CISPA battlefield: Facts & Figures

CISPA battlefield: Facts & Figures

America holds its breath in anticipation of Friday's House vote on the Cyber Intelligence Security Protection Act (CISPA). But what are its chances of being passed into law, and what will it mean for Internet users?

­In spite of protest from the Obama administration that CISPA encroaches on the civil liberties of Americans, the House of Representatives is marching ahead with the legislation. It met on Thursday to discuss the controversial act ahead of Friday’s decision.

In addition, the House Rules Committee dismissed a list of changes to the legislation suggested by the Center for Democracy and Technology (CDT). The amendments would have potentially limited private companies from sharing cyberthreat data with US government bodies..... MORE

Source:  RT.com

URL: http://rt.com/usa/news/cispa-internet-facts-figures-006/

PlayStation mentality VIEWPOINTS Archbishop Oscar V. Cruz 04/26/2012

PlayStation mentality

VIEWPOINTS

Archbishop Oscar V. Cruz

04/26/2012
This is the over-all picture of a PlayStation: There is a challenge made. Its acceptance is registered. The fighting begins. The excitement builds up. It is bad if the challenger is losing. But this can ask for help — in-line with spirit of the question “Want to call a friend?” Such are the main features of a PlayStation. It is a toy. It is a game. It is a pastime. It heightens the curiosity and alertness of children. It provides entertainment and pastime to young people. It is an exercise of their alertness and agility. It provides self-satisfaction when the challenge is won. On condition that it remains but a play and nothing more. It provides relaxation to adults by way of an innocent pastime.

But a special danger comes about when a particular adult slowly but surely gets or absorbs the “PlayStation Mentality.” In this case, the usual sequential factors are the following: First, the individual concerned feels challenged — though this is not necessarily true. Second, the same accepts the challenge as a matter of course — even though evidently unequal to the dare made. Third, the same infallibly asks for help from somebody else — the moment he feels losing the challenge..... MORE

Source:  The Daily Tribune

URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/commentary/20120426com5.html

RP: Stop inaccurate reports China: Don’t ‘internationalize’ By Michaela P. del Callar 04/26/2012

GOV’T ISSUES NOTE VERBALE TO CHINESE ENVOY

RP: Stop inaccurate reports China: Don’t ‘internationalize’

By Michaela P. del Callar 04/26/2012

The Philippines and China traded fresh accusations yesterday over a territorial dispute in the South China Sea with the government complaining to China yesterday that its embassy in Manila have been relaying inaccurate information about the negotiations to resolve the dangerous naval standoff at the Scarborough shoal while the Chinese government warned against efforts to “internationalize” the issue.

At the same time, the Department of Foreign Affairs also reported that the number of Chinese and Philippine vessels facing off at the shoal has increased with the rival countries having two government ships each there now along with an increasing number of Chinese and Filipino fishermen.

China warned the Philippines not to “internationalize” the dispute as US and Philippine forces staged war games in the area.

“Internationalizing this issue will only complicate and magnify the situation,” Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Liu Weimin told reporters in response to a question about the current situation in the dispute..... MORE

Source:  The Daily Tribune

URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/headlines/20120426hea1.html

Parliament to replace ARMM — Leonen By Rocky G. Nazareno 04/26/2012

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No other way but to comply with SC on HLI, Noynoy told By Charlie V. Manalo 04/26/2012

No other way but to comply with SC on HLI, Noynoy told

By Charlie V. Manalo 04/26/2012

The Supreme Court (SC) ruling with finality on the distribution to qualified farmer-beneficiaries of the Hacienda Luisita lands as well as on the social justice valuation for computing the just compensation to the landowners, compel the Cojuangco-Aquino clan of the President to immediately comply with the ruling, one of the three remaining authors of the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Law (CARL) said yesterday.

Albay Rep. Edcel Lagman (Independent-Albay) is one of the three remaining original authors of House Bill No. 400 who are still members of the House of Representatives in the 15th Congress. HB 400 became RA No. 6657, the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Law (CARL) which was approved on 10 June 1988 during the 8th Congress. The two others are Rep. Orlando Fua and Rep. Thelma Almario..... MORE

Source:  The Daily Tribune

URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/headlines/20120426hea6.html

HK to return rare RP turtles 04/26/2012

HK to return rare RP turtles

04/26/2012
Thirty-six live turtles seized from a smuggler, including 20 of one of the world’s rarest species, are to be returned from Hong Kong to the Philippines, officials yesterday said.

It will mark the first time a protected Philippine species seized from the illegal wildlife trade abroad shall be returned, Luz Corpuz, deputy wildlife chief of the environment department told Agence France Presse.

Hong Kong will hand the 20 pond turtles and 16 South Asian box turtles to Philippine enforcement officers on Friday, Corpuz and a spokesman for Hong Kong’s agriculture, fisheries and conservation department both said.

“They are Philippine species, and returning them back to their natural habitat is a big accomplishment for our conservation efforts,” Corpuz said of the Philippine pond turtles, which are found only in the island of Palawan..... MORE
Source:  The Daily Tribune

URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/nation/20120426nat5.html

Unidentified men strafe house of UP professor and columnist 04/26/2012

Unidentified men strafe house of UP professor and columnist

04/26/2012
Heavily armed men strafed the house of columnist and University of the Philippines Prof. Randy David in Quezon City late Tuesday night.

While no one was hurt during the incident, both David and his granddaughter Julia were inside the house.
David’s house is located along Gomburza Street in UP Diliman campus.

Reports said unidentified men on board a white Toyota FX with plate number UDM 191 opened fire at the house at around 8.30 p.m..... MORE

Source:  The Daily Tribune

URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/metro/20120426met2.html

House panel to scrutinize Ched’s OK of tuition hikes By Gerry Baldo and Rocky Nazareno 04/26/2012

House panel to scrutinize Ched’s OK of tuition hikes

By Gerry Baldo and Rocky Nazareno 04/26/2012
The Commission on Higher Education (Ched) is now under scrutiny by the House committee on higher and technical education for granting the petitions for higher tuition of 222 private colleges and universities.

Aurora Rep. Sonny Angara, the chairman of the House panel for higher education, said Congress could exercise its oversight function to determine if the average 10-percent tuition increases are reasonable.

“Oversight power is what we exercise, we do not have the power under the law to reverse their decision, but we can check if the law is being complied with,” Angara said following complaints that the hikes would cause higher drop-out rates among college students..... MORE

Source:  The Daily Tribune

URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/metro/20120426met1.html

Thorny sovereignty issue

Thorny sovereignty issue

By Carol Pagaduan-Araullo
Streetwise | BusinessWorld
It is quite easy for the Aquino government to arouse the people’s anger at China bullying in the South China Sea considering what appear to be clear encroachments on Philippine territorial waters and its 200-nautical mile exclusive economic zone under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea.

Couple this with the sense of frustration that the Aquino administration and the Armed Forces of the Philippines are undeniably militarily powerless in this recent confrontation over Chinese fishing poachers protected by no less than two Chinese warships, the inclination to run towards Uncle Sam and sic US might and firepower to make China turn tail appeals to many pundits, whether professional or of the barbershop variety.

And thoroughly misses the point. There is more to the conflict in the Spratlys and Scarborough Shoal than an assertion of sovereignty arising from rival territorial claims.

This is not the first time tension rose over alleged incursions in the Kalayaan Islands which are also being claimed by the Vietnamese and Malaysians aside from the Chinese. But while the news would hog the headlines for a few days, not without a large dose of sensationalism about the risk of a military confrontation, there had never been such open clashes between Philippine and rival armed forces, with each side eventually stepping down, resorting instead to diplomatic protests until invariably the controversy simmers down and fades away..... MORE

Source:  Bulatlat.com

URL: http://bulatlat.com/main/2012/04/20/thorny-sovereignty-issue/

True justice FRONTLINE Ninez Cacho-Olivares 04/25/2012

True justice

FRONTLINE

Ninez Cacho-Olivares

04/25/2012
Cojuangco-Aquinos no longer own Hacienda Lusita — not after the Supreme Court (SC), in a final landmark ruling, voted 8-6, to have some 4,000 hectares distributed to the farmer-workers of the hacienda, at the land values set in 1989, which would amount to some P40,000 per hectare or some P200 million — not the P1 million per hectare or P5 billion that the Cojuangco-Aquino clan wanted as compensation.

That is what can be finally called true justice to the farmers, who have been screwed by the Cojuangco-Aquinos for decades on end, first, when the clan’s then patriarch, Jose Cojuangco, bought the Luisita sugar plantation from Tabacalera — get this — on a behest loan, courtesy of Ninoy Aquino’s lobbying with then President Ramon Magsaysay not only for the Cojuangcos to buy the hacienda from Tabacalera but also to ensure that the then central bank and the GSIS would be guaranteeing an American bank for the clan’s loan and the sale amount asked for by Tabacalera.

Apart from this guarantee, the Cojuangcos reneged on the agreement with Tabacalera to distribute part of the hacienda land — after 10 years — to the farmer-workers..... MORE

Source:  The Daily Tribune

URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/commentary/20120425com2.html

US taxpayers shelling out billions for faulty weapons

US taxpayers shelling out billions for faulty weapons

The Pentagon has frittered away billions in taxpayer cash on not fully tested arms, a government watchdog report says. While the policy grants the military access to cutting-edge technology, the public can be left footing the bill for faulty weapons.

A report issued by the US Government Accountability Office (GAO) on Friday shed light on the controversial policy of “concurrency” which approves untested weapons for production and use.

“While some concurrency is understandable, committing to product development before requirements are understood and technologies mature, or committing to production and fielding before development is complete, is a high-risk strategy that often results in performance shortfalls, unexpected cost increases, schedule delays and test problems,” said the report..... MORE

Source:  RT.com

URL: http://rt.com/news/weapons-pentagon-report-waste-927/

Toddler Terrorist: TSA threatens lockdown over 4-year-old girl

Toddler Terrorist: TSA threatens lockdown over 4-year-old girl

The much-maligned Transport Security Authority (TSA) is once again in hot water after it accused an innocent four-year-old girl of attempted gun smuggling as she hugged her grandmother in the security zone.

­In a Facebook post that has since gone viral, Michelle Brademeyer describes the story of her family being detained as potential terrorists by the TSA on a flight out of Wichita, Kansas. The TSA is responsible for screening passengers as they board and disembark from planes.

Brademeyer was passing through security checks with her mother and her small daughter, Isabella. When the older lady triggered the metal detector, and was told to go for a pat-down, Isabella ran over to and briefly hugged her grandmother..... MORE

Source:  RT.com

URL: http://rt.com/usa/news/tsa-us-girl-gun-869/

Death of 56-year old fisherman sparks more outrage against VFA, Balikatan

Death of 56-year old fisherman sparks more outrage against VFA, Balikatan

As long as the US military is treated ‘above the law’ by the government, their victims among the civilian populace will not be given justice.” – Bayan Muna-Southern Mindanao
By INA ALLECO R. SILVERIO
Bulatlat.com

In Zamboanga City, the progressive party-list Bayan Muna is calling for an independent inquiry into the death of a local fisherman killed by a speeding Boat manned by military forces of the United States. The group said the death of 56-year old Ahbam Juhurin, a local fisherman from Basilan should not be allowed to be swept under the rug.

Based on various media reports, US and Filipino troops of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) were conducting maritime exercises in Baluk-baluk, an island near Hadji Muhtamad Municipality in Basilan Province on April 19. A Mark V Special Operations Craft was returning to Zamboanga City when it rammed Juhurin’s fishing boat around 7 p.m. that same day. The elderly fisherman was killed while his 26-year old son remains in critical condition as of this writing. Colonel Ricardo Visaya, commander of the 104th Brigade and Joint Task Force Basilan said it was an accident and that no one is to blame.

VFA protects US troops from criminal prosecution

Ariel Casilao, Southern Mindanao Regional Coordinator of Bayan Muna, said it has only been days since the US – Philippine Balikatan Exercises formally started, but already a civilian has been killed. He said the blame should be placed at the door of the Aquino government and the militarist proponents of the Visiting forces Agreement (VFA).

“The US troops have immunity against prosecution from Philippine laws because of the VFA. They have committed heinous crimes against Filipinos and the Bangsamoro, but remain above prosecution. As long as the US military is treated ‘above the law’ by the government, their victims among the civilian populace will not be given justice,” he said..... MORE

Source:  Bulatlat.com

URL: http://bulatlat.com/main/2012/04/20/death-of-56-year-old-fisherman-sparks-more-outrage-against-vfa-balikatan/

Workers challenge Congress to set wage hikes

Workers challenge Congress to set wage hikes

A week before May 1, as P125 wage hike proposal nears Congress approval, the labor secretary and regional wage boards suddenly realized there is a need indeed for a wage hike.
By MARYA SALAMAT
Bulatlat.com

MANILA – A week before May 1 Labor Day celebration, influential Senator Chiz Escudero declared support for a P125 across-the-board legislated wage hike. He said fears that a significant wage hike will cause inflation to rise and companies to close down are unfounded. In speaking thus, Senator Chiz joins the likes of Sarangani Rep. Manny Pacquiao, a boxing icon and famous media personality, who has declared since last year his support for the substantial wage hike proposal.

Echoing the long-time criticisms of the labor groups of the apparent failure of the country’s regional wage boards, Escudero also criticized the wage boards for failing to give workers a “just wage.”

Some regional wage boards are currently deliberating on wage proposals submitted by moderate trade union groups. But so far, Labor Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz has already dashed even the possibility that the said regional wage boards may break off from tradition and start granting wage hikes that are adjusted at least to regain lost purchasing power due to inflation. Even before the wage boards in the National Capital Region began holding public consultations, for example, Baldoz has announced that wage hikes may be granted but not higher than P21 ($0.49).

Escudero asserted the urgency of Congress stepping in to determine wages in the country.

The labor center Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU) immediately hailed last Friday Sen. Francis “Chiz” Escudero’s declaration of support for a P125 across-the-board legislated wage hike, saying the influential senator is a welcome addition to the ranks of legislators supporting the call. KMU hopes Escudero can draw in more supporters to the cause..... MORE

Source:  Bulatlat.com

URL: http://bulatlat.com/main/2012/04/24/workers-challenge-congress-to-set-wage-hikes/

Govt agrees to create Bangsamoro state

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Noy, kin lose P5B hacienda plea By Benjamin B. Pulta 04/25/2012

AQUINO SC APPOINTEES SOUGHT REMAND OF COMPENSATION ISSUE TO PALACE

Noy, kin lose P5B hacienda plea

By Benjamin B. Pulta 04/25/2012

It’s final. Hacienda Luisita’s close to 5,000 hectares are to be distributed to the farmer-workers while the Cojuangco-Aquino family ends up with a compensation of a little less than P200 million, as against the family seeking a compensation of P5 billion for the hacienda.

True to form, President Aquino’s appointees, Associate Justice Lourdes Sereno, Estela Bernabe and Bienvenido Reyes voted to allow an agency under the control of Malacañang to determine the amount which the Hacienda Luisita Inc. (HLI) is to receive as compensation for placing the sugar estate under the government’s agrarian reform program.

They were however, outvoted by the majority justices..... MORE

Source:  The Daily Tribune

URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/headlines/20120425hea1.html

SC blocks Comelec’s P1.8-B purchase of Smartmatic’s PCOS By Benjamin B. Pulta 04/25/2012

SC blocks Comelec’s P1.8-B purchase of Smartmatic’s PCOS

By Benjamin B. Pulta 04/25/2012

A restraining order was handed down by the Supreme Court (SC) yesterday, freezing the Commission on Elections (Comelec)’s P 1.8 billion contract for the purchase of computers to be used for next year’s elections.

Speaking to reporters at the end of the high court’s summer session in Baguio City, Court administrator Midas Marquez said the tribunal consolidated the three separate petitions challenging the deal between the collegial body and the Smartmatic-Total Information Management (TIM) to buy 80,000 precinct count optical scan (PCOS) machines.

Marquez also said the High Court will hear the cases in oral argument in a special en banc session to be held on May 2..... MORE

Source:  The Daily Tribune

URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/headlines/20120425hea2.html

Noy seeks China-savvy envoy 04/25/2012

Noy seeks China-savvy envoy

04/25/2012
President Aquino is still scouting for a suitable replacement for erstwhile ambassador to China Domingo Lee and hinted that his search may end outside of the realm of career diplomats as he would need an envoy who would have extensive knowledge of and contacts within the Chinese system and community — and preferably with Chinese blood.

“We’re reviewing. The criteria is really different. It’s not basically just career,” said Aquino as the Philippines continued to rattle diplomatic sabres with China over the disputed Scarborough Shoal.

He underscored that the next ambassador to China should be “somebody who understands the nuances of Chinese culture, how their system works, has developed contacts left and right to be able to reach the opinion makers and those whose opinions really matter.”.... MORE

Source:  The Daily Tribune

URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/nation/20120425nat2.html

Palea OKs CA mediation, calls on PAL to reinstate workers 04/25/2012

Palea OKs CA mediation, calls on PAL to reinstate workers

04/25/2012
The Philippine Airlines Employees’ Association (Palea) has submitted a manifestation to the Court of Appeals (CA) expressing its willingness to participate in mediation with the flag carrier’s new management to seek a settlement to the long-standing labor dispute.

“The new management of Philippine Airlines (PAL) should recognize that the solution to the flag carrier’s woes involves not only a refleeting of its aging aircraft but more so the reinstatement of its skilled regular workers,” said Gerry Rivera, Palea president..... MORE

Source:  The Daily Tribune

URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/metro/20120425met3.html

NBI, PNP to probe Paranaque demolition By Benjamin Pulta and Gina Peralta-Elorde 04/25/2012

NBI, PNP to probe Paranaque demolition

By Benjamin Pulta and Gina Peralta-Elorde 04/25/2012

Probers from the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) have been tasked to gather evidence for the possible filing of criminal and administrative charges against policemen who may have been involved in the violence that erupted during the demolition of a shanty colony in Silverio Compound in Paraaque City last Monday, an incident which left one person dead and 66 others injured.

Department of Justice (DoJ) Undersecretary Francisco Baraan III issued the order after residents accompanied by Bayan Muna Rep. Teodoro Casio sought the DoJs assistance in identifying the police authorities who participated in the demolition and in holding them accountable for the incident.

Baraan said charges of homicide with multiple physical injuries may be filed against the policemen should evidence warrant them..... MORE

Source:  The Daily Tribune

URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/metro/20120425met1.html