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Soldiers harass peace caravan in Quezon

Thursday, June 28, 2012

“It clearly shows the brazenness of the military. They were ready to do anything to sabotage our caravan.” – Save Bondoc Peninsula Movement
By RONALYN V. OLEA
Bulatlat.com

MANILA – They came to bring peace but they were met with hostility by men in uniform.

The Save Bondoc Peninsula Movement, a network of people’s organizations, Church-based groups and local government units, decried what they called as “sabotage” operations of the military against the ongoing mercy mission and peace caravan in Quezon province, south of Manila.

The eight-day mission, which started June 25, aims to document human rights violations allegedly perpetrated by state security forces in 22 towns of South Quezon and to provide relief operations, a medical mission, psychosocial activities, ecumenical services, human rights seminars, among others.

Deployed in South Quezon are 4,000 troops from eight battalions of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).

At around 2:30 p.m. of June 26, the 17-vehicle caravan was halted after three of jeepneys had flat tires.

Metal spikes were scattered on the road at Malaahos village, Catanauan, about a hundred meters away from the Army’s 76th Infantry Battalion camp.

One of the posters found all over the towns of Bondoc Peninsula.(Photo courtesy of Save Bondoc Peninsula Movement/ bulatlat.com)
Smear campaign posters and streamers against Karapatan, one of the conveners of the Save Bondoc Peninsula Movement, were also conspicuously posted in public places in the towns of Bondoc Peninsula. The materials maliciously link the volunteers and participants of the relief and medical mission to the New People’s Army (NPA), armed wing of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP).

“It clearly shows the brazenness of the military. They were ready to do anything to sabotage our caravan. It is a good thing that no untoward accident resulted from their foul play,” Orly Marcellana, spokesman of the Save Bondoc Peninsula Movement said in a statement.

Upon arriving at Talisay village in San Andres town, the mission chanced upon a meeting facilitated by the military..... MORE

SourceBulatlat.com

URL: http://bulatlat.com/main/2012/06/27/soldiers-harass-peace-caravan-in-quezon/

Towering Babel

Towering Babel

Noynoy’s government, more specifically, his administration is a big, big joke but one that doesn’t make Filipinos laugh.

There doesn’t seem to be any coordination or even communications among the officials of his government — including Noynoy and his spokesmen, as clearly, Malacañang and its aides have turned itself into a virtual Tower of Babel, where everyone talks but nobody seems to understand what the other is saying, or has said.

If one still remembers the biblical account taken from the Book of Genesis, following the Great Flood, generations upon generations spoke only one language which was naturally understood by all — until they decided to build a tower reaching the heavens, but God saw what they did and went down to earth to confound their speech, scattering the people and confused their languages, leaving Babel because God confounded the language of all the Earth.

The difference of course is that even as Malacañang  and Noynoy are supposed to speak the same language, Noy and his officials prefer to cling to babbling Babel, confusing and confounding the Filipino people and even other peoples of the world..... MORE

SourceThe Daily Tribune

URL: http://www.tribune.net.ph/index.php/commentary/editorial/item/809-towering-babel

Ridiculous

Ridiculous

There seems to be a cover-up of sorts over the Bolinao incident, where it was first reported by government authorities that a Chinese cargo ship rammed a Philippine fishing boat at high seas and didn’t even stop to rescue the fishermen.

China immediately reacted, saying there are no reports from its side that a Chinese vessel collided with a small fishing boat along the waters of Bolinao.

Shortly after, government authorities announced that it wasn’t a Chinese ship but a Hong Kong-registered cargo ship. M/V Peach Mountain that rammed the small fishing boat and left the Filipino fishermen at sea without even helping them.

Noynoy, through his spokesmen, quickly vowed to have Peach Mountain charged for violating the law of the sea, related to ships’ refusal to help fishermen in distress..... MORE

SourceThe Daily Tribune

URL: http://www.tribune.net.ph/index.php/commentary/item/808-ridiculous

NATO's Libya: A fine mess

NATO's Libya: A fine mess

27.06.2012
Image by Pravda.ru
The map is from June 25, 2012. The green flags show Jamahiriya-held areas, the flames show combats with the NATO-backed NTC terrorists, the rats show terrorist-controlled areas and the bombs denote NATO terrorist attacks against Libyan patriot forces defending their country from this scourge. Let us take a look at NATO's Libya.

At the beginning of 2011, Libya had the highest human development indices in Africa, one of its highest literacy rates, education was available to all for free, housing was provided to all for free, transportation was subsidised, food was distributed for free. Communities regulated themselves through the Jamahiriya system, self-governance through People's Congresses. These Congresses basically met and decided what they needed and the Government provided it.

Enter the FUKUS-Axis (France, UK, US) coveting Libya's vast sovereign fund, Libya's vast energy resources and standing against Colonel Gaddafi's vast humanitarian projects in Africa, for which he was to receive a special humanitarian prize from the UNO and which also denied the FUKUS Axis' banking, arms, telecoms and other business lobbies billions of dollars in revenue from loans made to corrupted officials across Africa..... MORE

SourcePravda.ru

URL: http://english.pravda.ru/opinion/columnists/27-06-2012/121496-libya_mess-0/

Nothing safe, nothing sacred: Syrian rebels desecrate Christian churches? (PHOTOS)

Nothing safe, nothing sacred: Syrian rebels desecrate Christian churches? (PHOTOS)


Photo courtesy of www.prisonplanet.com via RT.com
Shocking images have surfaced, revealing the alleged desecration of Christian churches in Syria by Western-backed rebels. The pictures, taken by local Christians outraged at the violence, were published by PrisonPlanet.com.

In one of the photos a man who is said to be a member of the Free Syrian Army poses in a stolen priest’s robe while brandishing a looted cross in one hand and a machine gun in the other.

The photos were taken by a Christian woman in Homs, one of the cities most devastated by continued violent clashes between rebels and government forces.... MORE
SourceRT.com

URL: http://www.rt.com/news/syrian-rebels-desecrate-christian-churches-897/

LTFRB’s recipe for a zombie

LTFRB’s recipe for a zombie

Finally, a recipe for resurrecting the dead has been perfected. And it had been done by no less than a government agency of the Philippines, the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFR).

Surprisingly, the formula it concocted was so simple but had eluded everyone. All it had to do was to exhume a 20-year old dead franchise, have it awarded to a union and find a willing buyer. And there, you have a zombie bus company!

No wonder Eastern Samar Rep. Ben Evardone calls it the LTFRB’s own palusot.

 Evardone said the LTBRB’s decision to allow the sale of the expired Certificates of Public Convenience of the Pantranco North Express Inc. defies logic as the agency had for 20 years denied any application to have it extended, rendering the CPCs worthless piece of papers..... MORE

SourceThe Daily Tribune

URL: http://www.tribune.net.ph/index.php/commentary/item/805-ltfrb%E2%80%99s-recipe-for-a-zombie

Noy ‘too busy’ for China row

Noy ‘too busy’ for China row

STILL RE-EVALUATING ON REDEPLOYMENT OF SHIPS — PALACE
The Palace remains undecided and indicated yesterday that the government was still in the “re-evaluation” stage on the prospect of redeploying Philippine boats  in the Scarborough Shoal despite the presence of a growing number of Chinese vessels in the area, saying that President Aquino was “too busy” to firm up a decision.

“Not today (Wednesday). The President has several meetings today,” said Lacierda when asked for details on when Aquino would meet officials of the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) and other relevant agencies that form part of the re-evaluation team.

Aquino cited typhoon “Butchoy” last June 18 for his decision to recall ships deployed in the shoal that in effect China considered a withdrawal since it ordered its state-owned ships to stay put on the disputed area. As of yesterday, the military counted 28 Chinese ships in the Scarborough Shoal area..... MORE

SourceThe Daily Tribune

URL: http://www.tribune.net.ph/index.php/headlines/item/834-noy-%E2%80%98too-busy%E2%80%99-for-china-row

Queen Sofia of Spain on a 5-day RP visit, to inspect AECID projects

Her Majesty, Queen Sofia of the Kingdom of Spain, is scheduled to visit Manila and some provinces next month as an official guest of the Philippine government.

The Queen is due to arrive in Manila on July 2 to personally inspect various development cooperation projects being implemented with funding assistance and grants from the Spanish government through its development cooperation agency, Agencia Española de Cooperación Internacional para el Desarollo (AECID). “The upcoming visit of Queen Sofia is a reaffirmation of Spain’s commitment toward addressing the myriad developments and challenges the Philippines and the rest of the world are facing today,” the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said.

“It is a positive reflection of the Philippines’ long-standing and special partnership with Spain, most especially in the area of development cooperation,” it added..... MORE

SourceThe Daily Tribune

URL: http://www.tribune.net.ph/index.php/headlines/item/832-queen-sofia-of-spain-on-a-5-day-rp-visit-to-inspect-aecid-projects

Ford to shut down RP assembly operations

Ford to shut down RP assembly operations

  • Written by 
  • Thursday, 28 June 2012
Contrary to President Aquino’s claim that businesses are rushing to invest in the Philippines, the local unit of US auto giant Ford Motors announced yesterday it will close its local vehicle assembly plant in the Philippines by the end of the year, with the loss of 360 jobs, as part of an ongoing restructuring across Asia.

The decision will leave the country without a motor vehicle exporter, Ford Group Philippines president Randy Krieger said in a statement.

Ford Philippines is the first and only volume exporter of vehicles from the Philippines and has supplied the Ford Focus, Ford Escape and Mazda3 to Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) markets that include Thailand, Indonesia and Malaysia since 2002.

“This is a very difficult decision. The company studied every possible scenario and opportunity, but we could not make a strong enough business case for future manufacturing,” he added..... MORE

SourceThe Daily Tribune

URL: http://www.tribune.net.ph/index.php/headlines/item/830-ford-to-shut-down-rp-assembly-operations

SC: Amparo writ not applicable when state not guilty party

The Supreme Court (SC) clarified the legal requirements for the issuance of a writ of amparo.

In a 15-page decision by Justice Mariano del Castillo, the court en banc dismissed for  a petition for writ of amparo filed by the family of a man who had allegedly disappeared after he was mauled for committing a misdemeanor by the security people of a subdivision in Malolos, Bulacan.

The court which adopted the extraordinary writ as a legal remedy in cases of enforced disappreances and extra-legal killings pointed out that government, real or alleged is an indispensable element for the writ to be issued.

The tribunal’s decision  reversed and set aside the July 24, 2008 decision of the Malolos City Regional Trial Court, Branch 20, which had issued a writ of amparo and ordered the production of the body of Benhur Pardico before the trial court..... MORE

SourceThe Daily Tribune

URL: http://www.tribune.net.ph/index.php/nation/item/839-sc-amparo-writ-not-applicable-when-state-not-guilty-party

De Lima defends NBI’s rescue of Myanmarese kid

De Lima defends NBI’s rescue of Myanmarese kid

  • Written by 
  • Thursday, 28 June 2012
Department of Justice (DoJ) Secretary Leila de Lima on Wednesday defended the action taken by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) in the rescue of an eight-year-old Myanmar national in Biñan, Laguna.

The NBI, which is the Philippines’ premier investigating body, is an attached agency of the DoJ.

According to De Lima, the situation then was that the life and safety of the Myanmarese boy were at stake, hence, they ordered the NBI to take the necessary action even without a direct coordination with the Anti-Kidnapping Group (AKG) of the PNP (Philippine National Police)..... MORE

SourceThe Daily Tribune

URL: http://www.tribune.net.ph/index.php/nation/item/838-de-lima-defends-nbi%E2%80%99s-rescue-of-myanmarese-kid

Lawmakers say excise tax bill won’t benefit local tobacco producers

Members of the progressive bloc in the House of Representatives yesterday said the excise tax bill approved on  third and final reading by the House of Representatives last June 6 will not benefit local tobacco producers.

“In the name of providing more funds for the universal health coverage program, the Department of Finance wants to pass a regressive tax measure that will further burden local tobacco farmers and consumers alike,”  Anakpawis party-list Rep. Rafael Mariano said.

House Bill (HB) No. 5727, as amended, seeks to establish a two-tier excise tax system for tobacco, in which cigarette packs with a net retail price of P11.50 or less will have an excise tax of P12 for the first year, and P22 for the second year, translating to an increase of 341 percent and 709 percent, respectively..... MORE

SourceThe Daily Tribune

URL: http://www.tribune.net.ph/index.php/metro-section/item/827-lawmakers-say-excise-tax-bill-won%E2%80%99t-benefit-local-tobacco-producers

Angara alarmed by rampant sale of products containing mercury

Aurora Rep. Juan Edgardo “Sonny” Angara yesterday expressed alarm over the continued sale of products containing excessive amounts of mercury.

Angara said the Ecowaste Coalition proved that 13 out of 14 whitening products sold in different parts of Manila violated the 1 part per million (ppm) mercury limit set by the Association of Southeast Nations (Asean) Cosmetics Directive. The products also did not label mercury as an ingredient though they contained excessive levels of mercury from 550 ppm to 60,800 ppm.

“Despite the risks, mercury continues to be used in medical devices in school laboratories and even ordinary consumer products like toys, clothes, electronic gadgets, bags and drinking bottles which can be accessed easily by schoolchildren,” he stressed..... MORE

SourceThe Daily Tribune

URL: http://www.tribune.net.ph/index.php/metro-section/item/824-angara-alarmed-by-rampant-sale-of-products-containing-mercury

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