Starpower and national liberation 12:41 AM (13 hours ago)
Nora Aunor, the Philippines’ superstar and national artist, is no more.
Among the many outstanding films* that showcased her artistic firepower, HIMALA stands out one of the most compelling, if not the greatest movie that depicts the long-standing plight of our people.
The Superstar actually passed away during a season that Himala portrays so vividly: scorching heat mixed with the odor of parched earth. Cupang is an inhabited area that has been drained completely; it’s not even a location that bleeds. Himala makes a forceful message about the drain of value from the impoverished rural areas of the Philippines to the central hubs of accumulation and greed.
Released in December 1982, three years shy of the February People Power uprising, Himala features Elsa’s faith, tenacity, and willpower, which were greater than the collective punishment meted out to her people. She used faith healing to accomplish miracles.The sick, the dying, the unemployed, the landless, even the wicked señora and businessman for whom the ailing poor are living a life of poverty would wait long lines to be healed by Elsa’s power, an endowment from the apparition of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
Directed by the revolutionary Ishmael Bernal and written by the radical novelist, journalist, and playwright Ricky Lee, Himala is a monument to the intellectual, political, and organizational commitment of these two titans at a specific juncture in the Philippine national liberation movement’s history.
Himala is more than just a work of individual genius. It is yet the most powerful indictment of the semi-feudal and semi-colonial conditions in the Philippines. As this brilliant collective of artists understood, the enormous task of producing Himala at a time when large-scale protests against the atrocities of US imperialism and the Marcos regime were taking place called for the star power of Nora Aunor, the Filipino people’s beloved superstar.
I once showed Himala to a group of locals (where I was the foreigner).
It was a class on sociology. After the film screening, one of the students immediately called my attention to what confused her about our syllabus’ reference to the film and how I actually introduced it. In both instances, I incorrectly referred to the film “Himala” as “Bayan Ko”. But wasn’t that a “correct mistake” or an unconscious slip considering how I’ve always felt for Himala?
Before Elsa was shot dead while addressing a huge crowd, her words lifted up the revolutionary materialist standpoint (as opposed to regressive and bourgeois idealism):
“Walang himala…Tayo ang gumagawa ng mga himala! Tayo ang gumagawa ng mga sumpa at mga diyos…” (“…There are no miracles…We create miracles! We create curses and gods…”)
Honoring Nora Aunor in her death by thinking through this magnificent classic, I, once more own up to Himala — my country, my people, my miracle, Bayan ko.
High salute to the most accomplished showbiz figure, ang Superstar ng sambayanang Pilipino, Nora Aunor.
*Nora Aunor starred in many other film classics that slammed heteronormativity, the US military bases and the Philippine State’s labor export policy. “Andrea, Paano Ba Maging Isang Ina?” is a 1990 film for which she received a grand slam (all award-giving bodies recognize her as Best Actress). Here, the Superstar is an NPA guerrilla.
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Kontra Daya pushes for disqualification of Vendors Party-list 17 Apr 11:02 PM (14 hours ago)
MANILA – On April 15, election watchdog Kontra Daya filed a disqualification case against Vendors Samahan ng mga Maniningang Pilipino (Vendors) Party-list with the Commission on Elections (Comelec) because allegedly, its nominees do not belong to the marginalized groups.
Vendors Party-list claimed to “represent individuals who are market, street, and sidewalk vendors, as well as those who support and forward the cause of these vendors.” According to the group, they have 651 members who are market vendors, 1,115 members who are street vendors, 7,089 members who are sidewalk vendors, and 445 members who are advocates for the rights and interests of these vendors.
But who are the nominees of the Vendors Party-list and why does Kontra Daya want them to be disqualified?
Kontra Daya convenor and electoral reform advocate Danilo Arao revealed that Vendors Party-list nominees own businesses and contractors. With this, Kontra Daya asked the Comelec to 1) declare the registration of Vendors Party-list as invalid and cancel its accreditation as a sectoral organization for failure to comply with the requirements under the Party-list System Act or R.A. No. 7941 and the 1987 Constitution, and, 2) disqualify the party-list and its nominees in May 2025 elections.
Vendors Party-list nominees own businesses, contractors
In its complaint, Kontra Daya asserted that under Section 3 of the RA 7941, party-list system is defined as a mechanism of proportional representation in the election of representatives to the House of Representatives from national, regional and sectoral parties or organizations or coalitions registered with the Comelec.
They added that Section 2 of the same law said that the State shall promote proportional representation in the election of representatives to the House of Representatives through a party-list system, which will enable Filipino citizens belonging to marginalized and under-represented sectors, organizations and parties to become members of the House of Representatives.
Kontra Daya also pointed out that the Supreme Court, in the case of Bayan Muna vs Comelec et al, stressed that the intent of the Philippine Constitution is clear: to give genuine power to the people, not only by giving more law to those who have less in life, but more so by enabling them to become veritable lawmakers themselves. Consistent with this intent, the policy of the implementing law, we repeat, is likewise clear: ‘to enable Filipino citizens belonging to marginalized and underrepresented sectors, organizations and parties, x x x, to become members of the House of Representatives.’ Where the language of the law is clear, it must be applied according to its express terms.”
The top nominees of Vendors Party-list do not belong to the marginalized. Its first nominee Marilou Laurio Lipana is the wife of Mario Gonzales Lipana, who was appointed by then President Rodrigo Duterte as Commissioner of the Commission on Audit (COA). Kontra Daya discovered that Lipana is also the President and General Manager of Olympus Mining and Builders Corporation, and secured millions of projects with the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH). She is also the President of the Iron Ore, Gold and Vanadium Resources (Phils) Inc. Kontra Daya said that the government has “entered into an agreement with said corporation for the large-scale exploration, development and commercial utilization of minerals found within the ‘Contract Area’, where Vanadium Resources has obtained the exclusive rights to conduct mining operations for the extraction of magnetite sand.”
Lipana is also the president of Gembar Enterprises, the winning bidder of P9 million and P12 million projects in Makati City in 2020. Kontra Daya said Gembar, as part of a Joint Venture,also secured a P700 million contract with the Department of Interior and Local Government and Bureau of Fire and Protection. Lipana also admitted in a radio-television interview about her businesses and projects with the government.
Vendors Party-list second nominee and chairman, Florencio A. Pesigan is a former municipal councilor of Talisay, Batangas. According to Kontra Daya, Pesigan was suspended by the Office of the Ombudsman for one year after he was found liable for oppression and conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the service. Prior to this, the Batangas Provincial Board ordered a 90-day suspension against Pesigan, who was found guilty of conduct unbecoming a public officer. He was also arrested in 2018 due to possession of an unregistered firearm.
Meanwhile, Vendors Party-list third nominee Sheryl C. Sandil is engaged in the hardware and gasoline business. Her husband is the owner of D.C. Sandil Construction and Realty Development Inc. with road projects in Antipolo City and Palawan. Her husband also owns the 22 Prime Construction & Realty Development. Kontra Daya said either D.C. Sandil Construction or 22 Prime won the bidding of most of the seven projects in Makati City during the 4th quarter of 2024. In said document, Kontra Daya said Olympus Mining, and other persons surnamed Sandil are also contract-awardees.
Emilyn Rabara Garcia, fifth nominee of Vendors Party-list, owns MonMax Enterprises. Kontra Daya also said that Garcia has projects in Quezon City and Makati.
Vendors Party-list as ‘sole’ creation of Marilou Lipana
Kontra Daya also questioned how the Vendors Party-list came up with their list of nominees after Lipana admitted to a radio-television interview that their fourth nominee, Deo Balbuena, also known as Diwata, a vendor, become a member of the party-list after they have already selected their nominees and the Comelec has already approved Vendors Party-list’s registration.
“Ms. Lipana organized Vendors for her electoral bid and has control in deciding that she and her friends are the top nominees were also admitted by her in that interview,” the complaint of Kontra Daya read.
The group stressed that the nominees of Vendors was not a result of a democratic process of convention of its members, “but upon the discretion of Ms. Lipana who selected herself and her friends as nominees.”
Kontra Daya cited Lipana’s interview with broadcast journalist Ted Failon, where she confirmed that there was no voting process in the selection of nominees of the Vendors Party-list. When asked why she is the number one nominee, Lipana said, “Kasi kami po magkakaibigan po kami,” (Because we are friends), pertaining to other nominees of the Vendors Party-list.
“Ms. Lipana is so powerful in the Vendors that she was able to insert Deo Balvuena, aka Diwata, as its fourth nominee even if, as she admitted, the nominations have been completed and Diwata was not even present in the alleged ‘convention’. That is why when Failon asked her during the interview if Diwata was present during the convention for the selection of nominees, her reply was ‘Wala pa po si Diwata nun,’ (Diwata was not there),” the complaint read.
“From the admissions of Ms. Lipana herself, she created Vendors, funded it, and selected its nominees naming herself as its first nominee without undergoing any convention in order for the membership to vote or decide. Ms. Lipana even had the power to change the nominees after they were already selected, when she inserted Deo Balbuena or Diwata as its fourth nominee,” it added.
Kontra Daya asserted that it is clear that Vendors Party-list does not belong to the marginalized and underrepresented “as it was a mere creation of its rich patron, Ms. Lipana and her rich friends” which they said is a violation of the RA 7941.
Vendors Party-list violated the social justice provision of the Constitution
For Kontra Daya, the entry of the rich and the powerful as well as political dynasties in the party-list system is in direct contravention of the constitutional prohibition against abridging the rights of the people in the Constitution.
Kontra Daya said, Article 13, Section 16 of the 1987 Constitution states; “The right of the people and their organizations to effective and reasonable participation at all levels of social, political, and economic decision-making shall not be abridged.”
They asserted that the proliferation of party-list groups organized by the elite, the super-rich, or incumbent officials in Congress and the LGUs and their families, who do not belong, nor represent, the marginalized and underrepresented essentially abridges, curtails, and impedes, the right of the people to an effective and reasonable participation in political decision-making, as many of the marginalized and underrepresented are deprived of a grain of chance in winning against these political and economic juggernauts.”
They added that in the last few years, “the political dynasties and the rich and the powerful began organizing their own partylist groups, which they control, and began fielding themselves or their family members as nominees of these partylist groups as a ‘cheap’ way to get a congressional seat.”
If the Comelec will not act on the domination of the rich and the powerful in the party-list system, Kontra Daya said it is just a matter of time before the party-list system will be completely dominated by the elite and the political dynasties.
In their own research, Kontra Daya has already flagged at least 120 out of 177 party-list groups or 70 percent of party-list candidates for being identified with political clans and big businesses, as well as for having incumbent local officials, connections with the government and military, unknown or unclear advocacies and representations; and pending court cases and criminal charges (including being implicated in pork barrel scams).
Read: More than half of party-lists linked to political dynasties, big businesses and corruption cases
While the SC relaxes its rules on the party-list system in 2013, Kontra Daya asserted that the party-list system is “a social justice tool designed not only to give more in law to the great masses of our people who have less in life, but also to enable them to become veritable lawmakers themselves, empowered to participate directly in the enactment of laws designed to benefit them.”
“It intends to make the marginalized and the underrepresented not merely passive recipients of the State’s benevolence, but active participants in the mainstream of representative democracy,” Kontra Daya said. Thus, they said, allowing all individuals, including those who already dominate district elections, to have the same opportunity to participate in party-list elections would desecrate this lofty objective and mongrelize the social justice mechanism into an atrocious veneer for traditional politics.”
“Crucial to the resolution of this case is the fundamental social justice principle that those who have less in life should have more in law. The party-list system is one such tool intended to benefit those who have less in life. It gives the great masses of our people genuine hope and genuine power. It is a message to the destitute and the prejudiced, and even to those in the underground, that change is possible. It is an invitation for them to come out of their limbo and seize the opportunity.”
Kontra Daya hopes that the marginalized and underrepresented must be given an expanding opportunity to participate in the country’s party-list system. (RVO)
Disclosure: Danilo Arao is the associate editor of Bulatlat and the chairperson of Board of Trustees of Alipato Media Center, Inc., publisher of Bulatlat.
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Daughter seeks court’s help for 81-year-old father mistakenly arrested as NPA leader 17 Apr 5:39 AM (yesterday, 5:39 am)
“Despite the evidence we presented, he wasn’t released. Why? Because there is a P7.8 million bounty on the person who shares the same name as our father.”
MANILA – The daughter of an 81-year old man mistakenly arrested and detained by the authorities filed a petition for habeas corpus at the Court of Appeals on Wednesday, April 16.
Analyn Calubid, daughter of Prudencio Cebu Calubid, Jr., argued in her petition that her father’s continued detention is illegal because her father, Prudencio or “Pruding” as he is known in their village, is not the Prudencio Calubid that the authorities are after.
“The continued detention of Prudencio Jr. is not the result of a mistaken identity; it is a case of deliberate misrepresentation, carried out in disregard of truth and due process,” the family’s counsel Julian Agpalo of the National Union of Peoples’ Lawyers (NUPL) asserted.
Agpalo added that given Calubid’s advanced age, poor health, and the absence of any lawful basis for his arrest, the Court of Appeals (CA) is urged to immediately grant the writ and release him from detention.
It was on December 7, 2024 when elements of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) Olongapo and CIDG Camp Crame came to Pruding’s home in Gordon Heights, Olongapo City, and presented a warrant of arrest for peace consultant Prudencio Calubid. Pruding willingly went with the authorities to clear his name. But months after and after several pieces of evidence showing that Pruding is not peace consultant Prudencio Calubid, Pruding is still detained.
Human rights groups said that National Democratic Front of the Philippines peace consultant Prudencio Calubid, his wife Celina Palma, Ariel Beloy, Antonio Lacno and Gloria Soco were abducted by alleged military agents in Sipocot, Camarines Sur while they were traveling on June 26, 2006. Except for Lacno, they remain missing to this day.
Read: Prudencio Calubid: The best father a child could have
The Communist Party of the Philippines also said in a statement that it is not peace consultant Prudencio Calubid that the authorities arrested last year.
In a social media post, Pruding’s daughter Analyn said that her father was a longtime employee at the Naval Base in Subic as aircon technician. He also worked abroad from 1991 until 1994.
“Our family is asking: why didn’t the authorities broaden their investigation? It would have been easy for them to verify because our father has been living in Olongapo City for over 50 years,” she said.
“We believe this is one of the many thousands of ‘mistaken identity’ cases happening in our country. The Prudencio Calubid who is supposedly an NPA leader being sought was already featured by Mr. Arnold Clavio in the episode ‘Ang pagdukot at pagtorture kay Ka Prudencio’’ in the program Case Unclosed,” she said.
Analyn also expressed their worry over their father’s health as he has several illnesses such as gout and kidney problems. He also can no longer stand, which is why he is in a wheelchair.
“Despite the evidence we presented, he wasn’t released. Why? Because there is a P7.8 million bounty on the person who shares the same name as our father,” she added.
Meanwhile, human rights group Karapatan said that “state security forces, then and now, have abused their power by abducting individuals and illegally arresting people to gain monetary rewards.”
“They have already abducted and forcibly disappeared NDFP consultant Prudencio Calubid and his colleagues, and probably gained monetary rewards for the dastardly acts, and yet they illegally arrest individuals bearing the same name, again purportedly for monetary rewards. This is the mercenary character of these fascists in government,” said Karapatan Secretary General Cristina Palabay in a statement. She added that they support the Calubid family in their call for the immediate release of Pruding.
Palabay added that Pruding’s arrest is not an isolated case.
Karapatan said among the individuals who were wrongfully arrested using the government’s reward system include Rolly Panesa, a security guard in a hospital in Quezon City who was arrested in 2012 and alleged to be a certain Benjamin Mendoza, a high ranking CPP-NPA official with P5.6 Million bounty. Panesa was released after 10 months in detention after his petition for habeas corpus was granted by the court. He was heavily tortured by soldiers to force him to admit that he was Mendoza.
Read: Arrested security guard, tortured by the military
Read: Kin of guard nabbed by the military file habeas corpus petition
Read: Court issues new warrant vs 4 police in Panesa torture case
Karapatan cited other similar cases.
- In 2012, Oligario Sebas, a farmer, was arrested and was alleged to be top NPA cadre Filemon Mendez with a P5.8 million bounty.
- Ofelia Inong, a community organizer in Cagayan Valley, was arrested on September 10, 2013, alleged to be NPA finance-logistics officer Lolita Loguibis with P2.05 million bounty.
- In 2014, community midwife and church worker Lourdes Quioc and Reynaldo Ingal, retired National Power Corporation driver, were also illegally arrested in Mexico, Pampanga. They were alleged to be National Democratic Front of the Philippines consultants Eugenia Magpantay and Agaton Topacio, who had a P10.6 million bounty.
- Authorities also arrested truck driver Baltazar Saldo in Capiz, alleged to be former NPA commander Virgilio Paragan with a P1.05 million bounty.
- NDFP consultant Wigberto Villarico, again alleged as Benjamin Mendoza, was arrested on October 24, 2024
- Ernesto Panganiban was arrested in 2021 and was alleged to be Gavino Panganiban, a supposed NPA leader with a P4.5 million bounty.
- Another so-called Gavino Panganiban was arrested in October 2024.
“This practice and policy should stop. We urge the Court of Appeals to grant the petition of the Calubid family. We call on the Marcos Jr. government to rescind all orders regarding the rewards system as these violate basic rights and fundamental freedoms of the people,” Palabay said. (RVO)
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Trump tariffs make green energy transition more urgent – think tank 14 Apr 11:18 PM (3 days ago)
ALBAY — Clean energy think-tank Center for Energy, Ecology, and Development warned that U.S. President Donald Trump’s recent tariff policies underscore the need for a just energy transition.
In a statement, CEED Executive Director Gerry Arances said that Trump’s sweeping trade policy, which increased tariffs on ASEAN goods from 10 percent to 50 percent depending on the country, proves again “the Philippines’ vulnerability to foreign tariffs because of its import-dependent economy and lack of manufacturing base.”
The U.S. has set a 17 percent tariff on Philippine goods which is lower than other ASEAN countries like Vietnam with 46 percent and Thailand with 37 percent. The U.S. cites trade imbalances and security concerns while analysts call it “economic coercion.”
Arances said that while “Trump’s tariffs excluded oil and gas for the most part, the combination of high demand, indirect effects on items essential to the fossil fuel value chain such as steel, aluminum, and others, and the uncertainty of the economic effects of the policy will push up fossil fuel prices.”
“Securing economic independence should start with reducing reliance on fossil fuels,” he said.
Renewable energy stability
The clean energy advocate said that although the possibility of changes in the tariff policy is possible, the Philippines must now face this uncertainty with stability.
“Nobody likes unnecessary risks, including businessmen. However, uncertainty will also affect ordinary consumers, whose economic activity is essential for the country’s growth,” Arances said.
He said that renewables, which are abundant in the country and not influenced by the economic policies of other governments, can help shield Filipinos from potential economic disruptions since it minimizes the impact of global market fluctuations.
Other clean energy advocates like the Institute for Climate and Sustainable Cities have urged the government for economic reforms in energy systems to ensure energy security, lessen environmental impact, and address climate change.
In its reports, the ICSC stressed how the flexibility of renewable energy can address the shortcomings of baseload power which is traditionally supplied by centralized coal and natural gas plants to meet minimum electricity demand.
In its 2025 energy outlook report, ICSC reiterated the need for stable power supply through a decentralized grid because it creates electricity near its use, cuts transmission losses and strengthens the grid. It also allows detection of local power issues early and prevents major problems like the Panay Island blackout in January 2024. “By focusing on localized data, grid operators can respond more effectively to emerging challenges.”
ICSC recommended that the government fund this long-term energy solution, stressing that “[even though] this transition will take time, it is crucial to prioritize flexibility and decentralization in our country’s system planning and policy-making to facilitate this necessary transition.” (DAA)
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Group asked Judicial Bar Council not to promote ‘warrant factory judge’ 14 Apr 6:15 PM (3 days ago)
MANILA – Quezon City Regional Trial Court Presiding Judge Cecilyn Burgos-Villaver should not be promoted.
This is the assertion of Kapatid, a support group for political prisoners as the Judicial and Bar Council announced the applicants for the position of associate judges at the Court of Appeals, Sandiganbayan for which Villavert is applying.
The group submitted their letter to the JBC on April 14 where they stressed that Villavert’s actions “do not meet the moral and legal standards expected of those entrusted with administering justice.
Various human rights groups and defenders called Villavert a “warrant factory judge” for signing search warrants which led to the arrests and detention of numerous activists such as the case of Reina Mae Nasino, whose newborn daughter, Baby River, died after she was separated from her mother. Her case, along with her two other colleagues’ cases, was later dismissed by the court as the prosecution failed to prove their guilt beyond reasonable doubt.
No promotion
In their letter to the JBC, Kapatid cited that the warrants signed by Villavert were primarily sought by the Philippine National Police (PNP). These warrants led to violent raids, planting of fabricated evidence, and wrongful arrest and detention of numerous activists on baseless charges.
“This disturbing pattern of judicial conduct undermines the very foundation of justice which the JBC cannot ignore,” they said.
They cited various incidents like what happened on October 31, 2019 when Villavert received then NCRPO Acting Director Brig. Gen. Debold Sinas in her chambers for a “dialogue” while PNP search warrant applications were pending before her court. Hours later, police and military forces raided the Bayan compound in Bacolod City, arresting 57 activists.
On the same day, police armed with Villavert’s search warrants raided the home of activists Cora Agovida and Michael Bartolome in Manila. The warrant relied on a fabricated narrative about an alleged “gun running syndicate.” This tactic was replicated on November 5, 2019 against activists Ram Carlo Bautista, Reina Mae Nasino, and Alma Moran who were also arrested in a similar manner at the Bayan-Manila office in Tondo, Manila.
Kapatid also mentioned that on December 10, 2020 (International Human Rights Day), similar warrants led to the simultaneous arrests of journalist Lady Ann Salem and trade unionists Rodrigo Esparago, Dennise Velasco, Joel Demate, Mark Ryan Cruz, Jaymie Gregorio, and Romina Astudillo in Mandaluyong City, Quezon City, and Manila.
Kapatid said that there were at least 76 activists who were “unjustly arrested under these flawed warrants of Judge Burgos-Villavert.” This include Kapatid spokesperson Fides Lim’s husband Vicente Ladlad, and his companions Alberto and Virginia Villamor have been detained since November 8, 2018 in Camp Bagong Diwa, Bicutan, Taguig City.
For Kapatid, Villavert “failed to exercise judicial discretion with the diligence and care demanded by the Rules of Court and the Constitution.”
Lim said, “Her repeated failure to ask ‘probing and exhaustive’ questions led to the issuance of defective warrants that gravely violated the rights and liberties of numerous individuals.”
This track record, they said, shows not just lapses in judgment but also a consistent disregard for due process and judicial integrity, standards that are indispensable for anyone being considered for elevation to higher courts such as the Court of Appeals or Sandiganbayan.
Confidence in the judiciary
Kapatid said that the promotion of Villavert would “further erode public confidence in the judiciary,” given that the justice system is already under scrutiny from international bodies like the International Criminal Court (ICC) for the alleged killings committed under former president Rodrigo Duterte’s so-called war on drugs.
“The ICC’s intervention reflects the deeper crisis within the Philippine justice system. That it has taken an international tribunal to pursue accountability for grave crimes is a damning indictment of our own institutions’ failure to deliver justice and to uphold the rights of thousands of victims of extrajudicial killings,” Kapatid said in a statement. “Allowing her to rise within the judiciary would perpetuate impunity, undermine human rights, and send a dangerous message that the courts are complicit in injustice.”
They urged the JBC to “prioritize the restoration of public trust in the judiciary by ensuring that only those who truly uphold the values of justice, integrity, and impartiality are appointed to serve in higher courts.”They appealed that, “The judiciary must be a sanctuary for rights and not an enabler of impunity.” (DAA)
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Indigenous peoples raise alarm over rising rights violations 14 Apr 6:10 PM (3 days ago)
MANILA – They are the stewards of the country’s last remaining forests, protectors of sacred watersheds, and bearers of centuries-old knowledge about land and life. But across the Philippine archipelago, Indigenous Peoples are being pushed out of their ancestral lands, criminalized, and, in many cases, killed—sacrificed in the name of so-called development.
In a report submitted to the United Nations (UN) Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples by Indigenous Peoples Rights International, Panaghiusa Philippine Network to Uphold Indigenous Peoples’ Rights, and the Legal Rights and Natural Resources Center, 43 documented cases reflect a chilling and consistent picture: the Philippine government and private corporations are systematically violating the rights of Indigenous communities—with impunity.
The report highlights widespread abuses, including the denial of Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC), land grabbing, red-tagging, militarization, and displacement due to extractive and energy projects. Many of these are now rebranded under the “just transition” or “green energy” framework.
These cases were compiled during the visit of UN Special Rapporteur José Francisco Calí Tzay and Dr. Pichamon Yeophantong of the UN Working Group on Business and Human Rights to the Philippines in July 2024.
“Human rights abuses against Indigenous Peoples have risen, with forced evacuations, militarization, and other violations affecting tens of thousands,” the report said.
New name, same plunder
The report stressed the intensifying human rights violations in the guise of “green development”. Under the Marcos Jr. administration, the push for “energy transition” projects—hydropower, solar farms, and mining for critical minerals—led to renewed encroachments into Indigenous territories.
The Marcos Jr. administration released its roadmap for renewable energy expansion through the Department of Energy’s Philippine Energy Plan for 2023-2050 aiming for at least a 35% share in the power generation mix by 2030, 50% by 2040, and more than 50% by 2050.
Many of these renewable energy projects are being built—or are planned to be built—on ancestral lands. For instance, one-fourth of the more than 400 proposed hydropower projects will be built on indigenous peoples’ lands. Hydropower projects account for 45% of the country’s renewable energy sources.
Meanwhile, the Philippines is the second-largest exporter of nickel, a transition mineral used in electric vehicles. It is mined on ancestral lands such as those in Palawan and Zamboanga del Norte.
Read: Making a killing off nickel mining in Palawan
“It’s still the same destructive mining, just with a new label,” Beverly Longid, Indigenous Bontok leader and national convenor of Panaghiusa, said in a forum on April 8 at the University of the Philippines Diliman to launch the report. “Worse, violations are often facilitated by government agencies—DENR, NCIP, DAR, even DPWH. These are not isolated cases,” she added.
From the Chico River in Kalinga to the shores of Palawan and the plains of Bukidnon, Indigenous communities reported violations of the Free, Prior, and Informed Consent (FPIC) process where they are excluded from consultations, misled about project impacts, or pressured into fast-tracking the processes. In some cases, Indigenous groups allege that the FPIC process was manipulated.
Read: Push for renewables threatens lands and livelihood in the Cordillera
“Public authorities were oftentimes found to be the perpetrators of human rights violations themselves,” the report notes. Government agencies like the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP), Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR), and Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) were named as key actors in FPIC violations and land grabbing.
In Nueva Vizcaya, Indigenous Tuwali residents were violently dispersed during a peaceful barricade against OceanaGold’s mining operations. In Ilocos Norte, solar energy projects displaced communities without proper FPIC. In Bukidnon, the Manobo-Pulangiyon tribe continues to live in roadside camps after being evicted by a pineapple plantation owned by the town’s mayor.
Read: Anti-mining leader nabbed as cops disperse people’s barricade against Oceanagold
Militarization as a tool of displacement
Behind every extractive or infrastructure project, the report finds a familiar pattern: militarization. Internal security forces—soldiers, police, and paramilitary groups—are routinely deployed to Indigenous territories. Their presence, far from providing protection, often results in harassment, arbitrary arrests, and even killings.
The report documented the killings of members of Indigenous communities. For instance, in Capiz, nine Tumandok leaders were massacred during a counterinsurgency operation in 2020. In Mindoro, a Hanunuo-Mangyan youth was killed in a military raid that was falsely reported as an armed encounter. In Sultan Kudarat, a 16-year-old Dulangan Manobo was shot dead and branded as a rebel.
Read: Gov’t troops massacre 9 Tumandok in Panay
Read: Family of slain youth IP files charges vs military
Read: Groups seek justice for IP student killed in a military operation
“Internal security forces, including the Armed Forces of the Philippines, Philippine National Police, and Citizen Armed Force Geographical Unit, frequently perpetrate these abuses, using counterinsurgency operations to suppress dissent and opposition to land encroachments,” the report said.
Red-tagging, criminalization, and the war on education
Beyond militarization, Indigenous leaders and rights defenders face rampant red-tagging and criminal charges. Under Executive Order No. 70 and the Anti-Terrorism Law, Indigenous Peoples are among the “focus sectors” of the government’s national security policy.
The report documents cases where civilian leaders were branded as communists, arrested without warrant, and slapped with trumped-up charges. A stark example: the “Talaingod 18,” including Lumad teachers and support staff, were convicted in July 2024 despite widespread condemnation from human rights groups.
Read: Unjust conviction of Talaingod 18 proves ineffective justice system
“It's normal to feel afraid after being red-tagged. There was a time when I couldn’t move or reach out to the communities I was organizing because they were afraid of being associated with me,” said Funa-ay Claver, an indigenous youth activist and spokesperson of Katribu during the forum.
Community-built Lumad schools, once hailed as solutions to the chronic lack of access to education in rural areas, have been shut down and labeled “NPA training grounds.”
At least 215 schools have closed, the report notes, due to relentless military surveillance, raids, and red-tagging.
Read: Lumad schools appeal for public support amid DepEd closure order
Forests, waters, and lives at stake
Among the findings of the report is the alarming overlap between claims of ancestral domains—estimated to cover 14 million hectares or around 47% of the Philippines' total land area—and designated protected areas, leading to disputes and the erasure of indigenous rights over their own territories.
“Many ancestral lands are being claimed as national forests or parks, even without community consent. That’s despite clear legal recognition,” Longid said. “These overlapping designations become convenient entry points for large-scale mining and infrastructure projects.”
Despite laws like the Indigenous Peoples Rights Act (IPRA) and international conventions like the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP), communities remain under siege. Only 33% of ancestral domains have been formally titled. Even fewer are registered with the Land Registration Authority, making them vulnerable to overlapping claims.
Behind these numbers and legal battles are stories of survival and resistance was highlighted in the report.
In the Bangsamoro region, the Teduray and Lambangian peoples face forced displacement and violent incursions into their lands by plantation companies and armed groups. In Palawan, the Calamian Tagbanwa are fighting corporate demolition orders and the loss of their traditional fishing grounds. In Zamboanga del Norte, the Subanen are protesting against illegal mining threatening their watershed.
“The issue of land must be addressed—this is the long-term solution to end the killings of non-Moro Indigenous peoples in the BARMM [Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao],” said Teduray leader Mary Joie Melis of the Inged Fintaylan.
Call for justice
For the Indigenous Peoples of the Philippines, this report is not just documentation—it’s a renewed call for justice, accountability, and survival. Among the urgent recommendations were an official investigation and country visit by the UN Special Rapporteur; repeal of the Anti-Terrorism Law and abolition of the NTF-ELCAC; an end to red-tagging and criminalization of Indigenous Peoples Human Rights Defenders; and support for Indigenous-led initiatives and immediate humanitarian assistance to displaced communities.
Longid said that the recommendations submitted to the UN were not new. “These are calls we’ve raised for decades. But now, we want accountability.” (RTS, DAA)
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But, first 13 Apr 6:00 PM (4 days ago)
The Street Shooter is Altermidya National Chairperson Raymund B. Villanueva. Please follow him at IG @street_shooter and Facebook@Raymund B Villanueva
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Renee Co’s fight for youth representation 13 Apr 12:23 AM (5 days ago)
By MARJUICE DESTINADO
SAN FERNANDO, CEBU – Renee Louise Co grew up in a lower middle-class household. Their dining table was too small to seat everyone, so meals were taken in shifts.
But if there was one place where they could all be together at once, it was the living room, gathered before the flickering light of a television or the crackling voice of a radio. This is where she first met politics.
Her father, drawn to world politics, talked about Barack Obama’s rise to the presidency and racism in the US. Her grandmother, glued to the radio, followed the Hello Garci scandal and explained what election fraud meant. Her mother brought in stories from the community.
Their home was a place where curiosity was encouraged. No one was told to blindly accept the world as it was. Instead, they were taught to ask, to challenge, to demand why.
A childhood measured in tears and typhoons
She was nine when she learned that sorrow could be borrowed. Her father, a man who loved poetry as much as politics, had written about the 1983-1985 Ethiopia famine and read it aloud to her in their living room.
“I remember crying so hard over it. We were just sitting beside each other, and I suddenly wanted to write too — so that the same emotion, about the terrible things happening in the world, could be shared with others,” she said in an interview with Bulatlat.
She joined campus journalism soon after. By Grade 5, she was writing about climate change at the National Schools Press Conference in Bicol, representing NCR.
Growing up in Malabon, she witnessed the impact of environmental neglect. “Flood waters entered our house. It was waist deep,” she said, having lived through three major floods, namely typhoons Milenyo and Ondoy, as well as the 2012 Habagat. Seeing the destruction firsthand, she became aware of reckless environmental practices.
“That is why environmental advocacy is in my heart,” she said. “And of course, using our voice, our minds, our creativity as youth – because this is my lived experience.”
How Renee’s future took a different turn
Before law and activism, Co dreamed of becoming an astronomer, but family expectations and her growing awareness of the world led her down an unexpected path. While her mother encouraged a stable career in finance, Co’s love for science remained strong. Her interest in law sparked unexpectedly after the National Career Assessment Examination (NCAE) suggested it, along with forensic analysis, aligning with her scientific interests. At the time, Co was considering switching from Political Science to Anthropology at UP Diliman, which her family saw as unconventional.
Her passion for law grew as she saw it as a way to influence change, saying, “I really want to enter into policymaking, and one of the best means to that end is law.” Co became editor-in-chief of Sinag, the student publication of the UP College of Social Sciences and Philosophy, deepening her activism.
Co’s journey into activism was unexpected. As a child, she was quiet and introverted. But under the Duterte administration, silence became impossible. “It’s not enough to just know. We must raise political consciousness to action,” she said. Her family was initially shocked by her involvement, especially when she joined a lightning rally after graduation. Despite their concerns, Co reassured them that larger movements offered protection.
By 2021, she became the UP Student Regent and later the first nominee for Kabataan Partylist. While her family initially worried about her safety, they eventually supported her activism, understanding its significance. After earning her Juris Doctor degree in 2023, Co now serves as the national spokesperson for Kabataan Partylist and is the first nominee for the 2025 elections, continuing her fight for change.
Reclaiming education and students’ rights
Co has long fought for the youth, both in classrooms and on protest lines, advocating for a future every administration promises but fails to deliver. If Kabataan secures another term in Congress, their first priority will be education. “Education and students’ rights, as part of our right to education,” Co said, highlighting that education has never been the government’s budgetary priority, resulting in inadequate, inaccessible, and expensive education.
Kabataan plans to re-file the Adequate and Accessible Quality Education Services Bill to strengthen the Free Tuition Law, push for the Academic Freedom Bill, and the Students’ Rights Bill. They’re also focused on reforming the Campus Journalism Act to protect student publications better.
Beyond education, Kabataan advocates for workers’ rights with the Magna Carta for BPO and Waste Workers, and supports the People’s Green New Deal, a proposal to phase out fossil fuels and protect communities affected by destructive industries.
Co stressed that the youth are disillusioned, not apolitical. “It’s not because they don’t care, but because the government constantly disappoints them.”
Kabataan works beyond Congress, organizing youth, providing advocacy training, and encouraging them to actively fight for the change they want to see.
Legacy beyond titles
Co’s political awakening started with her grand-aunt, who was deeply aware of politics but couldn’t participate due to life’s hardships. “If you don’t work for a day, you won’t have anything to eat,” her grand-aunt often said. Co, recognizing the sacrifices her grand-aunt made, now fights in her place, attending mobilizations to fulfill the activism her grand-aunt couldn’t pursue.
But beyond Kabataan partylist and whatever position she holds, Co wants to be remembered simply as “a normal girl who chose to be an activist.”
“I think all of us are just ordinary people. We face the challenges that are posed our way as they come. But it is our choices that define not only ourselves but how we can shape the society that we’re living in, that we want others to live in, and we want other generations to enjoy.”
For Co, being an activist means fighting for the future — a future that will change the “deeply unjust, very bloody, and very profit-oriented status quo.” The struggles of finding work, accessing education, balancing classes, and even searching for one’s identity, she said, are all tied to economic injustice.
Co’s fight is a reflection of the collective. It’s about making the choice that tomorrow won’t be the same as today — because activism, at its core, is the power of choice. A choice to stand up. A choice to demand better. A choice to fight for the future the government refuses to give. And if enough young people make that choice, the system will have no choice but to change. (DAA, RVO)
Editor’s note: The article has been updated to correct that the famine mentioned by Co’s father is the 1983-1986 Ethiopia famine and not the 2006 as earlier stated.
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View from the island 13 Apr 12:20 AM (5 days ago)
The keyhole rock formation in Boracay makes the sunrise even more special.
Photo by RONALYN OLEA
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Cuts in senior high core subjects compromise holistic education — ACT 13 Apr 12:09 AM (5 days ago)
“Education is not just about simplifying the curriculum, but about ensuring that our students learn the skills and knowledge they need for a meaningful life and for the development of our society.”
MANILA – A teachers union is concerned with the streamlining of Senior High School’s core subjects from 15 per semester to only five per year, raising serious concerns about the comprehensive development of students.
In a statement, Alliance of Concerned Teachers-National Capital Region Union (ACT NCR) said that while they recognize the need to address curriculum congestion, they are worried that this “drastic reduction may compromise the holistic education our youth deserve.”
The Grade 11 core subjects which were reduced to five are Effective Communication, Life Skills, General Mathematics, General Science, and Pag-aaral ng Kasaysayan at Lipunang Pilipino.
“Education is not just about simplifying the curriculum, but about ensuring that our students learn the skills and knowledge they need for a meaningful life and for the development of our society,” ACT NCR said in Filipino.
In a statement, the Department of Education (DepEd) said “the new core SHS subjects are designed to deepen learners’ foundational competencies in communication, scientific and mathematical thinking, and personal development to better prepare them for lifelong learning and active civic participation.”
The SHS program will also shift to only two tracks: Academic and Technical Professional. The previous tracks were four which are: Academic, Sports, Technical-Vocational-Livelihood and Arts and Design.
ACT NCR Union criticized the shift toward more electives and clustering of subjects under the Academic and Tech-Voc categories saying that their “experience shows that such restructuring often aligns with neoliberal education policies that prioritize producing workers for the market rather than cultivating critical thinkers for society.”
“The proposed ‘doorway option,’ which allows students to take subjects from other strands, sounds promising in theory, but we question whether schools—especially those in underserved communities—will have the resources to genuinely offer this flexibility,” ACT NCR Union said.
Read: ‘Not K+12 but nat’l industrialization to solve joblessness’ – KMU
Read: K to 12 | ‘A huge step backward’ in science, technology devt
The teachers’ union also said that the DepEd failed to explaim how they will be prepared for the changes in the SHS curriculum. “Once again, teachers are expected to shoulder the burden of curriculum revisions without adequate training, resources, or compensation.”
“Hilong-hilo na ang mga guro sa Senior High School. Many of them lost their positions in colleges due to the reduction of the General Education Curriculum during the height of the K-to-12 implementation. And now, here it is again—they’re worried about having no subjects to teach, and worse, possibly being transferred to Junior High School or even losing their jobs,” they said.
Read: K to 12 | Teachers fear mass lay-offs by 2016
They said that any curriculum reform must prioritize teachers’ welfare as a central consideration.”The well-being of teachers must never be treated as a secondary issue. Teachers are already overworked, underpaid, and burdened with large class sizes, inadequate facilities, and excessive administrative tasks. Introducing new curriculum demands without addressing these fundamental welfare concerns is both unjust and counterproductive to achieving quality education.”
ACT-NCR demanded that the DepEd include concrete provisions for teacher support in the SHS curriculum revision. These must include reduced teaching loads, appropriate compensation for additional preparation time, and comprehensive professional development programs.
They also called on Education Secretary Sonny Angara to substantially extend the consultation period beyond one week and to conduct face-to-face consultations with teachers, students, and communities across the country.
The DepEd opened an online public consultation for the revised Senior High School (SHS) curriculum under the basic education program, which is set to be piloted in School Year 2025-2026. The education department hoped to gather feedback from the public consultations from April 4 to 11.
The Strengthened SHS Curriculum follows Deped’s stakeholder engagements from January to February 2025 where 2,000 participants from 14 regions shared insights on curriculum improvements. The DepEd said that the feedback from the online consultations will be reviewed and integrated into the final SHS curriculum framework.
ACT-NCR urged Angara to conduct a comprehensive review of the K-to-12 curriculum before implementing any changes. “The voices of classroom teachers—those who will directly implement the revised curriculum—must be central to the entire process, not merely considered as an afterthought.”
They also demanded full transparency on how these curriculum changes will be supported, particularly in terms of funding for facilities, learning materials, and teacher training. “Without these essential components, even the most well-designed curriculum will fail in implementation.”
“We remain firmly committed to an education system that truly serves the Filipino people—not corporate interests or the demands of the global market. Genuine curriculum strengthening begins with recognizing the needs of our learners, teachers, and communities—not with conforming to foreign models of education that do not reflect our local context,” the group added.
The K to 12 program was signed into law under the administration of late President Benigno Aquino III. Many student and youth organizations as well as parents and teachers opposed the said program. Several petitions against K to 12 were also filed with the Supreme Court.
After more than a decade of implementation, the program is now under review. The K to 12 program added Kindergarten and two years of senior high school in the Philippines’ basic education. (RVO, DAA)
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