The case of public school teacher Ronnel Mas should give us a preview of the horror that we would have to go through if and when the Anti-Terrorism bill, which is awaiting the signature of President Duterte, becomes a law.
The anguish that Mas suffered since he was arrested without a warrant last May 11 for his tweet that the National Bureau of Investigation considered “seditious” is immeasurable that you would not wish on your worst enemy.
Thankfully, Olongapo RTC Judge Richard Paradeza saw the illegality of the arrest and dismissed the inciting to sedition charge against Mas.
In one of the forums where pressure on media was discussed, the respected Luis Teodoro of the Center Media Freedom and Responsibility said the best protection for media is the people’s trust
In principle, people’s trust on media should be a given because media’s role is public service – to give the public information , as truthfully as it can- that will empower them to make decisions in the daily life including on matters of national interest.
The reality, however, is not that simple. That’s why we have a situation where media becomes a target of attacks from the government as well as other powerful forces.
Our lives have been drastically altered by the rigid measures the government has imposed to stop the spread of Covid-19 the last four months.
The new quarantine classifications that President Duterte is going to announce Monday, June 15 will further affect our lives. Will it make life worse or better?
The study done by a group of professors from the University of the Philippines on the situation in Metro Manila and Cebu related to Covid-19 released last June 8 would help us deal with whatever Duterte will decide.
The UP professors said based on the trends that they have observed since March 1 to June 8, 2020, they forecast that “the number of Covid-19 cases, assuming a continuation of current trends, is a total of 40,000 Covid-19 cases by June 30, and 1,850 total deaths due to Covid-19.”
A slide from the presentation by Dr. Vo Xuan Vinh in a New Delhi conference on South China Sea.
A Vietnamese academic pierced whatever illusion about the Code of Conduct in the South China Sea being worked out between ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) and China and being coordinated by the Philippines.
Speaking in aconference on South China Sea in New Delhi, India November 29, 2019, Dr. Vo Xuan Vinh of the Institute for Southeast Asian Studies at the Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences said, “It is unlikely that ASEAN and China could conclude a COC as scheduled (2021).”
“If they do, “ Vo said, “the COC is not meaningful.”
Senator Leila de Lima waves to supporters on her way to a court hearing, June 7, 2019. Photo from Senator de Lima’s office.
Why is Malacañang panicking over the U.S. visa ban on officials involved in the “wrongful imprisonment” of Senator Leila de Lima that has yet to be implemented?
The panic was obvious in the President’s order at the beginning of the New Year that aside from banning the three American senators – Richard Durbin of Illinois, Patrick Leahy of Vermont and Edward Markey of Massachusetts from entering the country – he had wanted “to require all Americans intending to come to the Philippines to apply and secure a visa.”
The order would trash the current policy of a 30-day visa free privilege for U.S. citizens.
Human Rights advocate Aileen Bacalso accepts the 2019 Franco-German Prize for Human Rights award from French Ambassador Nicolas Galey (left) and German Ambassador Anke Reiffenstuel (right).
It could not have been given to a more deserving person.
Last Dec. 12, two days after the universal observance of International Human Rights Day, human rights advocates gathered at the Novotel in Quezon City to applaud the awarding to Aileen Bacalso, the Franco-German Ministerial Prize for Human Rights and the Rule of Law.
Bacalso was one of the 15 in the world who were honored this year for the work they are doing in protecting human rights. The others were: Ales Bialiatski (Belarus), Li Wenzu (China), the Nadim Center (Egypt), Ameha Mekonnen Asfaw (Ethiopia), Robin Chaurasiya (India), Nasrin Sotoudeh (Iran), Amina Hanga (Nigeria), Miluska Del Carmen Luzquinos Tafur (Peru), Irina Biryukova (Russia), Delphine Kemneloum Djiraïbe (Chad), Asena Günal (Turkey), Luz Mely Reyes (Venezuela), and Vu Quoc Ngu (Vietnam).
The countries where the other recipients come from is a commentary on the notorious company that the Philippines keeps, despite the fact that the preamble in its Constitution speak of building “a just and humane society.”
Senate President Vicente Sotto and Sen. Ronald Bato de la Rosa watch the Pacquiao-Thurman fight in a movie house in Makati in July 2019. Permission granted by Inquirer.net for the use of this photo by Neil Arwin Mercado.
Remember this photo of Senate President Tito Sotto and Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa watching the Las Vegas fight between Senate colleague Manny Pacquiao and American boxer Keith Thurman fight at a theater in Rockwell last July?
We wondered then why de la Rosa, who was investigated by the Ombudsman for accepting an all-expenses paid trip to watch the Pacquiao-Jesse Vargas fight in Las Vegas in November 2016 when he was police chief, opted to stay in Manila when President Duterte cleared him of any wrongdoing. (In fairness to the former police chief, he also skipped the Pacquiao -Jeff Horn fight in Brisbane, Australia in July 2017.)
A source told us that De la Rosa actually wanted to watch the Pacquiao-Thurman fight but his United States visa was cancelled in connection with The Asia Reassurance Initiative Act (ARIA).
Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo was wrong when he said that there is no song that embodies the whole Philippines.
“Tama si Mayor Sara. We need to have a song that will reflect not only Manila but the entire Philippines. Wala pa eh,” he told reporters when asked about complaint of Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio of the use of the song, “Manila, Manila” by the Hotdog band in the opening ceremonies of the 2019 Southeast Asian Games last Saturday.
For the information of Panelo there is a long list of Original Pilipino Music that embraces the Filipino people. Right off, there’s Yoyoy Villame’s playful “Philippine Geography”.
Tribute to the Filipino people. Opening ceremonies. from SEAG2019 Facebook page.
I enjoyed watching the opening ceremonies of the 30th Southeast Asian Games. Salute to director Floy Quintos. Just enough dazzle to showcase the beauty of Philippine culture.
I liked the use of the iconic song, “Manila, Manila” by the 70’s band, Hotdog, as the athletes entered the arena. It set a happy and bouncy mood for the event.
Presidential daughter Sara Duterte Carpio exposed her parochial mind when she complained through her Instagram account, “Di po ba Philippine flag ang dala? Why would you play the song Manila? Did Lapu-Lapu die for Manila? Wag po natin gawing excuse ang upbeat danceable song. Kami nag-imbento ng budots. Kaloko man oi.'”
Dennis Garcia, the other half of the brothers who formed the band, explained in his Facebook post, “
Rene & I created ‘Manila’, not thinking of ourselves as Tagalogs, Bisayans or Ilokanos but as Filipinos missing the Philippines.”
