• 6 AUGUST - *1907 - Gen. Macario Sakay, one of the Filipino military leaders who had continued fighting the imperialist United States invaders eight years into the Ph...
    11 years ago

......................................................................................

The Daily Tribune

(Without Fear or Favor)

Specials:

Bulatlat.com

World Wildlife Fund for Nature-Philippines

The Philippines Matrix Project

YEARENDER: 2011, a precarious life for the urban poor

Wednesday, January 4, 2012

YEARENDER: 2011, a precarious life for the urban poor
In 2011, rights group Karapatan – National Capital Region has monitored at least one case of demolition a month, which more or less translates to at least three families losing their homes everyday due to demolition.
By JANESS ANN J. ELLAO
Bulatlat.com

MANILA — The violence that accompanied the demolition attempts in urban poor communities Corazon de Jesus in San Juan City and Sitio San Roque in Quezon City hit the headlines resulting in a temporary halt to the demolition. Yet, unknown to many, more and more communities are facing displacement from their homes and livelihood. Urban poor and progressive organizations monitored an average of one community confronting demolition every month for 2011.

“We receive many requests for assistance from organizations of the urban poor. They want to guard and barricade their communities from threats of demolition. As long as these calls keep coming, it only shows how this administration is neglecting the urban poor and ignoring their right to housing,” Carlito Badion, vice president of Kalipunan ng Damayang mahihirap and co-convenor of Alyansa Kontra Demolisyon, told Bulatlat.com.

Badion said President Benigno Aquino III is a failure for poor Filipinos because of the absence of a comprehensive plan to address their concerns. It has instead, he added, prioritized big private firms and its vested self-interest, leaving urban poor dwellers displaced from their homes.


Public Private Partnership monster that demolishes the homes of urban poor dwellers(Photo by Janess Ann J. Ellao / Bulatlat.com)
In 2011, rights group Karapatan – National Capital Region has monitored at least one case of demolition a month, which more or less translates to at least three families losing their homes everyday due to demolition.

First demolition of 2011

The year 2011 began with demolition operations targeting Barangay Corazon de Jesus in San Juan City on January 25. The displacement of more than a hundred families would supposedly give way to the project of the local government to build a United States-White House-like city hall. The residents responded by barricading the community to defend their homes from the demolition team.

The tension ran high when the police moved toward the barricade. Around mid-morning, a canister of teargas was fired at a portion of the community. The police doused the residents with water canons. The residents, on the other hand, fought back using slingshots, stones, bottles and plastic bags filled with human feces, which they call “tae bombs or t-bombs.”.... MORE

SourceBulatlat.com

URL: http://bulatlat.com/main/2012/01/03/yearender-2011-a-precarious-life-for-the-urban-poor/

Iran ‘recommends’ US stay out of Persian Gulf (w/ Video)



Iran ‘recommends’ US stay out of Persian Gulf

Iran has warned the United States it will take action if its fleet returns to the Persian Gulf. Meanwhile, France is pushing European countries to follow the US in freezing Iranian central bank assets and imposing an embargo on oil exports.

­Iran’s army chief, General Ataollah Salehi had this message for US naval forces: “We recommend… to the American warship that passed through the Strait of Hormuz and went on to the Gulf of Oman, not to return to the Persian Gulf,” the official IRNA news agency quoted him as saying.
.... MORE

SourceThe Daily Tribune

URL: http://rt.com/news/iran-sanctions-threats-gulf-143/

Only ‘non-hawkish’ GOP candidate loses in Iowa to Romney (w/ Video)




Only ‘non-hawkish’ GOP candidate loses in Iowa to Romney

 The presidential campaign is now underway in earnest in the US, with the first contest having determined a single Republican nominee – Mitt Romney - in the state of Iowa.

Social conservative Rick Santorum, anti-war advocate Ron Paul, and former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney were the front-runners, but according to the chairman of the Iowa Republican party, former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney won the Iowa caucus by eight votes..... MORE

SourceRT.com

URL: http://rt.com/news/ron-paul-republican-rubin-189/

Confirmed: Fracking caused Ohio earthquakes

Confirmed: Fracking caused Ohio earthquakes


Ohio lawmakers have put a temporary ban on fracking after experts say it is certain that recent fracking in the Buckeye State caused an outbreak of earthquakes.

According to some seismologists, hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, is to blame for a string of tremors in Ohio, including a 4.0-magnitude quake on New Year’s Eve. It has long been suggested that fracking, which involves deep-earth drilling to extract gas for natural resource reserves, has been culpable for quakes. In the fracking process, wastewater collected during the deep drilling is injected back into the Earth for disposal. Thought to be safe by some, other experts insist that the brine water could find its way into subterranean faults and force parts of the planet to separate. The Youngstown, OH area has seen 11 small quakes since last spring, and now a moratorium has been instated in the area to keep future fracking from occurring while seismologists reinvestigate the quakes..... MORE

SourceRT.com

URL: http://rt.com/usa/news/fracking-ohio-quake-earth-165/

Google breaks its own rules

Google breaks its own rules

 Google is getting into some hot water after some stealthy bloggers caught the search engine giants breaking their own rules.

An online ad campaigned launched by Google to promote its own products, specifically the Chrome web browser, has been revealed to using shortcuts to skip rules that the company itself put in place in order to keep search engines fair in returning their results..... MORE

SourceRT.com

URL: http://rt.com/usa/news/google-own-search-web-175/

Flawed logic FRONTLINE Ninez Cacho-Olivares 01/04/2012

Flawed logic

FRONTLINE
Ninez Cacho-Olivares
01/04/2012
The Chief Justice of the Supreme Court is not the judiciary nor the SC, says lead prosecutor Niel Tupas Jr.

That is true, but the CJ never said he is the SC or the judiciary. Yet, even as the prosecutors say the CJ is not the SC, why then are they questioning only his opinion — which is only one voice — based on the SC collegial decisions, that would comprise the majority vote?

But the prosecutors, especially Tupas, even admit that the move to unseat CJ Renato Corona is not about the law, or the rule of law, but due to his close ties to Noynoy’s predecessor, Gloria Arroyo, as Tupas claims that Corona is the biggest Gloria “coddler” and that removing him would remove Gloria’s influence, which would strengthen the high court..... MORE

SourceThe Daily Tribune

URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/commentary/20120104com2.html

Prosecutors fish for ‘evidence’ vs CJ By Gerry Baldo 01/04/2012

DARE CORONA TO PRODUCE SALN ON P14-M CONDO

Prosecutors fish for ‘evidence’ vs CJ

By Gerry Baldo 01/04/2012

House prosecutors appear to have little evidence against Supreme Court Chief Justice Renato Corona on charges of graft and corruption, as they tried to bait the CJ into disclosing his Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Networth (SALn) which they claim would show that he has not disclosed his properties and assets.

They claim that the graft and corruption charge is one of the strongest cases that the prosecution team believes could convict the CJ in the impeachment trial.

According to Rep. Niel Tupas, chairman of the House committee on justice and lead prosecutor in the impeachment of Corona, they have “damning” evidence to prove that Corona’s SALn is questionable..... MORE

SourceThe Daily Tribune

URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/headlines/20120104hed1.html

Peers advise Palparan to come out of hiding By Mario J. Mallari 01/04/2012

Peers advise Palparan to come out of hiding

By Mario J. Mallari 01/04/2012
Top defense and military officials yesterday urged retired Maj. Gen. Jovito Palparan, who is now a fugitive and the subject of a P500,000 bounty for the kidnapping of two students in 2006, to give himself up to authorities and face the charges slapped against him.

Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin and Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief of staff Lt. Gen. Jessie Dellosa said it would be good for Palparan to surrender and prove his innocence before the court.

“It would be better if he will surrender so that he can explain his participation or non-participation in the cases hurled against him,” Gazmin said during a chance interview during the Department of National Defense (DND) and AFP newyear’s call..... MORE

SourceThe Daily Tribune

URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/headlines/20120104hed4.html

Adaza, Paguia file plea to stop CJ Senate trial 01/04/2012

Adaza, Paguia file plea to stop CJ Senate trial

01/04/2012
Another challenge to the impeachment trial of Supreme Court Chief Justice Renato Corona has been filed before the SC which questions the impeachment proceedings against the CJ.

In a 23-page suit, former assemblyman and Misamis Oriental Gov. Homobono Adaza and law professor Alan Paguia sought to declare as unconstitutional the impeachment complaint filed by the House of Representatives, the fifth such petition filed before the high court.

Similar suits now pending before the SC were earlier filed by Social Justice System lawyer Vladimir Cabigao, tax informer Danilo Lihaylihay, former Integrated Bar of the Philippines president Vicente Millora and Marcos lawyer Oliver Lozano..... MORE

SourceThe Daily Tribune

URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/headlines/20120104hed6.html

DND exec tagged in plunder case back to work By Mario J. Mallari 01/04/2012

DND exec tagged in plunder case back to work

By Mario J. Mallari 01/04/2012

After taking a seven-month leave following his inclusion in the amended plunder charge filed by former military budget officer Lt. Col. George Rabusa, a top-ranking official of the Department of National Defense (DND) has reported back to work due to the so-called “budget season.”

DND spokesman Peter Paul Galvez confirmed that DND Assistant Secretary for Comptrollership Ernesto Boac has reported back to work on Monday.

According to Galvez, the return of Boac to the DND is timely, citing the upcoming “budget season.”.... MORE

SourceThe Daily Tribune

URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/nation/20120104nat1.html

Eight dead from water-borne disease in submerged areas 01/04/2012

Eight dead from water-borne disease in submerged areas

01/04/2012
An outbreak of a deadly water-born disease has claimed at least eight lives in the flood-stricken areas in the cities of Cagayan de Oro and Iligan, officials said yesterday.

The health department said that there were almost 300 cases of leptospirosis recorded so far in areas that were inundated by floods brought by tropical storm “Sendong” last month.

“These people had a history of wading in flooded areas. Now government hospitals are full, they are overloaded already,” said regional health department director, Joselina Llacuna..... MORE

SourceThe Daily Tribune

URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/nation/20120104nat4.html

Palace confirms death threats hounding Justice secretary By Virgilio J. Bugaoisan 01/04/2012

Palace confirms death threats hounding Justice secretary

By Virgilio J. Bugaoisan 01/04/2012

Malacaang has confirmed that there are clear and present threats on the life of Justice Secretary Laila de Lima.

At a press briefing, presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda said yesterday that there are indeed intelligence reports indicating that De Lima has some kind of security problem but declined to even describe the specific nature of the alleged threat.

He said De Lima has been given additional security to ensure her safety..... MORE

SourceThe Daily Tribune

URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/metro/20120104met2.html

San Juan City, MMDA partner to clean up rivers, creeks, drainages 01/04/2012

San Juan City, MMDA partner to clean up rivers, creeks, drainages

01/04/2012
The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) and the San Juan City government recently joined forces to conduct a simultaneous cleanup of rivers, creeks and drainages in the city.

Led by MMDA Chairman Francis Tolentino and San Juan Mayor Guia Gomez, both agencies lead the day-long extensive clean-up drive that was also participated in by the Armed Forces of the Philippines, Philippine National Police, the San Juan Cenro (City Environment and Natural Resources Office) and other private sector organizations and other emergency volunteer corps..... MORE

SourceThe Daily Tribune

URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/metro/20120104met4.html

Blog Archive