Another Dark Period for Press Freedom in Philippines

MANILA — This week marks another dark period for press freedom in the Philippines, with the murder of a colleague, the attempted murder of another and a libel case filed by a governor against yet another.

Carmelo Palacios, 41, field reporter of the government-run Radyo ng Bayan, was found dead in Sta. Rosa town, Nueva Ecija, Wednesday morning, his body battered and shot in the chin. He was the 51st journalist to be killed under the Arroyo administration’s increasingly blood-drenched watch, and the third this year.

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Afghanistan: Taleban attacks against civilians increasing and systematic

As the Taleban’s spring offensive intensifies, civilians are increasingly facing suicide attacks, abductions and beheadings. The attacks on civilians by the Taleban are widespread and systematic and are used to instil fear and exert control over the local population, according to an Amnesty International report released today.

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Philippines: Justice Secretary’s ‘Boorishness’ Against IPU Officials Slammed

MANILA — Anakpawis Rep. Crispin Beltran slammed anew Justice secretary Raul Gonzalez for the latter’s rude and boorish behavior when Gonzalez dialogued with officials of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) this afternoon. Gonzalez himself said that he told the IPU officials Canadian Senator Sharon Carstairs, IPU secretary-general Anders Johnson and IPU HR committee secretary Ingeborg Schwarz to ‘go home’ and ‘stop meddling in the Philippines’ affairs.’

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Attacks on Media, Leftists in Philippines Must Stop Now — KMP

MANILA — The militant Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP) condemned the latest attack on the media by forces out to silence the truth in the country. This time motorcycle riding assailants attacked Delfin ?Sonny? Mallari Jr., a correspondent of the Philippine Daily Inquirer (PDI) and has covered stories of peasants in the area and is close to KMP. According to Danilo ?Ka Daning? Ramos, secretary general of KMP, ?what they did to Sonny was despicable and dastardly, Sonny was just out performing his job as a straight reporter and a very good one at that,?

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Pimentel: Gov’t Lacks Solid Plans for Development of Philippines

GOVERNANCE: ITS PRESENT & FUTURE

[Talk of Sen. Nene Pimentel before the Philippine
Business Leaders Forum, Manila Polo Club, April 19,
2007]

Before we talk of the future of governance, let us
first discuss its present state.

The state of governance today is, to say the least,
sad.

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