Bulatlat witnessed the failure of the Philippine government in controlling the pandemic, the wanton disregard for people’s rights and how COVID-19 was used for corruption and other irregularities.
At the same time, this period also showed the Filipino people’s solidarity or damayan during times of crisis.
Bulatlat followed Palparan’s assignments from one region to another until he was finally held accountable over the enforced disappearance of UP students Karen Empeño and Sherlyn Cadapan on September 17, 2018.
Treating the current global food crisis as a ‘logistics’ issue glosses over the fact that it roots from decades of imperialist plunder, land grabbing, trade monopolies, and neoliberal policies espoused by International Monetary Fund, World Bank, World Trade Organization, and other international financial institutions.
“They are not disobedient, they are just striving to survive.”
“We don’t want aid, what we need is to get our livelihood back. What can we get from the government’s aid? A few kilos of rice and cans of sardines? Those aren’t even enough to feed our family for a day. Our request is to get our livelihood back, we’re not expecting the government to help us, so can they at least allow us to help ourselves?”
“It is the state’s duty to ensure and protect human rights at all times, more importantly during the time of crisis where the temptation or desire to resort to abuse of power is strong.”
“There is no specific law that criminalizes it (violating the ECQ protocols). The police can always tell the people to go home and then file charges but not arrest them.”
Despite these loans, government was only able to spend P98.3 billion for 17.5 million households as of June 27. According to independent think-tank Ibon Foundation, the subsidy amounts to just P53 per family or P12 per person per day for the past 106 days since the...
“Si Duterte ang pinakamasahol, pinakanakamamatay at pinakapahirap na virus na nanalasa sa mamamayan.” (Duterte is the worst, most lethal, most burdensome virus to afflict the Filipino people.)
Filipino migrant leaders in the United Kingdom, Canada, and US revealed that undocumented workers in those countries are the hardest hit with the lack of social protection amid the dreaded pandemic.
“Some detention centers have clinics but have no doctors. There are only two to three doctors for the thousands of PDLs [persons deprived of liberty] in the whole capital.” By ANNE MARXZE D. UMIL Bulatlat.com MANILA – While human rights lawyers and relatives...
Karapatan ST is calling on the government to focus on “providing relief and serving the people through coming up with a solution to the crisis, instead of using the pandemic as an opportunity to intensify fascist attacks on the citizenry.”
The Duterte administration should focus its energy on containing the virus instead of containing the growing discontent.
“This targeting and arrest is a vicious attack on freedom of expression amidst the continuing failure of the national and local governments to ensure expanded and systematic mass testing and a comprehensive public information drive on the pandemic.”
“In these trying times, what the farmers need is support and assistance to help them survive the pandemic.”
“COVID-19, one of the worst pandemics to hit the world since the Spanish Influenza of 1918 is now exposing the vulnerabilities of privatized national public health care systems and the inadequate response of the capitalist governments.”
The practice of zoombombing, or trolls hijacking Zoom conferences, is just among the increasing vulnerabilities of women and children as they turn to online apps to contact friends, colleagues, and work from home.
“Government is contented with the limited food aid that they have given us, without even thinking that it would only last for a day or two, what would happen after that? And then there are the other needs of our family like medicine, where would we get that?”
“More and more Filipino families will be pushed into deeper poverty under the COVID-19 lockdown if government does not speed up and significantly expand socioeconomic relief and response to reach all those needing assistance.” By ANNE MARXZE D. UMIL Bulatlat.com...
Instead of a moratorium on debt payments, the Duterte administration wants the country to sink deeper in debt. It is shamelessly taking advantage of the pandemic to push for the interest of his foreign masters.
Contrary to claims by Health Secretary Francisco Duque, the Philippines comes second to Malaysia in terms of the number of COVID cases in Southeast Asia. The country is the also the second highest in terms of COVID-19 deaths in the region.
A United Nations special rapporteur reminded states that “excessive use of force by the police is unlawful under international law, including during states of emergency.”
How would a small poor village be faring in the time of the coronavirus? In a community in the central Philippines, the farmers' struggle against land grabs amid threats of food insecurity has taken on greater urgency.