National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) chief political consultant Jose Maria Sison said there is nothing rotten or insane about fighting for independence and democracy. Replying to yet another tirade from President Rodrigo Duterte, Sison said what is insane is killing 30,000 drug suspects as well as mass murdering workers, peasants, indigenous peoples, social […]
VP Leni urges fast arrest of Jolo bombers
Authorities must speed up its investigation to identify and track down those responsible for the twin bombings in Jolo, Sulu on Sunday morning that left 27 dead and dozens wounded, before they can stage another attack, Vice Pres. Leni Robredo said.
Inday Sara to Hontiveros: Read police reports, work on grassroots issues
Opposition Senator Risa Hontiveros should read police reports or perhaps work on grassroots issues before making a claim that the lowering the minimum age of criminal liability is immoral, ineffective and unscientific, according to Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio.
IBON replies to Presidential Spokesperson on employment situation
The Presidential Spokesperson recently said that IBON’s claim of weak annual job creation under the Duterte administration is “mathematically impossible”. There was also the insinuation of being “inept or just maliciously reckless to degrade the achievements of the President”. We are compelled to reply to help the administration come to terms with the reality of the country’s economic troubles and find real solutions.
The presidency has vast resources and can easily verify our computations which use government data from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) website. Nonetheless we are happy to share the computations behind the conclusion that the first two full years of the Duterte administration registered the lowest level of job creation among post-Marcos administrations.
The PSA reported employment of 40.998 million in 2016 which increased to 41.160 million in 2018. Subtracting 40.998 million from 41.160 million gives us 162,000. This 162,000 is the net job creation between 2016 and 2018 or, put another way, the sum of new jobs created in 2017 and 2018.
Dividing 162,000 by two gives us 81,000 which, therefore, is the average annual job generation in 2017 and 2018 which are the first two full years of the Duterte administration.
The same exercise was done with PSA data covering the terms of previous administrations.
For the Corazon Aquino administration, employment was 18.8 million in 1986 increasing to 23.7 million in 1992 – for annual job generation of 810,000. Under the Ramos administration, employment increased to 26.6 million in 1998 giving annual job generation of 489,000. Under the Estrada administration, employment increased to 29.2 million in 2001 giving annual job generation of 842,000.
Under the Arroyo administration, employment increased to 36.0 million in 2010 giving annual job generation of 764,000. And under the Benigno Aquino, III administration, employment increased to 41.0 million in 2016 giving annual job generation of 827,000.
IBON has long relied on the data professionally generated and provided by the PSA. We have been open about our concerns on some aspects of official methodologies used such as the change in the official definition of unemployment in 2005 that obscures real trends in unemployment. Still, there is more than enough official data available to counter the alternate economic reality that government propagandists insist on. Greater honesty with the data at hand is the necessary first step in making real development and inclusive growth for the country possible. ###
Church people gather vs. injustice, lies
“…that same faith compels us to tell the truth and to denounce the ungodly conduct of those who failed to rule with justice.”
By JANESS ANN J. ELLAO
Bulatlat.com
MANILA — “The Church cannot be silent.”
This call, as written in a placard tightly held by a seminarian, summed up the main message of the gathering of church people in today’s One Faith, One Nation, One Voice protest here as they called for justice, truth, and peace.
“Towards this end, we gather unabashedly to declare that our God is not ‘stupid.’ The sneer, false testimonies, repugnant stories and outright lies of this government offend our hearts and human sensibilities,” said the unity statement of One Faith, One Nation, One Voice protest.
Since he became president, Rodrigo Duterte has often ridiculed, threatened, and even vilified the Church and God. Recently, he went as far as urging bystanders to either rob or kill so called “rich” bishops.
One Faith, One Nation, One Voice is the first big ecumenical gathering in a long time that assails government policies that further marginalize the poor. Human rights advocates, child rights welfare activists, and the families of political prisoners and victims of Duterte’s war against illegal drugs were among those who joined the ecumenical gathering.
The ecumenical gathering ended with a human chain along Roxas Boulevard, led by the Movement Against Tyranny.
Attacks against children, rights advocates, and progressives
During the One Faith, One Nation, One Voice gathering, families of political prisoners, Sumifru workers, the Lumad, and the relatives of the victims of Duterte’s bloody war against drugs shared their plight under the Duterte administration.
“We are here to call for peace based on justice. We call on you to join us in our struggle. After all, our fight is not just for us but for the rest of the marginalized,” said a Lumad student.
In his media interview, Bishop Broderick Pabillo also assailed the ongoing railroading of the lowering of minimum age of criminal responsibility.
Finding spiritual experience
Sr. Mary John Mananzan of the Movement Against Tyranny shared during the ecumenical gathering the importance of joining the people in their struggle.
“Akala natin ang spritual experience ay nasa simbahan lang. Hindi po. May spiritual experience sa paglahok sa rally at political actions,” (Spiritual experience is not confined within the walls of the church. One could also get a spiritual experience fro joining rallies and political actions.) Sr. Mananzan said during the protest.
In his joint statement with Bro. Armin Luistro, Bishop Pabillo added that the widespread and gross killings and attacks against its critics and marginalized groups “are equally repugnant to our faith.”
“Consequently, that same faith compels us to tell the truth and to denounce the ungodly conduct of those who failed to rule with justice,” they said.
Sr. Mananzan said church people are being targeted by President Rodrigo Duterte through various government institutions and instruments to stifle dissent.
“This is a most dangerous development because churches and their faithful, like people’s organizations and non-government groups, step in to fill the vacuum, and even abuse, of governance,” she added.
Change his ways
Bishop Pabillo called on the people to join him in his daily prayers.
“Lord, change him. Kung di siya magbago, palitan,” he said.
Meanwhile, Sr. Mananzan said Filipinos cannot trust Duterte to serve their interests as he is “focused on consolidating power, economic and political, and setting up structures to spare the abusive in government from accountability.”
Nardy Sabino of the Promotion of Church Peoples Response told Bulatlat that he hopes that more similar gatherings will be held in the future.
Sr. Mananzan said, “it is up to us to pluck up our courage, stand firm and resist Duterte’s tyranny.”
The post Church people gather vs. injustice, lies appeared first on Bulatlat.
The 2019 Budget: War and Infrastructure Over Social Services, Agriculture and Industry
The bicameral conference committee will begin deliberations on the 2019 national budget next week. These infographics show how bigger allocations for war and infrastructure are prioritized over allocations for social services, agriculture and industry in three proposed versions of the 2019 national budget. These are the Department of Budget and Management’s Budget of Expenditures and Sources of Financing for Fiscal Year 2019, House Bill (HB) 8169 or General Appropriations Bill for FY 2019, and the proposed budget in the Senate Committee on Finance Report on HB 8169 (December 2018).
