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  • hopeless_race : Lets not just focus sa mga malversation of funds, sa mga overpricing..ating pagtuunan ng atensyon ang diskarte ng mga politiko na umuutang ng bilyon bilyon sa gobyerno."Small time" ang ibang pamamaraan ng pangungurakot kumpara sa pag-utang sa gobyerno ng bilyon na tunay ngang masasabing "pinaka big-time" at wala pang sabit.
  • hopeless_race : Mukhang tikom ang bibig ng lahat pagdating sa diskarte ng mga politiko sa pagutang ng mga bilyon bilyon sa gobyerno na tinatakbuhan. Itong pamamaraan na ito ang tunay na kumakain ng malaking porsyento ng ating national budget batay na din sa sinasabi ng world bank.
  • hopeless_race : Pakisilip naman po ang mga utang ni Villar sa BSP, ang mga utang nila RAMON JACINTO, RONNIE ZAMORA, JOE DE VENECIA at madami pang ibang mga pulitiko. Iilan lamang yan sa mga nababanggit sa balita na may mga malalaking utang sa gobyerno.
  • hopeless_race : Nagmimistulang "small time" lamang ang malversation of funds kumpara sa laki ng kinakamal ng mga umuutang sa gobyerno. At ito ay malinaw na natatakbuhan dahil hindi nga naman pwede makulong ang may-ari ng kumpanya sa pagkaka-utang lamang. Tunay na mga tuso at magagaling sa batas itong mga politiko natin. Masasabi ko na malamang lahat ng mga politiko ganito ang diskarte...wala pang kulong.
  • hopeless_race : PCIJ pkitingnan naman po ang mga gaya ni Villar na my malaking utang sa Gobyerno pero tinatakbuhan. Magtatayo ng kumpanya at uutang ng bilyon bilyon sa gobyerno ng walang balak bayaran. Tunay ngang walang nakukulong sa utang...ito ang prinsipyo ginagamit ng mga politiko ntin kaya nakakapagtaka kung san napupunta ang daang bilyong pera ng gobyerno.
  • hopeless_race : Sana itreat naman po ng media ang hacienda luisita at mendiola massacre na parang MAGUINADANAO MASSACRE. Ipublicized ang mga katotohanan at ipakita sa tao ang karumaldumal na pinaggagawa sa mga farmers dun. Untouchable po ba sila cory at danding at hindi magawang batikusin ng media about these two massacres?
  • hopeless_race : Kapag napaguusapan ang mendiola at hacienda luisita massacre ay parang walang nangyari at parang hindi big deal. Anu po ba ang pinagkaiba ng dalawang nabanggit na massacre sa maguindanao massacre?
  • hopeless_race : Its sad that we pinoys are blind to the fact of what had happened in mendiola and hacienda luisita. Ang tanong..bakit ang media ay hindi manlang matackle ang ganitong usapin? Takot ba sila kay cory at danding?
  • hopeless_race : Wilkins" brand, for P1.4 billion.-1999 Sugarland Multi-Food Corp. for P2.9 billion 2001- Purefoods Corp P7 billion P60 billion Coca-Cola ... See More 2002- Cosmos Bottling Corp. from RFM Corp. for P14.1 billion October 2008- GSIS' shares in Meralco worth PHP30 Billion. December 2008- country's biggest oil refiner, Petron Corporation. international company shopping spree: Australian boutique brewer J. Boag and Son for A$96 million in 2000. $97 million for Thai Amarit Brewery Ltd $35.5 mi
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  • sevens21 : Gawa naman po kayo ng article about SSS. Pangit ng site nila dali ma blocked ng account
  • guest_899 : we must check the background of each potential candidates to avoid having another big mistake like GMA
  • guest_899 : congratulations to PCIJ, more power and God Bless !
  • jazzymuver : how did Arroyo swallow that kind of things!! how come that she just spend the money our countrymen for her own sake!!
  • guest_3664 : i would be glad if u can include the investigation of the manner public officials announce infra projects as per COA regulation. It is frustrating to see their faces on the tarpaulin instead of the prescribed information like name of project, date of implementation,amount of contract, source/s of fund, among other things. This is very rampant here in Marikina. Thanks and more power on your noble endeavors. We need people like you to have make our country great again.
  • jhanz_08 : im making research on R.A 9136...with rgards to the privatization of NPC..could someone out there can let me understand more bout this matter?why was monopoly dismantled?email me..jhanycem@yahoo.com...thanks much
  • erika marie : P.S.:) my paper is due next week and i do hope someone could provide me these reports coming from reliable resources :) thank you ulit. :)
  • erika marie : P.S. :)
  • guest_4275 : i am currently doing a study regarding political killings in the philippines. could someone out there please send me human rights reports under Aquino and Ramos administration. you could send it at my email: erikamariet@yahoo.com your response would surely be very much appreciated. thank you everyone. god bless.
  • guest_4275 : i am currently doing a study for my paper regarding political killings in the philippines. i noted that there are no human rights reports during the Aquino and Ramos administration. could someone out there please send me reports regarding these matter? i do hope these reports came from reliable resources :) you could send it in my email; erikamariet@yahoo.comyour response would surely be appreciated. thanks everyone. god bless.
  • jayson bourne : gusto ko po maging member ng PCIJ, panu po ba? may application po ba? sana mapadalhan nyo ako ng info sa email ko... www.jboxpenshoppe@yahoo.com
  • jayson bourne : cory is OK, but kris & Noynoy sensationalize masyado...
  • guest_9891 : LABAN pa rin!
  • meow : boycotts worked during marcos years. how about doing it now against the businesses of the con-ass congressmen?
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In rage and grief, journalists
march against massacre

Posted by: Jaemark Tordecilla | December 10, 2009 at 8:58 am
Filed under: General

 

by Karol Ilagan

ON the eve of the observance of International Human Rights Day (December 10), journalists and media workers took to the streets in Mendiola, a stone’s throw from the seat of political power that is Malacanang Palace, in rage and grief. Their common call: Justice for the 57 victims of the November 23 Maguindanao Massacre, that included 31 journalists and media workers. (Click here to view the photo gallery)

Photo by Karol Ilagan

Many times before, journalists had trooped to Mendiola to cover rallies and mass actions by other groups and sectors. Yesterday was a day for journalists themselves to rally. At least 134 journalists had been killed in the Philippines since 1986. At least 97 or two-thirds of the total cases happened since President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo came to power in 2001.

Before the speeches were delivered, reporters, photographers, and cameramen laid down their pens, notebooks, recorders, and video cameras at the foot of the stage to observe a moment of silence in honor of fatalities in Maguindanao.

Photo by Karol Ilagan

Photo by Karol Ilagan

Hindi ito isang simpleng malaking storya or malaking coverage lamang. Ito ay buhay natin ngayon bilang mamamahayag [This is not simply a big story or coverage. This is our life as journalists],” said Nestor Burgos, chairperson of the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP). “Pinatay ang halos isang henerasyon ng journalists sa Mindanao [Nearly a generation of journalists in Mindanao was killed.]”

Sinasabi sa akin na hindi raw tayo dapat pumanig. Dapat maging neutral. Pero hindi po totoo iyon dahil tayo ay dapat pumanig sa katotohanan. Pumanig tayo sa katarungan, (They say we [journalists] should not take sides, that we should be neutral. But that is not true because we should stand by truth and justice).” Burgos intoned.

The rally came on the heels of humanitarian and fact-finding missions to Maguindanao organized by national and international media organizations, including the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism, Freedom Fund for Filipino Journalists, NUJP, MindaNews, Southeast Asian Press Alliance, Committee to Protect Journalists, and International Federation of Journalists (IFJ).

At the rally, IFJ representative Mike Dobbie called for full and transparent investigation into the Maguindanao massacre. “The people who are responsible for killing our colleagues will never again get way with murder. We stand together to send a message – we want the culture of impunity to end. We demand justice for our slain colleagues.”

Dobbie said that the Philippines is now the most dangerous country in the world for journalists.

In solidarity with Filipino journalists that day – that IFJ has declared as an international day of action against impunity – Dobbie said journalists were also marching to Philippine embassies abroad to demand an end to impunity.

Isagani Yambot, publisher of the Philippine Daily Inquirer, said that of the 134 journalists killed; only five so far have been given justice. “Hanggang ngayon, ang culture of impunity o ang kultura ng walang katarungan ay umiiral sa ating bayan. Hindi na natin matatanggap ang pagkitil ng kahit isang buhay [A culture of impunity lingers in our country. We can no longer tolerate the yet another murder.]”

In the view of Dean Rolando Tolentino of the University of the Philippines College of Mass Communication (UP-CMC), the culture of impunity may cease with the exit from power of President Arroyo.

Tolentino said: “Gloria Arroyo is to blame for the culture of impunity on numerous issues. Fifty-seven were slain in Ampatuan – 31 were journalists and two were lawyers. Over a thousand were killed for being activists. This also includes her tolerating warlords in Mindanao and in other parts of the country and her declaration of martial law in Maguindanao and its impending proclamation over the whole country.”

Impunity, he added, implies two things – that it is being carried out only by those in power and that, as a result, the masses are forced to accept this type of culture.

Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan) spokesperson Renato Reyes expressed despair over the steps taken by the government to investigate the massacre that took place two weeks ago. “Kung ang nag-i-imbistiga ay sila rin mga nag-su-supply ng armas, paano magiging matino ang martial law kung ang nagpapatupad ay mga taong lumalabag sa karapang pantao?” [If the investigators are also the arms suppliers, how could martial law be an effective response by those who are themselves behind human rights violations?]

On Dec. 4, 2009, Arroyo issued Proclamation No. 1959, declaring martial law and suspending the writ of habeas corpus in certain parts of Maguindanao. Earlier or Nov. 24, or a day after the Maguindanao massacre, she had issued Proclamation No. 1946, which put Cotabato City and the provinces of Maguindanao and Sultan Kudarat under a “state of emergency.”

Apart from the journalists, Wednesday’s protest action also drew students, workers, teachers, urban poor residents, religious and civil society representatives.

Photo by Karol Ilagan

The rallyists carried three mock coffins to represent the attack on the “rule of law,” “press freedom,” and “accountability” that they said the Maguindanao massacre had violated all at once. – PCIJ, December 2009



2 people have left comments

[...] 57 victims of the November 23 Maguindanao Massacre, that included 31 journalists and media workers. Read the story… Posted in: Justice and Rule of Law, Multimedia, Peace and Public Security, Photos, Stories Tags: [...]

Journalists turn rallyists for Maguindanao massacre victims « Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism wrote on December 10, 2009 - 9:36 am | Visit Link

[...] and activists march to Mendiola to demand justice for colleagues slain in the Maguindanao Massacre. Read the story. Posted in: Multimedia, Peace and Public Security, Politics, Stories, Video Tags: ampatuans, [...]

Journalists cry out for justice « Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism wrote on December 10, 2009 - 3:20 pm | Visit Link

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