Piercing Pens

Some Facebook users are circulating a photo of the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos with a caption that enumerates why life was supposedly better during his regime and lists the projects he accomplished.

To make that post balanced and accurate, they should have added the following to the list:

• Plundered an estimated US$5 billion to $US10 billion, according to the Philippine Commission on Good Government
• Amassed the largest foreign debt at more than US$25 billion during his 20-year rule
• 3,257 killed, 35,000 tortured, and 70,000 incarcerated during his regime, according to Alfred W. McCoy of theUniversity of Wisconsin-Madison
• Found guilty by the Federal Court of Hawaii of violating the human rights of almost 10,000 Filipinos
• 878 desaparecidos or victims of forced disappearance were recorded during his regime, according to the Families of Victims of Involuntary Disappearance
• Declared Marial Law that took away the people’s freedoms

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ХудожникБогородицаPooled editorial on the Second anniversary of the November 23, 2009 Ampatuan Massacre

Referring to the extrajudicial killings that were so much a part of the past Arroyo administration, and the killing of journalists that spiked on November 23, 2009, President Benigno Aquino III declared in his 2010 State of the Nation Address (SONA) that his administration would “hold murderers accountable.”

Despite that pledge, six journalists have been killed since then, or a total of ten since the Ampatuan Massacre of November 23, 2009 which claimed the lives of 58 men and women, of whom 32 were journalists and media workers. Dozens of human rights workers, political activists, labor leaders and others have also been abducted, tortured and killed during the same period.

иконииконидетско обзавеждане

Do you see the look on Gloria’s face as she swears in her chief justice? She seems to be saying “Bwahaha! Naisahan ko kayo! Jejeje!”

The people have spoken, loudly and clearly. They have put their trust on Noynoy Aquino.

Now, it’s our turn to say, ala-Bunye: Let’s move on.

(Image from Noynoy Aquino’s Flickr)

On the 40th day of the Ampatuan Massacre, a journalists’ organization announced the creation of a fund to help address the needs of the families of the victims.

The National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP) said the finances to be raised by the Justice Fund will be used in projects such as:

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• a trauma counseling program for the families and members of local media community
• Mindanao media practitioners’ trainings on risk awareness and safety, election reporting, and reporting on culturally and politically sensitive places
• litigation support
• public awareness campaigns
• documentation of other incidents of harassment and attacks on the press in Mindanao.

(If you agree and want to sign the statement, kindly email your complete name, place of origin, and contact details to kai.pastores@yahoo.com.)

We, democracy and freedom-loving Filipinos, fully stand by Isabela Governor Grace Padaca who we believe is the legitimate winner of the 2007 gubernatorial elections in the said province amid an unfair ruling by the Commission on Elections Second Division composed of Commissioners Nicodemo Ferrer, Lucenito Tagle and Elias Yusoph.

As fellow Filipinos, we believe that this resolution to unseat Governor Padaca in favor of former Governor Benjamin Dy is highly questionable and the evidence raised forth against Padaca raises significant doubt as to the validity of Dy’s claims of electoral fraud resulting to his loss.

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Gov. Grace Padaca listens to Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo's speech during the International Women's Day celebration on March 6, 2009 at Malacanang's Heroes' Hall. (Edited from original by Edwin Paril/OPS-NIB)

The Commission on Elections has reportedly declared former Gov. Benjamin Dy as winner of the 2007 gubernatorial race in Isabela and ordered Gov. Grace Padaca to immediately vacate the provincial capitol. Comelec announced the decision on the recount petition days after it unseated Bulacan Gov. Joselito Mendoza. Both Padaca and Mendoza are members of the Liberal Party.
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