[From the web] Environmental groups oppose the renewal of the mining contract of Ocean Gold Philippines, Inc. -ATM

Various environmental groups led by local organizations in Nueva Vizcaya, expressed their strong opposition against the renewal of the mining contract of Ocean Gold Philippines, Inc. (OGPI). Green group Alyansa Tigil Mina (ATM) supported the call of Didipio Earth Savers Multisectoral Alliance (DESAMA) and demanded the immediate cancellation of Financial and Technical Assistance Agreement No.…

[From the web] Duterte Seeks to Shut Network, Case Against ABS-CBN Attacks Media Freedom -HRW

The Philippine Congress should reject President Rodrigo Duterte’s apparent misuse of regulatory powers against the country’s largest broadcast network, Human Rights Watch said today. On February 10, 2020, the Office of the Solicitor General filed a petition before the Supreme Court seeking to nullify the franchise of ABS-CBN, which has long faced Duterte’s ire for…

[From the web] Voting 227-0-0, the House of Representatives approved on 3rd reading House Bill (HB) No. 5869 on Tuesday, February 4

The measure would expand the coverage of Republic Act (RA) No. 9262 or the Anti-Violence Against Women and Children Act and define electronic violence or information and communications technology (ICT)-related violence as any act that involves the “use or exploitation of data or any form of information and communications technology which causes or is likely…

[From the web] Creation of JIPCO: Institutionalizing the Massive Workers’ Rights Violations and Re-Affirming the State’s Policy of Cutting Militant Unionism -CTUHR

Labor rights NGO, Center for Trade Union and Human Rights (CTUHR) condemns the creation of the Joint Industrial Peace and Concern Office (JIPCO) in various economic and freeport zones in Central Luzon. “JIPCO is institutionalizing the massive workers’ rights violations in the economic zones. It is also a re-affirmation of the state’s policy of crushing…

[From the web] Labor groups slam PNP for anti-union stations at ecozones, call on DOLE to enforce FOA -PM

The Philippine National Police (PNP), including its commander-in-chief, the President, cannot infringe on the right of workers to form unions. Doing so will be a clear violation of the Constitution, the Labor Code and international conventions that guarantee freedom of association (FOA), the labor group Partido Manggagawa (PM) said in a statement sent to media.…

[From the web] Manila city council declares Panday Sining ‘persona non grata’ -Rappler.com

Members of artist group Panday Sining have been declared as “persona non grata” by the Manila city council, the Manila Public Information Office announced on Friday, December 6. “Manila City Council passes resolution declaring militant group ‘Panday Sining’ as persona non grata in the nation’s capital,” the office tweeted. The resolution came after the group…

[From the web] Statement of Task Force TAMASCO on the 2nd Anniversary of the TAMASCO 8 massacre in South Cotabato

Justice remains elusive two years since the killing of eight members of the T’boli-Manobo indigenous people in Mindanao who are locked in a struggle with a coffee plantation over land. Task Force Tamasco, a group of non-governmental organizations supporting the T’boli-Manobo S’daf Claimants Organization (TAMASCO), condemns the agonizingly slow action of the Department of Environment…

[From the web] Duterte Threatens to Shut Down TV Network -HRW

Closing ABS-CBN Would Degrade Philippines Press Freedom By Carlos H. Conde Researcher, Asia Division Human Rights Watch @condeHRW President Rodrigo Duterte ramped up his attack on the Philippine media, vowing to block the renewal of ABS-CBN, the country’s largest and most influential broadcast network. “Your franchise will end next year,” the president said on Tuesday.…

[From the web] Green Groups Vow Support for QC’s Ban on Single-Use Plastic and Paper Disposables -ecowastecoalition.org

In response to the plea made by Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte, various ecology groups signified their support for groundbreaking citywide policies aimed at reducing the volume of single-use plastics and other residual wastes. At a press conference held yesterday, Belmonte announced the promulgation of Ordinance No.2876, which bans the distribution and use of single-use…

[From the web] Duterte is making a big mistake – by Christian Gultia and Ernesto Neri

Political persecution and killings of activists and human rights defenders have been consistently at the top of the government’s agenda since Rodrigo Duterte assumed the presidency in 2016. To date, more than 2,000 human rights defenders have already been attacked through various forms including threat, intimidation, harassment, trumped-up charges, and extrajudicial killing. The massive crackdown…