[Press Release] Report: Worsened human rights crisis in 2019; Duterte’s real legacy is full-scale assault on people’s rights -PhilRights

PhilRights’ report The Killing State: 2019 Philippine Human Rights Situationer describes a worsening human rights situation creating a hostile environment for ordinary Filipinos. QUEZON CITY – President Duterte’s real legacy is the full-scale assault on people’s basic rights and the dismantling of democratic guarantees of Filipinos, the Philippine Human Rights Information Center (PhilRights) asserted. “If…

[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.…

[Press Release] Environmental Advocates Call for Greater Vigilance against Foreign Waste Dumping – EcoWaste Coalition

(Groups Insist: Mindanao Dili Basurahan, Bar Waste Imports, Ratify the Basel Ban Amendment) 19 January 2020, Tagoloan, Misamis Oriental/Davao City/Quezon City. Environmental health and justice advocates called for greater vigilance against waste imports as they cheer over the re-exportation of the remaining illegal South Korean waste shipments to their origin starting today. At the jubilant…

[Press Release] EcoWaste Coalition Calls on Stakeholders to Advance CHR’s “People’s Right to Chemical Safety” Agenda

9 December 2019, Quezon City. In conjunction with the observance of Human Rights Day on December 10, a waste and pollution watchdog group appealed to all sectors to uphold the citizens’ right to chemical safety. “As Human Rights Day is commemorated, we appeal to all stakeholders, especially duty-bearers from the government and the industry, to…

[Press Release] BMP rejects PrimeWater, proposes a consumer-owned Metro Manila Water Cooperative

Villar also an oligarch, Duterte told to not repeat FVR’s boo-boo BMP rejects PrimeWater, proposes a consumer-owned Metro Manila Water Cooperative Metro Manila – Labor group Bukluran ng Manggagawang Pilipino (BMP) reminded President Rodrigo Duterte on Friday that his ally, former Senate President and 2nd richest Filipino Manny Villar, is also an “oligarch”, saying that…

[Press Release] EcoWaste Coalition Slams Latest Attempts to Import Toxic Waste from South Korea

The environmental health watchdog group EcoWaste Coalition deplored the entry into the country of some 53,000 metric tons of radioactive phosphogypsum from South Korea that government agents intercepted last Friday. The group also scored the importation of electronic waste, or e-waste, from South Korea in one 40-foot container that was falsely declared as used television…

[Press Release] TDC proposes solutions to ‘teacher-shaming’

The Teachers’ Dignity Coalition (TDC) proposes several measures to end “teacher-shaming” as they welcome the Department of Education (DepEd) investigation on the incident involving a Manila public school teacher being embarrassed on a live TV. Benjo Basas, the group’s national chairperson said, “This and other incidents should be taken seriously by the DepEd. We call…

[Press Release] Labor demands tripartite investigation over raids and mass arrests in Bacolod -NAGKAISA Coalition

The country’s biggest labor coalition, Nagkaisa!, is demanding a tripartite investigation over the simultaneous raids and mass arrests conducted by security forces Thursday night against members of militant labor and women groups in Bacolod City to protect workers’ right to self-organization. “We won’t let this assault on freedom pass without demanding accountability from authorities who…

[Press Release] Labor group calls for re-nationalization of public utilities amid manifold crisis -PM

A labor group, Partido Manggagawa (PM), on Wednesday called on the government to consider re-nationalizing public utilities involved in the delivery of essential services in the face of deteriorating condition particularly in water and power services. The call was in response to President Duterte’s pronouncement that he may utilize his emergency powers, which include taking…

[Press Release] ‘Hands Off Teacher-Unionists!’ -CTUHR

Labor rights NGO, Center for Trade Union and Human Rights (CTUHR) denounces the consecutive brutal attacks against teacher-unionists in the country. Just a few days after the celebration of the World Teachers’ Day, wherein teachers in the country ‘celebrated’ through a huge protest nationwide to demand their call for living wage or the P30,000 entry-level…

[Press Release] EcoWaste Coalition Finds Outdoor Play Equipment Coated with Dangerous Levels of Lead

20 October 2019, Quezon City, Philippines. High levels of lead, a potent neurotoxin, have been discovered on public playground equipment in several cities across the country. The painted play equipment containing dangerous amounts of lead poses a serious lead poisoning risk for young children, prompting environmental health advocates to call for the effective enforcement of…

[Press Release] Groups strengthen opposition against OGPI FTAA renewal in Bishops-LGU-Community dialogue in Nueva Vizcaya -ATM

Bayombong, Nueva Vizcaya – Provincial Governor Carlos Padilla, local communities, indigenous people, and church organizations sustained strong opposition on the Financial and Technical Assistance Agreement (FTAA) renewal of Oceanagold Philippines Inc (OGPI) in a dialogue held today at Saint Mary’s University. The Bishops-LGU-Community dialogue activity was co-hosted by Bishop Jose Elmer Mangalinao of the Diocese…

[Press Release] Rights groups call for immediate release of reformed and qualified PDL unjustly affected by the GCTA mess

Weeks before the National Correctional Consciousness Week (NACOCOW), human rights groups gather together and liken to the game-show “Laban o Bawi?,” President Rodrigo Duterte’s order to recall the release of Persons Deprived of their Liberties (PDL) because of the Good Conduct Time Allowance (GCTA) mess. In a forum entitled “Laya o Bawi?” on October 11,…

[Press Release] Active Vista Human Rights Film Festival challenges Acts of Erasures on Victims of Martial Law and the Drug War

Quezon City, Philippines – Premiering on the eve of the 47th anniversary of the Martial Law declaration, the 7th edition of Active Vista International Human Rights Film Festival presented last Sept 20, 2019 to around 1,000 invited audiences at the Cine Adarna of the University of the Philippines Film Center the much-awaited screening of the…