Today’s Views

A Bloody Red Carpet for UN Rapporteur

COTABATO CITY — What a bloody red carpet our government had given to Professor Philip Alston! Not only was the United Nations special rapporteur on extrajudicial killings criticized by the head of the Senate Committee on Justice, Senator Juan Ponce Enrile, for his comment on the dismal human-rights situation in the Philippines — a trail of blood followed Alston in his visit to the country.

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2007 Polls: Beyond GMA, Beyond Retaking Power

It takes convincing the electorate who have long been sickened by elections that mean nothing to their lives and future that this one is more than just a choice between Estrada’s candidates and Arroyo’s candidates and is, therefore, different. The opposition should be able to show that this is beyond ousting Arroyo and beyond retaking power.


Genuine Opposition? The opposition candidates should be able to give substance to the strategy of using the election as an issue of presidential accountability. In this picture, Billy Aportadera (second from right) takes oath as the Liberal Party’s District 2 Davao City Chairman, tasked to set up LP chapter in District 2 in coordination with LP city chairman Councilor Pete Lavina. The LP is coordinating with GO chairman Leo Magno on the slate for city councilors. The oathtaking is headed by Senator Franklin Drilon together with other new LP leaders last Feb.20 at Kalayaan Hall, Club Filipino, in Manila. (Contributed photo)

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Congress: A Hall of Injustice

The senators who voted for the anti-terrorism bill have nothing to say against the constitutional anomaly that while the measure gives the chief executive and the military vast authoritarian powers it is silent on Congress? lack of power as a ?check and balance mechanism? to executive abuse.

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