Author Archives: CHERYLL D. FIEL

Below are Davao Today’s pictures taken during the protest rally against the State of the Nation Address by President Gloria…

In war vs youth offenders, Duterte reaches for the shotgun

�I abhor stupidity and mediocre work,” Sara Duterte said in her inaugural speech. “So I respectfully request you to toe…

By CHERYLL D. FIEL | davaotoday.com

Newly elected Davao City councilor Karlo Bello, who was recently selected as the chairman of the City Council’s Committee on Civil, Political and Human Rights, has expressed reservations about the Human Security Act, saying it might result in more human-rights abuses. “The same people who are already committing human-rights violations could be given authority to commit the same acts,” he said.

By CHERYLL D. FIEL

They gave their farewell speeches at the end of their term on Tuesday. But they probably will not be missed because their names will linger in the halls of the City Council, courtesy of the relatives who replaced them.

‘Abusive’ South Koreans rile Davao City councilors

By GERMELINA A. LACORTE and CHERYLL D. FIEL

Rejecting claims by the military that Jemaah Islamiyan terrorists were behind last week’s bus bombings, Weena, the bus company, believes that these were part of an extortion attempt. Leftists, however, see something more sinister.

In his TV program on Sunday, Duterte said he is scheduled to undergo a “nerve conduction velocity” (NCV) test to check his spine. He said he has been feeling numbness in the left portion of his body, from the neck down to his chest. Often, he said, he had difficulty closing his fist or gripping his fingers. Depending on the results of the test, he might have to undergo surgery, he said.
Related story: Transcript of Duterte’s “Gikan sa Masa” interview

Compostela Valley, May 14, 2007: Teachers dutifully prepare for the counting of votes in precincts in Cabinuangan Elementary School in…

A soldier peers into the vehicle of foreign observers en route to Compostela Valley on Election Day. (Cheryll Fiel) Slideshow

Apart from the vote buying and harassments by candidates and their henchmen, the heavy presence of the military dominated the atmosphere in Compostela Valley before and during the elections. The soldiers were supposedly sent to the province to augment the police and keep the peace but, according to officials and residents, the military was directly involved in incidents of intimidating or harassing voters and vilifying partylist groups.