A local union in South Cotabato has filed a complaint before the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) against food giant Dole Philippines (Dolefil) and the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), asserting that the company is in cahoots with the military in harassing plantation workers and conducting anti-union...

The National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP) is alarmed over reports that television network ABS-CBN has terminated at least 25 employees who have refused to accept the terms of the network’s regularization scheme. More than 15 news and current affairs crew members were given 24 hours to...

DAVAO CITY—”In the light of the upcoming changes in administration in the national and local government, the Civil Service Commission (CSC) reminds public officials to strictly observe the rule on nepotism,” a press release from CSC region 11 stated. The press release stressed the reiteration...

UPPER ULIP, MONKAYO, COMVAL—Indigenous people mostly belonging to the Mandaya community here were enraged over the cease and desist order (CDO) issued by the Philippine Mining Development Corporation (PMDC) to stop mining operation within the Tribal Mining Area (Trima). On June 25, Friday, they held a sort...

DAVAO CITY—Mt. Diwata barangay (village) captain Franco Tito questions the eight-year government control on the gold-rich village in Monkayo, Compostela Valley. In a recent episode of weekly press conference Kapehan sa SM, Tito said that the government’s plan of developing the mining area is not the...

(Delivered during his necrological service Mati City, June 24) Today we bury yet another journalist killed under the Arroyo administration. But today rises all the more our strong resolve to never let go and relentlessly fight for justice–demand accountability from the government–until justice is...

DAVAO CITY—Environmental rights network Panalipdan Davao Oriental Chapter has demanded that commercial logging in Davao Oriental be permanently stopped and that Philippine Youbang Mining Corporation (PhilYoubang), a Chinese Mining Firm, be penalized for its brazen logging operations in Brgy Macambol in...

CAMP FELIX APOLINARIO, PANACAN, DAVAO CITY—Another New People’s Army (NPA) commander fell into government hands in Southern Mindanao as authorities arrested a ranking terrorist leader in the village of Zone-1 in Sta. Cruz town in Davao del Sur province 2 pm of June 18, bringing the total number of NPA...

Fascist deception really knows no bounds. This matter of fact is once again proven in the latest spin about NPA (New People’s Army) casualties the 10th Infantry Division-Armed Forces of the Philippines(10th ID-AFP) and the Philippine National Police Regional Office 11 (PRO 11) have fed the media in a...

DAVAO CITY—The Child Labor Education Task Force in Davao was recently reorganized to continuously ensure and uphold the advocacy to combat child labor through education. Heading the task force as chairperson is Marlito Ayala, regional child labor focal person of the Department of Labor and Employment...

METRO MANILA—Three banks from Mindanao have recently won special citations in an annual event that serves to share local and international microfinance best practices and innovation among participating banks. At the awarding ceremony of the 7th National Roundtable conference of the Rural Bankers...

Two broadcasters, from opposite ends of the country, murdered in as many days. One hundred and thirty-nine media workers killed since 1986, 106 of them under this thankfully soon-to-be-gone administration. Nothing makes a stronger case for our contention that there can be no honeymoon on justice for...

SOUTH COTABATO — Pineapple giant, Dole Foods Inc. risks losing its social accountability (SA) certification, following Dole Philippines (Dolefil)’s  ‘non-conformity’ with SA 8000 requirements on freedom of association and collective bargaining rights of its workers in Polomolok as revealed in...

Labor federation National Federation of Labor Unions-KMU (Naflu-KMU) picketed Dole Philippines’ (DoleFil ) main office in Makati to condemn the company’s continued harassment and union busting, despite a Bureau of Labor Relations (BLR) order for a status quo. Through consistent collective action and...

Davao-based artist Popong Landero, known for being a left-handed guitarist and for his reggae covers of Bob Marley, will perform for bat conservation on June 27, 2010 (Sunday), 6:00 to 9:00 pm, at the Monfort Bat Cave, Brgy. Tambo, Babak District, Samal Island. His performance is part of the Monfort Bat...

Four of the seven journalists allegedly harassed by Camiguin Governor Jurdin Jesus Romualdo  and ally Nestor Jacot filed a criminal complaint before the Office of the Provincial Prosecutor of Camiguin (OPPC) last June 10, arising from a mauling incident a day before the national and local elections last...

The Kapamilya network’s management has just proven that they are the opposite of their public branding – it illegally dismissed workers in its own backyard, and refuses to grant genuine regularization to those remaining. This was the statement of ABS-CBN IJM workers’ union, representing 1,400 workforce...

DAVAO CITY—Students led by progressive groups League of Filipino Students (LFS), Anakbayan and Kabataan Party-list stormed the regional office of the Commission on Higher Education (Ched) to protest the irresponsibility of the government in protecting the right to education and demanded for tuition...

The Filipino people should remember well the leadership of the House of Representatives of the 14th Congress who betrayed their mandate and democracy by killing the Freedom of Information bill. The travesty in the House session hall on June 4, 2010 was clear proof that outgoing Speaker Prospero Nograles had...

DAVAO CITY – An alliance of church leaders called on the military’s 10th Infantry Division  to cease its military operations to pave the way for the safe release of the four soldiers who were held captive by the New People’s Army (NPA) since last month. Bishop Emeritus Constante Claro of the United...

DAVAO CITY—The Department of Health (DOH) is seeking to uphold the massage therapy profession by promoting and standardizing the licensure exam for massage therapists. According to Marialyn Avanceña, Nurse 3 of the Human Resources Development Unit of DOH Southern Mindanao, they are encouraging massage...

DIWALWAL, COMPOSTELA VALLEY PROVINCE—Lumads and other members of Nagkadiwa (Nagkahiusang Katawhan sa Diwalwal), a local peoples’ organization, held an overnight protest rally at the office of the Philippine Mining Development Corporation (PMDC) in light of the looming takeover of large scale mining...

DAVAO CITY—Human rights group Karapatan expressed alarm over the recent deployment of military troops in Diwalwal to secure the bidding of the gold-rich area as this apparently poses threats to the local residents who have been vocal in their strong opposition against the total sell-out of the mining...

CAMP APOLINARIO, PANACAN, DAVAO CITY—A total of 278,000 pesos was received by beneficiaries of 21 deceased Civilian Armed Forces Geographical Unit (Cafgu) members in a simple ceremony in the Army’s 10th Infantry Division headquarters 8:30 AM on June 7. The claims checks amounting to 18,000 pesos each...

DAVAO CITY—There will be no plateau for RDR Wheels. Barely a month before assuming yet another three-year mandate, Governor Rodolfo del Rosario (RDR) convenes his executive team at Tahanan ng Punong Lalawigan last May 31, 2010, to sketch the second phase of his development blueprint, with his program RDR...