Speak truth to power, keep power in check

Philippine Daily Inquirer/OPINION/Pooled editorial

This is a pooled editorial published by a network of journalists including the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines, the Philippine Press Institute, the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism, and the Center for Media Freedom and Responsibility. The editorial marks the observance of World Press Freedom Day today, and is also published in four other Philippine languages: Filipino, Ilocano, Ilonggo and Bisaya.

 

 

Mr. Duterte’s presidency has altered and controlled the public discourse so radically in its favor in ways rude and bold. One tragic result: It has restricted and narrowed the celebrated freedom of the Philippine press and the people’s cherished right to know.

In his first 22 months in power, Mr. Duterte has earned the dubious honor of logging 85 various cases of attacks and threats on these dual values that the Constitution upholds as inalienable rights of the citizens. The number far exceeds those recorded under four presidents before him.

 

Separately and together, these 85 cases have made the practice of journalism an even more dangerous endeavor under Mr. Duterte.

 

From June 30, 2016, to May 1, 2018, these cases include the killing of nine journalists, 16 libel cases, 14 cases of online harassment, 11 death threats, six slay attempts, six cases of harassment, five cases of intimidation, four cases of website attack, revoked registration or denied franchise renewal, verbal abuse, strafing, and police surveillance of journalists and media agencies.

These cases project the force of presidential power dominating the political sphere, with zealous support from Mr. Duterte’s allies and appointees, and their sponsored misinformation army online and off. They have hurled at members of the press insults and unfair labels, and allegations of corruption and misconduct without firm basis in fact or in law.

These cases linger amid effete efforts at solution by state agencies, and in the context of the hostile and vicious discourse against the administration’s critics and the critical media.

 

The President, Cabinet members, and the House of Representatives have imposed and proposed unprecedented restrictions on journalist access to official news events. Congress and executive agencies have denied or delayed the corporate registration or franchises required for operation of media companies.

Some journalists and media groups have also reported police surveillance of their movement and their places of work.

 

Attacks on press freedom diminish not just the news media. These weaken the capacity of the news media to sustain the people’s unfettered exchange of ideas about public issues. Presidential intolerance of criticism is now a well-established aspect of Mr. Duterte’s leadership. While he is not the only chief executive who has become sensitive to press criticism, Mr. Duterte has made sure that everyone understands that misfortunes could hound and befall his critics.

 

And yet Mr. Duterte had promised change; his government should thus tell the people when and where change has come to fruition, and whether it has triggered better or worse results. By keeping citizens and voters fully informed about what and how those they have raised to power are doing right or wrong, a free press sustains and strengthens democracy.

 

That is not quite the situation under Mr. Duterte as yet. Intimidated, restrained, and threatened with consequences, the news media have been significantly constrained to report well and fully on the war on drugs, the siege of Marawi, cases of alleged corruption in high office, questions about the wealth of the Duterte family, the public debate on Charter change and federalism, the shutdown of Boracay, and not the least significant, the incursions of China in the West Philippine Sea.

 

Mr. Duterte has brandished the power of fear. His threats and attacks bear the full weight of his office, the highest in the land. No need to test constitutional limits. All he seems to want to do is to make enough journalists understand that they should be very afraid.

But, like fear, courage could be contagious. And unlike fear that disempowers, courage built on the power of truth and the unity of all in media is a force that empowers.

 

To stand firm and to stand united for press freedom and democracy, to speak truth to power and to keep power in check — this much the press owes the people. And whoever is president, the paramount duty of a free press in a democracy is to defend and uphold the people’s right to know, with unqualified courage and unity.#

 

 

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Attention" martial law survivors/claimants

Philippine Daily Inquirer/OPINION/by Ma. Ceres P. Doyo

 

The masthead of the Facebook page of the Human Rights Victims’ Claims Board (HRVCB) states: “Tilting back the scales of justice, acknowledging the wrongs and healing the wounds of martial law.”

 

Nine days from now, on May 12, the HRVCB will close shop, ending its work of four years that began in May 2014. HRVCB was created through Republic Act No. 10368 that President Benigno Aquino III signed on Feb. 25, 2013 (the 27th anniversary of the Edsa People Power Revolution that toppled the Marcos dictatorship) in front of the People Power Monument and in the presence of martial law victims/survivors.

 

Here is a last minute reminder from HRVCB on how and what the approved claimants (and those claimants who had already collected a portion of their claim) should prepare in order for them to collect the total amount. Those who have access to the HRVCB’s Facebook page can also read the Filipino version of the reminder there.

HRVCB Notice No. 10: Guidelines for the opening of savings account at Landbank for eligible human rights violation victims/claimants in preparation for the payment of the full monetary reparation. All eligible claimants are advised to open a personal savings account at a Landbank branch nearest to them. Eligible claimants are those whose claims have been approved and awarded with corresponding point/s.

Eligible claimants are requested to transmit/send their Landbank Savings Transaction Information (STI) to the HRVCB as soon as possible.

1) Eligible claimants can e-mail their STI to secretariat@hrvclaimsboard.gov.ph.

2) They can also send their STI via private courier service to E. Virata Hall, E. Jacinto Street, UP Campus, Diliman, Quezon City 1101.

 

The HRVCB prefers the opening of a personal savings account in lieu of cash cards as the maximum amount which can be deposited (per month) in a cash card is limited to only P100,000. Since there is no limit to the amount which can be deposited in a personal savings account, the opening of the same will facilitate the payment of reparations especially for those who will be receiving more than P100,000.

 

For details, you may call the HRVCB hotline numbers: (02)373-4847 and 0999-5059737. Further notices and updates will be posted on the  HRVCB’s website/Facebook page.

HRVCB Division 3 is calling on approved claimants without or with wrong contact information to get in touch with the office regarding documents needed to accelerate the processing of their claim.

 

The phone numbers of the HRVCB Division 3 are: 0945-8197484 (Globe/TM) and 0912-5781369 (Smart/TNT). Claimants can also contact the HRVCB through Facebook: facebook.com/div3hrvcb.

There are questions about the STI, why the need to send it, what about those who live in remote areas, etc.

 

With all the fraud, hoaxes and scams around, the STI will ensure that compensation goes to the real claimants and not to anyone else. The STI sent to the HRVCB secretariat helps protect the claimants’ monetary compensation.

 

It is not enough for a claimant to e-mail or present to the HRVCB a Landbank account number in her/his name. The claimant has to get an STI from Landbank, signed by a bank official, which would show that there is indeed such an account with such a name.

The claimant should then e-mail a scanned copy to the HRVCB. It can also be sent by mail or courier, or delivered personally. No scanner? Use your cell phone’s camera. For extra protection of the compensation, I suggest that the claimant include a signed photocopy of an ID or the HRVCB-issued docket slip just to make sure. Do all these unobtrusively. The process may be tedious and time consuming but better safe than sorry.

 

Who knows, a scheming relative, neighbor or acquaintance might open a fake account in a claimant’s name, send the STI to the HRVCB and end up receiving the money in that fake account. You never know.

 

The distribution process is different from the one for the Hawaii class suit victims/claimants who received checks issued in front of them.

I will go into numbers and computations next time.#

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Sister Foxy, 'undesirable alien.' in her own words

Philippine Daily Inquirer/Q and A/ by Ma. Ceres P. Doyo

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Ban plastic straws

Philippine Daily Inquirer/OPINION/by Ma. Ceres P. Doyo

Belated Earth Day greetings!

 

When we were kids the straw that was used for sipping drinks from a bottle or glass was made of paper. Before throwing the straw into the trash, sometimes we would toss it in the air, catch it with the thumb and forefinger and start pressing it while saying, yes, no, yes, no to a question begging for an answer. One kept at it until the end of the straw was reached and there was nothing more to press.

 

The lovelorn would openly mutter, he/she loves me, he/she loves me not, and so on. The end of the straw answered the question. You can’t do that on a plastic straw because it retains its shape even when pressed, and there is nothing to show for your effort to find an answer.  Kid stuff, yes, but I wish those paper straws would make a comeback.

 

I do not remember when paper straws were replaced by plastic. Straws, the plastic variety, are a scourge to Planet Earth. Now we see that these small, seemingly insignificant items are causing so much havoc that many people all over the world are waging campaigns to ban them. “The last straw” is no longer just a figure of speech; it is, literally speaking, a cry, a call, that we may see the last of them.

Earth Day (last Sunday, April 22) came and went and we are still on page Boracay. The cleanup and rehab work have to do with the island’s capacity overload and the wanton disregard for environmental regulations, what with wayward structures and faulty human and kitchen waste disposal. It’s the same in other beach resorts now under scrutiny.

 

For Boracay habitues, there is a project called “The Last Plastic Straw” under the Plastic Pollution Coalition. It is foreign-based but its call is worldwide. It wants us to know that in the United States alone, over 500,000 plastic straws are used each day. “In only the past 20 years, people have come to expect plastic straws in every drink, in an example of extreme waste being generated for minimal convenience. These short-lived tools are usually dropped into a garbage can with no further thought, instantly becoming a source of plastic pollution.”

 

In our own congested cities, we see them strewn about, along with the plastic bags that held the drink bought from sari-sari stores or sa malamig vendors. I’ve seen these being thrown out of vehicles and into the street. After a sudden strong downpour, you see these being swept into the drains and clogging the drains’ strainers. Along with them are sharp barbecue sticks, rags, plastic cups, juice drink foil containers, candy wrappers, plastic water bottles, balloons, cigarette butts, etc. The huge ones — floating sofas, broken plastic chairs and folding beds, no kidding — are another story.

 

But the small ones — plastic straws, stirrers, cups and small drink pouches — are the ones that easily get swept into the rivers and seas and swallowed by marine creatures that die untimely deaths.

Some of our cities have ordinances on plastic bags. In Quezon City you bring your own grocery/shopping bags or pay extra if you need plastic ones. (Cardboard boxes are free in groceries.) So why not ban plastic straws in fast-food joints and make them use paper ones instead? Why not ban the manufacture and sale of these plastic items?

 

At the personal level, one can do something. Here are some suggestions from The Last Plastic Straw that I tweaked a bit (calling EcoWaste Coalition).

 

Make a personal commitment to say no to plastic straws.  Encourage your friends and family to do the same. Want to make an impact? Bring your own reusable (fancy) straw, and start a conversation.Reach out to food joints and ask them to give plastic straws only upon request. Or leave informational cards when you settle your bill.

 

Encourage eateries to make a change to nonplastic-straw options.

Host a screening of “STRAWS The Film” in your community to start a wave of change.

To find out more about the “No Plastic Straw Pledge” visit https://takeaction.oceanconservancy.org/page/9195/petition/1?ea.tracking.id=17WAXAWXXX. Help keep our oceans plastic-free! #skipthestraw. You can download “STRAWS the Film” for group screenings. #

 

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Q & A with Sr. Patricia Ann Fox, facing deportation from the Philippines

http://globalsistersreport.org/blog/q/ministry/q-sr-patricia-ann-fox-facing-deportation-philippines-53451

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Pro-poor nun, 'nasampolan'

Philippine Daily Inquirer/OPINION/by Ma. Ceres P. Doyo

 

 

A 71-year-old Australian Catholic missionary nun who has been working with marginalized Filipinos for more than 27 years is the latest person of interest in the Duterte administration’s crackdown on what it perceives as openly prohuman rights, propoor, and therefore not to its liking.

 

Officials of the Bureau of Immigration picked up Sr. Patricia Fox of the Our Lady of Sion (Notre Dame de Sion) congregation from her residence in Quezon City last Monday and detained her for 24 hours at the BI Intelligence Division. She was released on Tuesday but the BI held on to her passport. The nun has a missionary visa that is renewed every two years. Now she has been given 10 days to respond to charges against her, among them her participation in rallies.

 

A not-so-recent photo on the internet shows Sister Pat at an outdoor gathering, carrying a backpack and wearing a floppy hat and a T-shirt with the image of Pope Francis and the words “Struggle with us for land, justice and peace.” What a great smile she had on her face.Sister Pat was the national coordinator from 2002 to 2008 of the Rural Missionaries of the Philippines (RMP), one of several mission partners of the Association of Major Religious Superiors in the Philippines. The RMP is composed of religious from different congregations and laypeople who work in the rural areas. It is turning 50 this year, and has been a candle in the dark, so to speak, in parts unknown and on roads less traveled.

I spoke with Sister Pat on the phone after her release from detention and while she was on her way home. With her was the current RMP national coordinator, Sr. Elenita Belardo of the Religious of the Good Shepherd.

 

Sister Pat said she was really supposed to be detained at Camp Bagong Diwa in Bicutan, Taguig City (a god-awful place for a frail 71-year-old), but she was detained instead at the BI as “a concession.” Ay, salamat naman.

 

She was “nasampolan” (used as an example) — to use street lingo — to warn foreigners not to be openly on the side of the marginalized and the voiceless. How many Filipinos have spent that many years of their lives, as Sister Pat has, working with the last, the least and the lost of this woebegone country? For heeding the biblical imperative to walk with those who have been largely forgotten, she is suspected to be an enemy of the state.

In a TV interview, a BI official said in so many words that monitoring the activities — of the “political” variety, that is — of persons like Sister Pat was part of intelligence gathering.  That statement was a giveaway. Ah, so … she may not be seen or heard sympathizing with the landless, the powerless, the voiceless.

 

Pray tell, what is political? Is everything to be reduced to the political? Is espousing land for the landless political? Is answering God’s call to clothe the naked, feed the hungry and visit the sick political?

 

Oh, anything that could open people’s eyes and make them know their rights could be deemed political. So — as I have seen up close — when nuns teach indigenous groups not the ABC but first the Ls and Ds (L for lota or land, D for damowag or carabao), etc. and how to compute the cost of harvested bananas so they are not shortchanged by middlemen, is that political?

 

“Sister Pat is known among church people for her progressive advocacies and her steadfast commitment to serve the rural poor,” said RMP coordinator Sister Elenita. “This incident is undeniably part of the Duterte administration’s crackdown on human rights and rural poor defenders and land reform advocates.”

Sister Elenita added that when Sister Pat was the RMP national coordinator “she actively advocated for genuine agrarian reform and the rural sectors’ welfare,” and “organized and implemented activities aimed at providing services to [them].”

 

Last April 6-9, Sister Pat was with the International Fact-Finding and Solidarity Mission in Mindanao that investigated alleged human rights abuses against farmers and indigenous communities in the southern, northern and Caraga regions.

 

Political?#

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Swift justice?

Philippine Daily Inquirer/OPINION/by Ma. Ceres P. Doyo

I watched a convicted rapist being killed “slowly and gently” by lethal injection. He was strapped onto a gurney a few meters from the viewing room where we journalists sat. That was after lawmakers had brought back the death penalty (no longer by electrocution but by lethal injection) only for it to be scrapped again in a few years and after about a dozen kills.

I do not want to describe here what it was like before, during and after. Suffice it to say that after witnessing a convict being killed by needle, I do not even want to imagine the carrying out of the death penalty by hanging or beheading, as still practiced in other countries. No matter the heinousness of the convicts’ crimes that deserve the most severe of punishments.

News reports said two days ago that the employers-killers of 29-year-old overseas Filipino worker Joanna Demafelis had been tried in absentia, found guilty and meted out the death penalty by a Kuwaiti court. Demafelis’ killers, who were living in Kuwait and had Joanna in their employ, had left her body in their apartment freezer and fled. The corpse remained frozen for about a year until it was discovered on Feb. 4.

The decision on their guilt was made on first hearing and the penalty would be death by hanging. The Inquirer’s banner headline last Tuesday: “Gov’t welcomes death for PH maid’s killers.” It looked like swift justice but … Where are Demafelis’ killers? News reports say the couple, Lebanese Nader Essam Assaf and his Syrian wife Mouna Hassoun, were arrested on Feb. 24 after an Interpol manhunt. The news media in Lebanon reported that Assaf was in custody pending Kuwait’s request of extradition. Hassoun is reportedly in custody in Syria.

Kuwait and thousands of Kuwait-bound Filipino workers are eager to see the lifting of the ban on OFW deployment to that wealthy Gulf state. The “swift justice” could be Kuwait’s way of mollifying the Philippines’ angry president and Filipinos as well. But until we see the killers manacled and we behold the whites of their eyes, there is no reason to believe that justice is about to be served completely. Until the killer couple are extradited and handed over to the Kuwaiti government, there can be no rejoicing. Rejoicing? In the death penalty?

As to death by hanging or whatever means for Demafelis’ killers—that is, for me, something to think about. The Philippines, like many other countries, has done away with the death penalty even as many of our compatriots in prisons in the Middle East and elsewhere are awaiting death by hanging or beheading. Example: the case of alleged drug courier Mary Jane Veloso whose execution by hanging in Indonesia was stayed at the 11th hour because of the intervention of the Aquino administration. For his efforts, President Benigno Aquino III still got a tongue-lashing and threats from the Veloso family. Not a few have quipped, “Mabitay nga sana (I hope she hangs).”

Those who are against the death penalty, while pleased with Kuwait’s brand of swift justice, can shrug and say, “But that’s how justice works over there.” Paraphrased, it is okay for the convicted couple to hang. I, too, am tempted to cry out: “No mercy.” But I shudder when I think of our convicted OFWs awaiting their own punishment. Might they bear the brunt of the couple’s high-profile hanging? Will international humanitarian groups plead for the guilty couple’s lives? Because the death penalty is to be abhorred, outlawed and erased from the face of the earth?

These many decades of the Philippines’ labor diaspora, many of our OFWs — guilty or innocent — have ended up either hanged or beheaded for crimes they were accused of. Rarely have employers been punished for their crimes against Filipinos. The hanging of Demafelis’ employers would be the first of its kind. If and when …
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“Mindful Parenting in the Age of Bullying,” conducted by psychotherapist Dr. Ma. Lourdes A. Carandang, is scheduled on April 7, 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m., at the Henry Sy Sr. Innovation Center, Miriam College, Katipunan Avenue, Quezon City. Call 0926-7539538 or visit mlacinstitute.com.

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