’ money for this media campaign enterprise; and be vigilant that our own government is sanctioning the killings and salvaging of our activists, organizers and members of peoples’ organizations.
As the country faces the grim impacts of the pandemic, and as the Filipino people are suffering from the incapacities of government response; the military and their agents have still the nerve to instill violence and threats to organizations and individuals. Recently, Carlito ‘Karletz’ Badion, Secretary-General of Kalipunan ng Damayang Mahihirap (KADAMAY) was murdered by the state-forces in Ormoc, Leyte. As we condemn this vicious killing of our comrade, we offer our salute to ‘Ka Karletz’ for his selfless dedication and service to the urban poor.
Our network of organizations in Europe condemn this malicious red-tagging of our allied organizations, fellow activists, and members of the red-tagged groups! We are not terrorists! The Duterte Government is! The AFP-PNP tandem is the one terrorizing our organizers and leaders in the communities, with threats and deaths! You are the terrorists in military clothing!
The post Press Release: STOP THE RED TAGGING appeared first on Migrante Europe.
By PATIS MUNGCAL
National Council of Churches in the Philippines
Psalm 104:1,24, 29-31, 34
Acts 2:1-11
1 Cor. 12:3-7, 12-13
John 20:19-23
Our reading from Acts greeted us with this line. Being in the nth day in lockdown because of the COVID-19, this line made me ache for a sense of togetherness. Although we have made strong efforts to maintain our sense of community from distance and in isolation, I am sure that I’m not the only one in need of a warm-bodied fellowship to grieve and weep, express compassion, and envision the better normal we deserve.
In a stronger sense, we are still in one place. We may not be together, but we are living in one place. We are living in a place of vulnerability and uncertainty. We are in a place of fear and hopelessness, of anger and frustration. And in this place, we are striving to cultivate compassion and hope.
But although we are in one place with a common threat, we are still facing different hardships and struggles. For the most of us, this place is a place of hunger where in order to get food, there is a high risk of being arrested. Meanwhile for some, the comfort of affording to go to groceries or availing food delivery services still exists. Most of our kababayan are forced to work just to have something to eat and are practically being sacrificed at the altar of profit, to keeping the economy rolling. (Imagine, profit at the expense of peoples’ lives!) While some could stay comfortably in their own homes and even shout with utmost delight, “Ang sarap ng buhay!”
It is even baffling to see that in the thick of the pandemic, while we are almost immobile because of the lockdown and blinded with false information and confusion, our sisters and brothers are still suffering the ruthless dog-eat-dog world outside. There have been reports of killings in urban poor communities in Metro Manila. Arrests and killings related to the drug war continue, and now detentions allegedly because of “quarantine violations” became rampant. These happen amid the resounding call of the international community to release prisoners to combat the spread of the virus in prison and detention facilities.
It is also beyond disturbing to still see and experience false allegations and malicious accusations against cause and service oriented organizations in the form of red-tagging and arbitrary arrests. Just on Friday night, a State task force released a malicious list that red-tags various legal organizations, including the National Council of Churches in the Philippines. This came urgently after the amendments on the Human Security Act, known as the Anti-Terror Bill, was passed at the House Committee level. The travesty!
In this place we are in, we find ourselves facing not just the pandemic but also government neglect and corruption (excessive use of power) and state-sponsored attacks.
Here, just like the disciples in the Gospel of John, we find ourselves huddled together longing to hear the words, “Peace be with you!” We are longing for the day we finally survive this. Waiting for him to breathe on us. But as Christians pursuing the vision of earth as it is in heaven, we know that the peace we desperately need won’t be simply handed over to us. For this, we need justice. We should know by now that there is no peace without justice.
In the reading of Acts, we saw a vibrant scene of speaking of tongues, how daring. This reminds me of a story from their ancestors when tribes were scattered in Babel with different languages. They were blabbering and no one understood them. But here in the reading, people were utterly amazed by how they are familiar and immediately connected with the language of their leaders.
I hope this story of the Pentecost compels us to speak the tongues of the people, as what our current pandemic situation demands. As we continue to live every day under the pandemic, as followers of the God of justice, I hope that we may never give in to the temptation to be silent and be complacent as the State and the ruling class slowly reveal to us the “new normal” that would only selfishly favor their interests. If we don’t learn to speak the tongues of the people, if we don’t shout with them their calls #MassTestingNow, #AyudaNgayonNa, and #SerbisyongMedikalHindiMilitar, we fail to do our crucial role as church-people.
Therefore I invite you to listen to the cries of the people in order to speak the tongues of the people. We must feel the oppression of the people. In the face of fear and uncertainty, us Christians are being compelled to step up, speak out, and act together. Out of chaos and suffering, God birthed the Church. And so in this time of struggle, may the Church with the people give birth to a “new normal” that is founded upon justice and peace.
May this be our united prayer and mission.
Balik-Tanaw is a group blog of Promotion of Church People’s Response. The Lectionary Gospel reflection is an invitation for meditation, contemplation, and action. As we nurture our faith by committing ourselves to journey with the people, we also wish to nourish the perspective coming from the point of view of hope and struggle of the people. It is our constant longing that even as crisis intensifies, the faithful will continue to strengthen their commitment to love God and our neighbor by being one with the people in their dreams and aspirations. The Title of the Lectionary Reflection would be Balik –Tanaw , isang PAGNINILAY . It is about looking back (balik) or revisiting the narratives and stories from the Biblical text and seeing ,reading, and reflecting on these with the current context (tanaw).
The post Balik-Tanaw | Pentecost: Together in one place appeared first on Bulatlat.