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Rights groups see new light towards justice in ICC drug war probe resumption
Human rights groups on Friday, January 27, welcomed the “much awaited” decision of the International Criminal Court (ICC) to resume the investigation into the violent war on drugs under former president Rodrigo Duterte.
The Philippine Coalition for the International Criminal Court (PCICC) said that the move “brings light amid darkness” as justice continues to be out of reach for thousands of victims and their families. It called on President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to also hold the Duterte government accountable for its human rights abuses.
Sibuyanons barricade pier due to Altai Mining Company’s illegal operation
Sibuyan residents set up a barricade in front of the pier being constructed by Altai Philippines Mining Company in Sitio Bato España, San Fernando, Romblon to oppose the illegal operations of the mining company, which have not secured the necessary permits and documents for their mining activities.
Elizabeth Ibañez, Coordinator of Sibuyanons Against Mining (SAM) and member of the Council of Leaders (COL) of Alyansa Tigil Mina (ATM), said the illegal activities of the Altai Mining must be immediately investigated. “We demand swift action from the local governments of the province and municipalities, and the pertinent government agencies such as the DENR and BFAR to stop the mining operations of the company and hold them accountable for their illegal activities,” she said.
According to Ibañez, the protesters are demanding that the mining company produce the following documents: barangay clearance, municipal business permit, DENR foreshore lease contract, and PPA permit to construct a private port.
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EcoWaste Coalition Pushes for Safe Management of Mercury-Containing Lamp Waste
As the Zero Waste Month is observed, the toxics watchdog group EcoWaste Coalition called for better enforcement of existing regulations aimed at protecting citizens, including waste workers, against harmful exposure from spent mercury-containing lamps.
The group drew attention to Quezon City Ordinance No. 1483, series of 2005 and Quezon City Ordinance No. 2350, series of 2014 after stumbling on several broken fluorescent lamps last Friday, January 20, which were found abandoned at a sidewalk along Aurora Boulevard near corner Doña Hemady Street.
“There is an apparent need to remind the public about the provisions of these two important ordinances in relation to the disposal of busted lamps containing mercury,” said Aileen Lucero, National Coordinator, EcoWaste Coalition. “Improved enforcement of current regulations will prevent the breakage of such lamps and the vaporization of their mercury content, which can endanger human health.”
Health Complaints Mar LNG (Fossil Gas) Operations in Batangas City, Philippines
BATANGAS CITY, PHILIPPINES – The country’s foremost LNG capital province is now at the hot seat as petitions are filed by communities in the five barangays of the city Monday morning.
Citing “abnormally high levels of respiratory infections and cardiovascular diseases” in barangays Dela Paz proper, Ilijan, Malitam, Sta. Rita Karsada, Tabangao Ambulong, and Tabangao Aplaya in Batangas City, the affected communities, and civil society organizations have filed petitions before different government offices including the local government unit of said city.
The barangays mentioned host five operating liquified natural power plants, also known as fossil gas plants with a combined 3,45 GW LNG capacity.
Pahayag ng Suporta at pakikiisa sa Manggagawa ng ACCEs
Sumusuporta at nakiki-isa ang Alyansa ng Manggagawa sa Bataan (AMBA-BALA) sa mga manggagawa ng Association of Concerned CDC Employees (ACCes) sa kanilang pakikipaglaban upang igiiit ang kanilang karapatan sa matagal na tinatamasang benepisyo.
Bawas sa sahod/ benepisyo ang sumalubong sa mga manggagawa ng Clark Development Corporation sa kanilang Payroll ngayong buwan ng Enero. Ayon sa Unyon humigit kumulang limang libong piso (P5,000) ang nabawas sa kanilang buwanang sahod bilang mga rank and file na manggagawa ng CDC. Batay daw ito sa pagpapatupad ng Compensation and Position Classification System (CPCS) mula sa Governance Commission on GOCCs (GCG).
Bagamat umaapela ang unyon ukol sa bagong sistema ng pasahod, kinaltasan parin ang mga manggagawa ng CDC. Bukod sa paglabag ito article 100 ng ating labor code ( Prohibition against Elimination or Dimunition of benefits) tahasan ding nilabag ng pamunuan ng CDC ang Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) ng matagal ng umiiral sa pagitan ng unyon at pamunuan.
THE BIGGEST labor Coalition in the country calls on the government to release former Sen. Leila De Lima, a long time political prisoner.
We agree with Sec. Jesus Crispin Remulla’s opinion that the Supreme Court’s decision on Reyes’ habeas corpus petition, which questioned the length of her detention in relation to the pork barrel scam, should be applied to the case of Sen. Leila De Lima and other high-profile criminal cases involving political detainees. The First Division of the Supreme Court in a resolution dated January 17, 2023 granted Reyes’ petition for a writ of habeas corpus.
TDC statement on senate BRC findings and recommendations re DEPED purchase of overpriced purchase
The Senate Blue Ribbon Committees finding that the laptops purchased by DepEd and PS-DBM were overpriced was expected. We were all witnesses to the panels series of investigations made public last year. The recommendation to file legal actions against some DepEd and DBM officials and even private personalities will bring this P2.4B deal to the proper forum and the officials will have a chance to prove their innocence.
At almost ₱60,000 each, it should prove impossible to justify the purchase of these laptops, as prices online hover at only 20K to 25K, roughly a third of the winning bid. Recipients of these controversial laptops concluded that the units are not fit for the demands of our work- these are outdated. Some teachers rejected it when they read the specifications on the property acknowledgment receipt (PAR), while others returned the units to their property custodians when they found out that these laptops performed terribly. And there are also those who did not use the laptops and just bought new ones with their own money.
At least 6 teachers executed their affidavits and submitted those to the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee. Why not? Most of us continue to make painful sacrifices to find ways to purchase essential laptops, typically by borrowing money at usurious interest rates that we have to bear for several years. This makes this scandalous purchase of ₱2.4 billion all the more abhorrent.
DepEd Head Teachers Worried for Possible Loss of Position
The National Head Teachers Association of the Philippines (NaHTAP), an organization of DepEd employees with Head Teachers (HTs) positions in the national plantilla reiterated its call on the DepEd not to dissolve their positions under the E0 174 or the policy to create expanded career progression system for public school teachers.
This is according to Dino Busilig, the groups lead convenor and a head teacher from Batangas province as the proposed implementing rules drafted by DepEd would result in mass demoralization.
Based on recent information, the IRR will be released this January, but the DepEd has not initiated a consultation with the stakeholders, especially the Head Teachers who will be affected by this policy change. We have been patient and we continue to wait for the DepEds call for consultation but it seems that we are waiting for nothing, Busilig exclaimed.
Warning Out on Toxic Cadmium and Lead in Lucky Charms and Amulets (Group tells manufacturers to label their products and provide hazard warnings)
As the Chinese Lunar New Year approaches, the toxics watchdog group EcoWaste Coalition cautioned luck seekers from purchasing charms and amulets containing highly hazardous chemicals cadmium and lead.
“Some amulets and charms that claim to attract or boost ‘Sheng Chi’ (good energy) and counter ‘Sha Chi’ (bad energy) are unluckily laden with high levels of cadmium and lead,” said Aileen Lucero, National Coordinator, EcoWaste Coalition.
“These chemicals are highly hazardous and are known to negatively affect human health and the environment,” she said, “We therefore question their presence in charms and amulets that are marketed to enhance good health, happiness, long life, and prosperity.”
Morality is not properly the doctrine of how we may make ourselves happy, but how we may make ourselves worthy of happiness. – Immanuel Kant
We must win freedom by deserving it, by improving the mind and enhancing the dignity of the individual, loving what is just, good and great, to the point of dying for it. When a people reach these heights . . . the idols and tyrants fall like a house of cards and freedom shines in the first dawn. – Jose Rizal
Itinuturo ng katuwiran na wala tayong iba pang maa-antay kundi lalo’t lalong ka-alipinan. Itinuturo ng katuwiran, lalo’t lalong ka-alipustaan. Itinuturo ng katuwiran na huwag nating sayangin ang panahon sa pag-asa sa ipinangakong kaginhawahan na hindi darating at hindi mangyayari. Itinuturo ng katuwiran na tayo’y umasa sa ating sarili at huwag antayin sa iba ang ating kabuhayan. Itinuturo ng katuwiran na tayo’y magka-isang luob, magka-isang isip at akala, at tayo’y magkaisa na maihanap ng lunas ang nagha-haring kasamaan sa ating Bayan. – Andres Bonifacio
Birdtalk is a biannual forum where IBON Foundation presents its analysis of the country’s most urgent socioeconomic and political issues. Various sectors, including government office representatives, the religious, educators and students, entrepreneurs, and organizations are invited.
Birdtalk will be on Wednesday, January 25, 1PM and LIVESTREAMED here on our FB page. We’re also working to bring Birdtalk to a much wider audience!
Like us here on FB and follow us on Twitter for updates!
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[Statement] A win for journalists and the rule of law
The National Union of Journalists of the Philippines welcomes the acquittal of Maria Ressa and Rappler Holdings Corp. at the Court of Tax Appeals.
The cases against Maria and Rappler illustrate the increasing use of the law for reprisal against and for intimidation against journalists and civil society.
We, the participants of the 6th Freedom of Expression Conference or the FreeXP.Con, organized by the Human Rights Online Philippines (HRonlinePH) and the Philippine Alliance of Human Rights Advocates (PAHRA), stand to affirm that:
WE RECOGNIZE that freedom of expression is a fundamental right of everyone to be heard and to take part in public affairs that have an impact on our lives. The voices of youth matter as they amplify the voices to defend the ideals of democracy, human rights, peace, and social justice.
WE ARE DEEPLY DISTURBED that fake news, historical distortions, and online disinformation on various social media platforms as well as in mainstream media, are now engendering distrust in reliable sources of information that are making us turn against each other with hate and intolerance. These distortive narratives are clouding our perception of the real social reality and robbing our youth of their national identity.
WE RENEW OUR COMMITMENT to defend the truth by engaging the public in in-depth discussions thru social media or other arenas of public discourse. We must educate not derogate. This will ensure that more people especially the youths are better informed, united, and inspired to take meaningful action.
WE ENJOIN others to be vigilant by taking the frontlines of the campaign against online disinformation and historical distortions. We should fact-check, think before we click, and share reliable information that everyone deserves to know.
WE ARE GRAVELY ALARMED by the continuing criminalization of freedom of expression and opinion in the guise of combating disinformation and fake news but really intended to stifle dissent and silence critics. Legal measures to address and expose lies, must not make a legitimate free speech, as well as personal privacy, become casualties in the fight against falsehoods.
WE ACKNOWLEDGE THE NEED TO FIGHT BACK by bringing to the fore a stronger and wider collaboration with our youth considering they’re a force to contend with to constantly produce online content that can counter the spread of lies, twisted truths, and distorted realities.
WE WELCOME AND ENCOURAGE the different initiatives and efforts to protect freedom of expression and to counter disinformation by putting forward the following RECOMMENDATIONS for the youth:
1. To encounter human rights every day – to learn to respect, learn to care for, and live and claim our rights;
2. To find their passion to do good and advocate for them;
3. To help generate awareness of climate change and demand action for climate justice;
4. To create platforms for online and offline connections among the youth where they can share information and positive change stories; and
5. To focus on our spheres of influence and thrive to occupy online spaces for narrative change.
WE ARE ONE in principle, as we join the global commemoration of International Human Rights Day on December 10, with the FreeXP.CON 6 underscores the crucial role of the youth in bringing about positive change in society and globally by being aware of and willing to claim their rights for a better future.
Adopted on December 2, 2022, at Cocoon Hotel, Quezon City Philippines.
STATEMENT: 10 years of the Reproductive Health Law in the Philippines: A victory?
Getting the Responsible Parenthood and Reproductive Health Law (RH) enacted in the Philippines a decade ago was a hard-won battle.
The passage of the RH bill faced gargantuan opposition from powerful sectors and getting it passed seemed all but impossible. But realizing the law’s implementation has been tougher.
Maternal mortality has decreased slightly, but it’s still far above the Sustainable Development Goals target. It took ten years, but the Department of Education has finally disseminated a Comprehensive Sexuality Education curriculum. They are now training teachers to implement it. We are working with local schools to do just that.
Environmental group to President-elect Marcos: Prioritize environmental issues
BAN Toxics urged President-elect Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to prioritize ratification of the Basel Ban Amendment and take action for proper chemicals and wastes management in time for his upcoming inauguration.
“We call on President-elect Marcos to prioritize the ratification of the Basel Ban Amendment, implement measures for sound chemicals and wastes management, and the total ban of waste importation to protect our nation from becoming the world’s dump site again,” says Reynaldo San Juan Jr., executive director of BAN Toxics.
The Basel Convention on Hazardous Wastes Management and Disposal was established to protect human health as well as the environment from the harmful effects of improper hazardous waste management worldwide.
PUTTING TORTURE PREVENTION ON THE PHILIPPINES’ NATIONAL AGENDA
In commemoration of the International Day in Support of Victims of Torture, the Association for the Prevention of Torture (APT) and Task Force Detainees of the Philippines (TFDP) in cooperation with the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) and the United Against Torture Coalition (UATC)-Philippines today launched a public forum on the prevention of torture.
The event is supported by the European Union through the project “Reducing risky practices leading to torture and ill-treatment in Malaysia, Philippines, and Thailand” (#SafeInCustody).
Groups Call for Ban on Toxic Thermal Paper Receipts with BPA/BPS
Three civil society groups are calling on the government and business sectors to protect workers and the general public from the adverse effects of exposure to endocrine disrupting and cancer-linked chemicals present in thermal transaction receipts.
At the “Kapehan sa Dabaw” and the “Forum on Hazardous Chemicals in Thermal Paper Receipts” held last June 20, representatives of the Interfacing Development Interventions for Sustainability (IDIS), EcoWaste Coalition and the Wonjin Institute for Occupational and Environmental Health (WIOEH) exposed the hidden hazards in such receipts.
Environmental group spotlights mercury-free alternatives in a new study
In line with the celebration of National Poison Prevention Week, environmental watchdog group BAN Toxics launches alternatives study titled “Mercury-Free Alternatives in the Philippines: Batteries, lamps, and medical measuring devices” in a press briefing.
The fourth week of June is celebrated as the National Poison Prevention Week as declared by Presidential Proclamation No. 1777 s. 2009 as an effort to raise awareness on the preventive aspects of poisoning prevention at home, school, work and the general environment.[1]
The study aimed to assess the availability of mercury-free alternatives in the Philippine market in view of the country’s commitments of phasing out mercury-containing products under the Minamata Convention on Mercury.[2]
Government must stop judicial harassment against human rights groups
CIVICUS, a global civil society alliance, is alarmed by the ongoing judicial harassment against members of three human rights groups, that have been accused of perjury for seeking legal protection from the Supreme Court against government harassment and intimidation. Around court hearings this week – where National Council members from Karapatan will deliver their testimonies – our organisation calls on the government of the Philippines to immediately drop all charges against them and to halt all forms of reprisals against human rights defenders.
The perjury case stems from a petition for protection, through the writs of amparo and habeas data, submitted in May 2019 by the National Council members of Karapatan, national officers of women alliance, GABRIELA and religious group – the Rural Missionaries of the Philippines (RMP). The organisations were tagged by the government as alleged fronts of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP). The petition was initially granted but later denied by the Court of Appeal in June 2019. A petition for review of the decision is still pending.
The Philippines and Russia: On Independent Foreign Policy
A per report of Yahoo! News, “During the presidential election campaign, Marcos initially maintained a neutral position on the Russia-Ukraine war. However, he later issued a statement that he is united with the rest of world in calling for Russia “to respect Ukraine’s freedom and its citizens’ democratic way of life.” (Russia ready to help Philippines with oil, gas needs: Russian envoy, Nicholas Young, Jun 14).
It was at this period also that the Philippine government during the UN General Assembly voted together with 141 out of 193 member countries to denounced Russia’s aggression against Ukraine (U.N. General Assembly in historic vote denounces Russia over Ukraine invasion, Reuters, March 3rd).
Though, the said Resolution is non-binding, it is my firm view that the decision undertaken by Malacanan and DFA on this critical world issue is undeniably wrong. The Russian Federation may consider that idiotic decision as an act of an unfriendly country. (Putin issues decree requesting ‘unfriendly’ countries pay for gas in roubles, The Financial Times, April 1st).
Philippines: Drop perjury charges against Philippines Civil Society Organisations
FORUM-ASIA is deeply concerned by the ongoing court trial on perjury charges filed by Hermogenes Esperon Jr., the former National Security Adviser in the Cabinet of Rodrigo Duterte, against civil societies, Karapatan the Rural Missionaries of the Philippines (RMP) and GABRIELA as well as the systematic vilification and smear campaigns against them.
In July 2019, Hermogenes Esperon Jr. filed a Complaint-Affidavit for perjury with the Quezon City Office of the city prosecutor (QC OCP) against Karapatan National Council members, GABRIELA Chairperson and Secretary-General, and RMP National Coordinator and Northern Mindanao Region Coordinator. The former National Security Adviser claimed that the respondents committed perjury when they petitioned the Supreme Court for the Writ of Amparo and the Writ of Habeas Data.
Increase in salaries, first agenda of teachers to incoming VP and DEPED Secertary Inday Sara Duterte
The Teachers’ Dignity Coalition (TDC) hopes to engage the incoming Department of Education (DepEd) Secretary Vice President-elect Sara Duterte in a discussion to tackle the teachers’ long overdue demand for salary increase.
“What we ask is beyond increase in our salaries, it’s about rectifying the decades-old mistake of the government,” said Benjo Basas, a Caloocan City teacher and the group’s national chairperson.
Basas argued that teachers’ salaries should be based on the recommendations of the Magna Carta for Public School Teachers (RA 4670), a 1966 vintage law created to institutionalize and further protect the rights and welfare of teachers. However, the law that currently governs the salaries of teachers is the salary standardization law (SSL) of 1989 and its latest version, RA 11466 or the SSL-5 signed by President Rodrigo Duterte in January 2020.
Youth group takes their part to protect the environment
As part of Environment Month celebration, the Environment Stewards Organization (ESO), a youth organization from T’boli National High School South Cotabato City spearheaded an environmental awareness-raising campaign, tree planting activities, and leadership development training that aims to advocate for environmental sustainability and preservation.
With the goal to involve the youth in nature preservation, ESO was founded in October 2014 through the efforts of then principal of T’Boli National High School, Mrs. Mila A. De Leon, T’Boli Mayor Dibu Tuan, Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Region 12 Director, Datu Tungko Saikul, and four other officers.
Ensure Rights Panel’s Independence President-Elect Marcos Should Select Commissioners in Transparent Process
President-elect Ferdinand Marcos Jr. of the Philippines should ensure a transparent, inclusive process to select qualified and independent human rights experts as commissioners for the national Commission on Human Rights (CHR), Human Rights Watch said today. Marcos, who will be inaugurated as the new Philippine president on June 30, 2022, is expected to announce his appointments in the coming days.
The Commission on Human Rights is empowered under the 1987 Philippine Constitution to investigate human rights violations and promote respect for human rights in the country. Marcos ran on a campaign marked by disinformation about his family’s role in human rights abuses during the dictatorship of his father, Ferdinand Marcos Sr., and so the appointment of the commissioners will be an important first test for his administration’s commitment to human rights.
Red-tagged labor rights NGO filed a complaint at CHR
On June 14, 2022, the Center for Trade Union and Human Rights (CTUHR) formally filed a complaint at the Commission on Human Rights, a week after it publicly denounced the malicious statements made by elements of the NTF-ELCAC against their institution.
In its complaint, CTUHR narrated that they received a report that they have been red-tagged in the program, “Laban Kasama ang Bayan” aired last June 6, 2022. One of the topics discussed in the said episode was “Labor Infiltration Operations of CPP-NDF-NPA in CALABARZON, Central Luzon and NCR,” where they zoomed in on the strike conducted by J&T Express workers in Cabuyao, Laguna.
The guest Charlie “Steve Alejandro” Ponclara and one of the hosts Jeffrey “Eric” Celiz, in a series of exchanges, purported that the strike of the workers was illegal and that they were infiltrated and instigated by operatives of the CPP-NPA-NDF. CTUHR was tagged as one of these, together with Pagkakaisa ng Manggagawa sa Timog Katagalugan – Kilusang Mayo Uno (PAMANTIK-KMU).
Environmental group lauds DOH-FDA for banning mercury use in medical devices and dental procedures
Environmental watchdog group BAN Toxics lauds the Department of Health (DOH) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Philippines for issuing the FDA Circular which totally bans mercury-added thermometers, sphygmomanometers, dental amalgam capsules, and liquid mercury use in dental restorative procedures in the country.
FDA Circular No. 2022-003 aims for “the total ban of the manufacture, importation, exportation, distribution, sale, offer for sale, donation, transfer, and where applicable, the use, promotion, advertising, or sponsorship of mercury-added thermometers and sphygmomanometers along with dental amalgam capsules and liquid mercury for use in dental restorative purposes to protect human health from the adverse effects of mercury-added medical devices.”[1]
In addition, the storage, transport, and disposal of the banned medical devices shall comply with the existing implementing rules and regulations of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).
The Teachers’ Dignity Coalition (TDC) calls on the leadership of the Department of Education (DepEd) to clarify some of the content of its new ordinance that will extend the work of teachers beyond the school year which will end on June 24, 2022.
“This policy should be clarified because we expect teachers to enjoy a two-month vacation between the closing and opening of school years, we have the right under the law,” said Benjo Basas, national chairperson of TDC.
According to Basas, DepEd Order No. 25, p. 2022 signed by Undersecretary Nepomuceno Malaluan last week seems to ignore the supposed entitlement of two-month vacation of teachers. The Order will require some of the teachers to conduct ‘summer’ or end of the school year classes for children with failing grades in two subjects. Meanwhile, children with low marks of 75 to 79 in any subject must attend enrichment classes. These two interventions will be held from July 24 to August 12.
EcoWaste Coalition Hails Global Ban on Highly Toxic Chemical PFHxS
The toxics watchdog group EcoWaste Coalition lauded the decision by the world’s governments to add PFHxS to the Stockholm Convention’s list of banned persistent organic pollutants (POPs) with no exemptions.
PFHxS, or perfluorohexane sulfonic acid, its salts, and related substances, will be added to Annex A of the treaty for global elimination as agreed during the 10th Conference of the Parties (COP10) of the Stockholm Convention in Geneva, Switzerland.
PFHxS belongs to the highly persistent group of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), or the “forever chemicals.” Related fluorinated chemicals, perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), were added to the Convention in 2009 and 2019.
Southeast Asia (SEA) is spiraling into a fossil future thanks to a massive fleet of gas projects and the financial institutions backing them, risking the region’s energy security, biodiversity, and any and all hope to limit global temperature rise to less catastrophic levels – a new report from civil society reveals.
Financing a Fossil Future: Tracing the Money Pipeline of Fossil Gas in SEA published by think-tank Center for Energy, Ecology, and Development (CEED) and partners dives into projects and companies involved in fossil gas exploration and development, transportation, gasification, storage, re-gasification, pipelines, and power generation, and the institutions that offered them financial services from 2016 to 2022.
“Angat Buhay Para sa Kalikasan” Statement on the New Administration
President-elect Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, Jr. and Vice-President-elect Sara Duterte are slated to take their oath this month and govern our country for the next six years.
However, in the wake of election irregularities such as massive-voting buying, malfunctioning VCMs, disenfranchisement of voters and allegations on electronic vote rigging, we call on the Comelec to investigate these cases and hold accountable those found guilty.
We recognize that President Marcos, Jr. and Vice-President Duterte has captured the votes of the electorate in a landslide victory. But we also note that this victory is a result of a decades-long campaign to rehabilitate the reputation of the Marcoses through historical revisionism and the propagation of fake news. There have been reports of massive disinformation and misinformation, particularly on Martial Law and the dictatorial rule of President Ferdinand Marcos, Sr.
Environmental group pushes for stricter regulation as illicit trade of mercury-added skin lighteners prevails
BAN Toxics calls the attention of local authorities in Manila City after the group discovered the continued selling of Goree Beauty Cream with Lycopene and Goree Day & Night Beauty Cream despite a public health warning issued by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
FDA advised the public against the purchase and the use of Goree products which were tested and found to contain toxic mercury (Hg) levels beyond the 1 part per million (ppm) limit. Pursuant to Republic Act No. 9711, the manufacture, importation, exportation, sale, offering for sale, distribution, transfer, non-consumer use, promotion, advertising or sponsorship of health products without proper authorization from FDA is prohibited.
Groups Back Phase-Out of Toxic “Forever Chemicals” to Protect Women and Other Vulnerable Sectors
Various civil society groups have joined forces to call for a global ban on per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) ahead of the World Environment Day. Also known as the “forever chemicals,” PFAS do not break down in the environment and build up in the bodies of humans and wildlife over time, resulting in adverse health effects.
At a webinar co-organized by the EcoWaste Coalition with the Consumers’ Association of Penang (CAP), Interfacing Development Interventions for Sustainability (IDIS), Taiwan Watch Institute (TWI) and the International Pollutants Elimination Network (IPEN), the groups pressed for a ban on PFAS as a class while conveying support for PFAS-free clothing, food packaging, cookware and other applications.
Next Admin’s funding for Teachers’ Magna Carta sought
The Teachers’ Dignity Coalition (TDC) acknowledges the findings of the Senate Committee on Basic Education and its recommendation to fully implement the Magna Carta for Public School Teachers (RA 4670), a vintage law enacted in 1966. The group particularly commended Senator Sherwin Gatchalian, the committee chair for raising the matter in Senate’s plenary yesterday and expressed hopes that the next DepEd secretary, the Vice President-Elect Sara Duterte will at least consider the senator’s recommendations.
“We acknowledge the gesture of Sen., Gatchalian in Senate’s floor yesterday. By standing in the podium, he made our tiny and unheeded voices for more than 5 decades audible,” said Benjo Basas, the group’s national chairperson.
Basas said that the TDC has been in constant coordination with the leadership of relevant committees in both houses of Congress who expressed support for their advocacies.
“With the enthusiastic Senate Education Committee on our side, we are certain that the 19th Congress will use its oversight function and legislative powers in our favor. But we still need the proactive stance of the DepEd, the agency primarily tasked to implement the letters and spirit of the law,” Basas added.
Five reasons why gender-based violence against women should be considered torture
Gender-based violence against women (GBVAW) is the most systematic and widespread human rights violation worldwide. It includes sexual crimes such as rape or harassment but also forced marriage, intimidation, threats and physical violence. In this blog post, our expert presents five reasons why GBVAW is torture and should be legally considered as such.
Mylene comes from an impoverished area in the rural Philippines. As a young adult, she moved to Manila in the hope of a better future. Instead, she fell into the hands of traffickers and was forced into prostitution. Over the years, she experienced numerous forms of violence. For instance, the police arrested her for vagrancy and raped her in exchange for charges being dropped. Once a police officer detained her in an apartment for several days where he sexually abused her. One night she escaped naked from a car containing four police officers who, after forcing her to use illegal drugs, had taken turns raping her inside the moving vehicle. She also suffered frequent physical and sexual violence from those who sought her services.
A Joint Statement by the Asian Federation Against Involuntary Disappearances (AFAD), International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH), Maayer Daak, and Odhikar on the occasion of International Week of the Disappeared 2022
BANGLADESH: Government must stop enforced disappearances and ensure right to truth, justice, reparation, and guarantees of non-recurrence
Dhaka/Manila/Paris, 23 May 2022: On the occasion of the International Week of the Disappeared, the Asian Federation against Involuntary Disappearances (AFAD), the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH), Maayer Daak, and Odhikar remember and pay homage to victims of enforced disappearance and stand in solidarity with the families of the disappeared.
In Bangladesh, enforced disappearances continue to occur. Bangladeshi law enforcement agencies, particularly the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) and the Detective Branch of police are responsible for the commission of the majority of cases of enforced disappearance in the country. Most of the victims of enforced disappearance have been identified as leaders and activists of opposition parties and dissidents.
Joint Statement on the 2022 Philippine Presidential Election
After the landslide victory of Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. and Sara Duterte-Carpio in the 2022 presidential election the Aktionsbündnis Menschenrechte-Philippinen (AMP) calls on the new government to immediately address the dire human rights situation in the country.
The AMP expresses its concern that neither Marcos Jr., the son of former dictator Marcos Sr., nor Duterte-Carpio, the daughter of outgoing President Rodrigo Duterte, have distanced themselves from the human rights violations committed under their fathers.
Both Marcos and Duterte-Carpio vowed to continue President Duterte’s war on drugs and to disallow independent international investigations into the human rights abuses under the Duterte government. Instead of neglecting these abuses, the unity proclaimed by the Marcos-Duterte tandem should imply acknowledging the victims and human rights violations, enabling justice, and ending impunity. The AMP therefore calls on the designated President Marcos and Vice-President Duterte-Carpio to enable the investigation and prosecution of at least 279 cases of extrajudicial killings of human rights defenders (HRDs) and journalists1 as well as of about 12,000-30,000 extrajudicial killings in the name of the so-called war on drugs.
Paano ba nag-mo-move on ang mga biktima ng pag-aabuso noong Martial Law? Pakinggan ang kwento ni. Dr. Aurora Parong.
11,103 is a documentary about the survivors of State-sponsored violence administered during the dark days of the Marcos dictatorship. Many have struggled to come to terms with what had happened to them.
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Sa darating na halalan sana maalala natin ang mga batang naulila sa “War on Drugs”.
PARA KANINO ANG BOTO MO? SANA PARA RIN SA KANILA.
For more information on this project, possible collaborations, or donations please check our website: https://www.remember-love.org/
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Recent shooting incident against IPs, Ka Leody’s team, a product of Duterte’s years of emboldening and enabling a culture of violence and impunity
LILAK Purple Action for Indigenous Women’s Rights strongly condemns the shooting committed by the security guards of an agri-business plantation company at the Manobo- Pulangiyon indigenous peoples in Quezon, Bukidnon yesterday, April 19.
Around 500 Manobo-Pulangiyon people were set to repossess their ancestral land yesterday occupied by the Kiantig Development Corporation (KDC). They planned to occupy the remaining four hectares unplanted to pineapples, out of the 958 hectares recognized by the National Commission of Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) as their ancestral land. As the indigenous peoples reached the area, they planted a white flag, as part of their repossession activity. That was when the security guards fired shots at the Manobo-Pulangiyon, together with the team of Presidential aspirant Ka Leody de Guzman, and senatorial candidates David D’Angelo and Roy Cabonegro.
No Time to Waste: Climate action through secure land rights and sustainable land use
The impacts of climate change on human communities and land-use systems can bear heavily on people’s land access and land tenure in ways that affect their homes and livelihoods, well-being, and sense of security. Communities may be hit by sudden and extreme events such as storms and floods, or they may gradually be detached from their homes and lands as a result of slow-onset environmental degradation, such as sea-level rise, and overall shifts in weather patterns.
But while climate change affects everyone, it disproportionately impacts the lives and livelihoods of those who are poor and lack land tenure rights. Poverty often forces people to cultivate marginal lands or occupy fragile public land or areas that are vulnerable to erosion, flooding, high tides, and storm surges. Moreover, the lack of tenure security limits people’s choices and diminishes their capacity to recover and rebuild when a disaster strikes.
This publication attempts to describe the links between land rights, climate change, and resource management. It also shares experiences from rural communities in Bangladesh, Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Kyrgyzstan, Nepal, and the Philippines.
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Asian NGOs Call on Governments to Regulate Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals (EDCs) in Products
Non-government organizations (NGOs) from South, Southeast, and East Asia, including the Philippines, have called on national governments to adopt and strictly implement regulations to address endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) in products. The NGOs are participating organizations of the International Pollutants Elimination Network (IPEN), a global civil society network working for a toxics-free world.
At a recently held EDC- Free Asia Conference, the NGOs discussed the results of a regional study undertaken in partnership with the Wonjin Institute for Occupational and Environmental Health (WIOEH), with support from the Financial Industry Public Interest Foundation (FIPIF), Korea to determine the presence of phthalates in erasers and bisphenol-A (BPA) in thermal papers and to promote regulatory reforms.
TDC Formally Submitted the 13-point Agenda to Bets
The Teachers’ Dignity Coalition (TDC) has now formally submitted the 13-Point Teachers’ Dignity Agenda to the candidates for president, vice president, senators, and some party-list representatives for the coming May 9, 2022.
According to Benjo Basas, the group’s chairperson, “the Agenda focuses on the rights and welfare of the teachers such as salary increase, implementation of the 1966 vintage Magna Carta for Public School Teachers, compensation for those affected by COVID-19, free post-graduate education, provision of free laptop computers and internet services, and the creation of a separate insurance system and hospital for teachers, among other long-overdue benefits. As well, we have demands on learning itself, such as improvements in the curriculum, reduction of class size, provision of books and other materials and facilities and adequate funding for the safe return to normal school operation”
Civil Society Groups Campaign for Children’s Protection from Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals
As thousands of schools brace for limited face-to-face classes amid declining COVID-19 cases in the Philippines, two non-profit groups raised the alarm over the sale of erasers containing endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs), particularly phthalates.
The EcoWaste Coalition and the Interfacing Development Interventions for Sustainability (IDIS) pitched for regulatory measures that will prohibit phthalates — a group of chemicals added to soften polyvinyl chloride (PVC) plastic — in erasers and, hopefully, in more products other than toys that are marketed for children’s use.
This developed as the groups announced the detection of large amounts of phthalates in erasers they bought from retail stores located in 11 cities and shipped to South Korea for laboratory analysis.
Compressed workweek: misguided policy for workers amidst fuel crisis
The Institute for Occupational Health and Safety Development or IOHSAD calls on the government to directly address the reasons for the continuous oil price hikes instead of pushing for the implementation of a compressed workweek that can be detrimental to workers’ health and safety. This work scheme passes the burden of surviving this crisis to the backs of workers while the government turns away from the responsibility of mitigating or ending, the dreadful effects of oil deregulation on people’s lives.
Long working hours kill workers! Longer working hours prolong exposures to hazards at work, and this increases the risk for work-related injuries and diseases. There is a time-dependent increase in the risk for accidents, injuries, falls, infections, respiratory and cardiovascular diseases beyond the standard working hours. Twelve-hour workdays increase the risk for injuries and accidents by 37%, and this risk increases with overtime and an extended workweek.
Kumpirmado: Mga gurong uupo sa halalan, kakaltasan ng 20% sa honorarium
Ayon kay Benjo Basas, National Chairperson ng TDC, ito umano ang kinumpirma ng ilan nilang kasapi na dumalo sa isinasagawang pagsasanay kaugnay sa darating na halalan sa Mayo.
“Para namang atat na atat sa maliit na halagang masisingil ang BIR sa ating mga guro at talagang kinaltas na ang P200 sa P1000 na transportation allowance. Kung tutuusin ay halos wala nang halaga itong P1000 lalo pa ngayong sobra-sobra nang nagtaas ang presyo ng langis. Baka sa huli abonado pa ang mga teacher natin,” ayon kay Basas.
Nananawagan ang grupo sa Comelec at DepEd at maging sa mga mambabatas na agad na himukin ang BIR na suspendihin ang pagpapataw ng buwis na ito na ayon sa grupo ay hindi makatarungan.
Non-government organizations (NGOs) engage workers in different capacities, whether as employees, consultants, volunteers, service providers, or project workers or in similar assignments. Labor Laws for NGO Workers focuses on the provisions of the Labor Code of the Philippines and closely related labor laws that apply to employees of NGOs.
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Group Urges Government to Protect Consumers from Mercury-Added Products
In observance of World Consumer Rights Day (WCRD) on March 15, a toxics watchdog group urged the authorities to launch a fresh drive to protect consumers from banned mercury-added products (MAPs) that are still sold locally, especially on e-commerce platforms.
WCRD is a yearly commemoration spearheaded by Consumers International to raise global awareness about the rights of consumers to basic needs, healthy environment, safety, information, education, choice, representation, and redress, and to demand respect and protection for such basic rights.
“The government needs to mount a multifaceted campaign to stop the entry, distribution, and sale of mostly imported MAPs phased out in 2020 under the Minamata Convention on Mercury to reduce health risks and environmental contamination,” said Aileen Lucero, National Coordinator, EcoWaste Coalition.
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