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For reporting slow aid distribution, radio station in N. Ecija threatened by local officials

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For reporting slow aid distribution, radio station in N. Ecija threatened by local officials
Townsfolk crowd Guimba’s municipal hall during SAP distribution. (Radyo Natin Guimba photo)

“What is wrong and what violation is committed by Radyo Natin Guimba when it only gives voice to the people in order for their appeals and complaints to be heard while they are under quarantine and are unable to work?”

By RAYMUND B. VILLANUEVA
Kodao Productions/ Bulatlat.com

MANILA — A radio station based in Guimba, Nueva Ecija condemned the threats of criminal charges by a local government unit using the government’s anti-coronavirus emergency law.

In a statement, Radyo Natin-Guimba (RNG) said the Guimba Municipal Council’s recent resolution authorizing Mayor Jose Dizon to file charges against the radio station for alleged violations to the Bayanihan to Heal as One Act of 2020 or Republic Act 11469 is a direct violation to press freedom.

The station added that the Council’s move is also tantamount to the suppression of the people’s right to demand assistance and relief amid massive loss of livelihood resulting from the coronavirus pandemic.

RNG explained that because of the slow distribution of the national government’s Social Amelioration Program by the LGU, many townsfolk went to their station to broadcast complaints.

“What is wrong and what violation is committed by Radyo Natin Guimba when it only gives voice to the people in order for their appeals and complaints to be heard while they are under quarantine and are unable to work?” RNG said in a statement in Filipino.

Many of the complaints arose from reports that some SAP beneficiaries were rich farmers while many poor peasants have been left out, the station added.

“Some elderly, lactating mothers, pregnant women, solo parents and poor families asked help through our station and complained of discrimination by Barangay health workers, day care workers, Barangay Chairperson and the Municipal Social Welfare and Development Office,” the media outfit added.

RNG also said Guimba police also prevented them from taking photos and videos of people lining up to complain about being excluded from SAP.

Elderly complainants were holding up placards saying “Nasaan ang ayuda?” (Where is the assistance?) “Protektahan ang matatanda.” (Protect the elderly.) “Help us.” “Nagugutom na kami!” (We are already starving!) that the local police also threatened to file charges against, RNG said.

The police also took Ina Jo Colcol, a resident of Brangay Balingog East, and Dexter Eusebio of Barangay Sta. Veronica to the local police headquarters and ordered to delete their photos and videos last May 4, the station revealed.

A RNG field reporter was also prevented from taking photos and videos of the people who trooped to the municipal mayor’s office to appeal their SAP exclusion, the station revealed.

Other attacks on press freedom

Before the town council session last May 11, Municipal Councilor Bonbon Dizon, son of Mayor Dizon, confiscated RNG field reporter Lina Villaflor’s media identification cards issued by the Presidential Communications and Operations Office and the station and took photos of them, RNG reported.

The councilor passed the identification cards’ details to Nueva Ecija assessor OJ Manuel Cornejo via a phone call, RNG said.

It was at the May 11 session that the Council approved Sangguniang Bayan Resolution No. 52 s.2020 allowing the filing of criminal charges against RNG by the mayor.

In an emergency meeting of Guimba’s League of Barangay Chairpersons, Cornejo–reportedly a frequent presence at the mayor’s office while the head of a provincial government office–publicly declared the planned charges against RNG.

Last May 18, RNG’s reporter was told to leave the session room as the topic being discussed was “sensitive.”

Last May 19, local police again confronted a RNG reporter covering the distribution of rice seeds to farmers.

The police reportedly told the reporter to first seek a permit from Mayor Dizon.

“We will not agree to the harassment by the LGU. It is our duty to report truthfully and give the people accurate information as is their right. We do not agree that press freedom is a violation to the Bayanihan to Heal as One Act,” RNG said in its statement.

In a phone interview with Kodao, however, Guimba municipal information officer Sherwin Guiuo denied RNG’s allegation of harassment by the mayor and the council.

“The LGU acted on reports from barangays officials that some whose photos were posted online reacted negatively to RNG’s uploads. In the first place, they are not hungry as the LGU was in fact distributing relief,” Guiuo said.

The officer claimed the resolution is not harassment but obedience to RA 11469’s Section 6 on penalties.

Section 6’s item F orders penalties on “individuals or groups creating or perpetrating, or spreading false information regarding the Covid-19 crisis on social media and other platforms.”

The resolution, however, does not mention alleged false information peddled by RNG.

‘Abusive’

National Union of Journalists of the Philippines Chairperson Nonoy Espina however said the LGU’s actions and plans against RNG are abusive.

“The harassment of RNG and its staff by the Guimba LGU is a shameless trampling on freedom of the press and on the right of their own constituents to know what is happening in the municipality,” Espina said.

“This is clear abuse of authority that has no place in a democracy,” Espina added.

RNG is a member of both the Manila Broadcasting Company’s Radyo Natin project and People’s Alternative Media Network.

The post For reporting slow aid distribution, radio station in N. Ecija threatened by local officials appeared first on Bulatlat.

Labor groups demand safety, health protection amid pandemic

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Labor groups demand safety, health protection amid pandemic

“The government placed workers lives in the hands of private employers who prioritize profit over workers’ health and safety. It has placed workers’ lives in the hands of small employers who do not have the necessary resources,”

By REIN TARINAY
Bulatlat.com

MANILA — Are we safe in our workplace?

This was the questioned posed in a recent webinar as various labor groups have called for occupational safety and health protection for Filipino workers as more businesses resumed operations this week.

Nadia De Leon, executive officer of Institute for Occupational Health and Safety Development (IOHSAD) said that no mass testing, lax policies on workplace safety, policies that will undermine workers’ health, and lack of employers’ and government accountability are a formula for disaster.

“We fear that with these policies, many workers will be infected and die. Unless the government drastically modifies these policies, it will be directly responsible for what will happen to the country’s workers,” De Leon said during the online presser May 20 hosted by Cure Covid. Groups called on the government anew to look into workers’ health, livelihood, and safety with more workplaces opening up.

“The government placed workers lives in the hands of private employers who prioritize profit over workers’ health and safety. It has placed workers’ lives in the hands of small employers who do not have the necessary resources,” said De Leon.

Even before the pandemic, most employers have not been complying with occupational health and safety standards, she added.

Labor leader Sonny Matula said workers have been wanting to return to work as they received no substantial aid from the government during the lockdown.

Transportation crisis

Apart from the issue of mass testing, Filipino workers are also finding it difficult to commute to their workplaces without public transportation.

“Workers are more vulnerable to acquire COVID-19 if there will be no options for a more accessible means of transportation,” said Sandy Hachasco of Malayang Alyansa ng Bus Employees at Laborers.

With the limited access to transportation, more and more workers are now opting to walk from home to their workplace to work.

Restriction of public mass transportation makes social distancing impossible, making them more vulnerable to get infected by the virus. As much as the government is concerned or the lack thereof, not all in the private sector can afford to provide shuttle service to their employees.

(https://www.bulatlat.com)

The post Labor groups demand safety, health protection amid pandemic appeared first on Bulatlat.

Rights groups say Sinas ‘far from being a good, honest cop’

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Rights groups say Sinas ‘far from being a good, honest cop’
Downloaded photo from NCRPO Facebook.

“With the trail of killings, illegal arrest and detention, and other criminal acts committed in the course of the implementation of the local synchronized enhanced management of police operations (SEMPO) in Negros, which were committed under his purview, he is in no way ‘good and honest.’ ”

By ANNE MARXZE D. UMIL
Bulatlat.com

MANILA – Progressive groups were dismayed when President Rodrigo Duterte came to the defense of Metro Manila police chief Maj. Gen. Debold Sinas during his address to the public on Tuesday, May 19.

Duterte owned up responsibility for Sinas’ actions. Photos of Sinas’ celebration of his 55th birthday last week surfaced online. Despite obvious violations to the rules supposedly implemented by the NCR police chief, Duterte said Sinas will remain in his post.

“Sabi mo, “the law is the law”. Well, akin na iyon (Well, that’s up to me). It’s my responsibility. But I will not order his transfer. He stays there until further orders,” Duterte said.

In a statement, Karapatan Secretary General Cristina Palabay said that Duterte’s pronouncements “are preposterous as it does not only convey a dangerous message that promotes impunity, but most importantly because it reveals how this government, within its forces, is coddling perpetrators of human rights violations.”

Palabay reminded the public of the human rights abuses in Negros during Sinas’ stint as Central Visayas police chief in 2019. She said families of the victims of extrajudicial killings are still crying for justice as no single investigation was conducted.

Palabay also took exception at Duterte’s description of Sinas as “honest” and a “good officer.”

“With the trail of killings, illegal arrest and detention, and other criminal acts committed in the course of the implementation of the local synchronized enhanced management of police operations (SEMPO) in Negros, which were committed under his purview, he is in no way ‘good and honest,’ ” Palabay said.

Rights group slams appointment of ‘butchers, rights violators’

Negros killings, ‘a war against unarmed civilians’ — groups

Palabay said the most reasonable thing that the government should do is to relieve Sinas from his post and to hold him accountable, along with the other perpetrators of human rights violations.

Double standards

Kabataan Party-list Rep. Sarah Elago, on the other hand, said that “Duterte’s decision to retain Sinas is a mockery of the rule of law and reeks of double standard.”

She lamented that Duterte and the Philippine National Police are quick to attack the poor, the marginalized, and activists exercising their basic human rights.

“Yet, when it comes to policing their own ranks or investigating the crimes of this regime, they are quick to make excuses and just let it pass,” Elago said.

ACT Teachers’ Party and Assistant Minority Leader France Castro said that keeping Sinas in his post reflects that “the culture of impunity continues to intensify amid the public health crisis.”

Castro said the Duterte administration “uses military solutions to repress the people’s basic rights while allowing those in power get away with violating the same strict rules imposed on the people.” (https://www.bulatlat.com)

The post Rights groups say Sinas ‘far from being a good, honest cop’ appeared first on Bulatlat.

Message of Solidarity on Farmworkers’ General Strike (Italy – May 21, 2020

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Greetings of solidarity to all, friends and fellow migrants! We, in Migrante Europe an alliance of Filipino migrants’ organization in Europe, strongly adhere to the call by the organized farm workers for unconditional regularization. We commend your militant initiative for this general strike and for bringing the voices of the “invisible” migrants, immigrants and displace people in the forefront of the up-coming regularization law in Italy.

Like other ”invisible” people, Filipino undocumented migrants and immigrants all over Europe, are strictly suffering from the havoc of this pandemic. In Italy alone, of which an estimated of 20,000 undocumented migrant workers are left without or minimal assistance from our own government. They were even left out of any assistance from the Cure Italy decree of the Italian government, of which only documented and regular workers can avail.

21 maggio – sciopero degli invisibili: parteggiate con noi

Cara consumatrice, caro consumatore, arriva un momento in cui bisogna parteggiare per difendere la comunità umana dalla pericolosa cultura della devalutazione della vita umana. Domani, 21 maggio, parteggiate con noi per i Diritti e la Giustizia sociale. #nonsonoinvisibile

Geplaatst door Aboubakar Soumahoro op Woensdag 20 mei 2020

We migrants and immigrants share the commonality on the root cause of migration. We recognize our right to migrate for a humane future, for us and our family and this is our fundamental rights. What we are experiencing now is beyond our rights. Migration now becomes a force choice for us to conserve our human dignity as a person. We flee and migrate for there is war of aggression in our country. We flee and migrate from having an environmentally torn country caused by multinational mining and exploitation. We flee and migrate from a despotic and tyrannical rule.

Like you, Filipinos are forced to leave and seek for a better future, but these choice is more driven by the systematic policies of our own government. Ever since, our government knew that it can profit not only from the raw materials that it exports but also from the remittance of Filipino migrants, it then brought into policy the continuous bargain of Filipino workforce abroad.

Labor export policy as we call it, have made Filipinos a mere product, a simple commodity on which to exchange and profit from. In 2019 alone, our government had profited an enormous 29 billion dollars from our remittances. More than 10 percent of the total 105 billion population of Filipinos are dispersed globally. Before the pandemic, 7,000 Filipinos leave our country everyday to work abroad. This situation is strengthen by the implementation of neo-liberal laws and policies dictated by imperialist countries to our own government, thus leading to local mass unemployment, inequity, social injustice and poverty. Yet, they neglect their duties on their service to the Filipino migrants.  

Care consumatrici, cari consumatori

Care consumatrici e consumatori, il vostro consumo consapevole ed indignato è una delle nostre speranze. Uniti possiamo porre fine a tutto questo. Il governo regolarizzi gli Esseri Umani per dovere di Stato, e non le braccia per Utilità.

Geplaatst door Aboubakar Soumahoro op Maandag 11 mei 2020

Thus, we join your call for the immediate unconditional regularization of undocumented migrants/immigrants and displaced people. The pandemic of Covid-19 must not be only a pretext for a humane treatment of all irregular and undocumented migrants. Human rights must be the base of any regularization. We could talk of a vaccine from the disease in six months to a year from now, but if the migrants remain irregular and without access to a proper health care, it is useless.

We share your sufferings and we unite with you in pursuing the rights of other “invisible” people that also taking part for the economic building and development of any host country.  We further call for decriminalization of irregular and undocumented workers and stop  the neoliberal policies dictated by the imperialist countries.  

“Regularization and full citizenship rights for all migrant workers, refugees and displaced peoples”

“Universal right to health and public health for all and not private profit!”

“Stop Criminalizing Migrants and Stop Deportation!”

“End Neoliberal Policies in Third World Countries! Stop Imperialist Domination!”

“LONG LIVE INTERNATIONAL SOLIDARITY!”

Marlon Lacsamana

Secretary-general

Migrante Europe

contact@migrante.eu

Messaggio di solidarietà sullo sciopero generale dei braccianti (Italia) – 21 maggio 2020

Un saluto di solidarietà a tutti, amici e compagni migranti! Noi di Migrante Europe, un’alleanza dell’organizzazione dei migranti filippini in Europa, aderiamo con forza all’appello dei braccianti per una regolarizzazione incondizionata. Elogiamo la vostra iniziativa militante per questo sciopero generale e per aver portato le voci dei migranti “invisibili”, degli immigrati e degli sfollati in prima linea nella prossima legge di regolarizzazione in Italia.

Come altre persone “invisibili”, i migranti filippini senza documenti e gli immigrati di tutta Europa soffrono rigorosamente del caos di questa pandemia. Solo in Italia, di cui si stima che circa 20.000 lavoratori immigrati senza documenti siano rimasti senza o con un’assistenza minima da parte del nostro Governo. Siamo addirittura esclusi dall’assistenza del decreto Cura Italia del Governo italiano, di cui possono usufruire solo i lavoratori regolari e documentati.

Noi migranti e immigrati condividiamo con voi la causa principale della migrazione. Riconosciamo il nostro diritto a migrare per un futuro umano, per noi e per la nostra famiglia e questo è il nostro diritto fondamentale. Quello che stiamo vivendo ora va oltre i nostri diritti. La migrazione diventa per noi una scelta di forza per conservare la nostra dignità umana come persona. Fuggiamo e migriamo perché nel nostro Paese c’è una guerra di aggressione. Fuggiamo e migriamo da un paese ambientalmente lacerato a causa dell’estrazione mineraria e dello sfruttamento multinazionale. Fuggiamo e migriamo da un Governo dispotico e tirannico.

Come voi, i filippini sono costretti ad andarsene e a cercare un futuro migliore, ma queste scelte sono maggiormente guidate dalle politiche sistematiche del nostro stesso Governo. Da allora, il nostro Governo sapeva di poter trarre profitto non solo dalle materie prime che esporta, ma anche dalle rimesse dei migranti filippini, ha poi portato in politica il continuo affare della forza lavoro filippina all’estero.

La politica di esportazione del lavoro ha fatto dei filippini un semplice prodotto, una semplice merce di scambio e di profitto. Solo nel 2019, il nostro Governo ha beneficiato di 29 miliardi di dollari americani delle nostre rimesse. Più del 10% dei 105 milioni della popolazione totale filippina è dispersa a livello globale. Prima della pandemia, 7.000 filippini lasciano ogni giorno il nostro Paese per lavorare all’estero. Questa situazione è rafforzata dall’applicazione di leggi e politiche neoliberali dettate dai paesi imperialisti al nostro Governo, portando così alla disoccupazione di massa locale, all’iniquità, all’ingiustizia sociale e alla povertà. Eppure, essi trascurano i loro doveri al servizio dei migranti filippini.

Quindi ci uniamo alla vostra richiesta di una regolarizzazione immediata e incondizionata dei migranti/ immigrati senza documenti e degli sfollati. La pandemia di Covid-19 non deve essere solo un pretesto per un trattamento umano di tutti i migranti irregolari e senza documenti. I diritti umani devono essere alla base di ogni regolarizzazione. Potremmo parlare di un vaccino contro la malattia tra sei mesi e un anno, ma se i migranti rimangono irregolari e non hanno accesso a un’assistenza sanitaria adeguata, è inutile.

Condividiamo le vostre sofferenze e ci uniamo a voi nel perseguire i diritti di altre persone “invisibili” che partecipano anche per la costruzione e lo sviluppo economico di qualsiasi paese ospitante. Chiediamo inoltre la depenalizzazione dei lavoratori irregolari e senza permesso di soggiorno e la cessazione delle politiche neoliberali dettate dai Paesi imperialisti.

“Regolarizzazione e pieni diritti di cittadinanza per tutti i lavoratori migranti, rifugiati e sfollati”

“Diritto universale alla salute e alla sanità pubblica per tutti e non al profitto privato!”

“Stop alla criminalizzazione dei migranti e stop all’espulsione!”

“Porre fine alle politiche neoliberali nei Paesi del Terzo Mondo! Stop alla dominazione imperialista!”

“LUNGA VITA ALLA SOLIDARIETÀ INTERNAZIONALE!”

The post Message of Solidarity on Farmworkers’ General Strike (Italy – May 21, 2020 appeared first on Migrante Europe.

Waves

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Waves

By DEE AYROSO
(http://bulatlat.com)

The post Waves appeared first on Bulatlat.

Inabot ng gutom, nangutang, ‘di nakatanggap ng SAP: kwento ng ilang street vendor sa gitna ng lockdown

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Ang mga manininda o mga sidewalk vendors ay kabilang sa impormal na sektor sa bansa. Marami sa kanila ay hindi na nakahanap ng regular na trabaho kung kaya’y naghanap ng hanapbuhay na mapagkakakitaan. Ang iba naman ay para sa pandagdag panggastos sa bahay, habang ang iba ay nakahanap ng mas matiwasay na pamumuhay kaysa sa […]

The post Inabot ng gutom, nangutang, ‘di nakatanggap ng SAP: kwento ng ilang street vendor sa gitna ng lockdown appeared first on Manila Today.

Ayuda para sa lahat, ipinanawagan

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Noong Mayo 20, naglunsad ng isang webinar ang Kilusang Bayanihan, kalipunan ng mga organisasyon, institusyon at mga indibidwal na nagsasagawa ng mga relief operation sa buong bansa at ang Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (BAYAN) Metro Manila tungkol sa kasalukuyang kalagayan ng mga Pilipino sa ilalim ng lockdown at kinakaharap na krisis pangkalusugan na pandemyang COVID-19. Inilahad […]

The post Ayuda para sa lahat, ipinanawagan appeared first on Manila Today.

Infant died of Covid-19 fake and malicious story, says Lumad in Haran

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The displaced Manobo Lumads in UCCP Haran clarified that the infant that died last week was not related to the coronavirus (Covid-19) as claimed by some Facebook pages.

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