By ARTHUR L. ALLAD-IW

Friday, February 23, has been a very important day for journalists – both in the Philippines and abroad.

First, Friday was an important day, it was declared the international day of action against impunity and for the safety of Filipino journalists by the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) to which the NUJP is an affiliate. Data shows that since 2001, 50 journalists were extra-judicially killed. And, the killing continues… the latest is our colleague from Sultan Kudarat – Hernani Pastolero, an editor of the Lightning Courier. Read the rest of this entry →

By MARY ANN “MANJA” BAYANG

Widows wept and orphans wailed. People rose up in rage as they blamed the government. They shouted in anger at the government’s disdain. The shouts and the cries grew louder and stronger. The world heard what the government refused to hear. The world saw what our government claims to be inexistent. But the killings went on – like a phantom robbing lives in the dead of night.

The fingers point to Malacanang. Malacanang pointed to the Communist Party of the Philippines – and then the finger is pointed back. Then it became an issue of statistics as the government accused militant groups of bloating up the numbers of extra-judicial killings. All sides accuse the other sides of exaggerating facts and manufacturing propaganda to gain public sympathy and make the other sides look more disgusting. And the killings continued. Read the rest of this entry →

By ALDWIN QUITASOL

Certification Election (CE) is a process by which all employees, included in an appropriate bargaining unit falling in same and similar category of work in a company or establishment, choose their sole and exclusive bargaining representative through a secret balloting.

Any legitimate labor organization can file a Petition for Certification Election (PCE) any time provided they met the requirements and categories in the issue of representation. Where there is a union, PCE can be filed 60 days before the lapse of existing Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) or until the day before the scheduled CE. Read the rest of this entry →

By REV. LUNA L. DINGAYAN

“You know that the those who are considered rulers of the heathen have power over them, and the leaders have complete authority. This, however, is not the way it is among you. If one of you wants to be great, you must be the servant of the rest; and if one of you wants to be first, you must be the slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served; he came to serve and to give his life to redeem many people .” — Mark 10:42-45

The EDSA Event

I was one of those millions who went to EDSA during those four days of February 1986 leading to the downfall of the Marcos Dictatorship. I went there not to take pictures, but to take side – the side of a people who suffered so long, but now regained its courage and determination to put an end to a well-entrenched dictatorship. It was indeed a very exciting and meaningful experience. It inspired other peoples of the world similarly situated to have their own peaceful revolution.

Today, however, the splendor of EDSA seems to have gone. All that is left is the bitter taste of betrayal. Nevertheless, as someone said if EDSA has not realized the lofty dreams for which it was waged, then the point is not to forget EDSA, but rather to remember it well. If EDSA has been betrayed, then the point is not to betray it some more, but rather to stop betraying it. The fact that EDSA has not brought peace and prosperity to our people should not mean reviving martial law or adopting any of the authoritarian governments that abound in Asia and elsewhere. Rather, it should mean reviving the Spirit of true democracy, the one that gives genuine power to the people. Read the rest of this entry →