Piercing Pens

Reposted below is the full text of the “Free the Sagfada 11 petition”. which calls for the release of the 11 young mountaineers accused of being communist rebels.

To: Philippine Government, Police Force, Military, Justice Department

Last February 14, a group of 11 backpackers went to Baguio to join the festivities in the annual Baguio Flower Festival and proceed to the idyllic mountain paradise of Sagada. They were Rundren Berloize Lao, 24, from Davao City; Aldoz Christian Munoza, 18, single, of Santolan, Pasig City; Darwin Alazar y Padilla, 21, single, native of Tipuso, Urdaneta City, Pangasinan; Arvie Nunez, 21, single, native of Silang, Mayaw, Lucena City; Ray Lester Mendoza y Esquerra, 16, from San Francisco, Makati City; Neil Russel Balajadia, 25, single, from Santolan, Pasig City; Jethro Villegas, 21, single, of Malagos, Calinan, Davao City; Anderson Alonzo, 18, single, also of Malagos, Calinan, Davao City; Ronron Pandino, 20, single, from San Quintin, Laguna; Frencess Ann Bernal, 15, single, of Camupang, Marikina City; and Jefferson dela Rosa y dela Cruz, 20, single, of Santolan, Pasig City. All of them just wanted to have some fun, after their musical tour (they came from a punk music event that was held in Tarlac).

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Gloria Arroyo’s calibrated preemptive response (CPR) policy that suppresses the people’s right to free assembly has just been declared as unconstitutional by the Supreme Court. Below is an excerpt from the decision released today:

Furthermore, Calibrated Preemptive Response (CPR), insofar as it would purport to differ from or be in lieu of maximum tolerance, is NULL and VOID and respondents are ENJOINED to REFRAIN from using it and to STRICTLY OBSERVE the requirements of maximum tolerance. The petitions are DISMISSED in all other respects, and the constitutionality of Batas Pambansa No. 880 is SUSTAINED.

The Supreme Court yesterday voided parts of Executive Order No. 464, upholding Congress’s right to compel Palace officials to appear in congressional hearings in aid of legislation. But it declared as constitutional parts of the EO that bans executive officials from appearing during the question hour.

Read the full text of the decision here.

After the New York Times, now it’s the American think tank Heritage Foundation that has not-so-good things to say about President Arroyo:

Philippines President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo is in trouble.

The political situation in her island nation is in crisis. Her popularity ratings have dropped into the low teens. “People power” demonstrations break out regularly in Manila. She recently survived an alleged coup attempt.

Arroyo appears to have given up on convincing her constituents of her competence. Instead, she has resorted to the methods many dictators use to silence criticism.

Here’s the link to the full article : In Philippines, killing of journalists growing problem

Amidst the calls for charter change, PGMA’s apparent effort to lure the Catholic Church into dancing with her and her cohorts through the commutation of death sentence, our justice system gets another blow from no other than the justice secretary himself.

Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez today downgraded the case filed against three of the four suspects in the Subic rape case, namely SSgt. Chad Carpentier, Lance Cpl. Dominic Duplantis and Lance Cpl. Keith Silkwood. After reviewing the case, the DOJ decided to make them “accessories to the crime” instead of considering them as prime suspects since he says, there is not enough evidence to prove that they conspired to commit the crime. (more…)