Sr. Patricia Fox of the Sisters of the Notre Dame of Sion issued this statement after her release from the Bureau of Immigration last April 17. President Rodrigo Duterte has admitted in a speech yesterday that the nun’s arrest and detention were upon his orders. Nonetheless, Fox said she intends to stay in the Philippines […]
Karapatan decries illegal detention of Moro rights activist in the US
Karapatan strongly condemns the arbitrary detention of Jerome Succor Aba, a Moro human rights and peace advocate from Mindanao. Aba has been denied entry to the US and is being held at the San Francisco International Airport for almost 24 hours, since yesterday, April 18, 2018, by the US Customs and Border Protection (CBP). Authorities have not released any basis for the denial of entry. The 25-year-old Moro rights defender was invited for a speaking tour in the US by several church institutions, including the US Conference of Catholic Bishops, the Sisters of Mercy, and the General Board of Global Ministries.
(Photo from Bulatlat.com)
Sereno slams attacks against judicial independence
Beleaguered Supreme Court Chief Justice Ma. Lourdes Sereno slammed “bullying tactics” against her and the judiciary in a speech before civil libertarians last April 9 on the occasion of the Araw ng Kagitingan. In this video, Sereno asked her audience to join her in the defense of judicial independence.
US holds Filipino activist, denies entry
A prominent Mindanao activist is being held by US immigration authorities at the San Francisco International Airport, various human rights organizations and individuals said. Sandugo – Movement of Moro and Indigenous Peoples for Self-Determination vice-chairperson Jerome Aladdin Succor Aba has been denied entry to the US and is being held at the airport, the alerts […]
Duterte’s tirades vs Australian nun are signs of a macho-fascist’s bruised ego – Karapatan
Hours after the Presidential Spokesperson said that apologies are in order with regard to the wrongful arrest of Australian missionary Sr. Patricia Fox who has been doing missionary work in the Philippines for 27 years, Duterte has once again started his tirade.
(Photo from Bulatlat.com)
Labor groups cast doubts on Duterte’s sincerity to end contractualization
Different labor and church organizations under the alliances of Alyansa ng mga Manggagawa Laban sa Kontraktwalisasyon (ALMA Kontraktwal), Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU) – Metro Manila, Manila Workers Unity (MAWU), Defend Job Philippines and the Church People – Workers Solidarity (CWS) held a press conference today in Manila to air dismay and indignation over the latest postponement of President Duterte of the signing of an Executive Order (EO) on contractualization on Monday.
The groups expressed their frustration and anger as Duterte has been consistent in aborting the signing of the EO and prolonging the demands of Filipino workers to totally prohibit and criminalize all forms of contractualization in the country. After the series of delays in signing the EO, protesting workers casted doubts on the sincerity of Duterte in ending contractualization.
They insisted that only a pro-workers and non-compromise EO will be acceptable to them in order for contractual mode of employment, end-of-contract agreements and agency hiring schemes to be fully stopped and penalized. They strongly oppose the statement of the Palace that it can only regulate contractualization and that compromises must be made between employers and workers in order for it to come up with a concrete resolution.
“We have waited long enough and we are losing our patience to wait for the Duterte government to take decisive actions in ending contractualization. We have given him all the time after he sworn in to office to fulfill his campaign promise to end endo. Almost two years passed but nothing has been accomplished,” Maristel Garcia, ALMA Kontraktwal spokesperson said.
On the other hand, Ed Cubelo, chairperson of KMU Metro Manila added, “The series of postponement of the EO signing is a clear manifestation that Duterte is not really on the side of the Filipino workers. His promise to end contractualization is long overdue and that the continuing practice of contractual labor worsened the conditions of our working forces.”
Scrapping of ‘Herrera Law’ seen to end contractualization
Cubelo also slammed the opposing statements of the Palace and the Labor Department on the reasons why Duterte aborted the latest labor dialogue and EO signing. While Presidential Spokesman Harry Roque assured the public that the EO is being finalized and will be signed before Labor Day, Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello pronounced on a separate interview that they are set to certify a Senate Bill on endo as an urgent bill rather than signing an EO.
“Duterte, Roque and Bello must start taking actions rather talking much. Our workers need concrete actions and not another empty promises that are bound to fail in the end,” Cubelo said.
In the press conference, ALMA Kontraktwal and KMU Metro Manila said that “if the administration is serious in ending contractualization, it must direct their allies in both Houses of Congress and scrap Republic Act No. 6715 or the ‘Herrera Law,” which the group said is the root of the decades-long existence of contractualization in the country.
As further expression of their frustrations and outrage against Duterte’s failure of his promises, panelists issued and signed their own “Workers Order # 1, series of 2018,” which depicted the things they need to see in Duterte’s EO including end to contractualization, regularization of all contractual workers and immediate junking of Herrera Law.
Ultimatum
The groups also gave Duterte an ultimatum to end contractuatlizaiton until the commemoration of International Labor Day 2018 on May 1. As said by Garcia, “Filipino workers have given the President so much time to do something on their demands and that the time ticks fast for him to prove his worth for our working people.”
They also announced the series of protests that they are set to hold starting today leading to the giant workers rally on May 1 to amplify their demands against contractualization. Garcia said that Duterte must brace for more street protests in the coming days that will pressure him to sign the EO and totally ban contractualization.
Some of the scheduled protests are as follow:
April 20 (Friday) 5:00 PM Black Friday Protest and Noise Barrage vs. Postponement of EO Signing at Welcome Rotonda, Quezon City
April 24 (Tuesday) 10:00 AM Protest and Mass Filing of Requests for Inspection of DOLE to Workplaces for Regularization DOLE Main Office, Intramuros, Manila
April 27 (Friday) 5:00 PM Metro-Wide, Simultaneous Black Friday Protest vs. Contractualization Various Protest Centers in Metro Manila
The post Labor groups cast doubts on Duterte’s sincerity to end contractualization appeared first on Manila Today.
Duterte sells Chico River to China
By RENDILYN CUYOP BAGUIO CITY — The Cordillera People’s Alliance (CPA) called P3.135-billion (US $62.09 million) loan agreement for the Chico River Pump Irrigation Project (PIP) that President Rodrigo Duterte secured from the Chinese government last April 10 during his recent visit to China “the latest sell out” of the country’s resources and ancestral lands […]
Duterte regime on a red-tagging rampage in Negros – Karapatan
“The criminalization of activists and rights defenders is apparently the standing mandate of all agencies of government, regardless of whoever is appointed – from the Justice Department, the military, the police, and down to the local government. This practice of lumping together the names and pictures of progressives and labeling them as “terrorists” to justify violations against said individuals is becoming more commonplace under the Duterte regime. Truly, there is a repression spectrum with which this regime is employing without any hesitation,” said Karapatan secretary general Cristina Palabay.
(Photo courtesy of Karapatan-Negros)