Impunity persists across Asia, as states fail to provide adequate protection to journalists.
This was the common message of Asia-based civil society groups that marked the International Day to End Impunity (IDEI) for Crimes Against Journalists on 2 November by highlighting the efforts of so many stakeholders to counter attacks against the media and hold the perpetrators of violence accountable.
Written for The Diplomat
Philippine President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. ended his second State of the Nation address on Monday by declaring that the country’s situation is “sound and improving” as he heralds the rise of “Bagong Pilipinas” (New Philippines).
This was a reference to the new branding adopted by the Marcos government as part of its communications strategy.
Marcos’ “Bagong Pilipinas” instantly stirred suspicions not just because of the recent flops in agency rebranding but all the more so because it resembles the “Bagong Lipunan” (New Society) slogan of the Martial Law regime of his father and namesake who ruled the country for two decades until his ouster through People Power in 1986.
Philippines’ New Tourism Ad Draws Flak
Written for The Diplomat
The Philippines has a new tourism slogan – one that quickly became controversial after it was exposed that a video ad promoting the rebrand contains stock photos of exotic destinations from other countries.
Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco led the launch of the new slogan “Love the Philippines,” describing it as the country’s “love letter to the world.”
Marcos spoke during the launch of the tourism rebrand a few days after he vowed to fight disinformation and declared that “fake news has no place in modern society.” It is ironic that he preached about the value of truth right before the release of a tourism promotion video with plagiarized content. Marcos will soon deliver his second state of the nation address as he marks his first year in office, and his critics might cite the tourism ad scandal to highlight the weaknesses of his governance. It certainly doesn’t look good that the president, whose family is accused of acquiring ill-gotten wealth during the Martial Law era, has endorsed a campaign tainted with “stolen” content from other countries.
Sa kabila ng pandemya at krisis sa ekonomiya, ang unang batas na pinirmahan ng administrasyon ni Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. ay ang Mandatory SIM Card Registration Act. Wala ito sa kanyang adyenda noong kampanya; hindi rin ito nabanggit sa kanyang proklamasyon at kahit noong State of the Nation Address. Marami ang kanyang sinasabing prayoridad ngunit mas matimbang ang naging aksyon. Pahiwatig ito kung paano mamumuno si Marcos.
Mahalagang balikan ang maikling kasaysayan kung paano ito naging batas. Una itong naging batas sa gobyerno ni dating Pangulong Rodrigo Duterte. Pinawalang-bisa sa kalagitnaan ng halalan dahil may agam-agam daw siya sa implikasyon nito sa karapatan ng mga indibidwal. Kakatuwa para sa utak ng Tokhang na gamitin ang argumentong ito. Kaduda-duda rin dahil nakapakete ang panukala sa pagpasa sa Anti-Terrorism Act.
Tinitingnan ng mga awtoridad ang SIM Card Registration bilang panlaban sa mga krimeng gamit ang cellphone. Solusyon daw ito upang masawata ang mga call at texting scam. Hindi kumbinsido o kaya’y hindi batid ng mga mambabatas na walang korelasyon ang SIM Card Registration at pagbaba ng krimen, batay sa karanasan ng maraming bansa. Manipestasyon ito ng bulag nilang pagkiling sa teknolohiya upang itama ang mali sa lipunan. Simplistiko ang kanilang suri sa krimen na tila depekto ito na maaaring ayusin sa pamamagitan ng paglapat ng isang burukratikong regulasyon. Hindi nila makita o ayaw nilang kilalanin ang ugnay ng mga krimen gamit ang cellphone sa mas malawakang mga salik o penomenon sa lipunan. Sa madaling salita, sapat na sa kanila ang solusyong magbibigay sa kanila ng kontrol sa datos ng mga indibidwal imbes na ugatin ang sanhi ng mga problemang kaakibat sa malaganap na paggamit ng cellphone sa bansa.
Kahit hindi nila layon, at sa kabila ng kanilang hangaring lutasin ang mga krimen, ang bagong batas ay maaaring maging dahilan pa upang tumindi ang nakawan ng mga cellphone, ID, at rehistradong SIM Card. Hindi malayong magkaroon ng ‘black market’ para sa mga ito na gagamitin ng mga kriminal upang mangbiktima nang mas marami.
Bago ito, unang malaking suliranin ang “disenfranchisement” ng ilang milyong Pilipino kung hindi nila marehistro ang kanilang mga SIM Card. Automatic ang deactivation ng mga hindi rehistrado. Seryosong usapin ito dahil hindi naman lahat ay may ID mula sa pamahalaan o kaya ay may access sa internet upang magrehistro. Alam dapat ng mga mambabatas ang mababang internet penetration rate sa bansa. Napatunayan ito noong sinarado ang mga paaralan at umasa sa online distance learning ang mga mag-aaral. Marami ang naapektuhan ang pag-aaral dahil sa mabagal ang koneksyon o kaya’y walang access sa internet.
Binigay sa mga kompanya ng telekomunikasyon o ‘telco’ ang responsibilidad ng pagrehistro. Ibig sabihin, sila ang magdedesisyon kung tatanggapin ang ID ng may-ari ng cellphone at kung paano ang alituntunin ng pagrehistro sa internet. Ang transaksiyon ay sa pagitan ng isang indibidwal at ng mga pribadong entitad. Hindi ito natatapos sa pagrehistro dahil bawat palit ng SIM Card at telepono ay kailangang ulitin ang proseso. Kapag namatay ang isang rehistrado, dapat iulat ito ng kanyang kaanak kundi ay magiging ‘ghost’ cellphone user siya na magtutuloy ang buhay sa virtual na mundo.
Wala raw itong dagdag gastos sa tao. Subalit walang katiyakan na ang bibilhing security software at iba pang kagamitan ng mga telco sa pangangalap ng datos ay hindi ipapasa sa cellphone user sa hinaharap sa pamamagitan ng mga tagong bayarin.
Kung hindi makasunod o lumahok ang cellphone user sa proseso ng pangangasiwaan ng telco, kagyat ang parusa na SIM Card deactivation. Inaasahang apektado ang ilang milyong cellphone user. Hindi ito biro. Sa isang iglap, puputulan ng komunikasyon ang mga pamilya na may kaanak sa malayong lugar. Mapapatid ang ugnay ng maliliit na online seller sa mamimili. Ipagkakait ang impormasyon at balita sa mga tao. Pormula ito ng kaguluhan, kalituhan, at pagkawatak-watak sa lipunan.
Sa kabilang banda, biglang nagkaroon ng pambansang database ang mga institusyon na naglalaman ng sensitibong impormasyon ng mga tao. Gagamitin daw pangontra sa krimen subalit puwedeng nakawin, bilhin, at manipulahin ng mga may masasamang balak. Hindi lang hacker ang puwedeng gumawa nito kundi mga tao o grupo na may rekurso para sa ganitong operasyon. Kabilang dito ang estado. Hindi malayong posibilidad kung sisilipin ang rekord ng pamahalaan kung paano ang burukrasya ay ginawang makinaryang surveillance. Unang tatargetin ang mga kritiko ng pamahalaan.
Banta kung gayon sa privacy ng tao. Banta sa datos ng tao at kung saan ito nakatago. Dahil alam ng tao na ang kanyang totoong pangalan at iba pang impormasyon ay hawak ng kung sino man at maaring mapasakamay ng mga nasa kapangyarihan, magdadalawang isip siya sa gagawin niyang aktibidad sa cellphone. Ang iniisip ng mga awtoridad ay mga kriminal o phone scammers lang ang magbabago ng gawi. Hindi nila kayang unawain ang chilling effect sa tao. Sa halip na malayang magpahayag, magpipigil ang marami sa takot na maparusahan o pag-initan ng gobyerno.
Wala silang pagkilala kung ano ang halaga ng anonymity sa isang demokrasya. Kailangan ito ng media upang protektahan ang kanilang informant. Kailangan ito ng mga whistleblower. Kailangan ito ng karaniwang mamamayan upang magsalita at tumindig nang walang takot na sila ay gagantihan o babantaan.
Pagkatapos ng SIM Card Registration ano ang kasunod? Sa balita, may mga panukalang gawing krimen ang paglathala ng ‘fake news’ at may nais ibalik ang kontrobersyal na social media registration. Mga batas na magpaparusa sa mga netizen sa halip na unahin kung ano ang kanilang mga panawagan: mabilis at abot-kayang internet, pagtanggol sa digital rights, media at digital literacy, pagtigil sa cyber attacks at surveillance ng mga puwersang may ugnay sa estado.
Nasa likod ng paghain ng mga mapanupil na panukala ay takot sa tao. Gusto daw nilang habulin ang mga kriminal subalit ang ayaw aminin ay nais nilang supilin ang palabang boses ng mamamayan gamit ang cellphone at internet. Sa huli, nakasalalay sa atin kung paano hahamunin at bibiguin ang sistematikong planong kontrolin ang impormasyon sa bansa.
Si Mong Palatino ay isa sa mga mambabatas na bumoto labansa Anti-Cybercrime Law noong 2012. Awtor siya ng librong “IT Is Out There: Politics and Digital Resistance in the Philippines’.
Published by the Philippine Daily Inquirer
This has been a terrible year because of the pandemic, but there are people who made the lives of Filipinos more miserable.
The “naughtiest” is President Duterte, whose incoherent late-night speeches did nothing to ease our worries. His militarist mindset proved ineffective and counter-productive in dealing with the health crisis, aside from enabling anti-communist generals, red-taggers, and Cabinet secretaries who gifted us with “motorcycle barrier” and “dolomite” solutions.
The police were the notorious “pasaway,” led by a “mañanita” general, while many continued to be accused of killing “nanlaban” drug suspects. The police must explain the surge in extrajudicial killings despite the imposition of strict lockdown measures in most barangays.
It is infuriating that supposedly independent institutions like Congress and the courts were complicit in allowing the Duterte administration to undermine our civil liberties. We remember how Congress voted to reject ABS-CBN’s franchise, the slow action and tone-deaf response of the Supreme Court regarding the petition for the release of elderly and pregnant political prisoners, and the controversial issuance of search warrants by a Quezon City judge which the police used to arbitrarily conduct raids and detain activists.
Thieves grabbed headlines throughout the year, from the “pastillas” scam to the systemic corruption in PhilHealth.
But we survived the disastrous year of 2020, thanks to the heroism of our health workers, relief volunteers, and government personnel serving on the front lines. We salute all those who continue to provide for our basic needs, which also kept the economy afloat. We thank the media for standing their ground amid the nonstop assault on press freedom. We recognize the role of human rights defenders in challenging impunity.
Our biggest tragedy of the year was the death of Baby River Nasino. We continue to cry for justice, and we will greet the new year with a resolve to fight harder for her and other innocent victims of state violence.
Written for The Diplomat
In February, residents of Sibuyan Island in the Philippines’ Romblon province protested against a mining exploration activity by forming a “people’s barricade.” This was followed by another barricade in Brooke’s Point in the southern part of Palawan province, which was also organized by community-based groups to protest an ongoing mining operation.
The month of February ended with the sinking of a ship carrying 800,000 liters of industrial fuel that caused a devastating oil spill in Mindoro Island and parts of Western Visayas.
President Marcos called for climate justice when he addressed global leaders in November last year in Cairo. His appeal should embolden his government to pursue policies and programs that will reverse the deterioration of the environment. The first quarter of the year has provided us with a glimpse of key environmental issues and challenges that could potentially spark a broader people’s movement for the protection of the country’s patrimony and precious resources.
Local Leaders Question Expanded US Military Presence in the Philippines
Written for The Diplomat
Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s decision to expand the coverage of the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) is being opposed by some local leaders. They led prayer rallies against the building of new U.S. military facilities in the country.
Under the original EDCA, signed in 2014, the U.S. military can access five locations in the Philippines where it can store equipment, transport supplies, and undertake other logistics for war exercises and disaster response.
The Marcos government should carefully explain the extent of EDCA and convince the public that it favors the country’s long-term interest. The anti-dictatorship movement that ousted the president’s father in 1986 sustained the clamor for the rejection of the U.S. bases treaty in 1991. There could be a revival of the nationalist campaign against foreign military bases as Marcos pivots closer to the United States through the expanded EDCA.
Basahin sa page ng Bayan Metro Manila
Sa gitna ng komemorasyon ng Pandaigdigang Araw ng Karapatang Pantao noong Disyembre 10, binalahura ng mga kawani ng gobyerno sa pangunguna ng Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG), Philippine National Police (PNP) at Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) ang komemorasyon na ito nang iligal na arestuhin ang anim na trade union organizer at isang journalist sa kani-kanilang bahay at tinutuluyan.
Tinaniman ng baril at granada at inaresto si Romina Astudillo, Deputy Secretary-General ng Kilusang Mayo Uno-Metro Manila; Mark Ryan Cruz, Regional Executive Committee ng KMU Metro Manila at Jaymie Gregorio Jr., Regional Council member ng KMU-Metro Manila. Kabilang din sa mga ni-raid ay ang tinutuluyan naman ni Dennise Velasco, Defend Jobs Philippines; Joel Demate ng Solidarity of Labor Rights and Welfare (SOLAR); Rodrigo Esparago ng Sandigang Manggagawa sa Quezon City (SMQC) at ang mamamahayag na si Lady Ann Salem, communication officer ng International Association of Women in Radio and Television.
Sa bisa ng search warrant na dala ng mga kapulisan na may pirma ni Judge Cecilyn Burgos Villavert sila ay ni – raid sa magkakaparehong oras bago pa man pumutok ang araw.
Nakakagalit ang pangyayari. Maliban sa pagbabalahura sa karapatang pantao ang pitong nahuli ay binansagan ng PNP na mga gun runner; pero hindi nila binanggit na mga aktibista ang kanilang mga hinuli. Pilit ikinukubli ng PNP ang katotohanan na mga kritiko ng gobyerno ang kanilang hinuli.
Sa kumpas ng National Task Force to End Local Communism and Armed Conflict (NTF ELCAC) at pangunguna ni National Capital Region PNP Chief na si Debold Sinas, matatandaan na hindi lamang sila ang kauna – unahang mga nahuli na nakabase sa Metro Manila. Patunay dito sina Cora Agovida, Michael Bartolome, Ram Carlo Bautista, Alma Moran at Reina Mae Nasino na iligal ding inaresto, tinaniman ng mga baril at granada at ginawan ng mga gawa – gawang kaso.
Hindi kailanman naging krimen ang pag – oorganisa ng mga manggagawa.
Hindi kailanman naging krimen ang maging mamamahayag.
Hindi kriminal at lalong hindi terorista ang pitong iligal na inaresto. Sila ay mga mamamayan at aktibista na umaapaw ang pagmamahal para sa kapw, naglilingkod sa bayan at masang anakpawis.
Patuloy natin na kondenahin si Duterte sa kanyang pagkakasala sa mamamayang lumalaban!
Irehistro natin ang ating mga galit sa kalsada upang singilin ang administrasyong Duterte, PNP, CIDG at NTF ELCAC.
Palayain ang HR Day 7!
Palayain si Romina Astudillo!
Palayain si Lady Ann Salem!
Palayain si Mark Ryan Cruz!
Palayain si Jaymie Gregorio Jr.!
Palayain si Dennise Velasco!
Palayain si Rodrigo Esparago!
Palayain si Joel Demate!
‘Environment of fear’, court convictions across Asia, and a new mandate for China’s Xi Jinping. Pakistani journalists attacked in and out of the country, 100 days of media freedom decline in the Philippines, court convictions and harassment across the region, and the human rights implication of Xi Jinping’s re-election as China’s supreme leader. Read more…
Spontaneous protests, countering hate speech, and mass release of prisoners. Anti-lockdown protesters are demanding freedom and democracy in China. #SayNoToHateSpeech campaign challenged racist and sexist election narratives in Malaysia. Journalists attacked and arrested for asking tough questions during press conferences. Mass release of prisoners in Myanmar. Read more…
Written for The Diplomat
Several recent studies have pointed out the alarming deterioration of the quality of learning in the Philippines, but this was officially confirmed in the basic education report delivered by Vice President Sara Duterte on January 30. Duterte is concurrently serving as secretary to the Department of Education.
Addressing stakeholders with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. in attendance, Duterte highlighted the key issues that plague the country’s basic education system before announcing her department’s agenda for reform.
ACT reminded officials to prove their political will in reversing the decline of Philippine education. “The call to reforming education should not be a grandstanding cry but a sincere pledge to rectify the mistakes and shortcomings of the past and the present,” it said.
Philippines Undertakes Major Review of School Curriculum
Written for The Diplomat
Several initiatives could lead to an overhaul of the Philippine education sector under the government of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. First, legislators have already convened the Second Congressional Commission on Education (Edcom), which set a three-year timetable to evaluate the impact of the legal reforms implemented in 1991. Second, the Department of Education (DepEd) is already reviewing and revising the K to 12 curriculum, which it describes as congested. And third, the Senate is already deliberating the reimposition of the mandatory Reserve Officers Training Corps (ROTC) program in colleges.
Indeed, the Philippines’ education crisis has worsened during the pandemic and both teachers and learners are still slowly catching up because of the extended school closure imposed by the previous administration. It will take years before the learning benefits of reforms become evident. The government must prioritize subsidies for the education sector. In the meantime, stakeholders must be actively engaged in the ongoing review of the curriculum instead of merely allowing the process to be dominated by politicians.
Written for The Diplomat
The Philippine participation at the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland has become the most controversial foreign trip that President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has taken. It was the eighth trip abroad that Marcos has made since becoming president seven months ago. Marcos himself was at first undecided about the necessity of attending the event when he was invited in November, but he obviously changed his mind and even brought a sizeable delegation with him.
Marcos is scheduled to visit Japan in February. His subordinates and supporters believe his foreign trips are essential for strengthening the economy. But the opposition is suspicious about the frequency of the president’s travels. Perhaps Marcos is keen to reintroduce his family name on the global stage after their unceremonial ouster from power in 1986. Whatever the reason or motive, Marcos and his government should do more to convince the public that his global engagements are not a waste of taxpayer money.
Marcos Allies Set to Approve Charter Change in Philippine Congress
Written for The Diplomat
The Philippine House of Representatives is on track to pass a resolution this month calling for a constitutional convention to amend the 1987 Constitution.
At least 11 bills and resolutions relating to charter change were filed since July of last year, the same month when Ferdinand Marcos Jr. assumed the presidency. These measures were consolidated and a consensus was reached among the proponents that the mode of changing the constitution will be through a constitutional convention.
It is not enough that charter change proponents have the numbers in Congress, because a divisive measure like this can quickly galvanize popular opposition. Previous administrations have also the support of the majority in Congress, but they failed to amend the constitution because of strong public resistance. Perhaps legislators today are encouraged by the high trust ratings of Marcos, but can the government risk losing support if people will start protesting against politicians prioritizing charter change instead of curbing hunger and joblessness?
Published by Bayan Metro Manila
The pandemic and typhoon disasters tested the resilience of many Filipinos. But even the most resilient won’t survive if the government is slow to respond, refuses to be held accountable which prevents it from learning where it failed, and prefers to be indifferent even if the poorest in society are unjustly suffering more from natural and man-made calamities.
Thus, we reiterate our urgent demands: relief and rehabilitation, accountability, and climate justice.
Legislators should ensure that the 2021 national budget will earmark enough funds for extending aid to flooded communities. Resources should be reallocated to provide cash assistance, livelihood opportunities, and rehabilitation of damaged houses and public infrastructures. Legislators can easily slash the bloated budget of the government’s anti-communist task force and realign it to social services and public works that are needed today in several regions of Luzon.
Aside from relief, the people are also clamoring for accountability. What happened to the calamity funds which should have been used to enhance the country’s disaster preparedness? What caused the massive flooding? Are dams to blame? What about the quarrying, mining, and logging operations? Who should we assign the bigger responsibility: the companies in charge of these extractive activities or the politicians who supported them? We hope President Rodrigo Duterte who often speaks about aggressively confronting those who destroy the nation will not be caught sleeping on the job.
Our long-term demand is climate justice which requires political will since it means a rethinking of current economic and environmental policies that could have exacerbated the harsh impact of global warming. Decades of plundering our national patrimony have not only impoverished many communities but also made them more vulnerable to environmental disasters. Farmers and indigenous peoples are the rural frontliners who take care of our food supply and ancestral lands yet they are also the first to suffer from mudslides, landslides, and extreme flooding tragedies. Meanwhile, those who profit from destroying our watersheds and polluting our waters are allowed to escape accountability.
We address these calls to the national government since it has the mandate to mobilize the bureaucracy in distributing relief, probing the role of agencies and officials in their disaster response, and enforcing laws and programs aimed at empowering communities as climate change continues to bring more difficult challenges today.
At the same time, we believe President Rodrigo Duterte is the worst disaster to hit the nation this year because of his militarist approach in dealing with the pandemic, the bungled response to the economic crisis, the roll-out of an ill-prepared online distance learning, and the slow coordination of relief and rescue operations during the successive flooding in Luzon. He is a reminder that a reckless and inept leadership will only drown the people in suffering.
Therefore, our efforts should not only be limited to gathering and handing out relief goods, but an equally if not more important expression of solidarity is our collective action against Duterte’s criminal negligence.