Progressive lawmakers at the House of Representatives called the Makabayan bloc filed, on Monday, a bill that seeks to ban all forms of labor contractualization in government institutions, two years after President Rodrigo Duterte failed to fulfill his campaign promise to end “endo” or “end of contract” among non-regular workers.
Aktibismo, ‘di terorismo
Hindi terorista ang aktibista.
Ito ang sagot ng mga grupong progresibo sa listahan ng Department of Justice (DOJ) na nagaakusa sa 656 indibidwal na “terorista”. Idinidikit ang mga pangalan nila sa Communist Party of the Philippines at New People’s Army. Bahagi ito ng plano ni Pangulong Duterte na bansagang “terorista” ang naturang mga grupo sa ilalim ng Human Security Act. Naghihintay na lang sila ng desisyon ng RTC Branch 19 upang maging legal ang bansag na ito.
Pero ayon sa mga liderprogresibo na nakakita sa naturang listahan, malinaw na walang terorista sa mga ito. Sa kabilang banda, marami sa mga nasa lista ay mga aktibista, negosyador pangkapayapaan, at tagapagtanggol ng karapatang pantao.
Isa si dating Rep. Satur Ocampo sa isinama sa listahan. “Hindi ako terorista, at hindi kailanman magiging isa,” aniya. Kasama niya ang ilang negosyador pangkapayapaan ng National Democratic Front of the Philippines tulad nina Jose Maria Sison, Luis Jalandoni, at Coni Ledesma, at mga konsultant nito tulad nina Benito Tiamzon at Wilma Tiamzon, Adelberto Silva, at iba pa.
Maging ang ilan pang namatay na ay pinangalanan sa listahan tulad ni Camille Manangan, dating lider ng Gabriela-Youth na nasawi sa Batangas noong Nobyembre 2017.
Kasama rin sina Windel Bolinget ng Cordillera People’s Alliance (CPA); Joan Carling, co-convenor ng Indigenous Peoples Major Group for the Sustainable Development Goals; Atty. Jose Molintas, dating kinatawan ng Asya sa UN Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples; Janet Ribaya-Cawiding, dating tagapangulo ng CPA; Beverly Longid, kasalukuyang global coordinator ng International Indigenous People’s Movement for Self-Determination and Liberation; Sherwin de Vera ng Safe the Abra River Movement at kolumnista sa Northern Dispatch; at marami pang iba.
Kasama pa sa listahan si Vicky Tauli-Corpuz, UN Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous People.
Nasa listahan din ang ilang lider-katutubo sa Mindanao. Kaya atake ito sa mga nagtatanggol ng karapatang ng mga katutubo kontra sa malalaking negosyo at panginoong maylupa na umaangkin ng lupa at yaman nito, ayon sa Indigenous People’s Movement for Self-Determination and Liberation.
May malinaw ding implikasyon ang pagbabansag na ito sa usapang pangkapayapaan. Ayon sa NDFP, ibig sabihin ng proscription na ito’y ang mga pangalan sa listahan ay mga terorista, at kung anuman ang kanilang ginagawa’y akto ng terorismo. Ibig sabihin, tuluyan nang tinalikuran ni Duterte ang usapang pangkapayapaan.
Para sa mga lider-progresibo, napakamalisyoso, walang basehan at may intensiyong mangharas ang listahang ito. “Nakakatawa, dahil ang burden of proof ay nasa mga akusado,” ani Renato Reyes Jr., pangkalahatang kalihim ng Bagong Alyansang Makabayan o Bayan. Malinaw umanong itinuturing ng rehimeng Duterte na terorismo ang paggiit ng mga mamamayan ng kanilang karapatan. Dahil sa mga atake nito sa karapatan ng mga mamamayan, si Duterte pa umano ang numero unong terorista sa kanyang paglabag ng karapatang pantao.
“Hindi kami natatakot, hindi ngayon, hindi bukas, hindi kailanman,” ani Elisa Tita Lubi, tagapagtanggol ng karapatang pantao. Aniya, magpapatuloy ang paggiit ng karapatan ng mga mamamayan—anuman ang pagbabanta ng rehimeng ito.
What do the millennials bring?
If we want to help the millennials and the coming generations, we are now tasked to see the interconnected of things. What is it that the preceding generations need to do to bridge the gap. This is not just the problem of one generation. This is a challenge to the whole human race, I dare say. The millennials bring the signs to the surface.
Jeepney Phaseout | PISTON, NTJPOC stage first transport strike for 2018
Jeepney drivers and small operators stopped plying their routes and joined in the transport strike today to amplify their calls against the national government’s PUV modernization program.
The Pinagkaisang Samahan ng mga Tsuper at Opereytor Nationwide (PISTON) and No to Jeepney Phaseout Coalition (NTJPOC) launched a transport strike in some of Metro Manila’s major routes.
Photos by Erika Cruz, Jade dela Cuadra, Sarah de Leon, Agatha Rabino, Karen Serada, Kate Simple
According to initial reports by PISTON and NTJPOC, as of 9:30AM, the transport strike has managed to paralyze the following routes:
CUBAO – 75%
Cubao-Manila (Marikina-Sta. Mesa)
MANILA
Tayuman-Lardizabal – 100%
Balic-Balic España – 90%
Tayuman-España – 100%
MONUMENTO – 75%
Malabon Letre
Pulo Monumento
Acacia Malabon
SANGANDAAN – 90%
NOVALICHES – 100%
LAS PIÑAS – 90%
ALABANG – 90%
Alabang-Pasay
Alabang-Zapote
Alabang-Baclaran
Alabang-Sucat
Alabang-Biñan
Alabang-GMA
Alabang-Balibago
Alabang-Calamba
Alabang-San Pedro
Alabang-Langgam
Alabang-Katarungan
Alabang-Victoria Homes
Alabang-Molino
Alabang-Ayala
PISTON National President George San Mateo also noted that PISTON chapters from Bulacan, Rizal, Laguna, Cavite, Batangas, and Northern Mindanao also participated in the transport strike and held protest programs in key areas.
University and school officials have suspended classes amid the transport groups’ demonstrations today. The local government units of Manila, Quezon City, Taguig, and Laguna have cancelled classes on Sunday night.
As of 2PM, presidential spokesperson Harry Roque announced the suspension of classes on all levels in Metro Manila.
The Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) also suspended the number coding scheme for private vehicle owners.
Transport groups seek understanding, support from riding public
In a Facebook post Sunday night, San Mateo urged commuters to learn about the PUV modernization program which, for the drivers, is essentially a phaseout of old jeepneys.
He also called on fellow jeepney drivers and operators to participate in the nationwide strike.
Students and progressive groups joined the drivers and small operators in decentralized demonstrations across the metro.
“Kung may dapat i-phaseout sa Pilipinas, si Duterye ‘yun at hindi ang mga jeep. Ang phaseout ni Duterte ay walang magagawang mabuti sa mga drayber at estudyante. Tataas na nga ang pamasahe, mawawalan pa ng trabaho ang mga drayber at operator,” said University of the Philippines Manila student Paco Perez.
(Duterte should be phased out and not the jeepneys. Duterte’s phaseout [scheme] won’t do any good to the drivers and the students. Not only will there be fare increases; the livelihoods of drivers and operators will be put at stake.)
Gov’t pressured to reveal agenda behind PUV modernization
In June 2016, government agencies announced the Public Utility Vehicle Modernization Program (PUVMP) which aims to provide commuters a “safe, adequate, comfortable, and environment-friendly road-based public transportation system”. The program is spearheaded by the Department of Transportation (DOTr) with the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) and the Land Transportation Office (LTO).
The DOTr issued the Omnibus Guidelines on the Planning and Identification of Public Road Transportation Services and Franchise Issuances or Department Order 2017-011 (Omnibus Franchising Guidelines), stating that jeepneys operating for 15 years or more will be scrapped. The government argues that these units are no longer road-worthy – the engines aren’t compliant with international standards and thus cause environmental harm. They say the size of the old jeepneys are inadequate, resulting in traffic congestion from passengers rushing to be seated first.
The program also covers buses and public utility vans, but has been giving emphasis on the replacement of ageing jeepneys with new units.
For drivers and small operators, however, the modernization program serves as a pretext to forward the corporatization of the transport system.
A study by think tank IBON reveals that replacing 250,000 jeepney units means a P300-billion market for foreign manufacturers. New jeepney units carry a P1.2 to P1.6 million price tag. The new vehicles’ main parts will be imported from foreign companies like Hino, Isuzu, Fuso, and Foton. Euro IV engines will come from India, China, and Japan.
“Hindi po tayo tutol sa modernization pero tutol tayo sa jeepney phaseout na isinusulong ng pamahalaan sa ilalim ng pekeng negosyong modernization program,” San Mateo said.
(We are not against modernization. We are against the phaseout of jeepneys that the government is campaigning for under a fake, corporate-oriented modernization program.)
Phaseout ‘a matter of the stomach’
For transport groups, behind the government’s plan of modernizing public transport is the inevitable loss of livelihood of 500,00 drivers, 300,000 small operators, and two million of their family members.
Under the Omnibus Franchising Guidelines’ fleet management system, only operators with a minimum of 20 new jeepneys will be granted a franchise. Drivers who will pass the age and educational requirements will become salaried workers.
Jeepney drivers argue that the reason why they opted to drive jeeps and ply their routes everyday is because they had only finished high school or had not been able to go to school at all.
“Usapin ng sikmura, usapin ng kabuhayan ‘yan. At the end of the day, ang mahalaga d’yan ay mawawalan kami ng hanapbuhay. Magugutom ang pamilya namin. Masisira ang kinabukasan ng mga anak namin,” said San Mateo in an interview.
(This is a matter of the stomach, a matter of livelihood. At the end of the day, what matters is we will be stripped off our livelihoods. Our families will go hungry. Our children’s futures will be put in danger.)
“Hangga’t ‘di pa nare-resolve ang isyu na ito, hindi tayo titigil sa pagpoprotesta,” added San Mateo.
(Until this matter is not resolved, we will not stop protesting [the jeepney phaseout]).
With reports by Jade dela Cuadra, Sarah de Leon, Agatha Rabino, Karen Serada, and Kate Simple
The post Jeepney Phaseout | PISTON, NTJPOC stage first transport strike for 2018 appeared first on Manila Today.
‘I did not vote for him. When he won, I was hoping things would change. I was disappointed.” – Datu Bago Awardee Karl Gaspar
DAVAO CITY, Philippines – During its 81st year anniversary, the city government feted a seminarian turned activist-now anthropologist-Lumad advocate as…
PH minerals benefit foreigners not Filipinos
By IBON.org Majority of Philippine minerals are exported and mainly benefit foreign corporations, research group IBON said. While ensuring environmentally safe and responsible mining methods, the Duterte administration should also ban the exodus of the country’s raw minerals. These should instead be efficiently reserved for and utilized to support and develop the country’s key industries […]
Editorial Cartoon: Basta Jeepney Driver nasa Danger
The post Editorial Cartoon: Basta Jeepney Driver nasa Danger appeared first on Manila Today.
This week in-pics
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