Bribery by Davao Companies Declines

But SWS survey says government is not sincere in fighting corruption

By Germelina A. Lacorte
davaotoday.com

DAVAO CITY — The latest Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey of enterprises has given the government a failing mark in its sincerity to curb corruption.

While bribing to win government contracts posted a downtrend among businesses in Davao, Metro Manila, Cebu, and Cagayan de Oro, 14 of the 23 government agencies surveyed last year scored lower this year in their sincerity to fight corruption. The SWS survey was conducted among 700 managers representing 499 companies in seven major cities in the country.

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In UP, Defiance Vs Tuition Hike Gains Ground

The proposed tuition increase in UP ? at 200 percent — is staggering. It is comparable to the most expensive private schools in the country. It certainly is a cause for alarm for many students and parents.

By Grace S. Uddin
davaotoday.com

DAVAO CITY ? To many Filipino youths, studying at the University of the Philippines (UP) as a ?iskolar ng bayan? carries immense advantages. There?s, of course, the name and the renowned quality of UP education. On a more practical level, however, the subsidized, thus low, cost of studying there is enough motivation to seek a UP education.

davaotoday.com photo by barry ohaylanImagine, then, the consternation of many UP students when they learned that the state university was going to raise its tuition, making it no different from expensive private schools. To many of them, the ?iskolar ng bayan? label, which carries with it the rather lofty idea that the Filipino people are subsidizing good education, has become worthless.

The proposed tuition increase ? 200 percent — is staggering, and a cause for alarm for many students and parents. Late last month, students from all UP campuses nationwide made known their sentiment by walking out of their classrooms to march in the streets, demanding that the idea be junked.

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Human-Rights Lawyer Target of State Surveillance

By Cheryll D. Fiel
davaotoday.com

Atty. Musni at a recent rally in Manila. (photo courtesy of Arkibong Bayan)DAVAO CITY — A human-rights lawyer in Cagayan de Oro has allegedly been the subject of surveillance by men believed to be agents of the Philippine military, raising fears about her safety.

Two unidentified men were seen casing the office of Beverly Selim-Musni, one of the more prominent human-rights lawyer in Mindanao who is also the chairperson of the group Karapatan in Cagayan de Oro City, since June 27, according to the Initiatives for Peace in Mindanao (InPeace), a nongovernment peace advocacy group where Musni is also one of the convenors.

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