Politics

Philippines: The Old Struggle for Human Rights, New Problems Posed by Security

By Chief Justice Reynato S. Puno
Supreme Court

(Delivered on April 18, 2007 on the occasion of the conferment of the
honorary degree of Doctor of Laws by the University of the East.)

?Tomorrow begins in the East,? trumpets the motto of this venerable
institution of learning. In his last moments in Bagumbayan, our national
hero Jose Rizal stared at tomorrow in the eye, veered his bullet-riddled
body to the right and fell lifeless on the ground ?face turned towards
the rising sun in the east. From the cradle to the grave, Rizal
consecrated his life to fight for the human rights of our people.
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Philippines: AFP should focus awareness drive on human rights in its ranks

MANILA — The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) is grossly deceptive in its latest scheme to hold so-called awareness drive to justify continuing military presence in urban communities during the elections. Instead of rounding up urban poor communities and universities to lecture against cause-oriented groups, the AFP should focus awareness drive on human rights among its ranks. This election season, they should all go back to the barracks and take a study leave on human rights. We don’t need them dictating upon the people the AFP’s choice of candidates in the guise of ‘awareness drive’ which actually consists of lectures against activist groups as what they did at the Philippine Normal University, Philippine Christian University and other schools and communities. We join the various groups in demanding immediate and total pull-out of AFP troops who will likely repeat the scenario of active military role in the fraudulent 2004 elections.
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Duterte Finds Davao Elections a Real Ho-hum

But feisty mayor, who is facing no real threat to his position in next month?s elections, takes pains to justify his decision to field his initially reluctant daughter as his running mate.


Like Father, Like Daughter. Mayor Rodrigo Duterte and his daughter Sara at a campaign rally this week. The mayor says Sara is the only one who can beat potential challengers to his throne. (davaotoday.com photo by Barry Ohaylan)

By Marilou M. Aguirre
davaotoday.com

DAVAO CITY ? “Murag walay eleksyon nga naay eleksyon. Murag naay eleksyon nga walay eleksyon. (It doesn?t feel like we have an election in an election season.)?

This was how Mayor Rodrigo Duterte described the upcoming elections during a rally this week in Piapi, Boulevard, a neighborhood in the city’s first district.

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