MANILA – Motorcycle riders of the motorcycle ride-hailing app, Angkas showed their force as they protest against the recent decision of the Supreme Court to temporarily halt its operation.
On Dec. 16, thousands of motorcycle riders and Angkas bikers, led by the Riders of the Philippines (ROTP) held Unity Ride along Edsa protesting the SC decision.
Defend Job Philippines expressed its support and said that it stands with the motorcycle riders who lose their livelihood due to the TRO. “We stand with the ROTP and the almost 25,000 Angkas bikers, their families and their fellow motorcycle riders on their just demand in defending their rights to decent livelihood, especially in time for the Christmas season,” Defend Job said in a statement.
The group calls on President Duterte’s government and the High Court to lift the TRO which “in effect suppresses their source of income. The lifting of the TRO would also help out the thousands of Angkas commuters, who were depending on the app service for faster means of transportation.”
The SC decision released on Dec. 5 issued a temporary restraining order against the ruling of the Mandaluyong City Regional Trial Court prohibiting the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) from interfering with the operations of Angkas. The ruling of the Mandaluyong RTC has allowed Angkas to resume its operation in September or 10 months after the government also halted their operation.
MANILA — Tributes for political prisoner Alexander Arias have poured, following his death in the eve of this year’s International Human Rights Day.
“He offered his life up until his last breath in showing and upholding the principles of the national democratic movement. He was determined to be released and once again join the Filipino people in their struggle,” said the political prisoners of Camp Bagong Diwa in a statement.
Arias, who was only 63, passed away on Dec. 9 after suffering a heart attack. He earlier complained of difficulty in breathing but was only brought to a hospital 19 hours later.
He was the third political prisoner to die while in detention under President Rodrigo Duterte’s administration, painting a stark contrast to his promise when he was still president-elect that he will release all political prisoners.
There are 540 political prisoners, as of this writing, according to human rights group Karapatan.
Selfless service to the people
Political prisoners of Camp Bagong Diwa said Arias poured his time and energy in serving the ranks of farmers and workers from the 1980s, even while in detention, and until his unfortunate death.
In a statement, they wrote that Arias found it easy to embrace the struggle of the Filipino people having experienced the feudal and semi-feudal exploitation himself.
He served as one of the leaders of a local farmers group, Alyansang Magbubukid sa Ika-apat na Distrito ng Laguna, and eventually many other organizations in the region.
Their struggles to fight exploitation were rather fruitful. For one, farmers in Quezon province were able to increase their share in produce from a measly 75-25 share with the landlord to 50-50. Farm workers also received higher wages as a result of their struggle.
In 1987, he represented the ranks of farmers in a dialogue before the provincial government during the ceasefire negotiation between the National Democratic Front of the Philippines and the Philippine government, where he raised various issues such as the coco levy fund.
Political prisoners in Camp Bagong Diwa said he remained steadfast in pushing for genuine change, even when there were times that the people’s movement appeared to be declining in Laguna. He worked hard and it eventually paid off with the establishment of a local chapter of today’s biggest farmers group in the country, the Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas.
As a political prisoner
His fellow political prisoners in Camp Bagong Diwa said Arias was first detained under then President Fidel Ramos due to a trumped-up murder charges and was consequently released.
He then once again joined the peasant movement in their province and again earned the ire of state security forces and landed families. He was arrested on April 7, 2012 due to a trumped-up kidnapping and homicide charges.
Political prisoners described Arias as cheerful and comradely. As a political prisoner, he helped in advocating for their release and for the rights and welfare of all detainees.
His lawyer, Maria Sol Taule, said in a Facebook page it was unfortunate that he had died while waiting for the dismissal of the fabricated charges against him. Meanwhile, she added, the likes of former Senator Juan Ponce Enrile, former President now House Speaker Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, the other half of the conjugal Marcos dictatorship Imelda Marcos, and Senator Bong Revilla are scot-free.
Who must be held responsible?
Orly Marcellana, a peasant leader in Southern Tagalog, said in a Facebook post that Arias is neither a criminal nor a plunderer. He added that the late political prisoner only stepped on the so-called rights of landed families and big business interests, whom he widely criticized along with state security forces.
“Those who have wrongly accused him and detained him must be held accountable for the death of Alex Arias,” Marcellana said.
Taule said, “Though you did not live to see your freedom, your hands are no longer in handcuffs and no more iron bars separate you from us. You will remain in our hearts as we continue the struggle to free all political prisoners.”
Despite his repeated orders to wipe out the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP), President Rodrigo Duterte said he is still open to reviving peace negotiations with the Left. Duterte again changed tone and told Cabinet members and other officials in Bicol Friday some communication lines are still open for the revival of peace negotiations […]
The militant labor group Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU) has appealed to the government to implement a P750 wage across the board wage increase in a bid to ease the inflation.
Inflation for 2018 is more than double the Duterte administration’s original inflation target for the year and the highest in a decade, research group IBON said. Along with slowing economic growth, this further points to the failure of government’s economic managers to rein in consumer prices and of its neoliberal policies, such as the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion (TRAIN), which continue to burden the poorest Filipino families, said the group.
The reported annual average inflation rate rose to 5.2% in 2018 from 2.9% in 2017 and 1.6% in 2016. IBON noted that this is much higher than the government’s original annual inflation projection of 2-4% for 2018 and the highest since the 8.2% rate in 2008.
Aside from missing its inflation target, the government is also facing an economic slowdown. The economic growth target for 2018 has already been adjusted downwards from 7-8% to 6.5-6.9 percent. The gross domestic product growth rate already slowed to 6.3% in the first three quarters of 2018 from 6.7% in 2017 and 6.9% in 2016.
Inflation eased last December to 5.1% but the poorest half of the population still saw their real income erode by anywhere from Php3,300 to Php7,300 from the high inflation throughout 2018. Rising prices always spell more difficulty for the poor especially amid low or even stagnant incomes, IBON said.
The Duterte administration should also not be too quick to take credit for the lower year-end inflation, IBON added. The biggest factor easing inflation is not anything the government has done but rather falling global oil prices from increased supply amid a global economic downturn. On the contrary, the Duterte administration’s insistence on TRAIN’s second tranche of fuel excise taxes adds inflationary pressure, the group said.
The economic managers will fallaciously claim that relatively slower inflation in the first few months of 2019 proves that TRAIN and the additional fuel excise taxes are not inflationary, IBON said. Such dismissiveness of how TRAIN makes consumer goods and services more expensive however only affirms the government’s insensitivity to the plight of the Filipino people, especially the poor.
IBON said that poor Filipino families worst affected by last year’s high prices will continue to carry the burden of these into the new year if government does not take genuine measures to curb inflation and arrest a faltering economy. The government can start with repealing TRAIN and implementing a progressive tax system. ###
BULATLAT FILE PHOTO of a picture perfect Boracay, desirable despite the much-reduced luster of its once pristine beach, water that’s now green-tinged, thinner cover of coral sand, and signs of sewer water leaking out of cramped establishments. (Photo by Roland Tolentino / Bulatlat.com)
“It is already clear to the public that Duterte’s directive to rehabilitate the island is only a “lutong macau” because there are already giant conglomerates that will replace local infrastructures and businesses in the island.”
MANILA – Despite President Duterte’s efforts to distance himself from the proposed Chinese-owned casino resort project in Boracay, Bayan Muna Partylist representatives filed a resolution in Congress directing the Committee on Natural Resources and Committee on Ecology to jointly investigate the looming shutdown of Boracay.
The progressive partylist is concerned with the environmental issues that have repeatedly surfaced concerning Boracay, but it is skeptical of the real plans of the Duterte administration. Weeks before issuing pronouncements against “cesspool” Boracay, the Duterte administration approved a Chinese-owned mega casino project in the island.
President Duterte denies knowledge of the casino but his activities showed a different picture. The President Communications Operations Office said in a press release December 6 last year that BORACAY FILE PHOTO Photo by A. Umil/ Bulatlat.com
Bayan Muna Rep. Carlos Zarate finds it very ironic, even intriguing, he said, that while the government recommends the island’s closure for months for its supposed rehabilitation, it allowed the entry and construction of a mega casino-resort.
Through the Philippine Amusements and Gaming Corporation (Pagcor), the government granted Galaxy Entertainment Group (GEG) and its listed local partner Leisure and Resorts World Corp. (LRWC) a gaming license to operate a $500-million integrated 23-hectare casino-resort in Boracay, with the construction to begin soon, said Bayan Muna.
Aside from the high-end casino, Pamalakaya said, a certain DoubleDragon Properties Corp. confirmed that they will build the country’s largest hotel by room count in Boracay dubbed as Hotel 101 Resorts. The two-hectare property will have 1,001 rooms that will be located inside Megaworld’s Boracay Newcoast.
Boracay is currently hosting an average of 14,182 visitors daily. Bayan Muna worries that in the name of “rehabilitation,” small local businesses and jobs of tens of thousands of people may be eased out by favored big-ticket projects in Boracay.
For the fisherfolk group Pamalakaya, the total closure is undemocratic. It has previously scored the Duterte administration for what it calls “sweeping decision without democratic consultation” with the affected stakeholders especially the workers.
“The government must stand and support local small businesses over foreign-owned large businesses. The sale of our lands, resources, and work force to foreign corporations have historically destroyed our environment and exploited and endangered our workers without heed,” Zarate said in Bayan Muna’s resolution.
The Community Technical College of Southeastern Mindanao. Inc. (CTCSMI) Senior High School graduates batch 2017-2018. (Photo by Ruby Ana Bernardo/Bulatlat_
MANILA – There is no stopping them from reaching their dreams, not even martial law declared in the whole island of Mindanao, as the first batch of senior high school (SHS) students from the Community Technical College of Southeastern Mindanao Inc. (CTCSMI) graduated last April 2 for school year 2017-2018.
The graduates were ecstatic as they completed SHS, something that student Estrella Jamil, thought she would never achieve.
“There have been many questions in my mind after finishing junior high school. I asked why the government is making it difficult for us to finish our education. We could have finished college but they added two more years instead. Will I still be able to finish my education?” she said in Tagalog during her speech. She was awarded as the most outstanding student, top 1 and Gawad Iskolar ng Bayan of the CTCSMI SHS batch 2017-2018.
She acknowledged CTCSMI for giving the Lumad and the rest of the Filipino youth yearning for education a chance to reach for their dreams.
At least 30 SHS students finished Grade 12 for the past school year, 14 females and 16 males. University of the Philippines Chancellor Michael Tan, ACT Teachers Rep. France Castro and Bayan Muna Rep. Carlos Isagani Zarate also graced the event.
The CTCSMI is located in Maco, Compostela Valley. It was established by academicians and child rights advocates on Oct. 24, 2013. The Lumad boarding school is the only campus in Mindanao and has no other branch yet in the region.
Sophia Flor P. Garduce, CTCSM school administrator, in an email interview, said that their students came from all regions of Mindanao, “Some came from as far as Western Mindanao.”
The CTCSMI caters to students belonging to low-income families. “As a private school, the CTCSM also seeks to primarily serve children of indigenous people who are victims of neglect, discrimination and the dominant colonial culture, and thus endeavors to exhaust all its efforts to provide a complete and integrated education for them,” Garduce said.
At present, the school offers General Academic Strand for SHS under the K to 12 program. The school also applied for a permit to operate a college and is currently waiting for the release of the approval.
Photo by Ruby Ana Bernardo/Bulatlat
Despite the escalating human rights violations in Mindanao brought about by martial law, the school was able to finish another school year. But it was not easy, said Garduce, as they also faced challenges such as fears of students and volunteer teachers. Garduce said with the help of the Liga ng Iskolar ng Bayan and the Association of Community Educators, they organized students and volunteers teachers.
“We raise their awareness on the true character of the Duterte administration, the structure of Philippine society – the ruling elite and the oppressed and their right to education,” said Garduce.
The boarding school has limited resources; that is why they continue to develop their organic agriculture program so that their harvest will continue to grow and meet the needs of the students, as well as the staff.
Photo by Ruby Ana Bernardo/Bulatlat
Despite having sponsors from some individuals, corporations, religious groups, the non-government organizations, the local government and some government agencies they still strengthen their Save Our Schools campaign as some donors or sponsors are having second thoughts on continuing support to their schools.
It is this reason why Jamil is appreciative of those who continue and do not waver from supporting their school. “Nawa tayo ay patuloy na sumuporta sa Lumad schools, sa makatarungan at mapagpalayang edukasyon sa nakararami at hindi lamang sa iilan. (I hope we would continue supporting Lumad schools and a just and liberating education for the majority, and not only for a few.)”
She also thanked their teachers, the administration, parents and those who guided them throughout the school year.
In her speech, Jamil stressed how the progressive approach of the school has helped her develop by appreciating the importance of criticism and self-criticism, the collective work in their farming, their mobilization for social issues among others.
“I am happy of what I have achieved as well as my fellow graduates. Sa loob ng dalawang taon ay eto na at tatanggapin na natin ang simbolo bilang magsisipagtapos. Sa lahat ng mga kahirapan at katuwaan, krisis, kabiguan ay narating din natin, (After two years, here we are, ready to accept the symbol of our graduation. Despite all the hardships and joys, crisis and disappointments, we finally reached our dream.) she said.
