Philippines: Unemployment Woes Keep Filipinos Under Extreme Poverty

ALLIANCE OF PROGRESSIVE LABOR
Press Release

Unemployment woes keep Filipinos under extreme poverty
April 17, 2007

It is the inability of the government, pursuing economic liberalization and unabated deregulation that is causing more and more people to fall below the poverty line and unable to live on more than $1 a day, the Alliance of Progressive Labor said today.

Reacting to the annual World Bank funded World Development Index study, the APL said that the focus shouldn’t just be on those who live on S1 or about P50 a day but on the 43 million who live on just $2 or less than P100 according to the WB study.

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IFJ Demands Release of Guantanamo Cameraman after 100 Days of Hunger Strike

Media Release
17 April 2007

The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) called on the US government to release Al-Jazeera cameraman, Sami al-Haj, who this morning started his 100th day of hunger strike after almost five-years of detention at the Guantanamo Bay Detention Centre.

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Sulu Clashes Could Disrupt Philippines Elections

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY — Senate Minority Leader Aquilino
?Nene? Q. Pimentel, Jr. (PDP-Laban) today expressed
concern that renewed clashes between government
soldiers and Muslim rebels in Sulu could disrupt the
May 14 elections unless it is stopped immediately.

Pimentel urged the government and military authorities
to look into the cause of the latest outbreak of
fighting between Armed Forces of the Philippines and
the Moro National Liberation Front in Sulu,
particularly the group of a Habier Malik, to prevent
their recurrence.

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Pimentel Urges Philippine Govt to Use All Means to Stop Sulu Clashes

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY — Senate Minority Leader Aquilino
?Nene? Q. Pimentel, Jr. (PDP-Laban) today urged the
Arroyo government and the Armed Forces of the
Philippines to persuade the Moro National Liberation
Front (MNLF) group led by Ustadz Habier Malik to
immediately stop the hostilities in Sulu.

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Philippines: Surveys Are Not Just a Matter of Voters’ Bets

By the Policy Study, Publication and Advocacy (PSPA) Program
Center for People Empowerment in Governance (CenPEG)

MANILA — The pre-election surveys (PES) conducted by the country’s leading pollsters show the voting preferences of the country’s electorate in the May 14 mid-term elections. Conducted regularly since October last year, the surveys done by the Social Weather Stations (SWS), Pulse Asia and, to some extent, the non-profit IBON, showed opposition candidates for the senatorial race under the Genuine Opposition (GO) pulling away from the administration ticket, Team Unity (TU). Indeed, the latest surveys reveal that between seven to eight opposition candidates, led by Loren Legarda, are the choice of the respondents, with only about two to three administration bets making it. Two independent candidates, Francis Pangilinan and Gregorio Honasan, fill up the rest of the “Magic 12” seats that are up for grabs in the elections.

The surveys also show quite similar trends for the House and local government elections.

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