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.
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.’
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,?
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.
MANILA — The World Health Organization (WHO) says deaths and disabilities resulting from motorcycle accidents involving young people have become a public health epidemic in Asia, particularly in low and medium-income countries.
Young motorcyclists make up a significant percentage of injuries and fatalities among road users in many Asian countries, including Cambodia and Malaysia (see graph). Factors such as speed, no helmets, risk-taking behaviour and drink-driving contribute to the rising trend.