Students protest ‘darker days’ under Aquino

Students protest ‘darker days’ under Aquino

 “Ever since he [Aquino] came to power, the education crisis has only worsened.” – National Union of Students of the Philippines
By ANNE MARXZE D. UMIL
Bulatlat.com

MANILA – There is no bright future for the youth under the administration of Benigno S. Aquino III. The youth groups said that under the present administration the number of out-of-school youths rose at an unprecedented level of around 80 percent. “Aquino came into power promising change, but the only change that’s happened is that these days are darker for the youth and students,” said Isabelle Baguisi, secretary general of National Union of Student of the Philippines (NUSP).

Students has once again walked out from their classes to show their dissent against the continuing increase in tuition and other fees as a result of budget cuts, the implementation of the K to 12 program and campus repression. They said the education crisis has worsened in just the two years of Aquino’s presidency.
“Ever since he came to power, the education crisis has only worsened. Tertiary education has suffered from continued budget cuts while public and private schools keep on increasing tuition and miscellaneous fees. The K to 12 program has also aggravated the education crisis by stretching the already stretched resources,” Baguisi added.

(Photo by Anne Marxze D. Umil / Bulatlat.com)

According to Baguisi, state universities and colleges such as the University of the Philippines (UP), Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP) and Mindanao State University (MSU) have increased their tuition. On the other hand, the Commission on Higher Education (Ched) has allowed 266 private schools to increase their tuition for academic year 2012-2013.

Several youths from different colleges and universities, as well as high school students marched to Chino Roces Bridge (former Mendiola Bridge) last July 13 as build up to the big rally on Aquino’s State of the Nation Address (Sona) on July 23.

‘Education as commodity’ 

Budget cuts on education and the government’s push for state universities and colleges to raise their own funds have pushed state-run tertiary schools to increase tuition and other school fees.

According to the data of the NUSP, PUP and MSU have increased their tuition and miscellaneous fees. In PUP, the miscellaneous fee will increase to P450 ($10.46). From P85 ($1.97) per semester, MSU increased its tuition to P50 ($1.19) per unit. Twelve state universities and colleges in the Cordillera region proposed an increase in tuition by 300 percent.

In UP, while before majority of the students pay tuition amounting to P1,000 ($23) per unit, now, majority pays P1,500 ($34) per unit unless the student requests for the lower tuition and submits proof of his or her parents’ income. “When Aquino became president the tuition in UP is around P18,000 ($418) per semester. In his second year, students have to pay P27,000 ($627) per semester,” Anton Dulce of progressive youth group Anakbayan said.

Cleve Arguelles, student regent of UP said the university will implement a large lecture class policy in the whole UP system. “About 100 to 200 students will be put into one class; what would we learn in that kind of situation? It is enraging that we are paying the high cost of education despite UP being a state university because the government no longer wants to subsidize the scholars of the nation.”.... MORE

Source:  Bulatlat.com

URL: http://bulatlat.com/main/2012/07/22/students-protest-%E2%80%98darker-days%E2%80%99-under-aquino/

No laughing matter

No laughing matter

• Written by  Ninez Cacho-Olivares
• Sunday, 22 July 2012 00:00

Quite frankly, the constitutional provisions pertaining to the so-called constitutional Judicial and Bar Council (JBC) have become so unconstitutional that it can now be called a big constitutional joke.

First off, at least two provisos have been unconstitutionally amended and discarded, with the Supreme Court itself, ruling with a hometown decision, on the Chief Justice being the head of the JBC, with the mandate to convene and preside over the proceedings in the JBC.

The SC says, pulling out an antiquated 1948 Judiciary Act which has everything to do with the mode of succession in the high court and not the JBC, since the JBC came into being in 1987, that it should be the acting CJ who now convenes and presides over the JBC, unless unable to, in which case, the succession order goes down the line where now, even a junior justice can preside over such proceedings.

Second, the proviso stating the composition of the JBC, complete with the officers’ official titles, such as the CJ, not the acting CJ or his “successors,” along with the Justice chief and others, are the designated officials in the JBC body, and are now replaceable, such as the President of the Republic now being allowed to appoint anybody of his choice to represent him in the JBC, as his Secretary of Justice had to inhibit herself as she is also eyeing the position of the top SC post..... MORE

Source:  The Daily Tribune

URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/index.php/commentary/item/1845-no-laughing-matter

US missile shield to encircle Chinese economic tiger

US missile shield to encircle Chinese economic tiger

 
American plans to develop a missile shield in Asia have alarmed Beijing. With 250 million Chinese officially considered poor, spending billions to challenge the US military could sink China’s economy without firing a single shot.

­The Chinese military has voiced concern that the US missile shield plans to destabilize the military balance on the continent.

In March the Pentagon revealed plans to deploy elements of its global antiballistic missile defense system in Asia and the Middle East. Such a shield would include deployable ship-based interceptors and land-based missile interceptors located in the United States’ western territories..... MORE
Source:  RT.com

URL: http://www.rt.com/news/china-arms-race-nuclear-787/

'Calculation and deliberation’: Colorado killings planned months in advance

'Calculation and deliberation’: Colorado killings planned months in advance

The Colorado cinema massacre that left 12 people dead was the product of meticulous planning, say US police. The killer had stocked up on ammunition and bomb-making materials months before the attack.

American authorities described suspect James Holmes’ apartment as a deathtrap, rigged with booby traps to kill “whoever entered it.” Police disposed of the explosive materials Holmes’ had stashed in his flat in controlled explosions on Saturday.

The PHD honors student had been receiving deliveries of ammunition and bomb-making materials up to four months prior to the attack, according to a preliminary police investigation..... MORE

Source:  RT.com

URL: http://rt.com/usa/news/colorado-shooting-massacre-cinema-777/

The soul of the nation Written by Larry Faraon Sunday, 22 July 2012 00:00

The soul of the nation

• Written by  Larry Faraon
• Sunday, 22 July 2012 

All is set for tomorrow’s third State of the Nation Address (Sona) of President Noynoy Aquino. Expectations and frustrations would again be criss-crossing between P-Noy’s cohorts  and critics. But expect some lighter moments when an array and display of SUV’s and a la mode suits and gowns litter the entrance lobby of the Batasan Pambansa. The top government bureaucracy would all be there — all in one place — representatives of their respective constituencies and the Filipino people. All eyes, mind and applause shall all be focused on President Aquino as he mounts the podium and lays on the table the “state” of the nation.

But will he touch at least, on the “soul” of this nation?

Traditional platonic-scholastic philosophy would define the soul as the dynamic principle and substance of man. It would be the defining principle of man which makes him different from all other creatures. The soul’s essential interiority at times buries itself into oblivion in the consciousness of the dynamic being or person, but can readily surge to the surface if necessary, especially when the person ventures into open spirituality or at least maneuver into the world of spirits and meanings provoked or motivated by some sort of incidental vehement impulse..... MORE

Source:  The Daily Tribune

URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/index.php/commentary/item/1841-the-soul-of-the-nation

‘God particle’ Written by Archbishop Oscar V.Cruz Sunday, 22 July 2012 00:00

‘God particle’

• Written by  Archbishop Oscar V.Cruz
• Sunday, 22 July 2012

Whenever the name of God is invoked, there is usually a religious person or a spiritual figure behind it. This can be a nun or a priest, a fervent preacher or an understandable, considering that the lives —mind, heart and spirit — of said individuals are centered on God. Theirs therefore are not only God anchored thoughts but also God oriented words and actions. This is why the mention of God is but a matter of course, for them.

Lo and behold! Recently someone who is not a known religious or spiritual man, recently announced the discovery of something called the “God particle.”

It is said that God is a “sub-atomic particle,” i.e., much smaller than of an atom itself. By the way, the one who made the finding is said to be a scientist who is in fact a Nobel Laureate.

In other words, if the one who proudly and publicly announced it is a distinct and knowledge individual, his pronouncement is definitely something worth thinking and speaking about. It is said though that he was disowned by his own countrymen. Why? This is not known to the public, to date..... MORE

Source:  The Daily Tribune

URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/index.php/commentary/item/1840-%E2%80%98god-particle%E2%80%99

Cruz claims Noy behind Chacha

Cruz claims Noy behind Chacha

• Written by  Tribune
• Sunday, 22 July 2012 

While President Benigno Aquino III has always maintained that amending the country’s Constitution was not a priority of his administration, an outspoken Catholic archbishop has not taken Aquino’s pronouncement hook, line and sinker.

Retired Archbishop Oscar Cruz claimed that Malacañang controls Congress and solons would not make any move without the former’s blessing.

“If the Senate President and the Speaker of the House met (regarding) Charter change it’s so hard to believe that the executive department has no hand in this,” Cruz said.

Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile and Speaker Feliciano Belmonte announced earlier that their move to amend the Charter would only be limited to economic provisions.

The two lawmakers said they had agreed not to accommodate resolutions that had nothing to do with the economy..... MORE

Source:  The Daily Tribune

URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/index.php/nation/item/1864-cruz-claims-noy-behind-chacha

Palace: CCT anomalies true but Gloria’s the culprit Written by Fernan J. Angeles Sunday, 22 July 2012 00:00

Palace: CCT anomalies true but Gloria’s the culprit

• Written by  Fernan J. Angeles
• Sunday, 22 July 2012 

Malacañang admitted yesterday irregularities hound the administration’s main poverty alleviation program called the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) but the catch is that it blamed the anomalies on former President Gloria Arroyo although it was clear that the CoA report covered 2011.

President Aquino’s spokesman Edwin Lacierda said irregularities in the CCT have been corrected even as the Palace official hinted on a practice which he claimed dates back from the time of the previous administration.

Lacierda claimed the “latest” COA review of the CCT program covered 2007 up to 2009.
The CoA report detailed several anomalies, including deficiencies in the screening process of beneficiaries and unliquidated fund transfers, in its review of the CCT scheme for 2010, half of which year is under the Aquino administration..... MORE

Source:  The Daily Tribune

URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/index.php/headlines/item/1872-palace-cct-anomalies-true-but-gloria%E2%80%99s-the-culprit

Continuous rains sink Metro, suburbs; 2 dead Written by Tribune Sunday, 22 July 2012 00:00

Continuous rains sink Metro, suburbs; 2 dead

• Written by  Tribune
• Sunday, 22 July 2012 

Two people were killed and six others are missing as floods inundated parts of Metro Manila and nearby areas while a tropical depression Ferdie tore through northern Luzon, civil defense authorities said yesterday.

The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said rescuers were on standby to help residents evacuate if necessary as creeks and open sewers in the capital overflowed from overnight rains, swamping nearby slums and causing traffic jams.

The rains began to ease by midday after plunging some areas in knee-deep waters, but NDRRMC executive director Benito Ramos said he could not rule out further flooding as runoff from nearby mountains descends into Manila Bay.

“All that rain up there would eventually find their way here,” he said, referring to mountains east of Manila..... MORE

Source:  The Daily Tribune

URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/index.php/headlines/item/1871-continuous-rains-sink-metro-suburbs-2-dead

US, Canadian men held for selling fake Viagra

US, Canadian men held for selling fake Viagra

• Written by  AFP
• Sunday, 22 July 2012 

An American and a Canadian have been detained in the Philippines for selling fake counterfeit Viagra pills through the Internet, police said yesterday.

Canadian man Nicolai Boutnine and Joseph Dean, an American, were among six suspects arrested when police raided a call-center in Mandaue City on Monday, the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group said.

Criminal charges were filed against the suspects following a police operation in response to a complaint from the pharmaceutical giant Pfizer that owns the erectile dysfunction drug’s patent, said police spokesman Senior Insp. Don de Dios.

“We are coordinating with the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement to secure some of the evidence needed for their prosecution,” de Dios told Agence France Presse..... MORE

Source:  The Daily Tribune

URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/index.php/nation/item/1866-us-canadian-men-held-for-selling-fake-viagra

6,000 cops for Sona isn’t overkill — Palace Written by Fernan J. Angeles Sunday, 22 July 2012 00:00

6,000 cops for Sona isn’t overkill — Palace

• Written by  Fernan J. Angeles
• Sunday, 22 July 2012 

For Malacañang, the 6,000 members of the Philippine National Police (PNP)  securing the perimeters of the Batasan, in not an “overkill.” The palace believes so even as one of its  official described the preparation  as an essential factor for an  extensive security measure for President Aquino’s third State of the Nation Address (Sona).

Malacañang said  the security measure  seen as  twice extensive compared to last year, is  “just fit” for an event that would rarely see an assembly of top officials from all three branches of the government.

Presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda said the Sona is an important and the only day  the President gets to set foot in Congress.

“Officials of the three branches of government are together. How can it not be taken with great importance?” Lacierda said in response to questions posed by palace reporters seeking description of Malacañang’s perception on the doubly strict security measure put in place by the PNP..... MORE

Source:  The Daily Tribune

URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/index.php/metro-section/item/1861-6000-cops-for-sona-isn%E2%80%99t-overkill-%E2%80%94-palace

Classes of schools near Batasan suspended tomorrow for Sona

Classes of schools near Batasan suspended tomorrow for Sona

• Written by  Arlie O. Calalo
• Sunday, 22 July 2012 

Several public elementary and high schools near the Batasan Complex have been allowed to suspend classes tomorrow to minimize traffic congestion when President  Aquino delivers his State of the Nation Address (Sona) before a joint session of Congress.

Quezon City  schools division superintendent Corazon Rubio was the one who issued the authorization memorandum to concerned local school administrators, said Greg Bañacia, chief of the city’s Public Affairs and Information Services Office (PAISO). 

However, in order to catch up with the “lost day,” the affected schools can have Saturday classes, she said.
“In replacement to the suspension of classes, Saturday classes will be held,” Rubio said..... MORE

Source:  The Daily Tribune

URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/index.php/metro-section/item/1860-classes-of-schools-near-batasan-suspended-tomorrow-for-sona

Doleouts just won’t work

Doleouts just won’t work

• Written by  Tribune Editorial
• Saturday, 21 July 2012 

The conditional cash transfer (CCT) program of Noynoy is one of the most expensive items in the yearly government budget and the most frequently criticized due to doubts that it is being properly monitored, thus turning it into what many fear it is turning out to be just as what was intended by Noynoy and his Liberal Party — which is mere political doleouts that would be used to bribe the poor to give them the vote come election day.

The allocation for the program which the administration calls the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4P) totals P23 billion this year and by next year the allotment for it will almost double to P40 billion to target 3.5 million families which were supposedly identified by the administration of Noynoy as extremely poor.

Not so poor, after all, as the Commission on Audit (CoA) review of the program showed many of the so-called beneficiaries of the program are not exactly among the marginalized.

The CoA interviewed sample beneficiaries throughout the country and the results were no surprise at all, especially to critics.

A handful of the beneficiaries was obviously delegated by some allied political figures in the areas, some have legitimate jobs and even one is a proprietor owning an apartment space.... MORE

Source:  The Daily Tribune

URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/index.php/commentary/editorial/item/1802-doleouts-just-won%E2%80%99t-work

‘Don’t be duped by Western humanitarian rhetoric on Syria’ – Russia's UN ambassador

‘Don’t be duped by Western humanitarian rhetoric on Syria’ – Russia's UN ambassador

Russia and China have for the third time vetoed a UN Security Council resolution on Syria which would entail tragic consequences for Damascus. Russia’s ambassador to the UN told RT why a diplomatic solution to the crisis remains the only option.

­In an exclusive interview with RT, Vitaly Churkin gave his explanation of what is going on in Syria and why he thinks the conflict has spread beyond that country's borders.

RT: Russia's decision to veto this latest resolution has caused consternation and widespread criticism of Moscow's stance – is Russia supporting the Assad regime?.... MORE
Source:  RT.com

URL: http://www.rt.com/news/syria-russia-diplomacy-resolution-630/

'Dark Knight Rises' massacre: 12 shot dead in Colorado 'Batman' screening

'Dark Knight Rises' massacre: 12 shot dead in Colorado 'Batman' screening

At least 12 people have been killed and 59 wounded after a masked gunman shot moviegoers at the latest 'Batman' premiere in Colorado. The attack is the worst in the state's history since the infamous Columbine High School massacre in 1999.

­Thirty people remain in hospitals, 11 of whom are believed to be in critical condition, Gov. John Hickenlooper said.

How it happened

The theater in the Colorado city of Aurora in the Denver Metro area was packed with a lot of people, many of them young fans, at the time the shooting started, 9news reports. The violence erupted some 15 minutes after the movie began, witnesses said..... MORE

Source:  RT.com

URL: http://www.rt.com/news/shooting-dark-knight-rises-batman-denver-aurora-654/

Delicate matter: Medieval brassieres discovered in Austria

Delicate matter: Medieval brassieres discovered in Austria

A new archaeological find in the Austrian Tyrol has shown that brassiere is not such a recent invention. Historians have discovered prototypes of a modern brassiere in an Austrian castle. The find dates back to the 15th century.

­Fashion historians and researchers used to believe that a bra has been around for just around 100 years. They were pretty convinced women wore chemises in the middle ages, while knickers are believed to have appeared in the 18th century.

Yet these beliefs were proved wrong with the discovery of four bras and two pairs of pants among some 3,000 clothing items and fragments in Lengberg Castle in East Tyrol, BBC history magazine reported..... MORE

Source:  RT.com

URL: http://rt.com/art-and-culture/news/delicate-matter-discovered-austria-679/

‘Migrante’ portrays dreams, harrowing tales of OFWs

‘Migrante’ portrays dreams, harrowing tales of OFWs

By JANESS ANN J. ELLAO
Bulatlat.com
MANILA – A few years ago, renowned director Joel Lamangan and Palanca-awardee scriptwriter Bonifacio Ilagan teamed up with Ricky Lee to film the Flor Contemplacion Story, a movie based on the life of an overseas Filipino worker who was sentenced to die in Singapore. Her death amplified the costs of labor migration.

Yet recently, Lamangan and Ilagan teamed up again to film another gripping portrayal of the continuing poor working conditions of overseas Filipino workers.

“Flor’s story was a film on one individual’s life. But now, (in this film) you will see the bigger problem. It also focuses on how groups like Migrante are helping OFWs in other countries,” Lamangan told Bulatlat.com. The film, he added, is “telling the truth of how our local embassies in other countries are not helping that much.”

‘Migrante (The Filipino Diaspora)’ is a film that portrays the many faces of being an overseas Filipino worker. The fates of the OFWs in the film were intertwined by the tragic incident that has befallen Frida (Jody Sta. Maria) and her family. It also highlighted the role of people’s organizations such as Migrante International, which, in real life, have been at the forefront of helping fellow Filipino migrants workers in need.
“One of our inspirations in making this film is the accumulating number of cases of OFWs being maltreated. The number of reported incidents have increased tremendously that people think that it is just an ordinary case,” Ilagan said.

Leaving the country

Frida’s children tries to convince her not to leave (Photo courtesy of Migrante (The Filipino Diaspora) Facebook account)

The scenes leading to Frida’s departure to Israel is all too familiar since many Filipinos, including this writer, have relatives working abroad. But it is an entirely new experience when viewing it from a different perspective.

One could almost sense the pain that characters were feeling as Frida’s departure neared, most especially when the children were begging desperately for their mother not to leave. Even Jody Sta. Maria, who played Frida, told Bulatlat.com that it is one of the scenes that struck her.
“If they had a choice, who would want to go out of this country to work? Knowing our Filipino culture for strong family ties, no one would,” Sta. Maria said..... MORE

Source:  Bulatlat.com

URL: http://bulatlat.com/main/2012/07/20/%E2%80%98migrante%E2%80%99-portrays-dreams-harrowing-tales-of-ofws/

Health not priority under Aquino’s 2013 budget

Health not priority under Aquino’s 2013 budget

"Once charity patients from indigent families without PhilHealth coverage are turned away from public hospitals, many will be forced to simply wait for death even if they are suffering from what originally were treatable diseases.”

By INA ALLECO R. SILVERIO
Bulatlat.com

MANILA — Gabriela Women’s Party Rep. Emmi de Jesus is fuming mad. According to the staunch women’s rights activist lawmaker, the Benigno Aquino III administration is deliberately and perhaps even spitefully ignoring the welfare of the Filipino poor when it crafted it’s budget proposal for 2013. De Jesus cited in particular the Aquino government’s 2013 budget proposal for the Department of Health.

“The P56.8 billion ($1.35 billion) proposed 2013 DOH budget dismally falls short of the World Health Organization’s recommended budgetary allocation of five percent of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) for public health. It represents a mere 1.89 percent of the GDP registered by the National Economic
Development Agency for the third quarter of 2011. The Aquino administration’s intention to spend no more than P0.62 ($0.014) per Filipino in 2013 without doubt constitutes a violent attack against the Filipino people’s right to health,” de Jesus said.

De Jesus said that what exacerbates an already sorry situation is how the increase in the DOH-proposed budget will only go to PhilHealth.

“The Philhealth system can never replace a genuine universal health care system, especially in a society where poor families can ill afford to feed their families more than twice a day, let alone pay for the PhilHealth premiums. The PhilHealth card is also useless in poorly provisioned public hospitals,” De Jesus asserted.

According to De Jesus, the health budget will actually be taken from the pockets of Philhealth’s beneficiaries – some 5.2 million impoverished Filipinos..... MORE

Source:  Bulatlat.com

URL: http://bulatlat.com/main/2012/07/19/health-no-priority-under-aquinos-2013-budget/

Third Sona’s highlights: More GMA, Mike bashing

Third Sona’s highlights: More GMA, Mike bashing

• Written by  Fernan J. Angeles
• Saturday, 21 July 2012

NOYNOY WENT MISSING ANEW ON A LAZY RAINY DAY

The same worn-out bashing of his perceived political enemies with the usual suspects like former First Gentleman Mike Arroyo and his anomalous chopper deal, former President Gloria Arroyo and her involvement in the misuse of the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) intel funds, former Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (Pagcor) Chairman Efraim Genuino’s P1-billion coffee deal and the ouster of Chief Justice Renato Corona will be the highlight of the state of the nation address (Sona) President Aquino will deliver on Monday, Malacañang insiders privy to the drafting of Aquino’s speech said.

“No theatrics” was how top Malacañang officials described Aquino’s 3rd Sona but it will revolve on issues which he had delved into in his first two bicameral session speeches focusing on the administration’s economic programs and anti-corruption efforts.

Aquino’s appointments office, meanwhile, had to cancel or re-schedule the Chief Executive’s meetings and engagements for yesterday with the Malacañang media bureau office claiming that the President wanted to devote the entire day in preparation for his third State of the Nation Address (Sona) on Monday..... MORE

Source:  The Daily Tribune

URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/index.php/headlines/item/1828-third-sona%E2%80%99s-highlights-more-gma-mike-bashing

Acquitted fratman in hazing death named by Noy as JBC rep

Acquitted fratman in hazing death named by Noy as JBC rep

• Written by  Tribune
• Saturday, 21 July 2012 

A Palace official has been named by President Aquino to represent the Executive Department before the Judicial and Bar Council (JBC) despite the Constitution’s clear provision naming the secretary of justice as one of the regular members of the collegial body which is currently screening applicants for the position of chief justice.

Undersecretary Michael Frederick Musngi, a member of the Aquila Legis fraternity, was among those acquitted in the death of hazing victim Lenny Villa by the Court of Appeals.

Musngi, who heads the Office of Special Concerns under the Office of the Executive Secretary, replaces Justice Secretary Leila de Lima in the Council, lawyer Jose Mejia, representative of the academe in the JBC, has confirmed.

De Lima decided to inhibit from the selection process because she was one of 22 candidates for the post left vacant after the ouster of former Chief Justice Renato Corona..... MORE

Source:  The Daily Tribune

URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/index.php/headlines/item/1824-acquitted-fratman-in-hazing-death-named-by-noy-as-jbc-rep