New People’s Army guerriilas killed two soldiers and wounded six others in an armed encounter in Davao del Norte Tuesday.
A labor group said President Benigno Aquino III gave “wrong information on strike data” and “mocked the seriousness of the right to strike” in his 5th state of the nation address (sona) to “salvage an already ostracized presidency”.
The Army has implemented five days of ceasefire apparently to meet the demand of the National Democratic Front to pave the way for the release of four police personnel captured by the guerrillas early this month.
An intermediary group in the bid to have the police captives in the Caraga region released from their guerrilla captors warned that the “reluctance” of the government crisis committee to agree to temporary and limited ceasefire has endangered the process.
Some 6,000 protesters from across Davao Region march on Monday from different assembly points in Davao City to the rally area in the Freedom park. They later converge at the Rizal Park.
Teachers across the country mounted a protest action today dubbed as “Black armband Friday” to demand increase in their salary and to condemn President Benigno Aquino III’s “arrogant defense” of his controversial use of government savings called Disbursement Acceleration Program (DAP).
Progressive groups have set a series of street protests this week to expose the “lies and failure of the government in addressing corruption, poverty, national security, human rights and environment” in time for President Benigno Aquino III’s 4th State of Nation Address (Sona) on July 28.
In the wake of the controversy on the disbursement of government savings, various teachers’ groups on Friday pressed the Aquino administration to increase the salary and incentives of public school teachers, saying “the government has neglected the education sector particularly the public school teachers since President Aquino rose to power four years ago.”
The National Democratic Front of the Philippines said it lost 14 New People’s Army members during a “simultaneous raid to crush three private army groups” Tuesday in Agusan del Sur.
The New People’s Army launched several tactical offensives Tuesday in Caraga region and in Compostela Valley province.
