A child rights advocate here has reiterated its opposition to repeal the set minimum age of criminal responsibility under the Republic Act 9344 or the Juvenile Justice and Welfare Act of 2006.
Two weeks in Mindanao: Two farmers shot, four teachers abducted, five students tortured and a family assaulted
“Two dead, four missing, a family assaulted and five minors tortured by government forces in Mindanao – all in a span of two weeks! This is the real face of martial law, the reality that the Duterte regime is desperately trying to whitewash. The government, however, is still eyeing the extension of military rule in Mindanao, insistent on cracking down against marginalized sectors raising legitimate demands. The perpetrators are guaranteed protection, while the Filipino people are left to suffer unbridled repression and plunder,” said Karapatan secretary general Cristina Palabay, citing the recent cases of killings and frustrated killings, abduction, and torture in Mindanao.
Duterte strikes again
In the time of the state visit of China’s President Xi Jinping, “Santo Rodrigo” attacked the church again.
To nail down the critics of the church leaders against the agreements which the Philippine had entered into with China, Duterte attacks Bishop Pablo David, the prelate of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Caloocan.
The good bishop had already denied Duterte’s accusations, but at this time he is a good “scapegoat” of the present pressing and fresh issues: the signed agreements between the Philippines and China.
The Duterte government knew very well that the Filipino activists condemned the visit of Xi Jinping because it will only worsen the territorial sovereignty issues in the West Philippine Sea, as well as economic sovereignty issues in the plunder of our resources for investments—actually a debt trap China has laid for the Philippines. Led by Bagong Alyangsang Makabayan (Bayan), activists’ protest reverberated the people’s cry: “Philippines is not for sale.”
To thwart the churches’ support to the call of the nationalist and progressive sectors in the Philippine society, Duterte assaults one of the leading leaders of Philippine Churches and one of the most vocal critic and opponent of the Tokhang policy of his government.
Duterte’s “complaint” was directed to the very core of Christian giving in the Roman Catholic (RC). Duterte is aware that Roman Catholic parishes receive offerings including “in kind” products of the people, as these practices are very popular not only with RC Church but also with other churches like the Iglesia Filipina Independiente. He did not mention the giving of tithing as evangelical churches and born Again Christians have taught their members to give as a minimum standard of Christian giving.
Duterte accused Bishop David of “stealing” the Church offerings and donations “for personal use.”
This accusation is very alarming because Duterte mentioned the “in kind offerings” of the people, especially poor people, which can entice the people to leave the RC Church. He recently urged the people to “build chapel in their house.” He added that Bishop David had “taken drugs.”
Duterte’s statements are also absurd and libelous because accusing a prelate of “taking Church donations for (his) family” cannot not be proven. But this attack is only an attack for the sake of diverting an important issue during this time, which is the unequal agreements between the Philippines and China. To blunder his way through the China-Philippines exploration deal and other investment portfolio yet to be revealed to the people, Duterte went on another rampage against the church.
Duterte used gossip method of attacking Bishop David.
He said, “Alam mo totoo lang, sabihin ko sa inyo, iyong mga offerings, iyong mga pinya, mga avocado, saging, saan napupunta iyan? Gusto ninyong malaman? Gusto ninyo ng video? Ibigay ko sa inyo. Doon sa pamilya niya.”
[You know what, I will tell you, those offerings, the pineapples, the avocados, banana, where do they go? You want to know? You want a video? I will show you. It goes to his family.]
Duterte also put malice on “second collections” or offerings are popular forms of giving for social concern funds.
Duterte continues to mock the church leaders and their teachings basically to distract the people’s attentions away from important issues that affect the nation, that will ultimately affect the life of the people.
The deals of the Philippines and China on oil and gas development, infrastructure projects, roads and expressways, railways, industrial parks, building of bridges, water supplies and dam projects, support to basic education, information and communication technology, assistance to agricultural cooperatives, agricultural products for export, project feasibility studies, foreign services, bonds insurance, and banks operations.
All of these agreements will further degrade the life of the Filipino people and their misery will surely awaken them to participate in the struggle of the people national liberation and democracy. Duterte’s scapegoat of these issues in the meantime is attacking the offertory means of the Church. The people have been aware of this government tactic.
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Families and supporters demand freedom for jailed NDFP consultants
Families and supporters of National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) peace consultants Rafael Baylosis, Adelberto Silva and Vicente Ladlad gathered in an activity last Saturday, November 23, at the Immaculate Concepcion Multipurpose Building in Cubao, Quezon City to call for their release . The Philippine Peace Center (PPC) and Kapayapaan–Campaign for a Just and […]
Pahayag ng Anakbayan-UP Manila hinggil sa #lonsileaks, frat-related violence
Kinukundena ng Anakbayan UP Manila ang mga anti-kababaihan at anti-mamamayang pahayag ng mga miyembro ng Upsilon Sigma Phi Fraternity (Upsilon) sa isang kumalat na group chat. Sa pahayag ng Upsilon na pagkundena sa diskriminasyon laban sa mga sektor na nadawit sa group chat, ipinanawagan namin na mapapanagot ng fraternity ang kanyang mga miyembro na sangkot sa gayong mapaminsala at hindi produktibong gawi. Hinihingi rin namin ang kanilang aktibong papel sa pagkakaroon ng mapayapang resolusyon sa mga insidente ng frat-related violence.
Nakababahala na ang mga kamuhi-muhing mga pananaw na nabasa ng madla sa group chat na iyon ay katulad ng mga kasuklam-suklam na pananaw at pahayag ng pangulo ng Pilipinas na si Rodrigo Duterte (hal. sa mga tinuran ni Duterte ang pagpapabomba sa mga paaralan ng Lumad, guguyurin sa harap ng mga drayber ang jeep nila, pagsasabing maraming rape sa Davao dahil maraming magandang kababaihan doon, ‘mayor ang dapat nauna’, pag-uutos sa pagsasagawa ng gera laban sa mga komunista sa paraang labag sa international humanitarian law, at iba pa). Nakalulungkot na ang mga binitawang pahayag ni Duterte ay nakaimpluwensiya sa ilang mga miyembro ng Upsilon. Malamang maraming iba pang naimpluwensiyahan, hindi lamang sa mga fraternity kundi lalo pa nga sa mga miyembro ng Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) at Philippine National Police (PNP). Aktwal na isinasakatuparan ng AFP at PNP sa mga operasyon nito ang mga nasabing pananaw ng pangulo, kung kaya’t libu-libo ang napatay na saspek sa gera kontra droga, libu-libo ang apektado sa militarisasyon sa kanayunan, higit isang daan ang pulitikal na pamamaslang sa ilalim ni Duterte at napakaraming paglabag sa karapatang pantao at walang napapanagot. Dagdag pa ang de facto martial law sa bansa, nagpatapang ang mga pahayag ni Duterte sa AFP at PNP at nananaig sa bansa ang isang kultura ng walang pakundangan (culture of impunity). Habang nananawagan kaming panagutin ang mga miyembro ng Upsilon sa mga iresponsableng pahayag sa group chat, nananawagan din kaming panagutin ang rehimen na promotor ng ganitong mga pananaw. Hamon sa organisasyon ng Upsilon na itakwil ang anti-kababaihan, anti-mamamayan at militaristang pananaw ng rehimeng Duterte at makipagkaisa sa mamamayan sa paglaban sa pasistang si Duterte.
Ang kultura ng karahasan sa mga fraternity ay inanak ng dekadente, patriyarkal at pyudal na sistema ng lipunan. Hindi rin kumpletong malalabanan o mapapawi ang kultura ng karahasan kundi lalabanan ang nabubulok na sistemang ito. Naiba ang oryentasyon ng mga college fraternity sa bansa sa paglakas ng kilusang anti-imperyalista sa panahon ng First Quarter Storm, kung saan malaki ang naging papel ng mga fraternity sa pagpapabagsak sa diktaduryang Marcos. Kung kaya’t hinihikayat namin ang mga fraternity at iba pang organisasyon na ibuhos ang lakas, enerhiya at tapang sa kilusan para sa panlipunang pagbabago, gaya na lamang ng ipinamalas nila noong FQS, Edsa 1 at Edsa 2.
Hamon din namin sa lahat ng organisasyon ng kabataan na gawing ehemplo ang pagpupunyagi ng pinakaunang kapatiran sa bansa: ang Kataas-taasan, Kagalang-galangan, Katipunan ng mga Anak ng Bayan (KKK) na itinaguyod nina Andres Bonifacio. Ibinuwal ng Katipunan ang 333 taong paghahari ng kolonyalistang Kastila sa bansa. Humalaw tayo ng inspirasyon sa KKK at kay Bonifacio na nagawang pagkaisahin at pukawin ang buong bayan sa isang pinakamakabuluhang adhikain.
Malaking hamon sa kabataan ngayon ang labanan at wakasan ang tiranikong rehimeng nagpapalaganap ng anti-kababaihan, anti-mamamayan at anti-nasyunal na pananaw at patakaran. Higit pa rito, ipamalas natin sa buong bayan na ang kabataan ay handang kumilos para magkaroon ng tunay na makatarungan, demokratiko at malayang lipunan.
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‘Dapat mas matakot ang mga dapat managot’
Sa umano’y pananakit ng ilang fraternity sa UP… “Ang panawagan ng Engineering Student Council, kung tayo ay natatakot, dapat mas matakot ang mga dapat managot!” —Ralph Baguinon, Engineering Student Council, University of the Philippines-Diliman
Still no justice for Ampatuan massacre after nine years
“Fifty-eight were dead. They traveled far and long, taken to Sitio Masalay, Barangay Salman where a still undetermined number of people were killed. Evidence showed 58 dead. Make no mistake about it, it was possible more than 58 were killed but evidence could only support 58. All those missing at that time, people were talking about around 70 were killed. Every year during the commemoration, we have to apologize to those we still have not found, still have not identified. The perpetrators of this crime executed it with the intent of erasing the crime, all the victims,” recollected journalism educator Prof. Danilo Arao.
The National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP) chapters and members in Metro Manila lit candles on November 23 at the Bantayog ng mga Bayani in Quezon City to commemorate the ninth year of the Ampatuan massacre.
“We hope that we continue to commemorate this day in the coming years. We continue to unite in the face of repression—as what happened to Rappler earlier this year. Then, we held a Black Friday protest. Today, it is a Friday, another Black Friday protest,” said Arao.
The Ampatuan massacre claimed 58 lives, 32 of which were journalists covering an election-related event.
They were on their way to a local Commission on Elections office to witness the filing of the certificate of candidacy for then-Buluan vice mayor Esmael Mangudadatu, running against then-incumbent mayor Andal Ampatuan Jr., when they were flagged and killed by gunmen in Ampatuan town. Those killed included Mangudadatu’s wife, his two sisters, journalists, lawyers, aides, and motorists who were mistakenly identified as part of the convoy.
The Committee to Protect Journalists tagged the massacre as the single deadliest event for journalists in history.
Arao pledged that journalism educators would educate their students not just to fight for freedom of the press or freedom of expression, but also for the basic liberties of the people to also counter the ‘culture of impunity’ that the country long suffered.
“Like what is taught in universities on journalism, the normative standard of journalism in a poor country like the Philippines, we see that our task is not just to report. Our basic task is to fight to restore and strengthen our basic liberties, not only of the press, but also the basic human rights of the people. A journalist educator once said, ‘in the absence of freedom, it is the journalist’s responsibility to fight for it. This is the normative standard on our performance of our duties in our daily reporting tasks,” said Arao.
Case of the century
“We were told the decision will come out in a month, next month, in another month. We waited and waited, but there’s still no decision. What we want now is not just for a decision to come out now, but for the Ampatuans to be convicted—this is the call of the victims’ kin,” said NUJP Secretary General Dabet Panelo.
Panelo shared that the families of the victims said they do not want just a decision, but a conviction of the Ampatuans. The NUJP adopted the call of the families, “Justice Now” and “Convict Ampatuan.”
The Quezon City Regional Trial Court handling the case stated in a briefer that of the 197 accused, 117 were arrested and 80 remain at large. One hundred four accused remain on trial. Five of the suspects died. Andal Ampatuan Sr., the clan patriarch and alleged mastermind of the massacre died in detention in 2015.
Last November 5, Andal Ampatuan Jr. submitted his formal offer of evidence to wrap up the trial that started in January 2010. The prosecution panel has announced that the case against him is already submitted for decision.
Department of Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra said that the decision is expected early next year. The promulgation date has not yet been set.
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PETty loans
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