“Practical experience shows that the quickest way to stabilize a low blood pressure is to hug a woman.” – Memoy Zedong

————————————

After the failed attempt to escape from the office at noontime and watch “Capitalism: A love story” by Michael Moore in UPM, we found ourselves having late merienda (at 7pm) and eventually hanging his laundry on the rooftop of their home/office.

read full story at http://summerellie.wordpress.com/2010/01/30/firsts/

We’ve been together for more than a year now. We don’t celebrate monthsaries and anniversaries (and we have 3 sets of those! Our close friends know what I’m referring to). And we don’t have each other’s picture in our wallets (Well we actually don’t have wallets and prefer coin purses instead).

We’re not the typical couple as all of our friends would point out. Not that we try not to be… It’s just natural for us. I’m his first girlfriend and he’s my first boyfriend. We became “us” in an untypical way. During the first months of our relationship, we would ask each other, is this how we should date, resolve problems, etc.? We would laugh whenever one of us pointed out that we were being “meta” again with our relationship. We used to assess our relationship back then. We used to have passionate, sometimes terrible political debates. And we had a lot of other squabbles about both small and big things.

Being a former crazy feminist (eclectic radical ideas in my brain…) I had trouble showing affection. He, on the other hand, was too uptight at times when with other people. People were always surprised to know that we were a couple and often thought that we were just bestfriends. Of course some thought it was cute. Others were weirded out. And a few were concerned enough to tell us to be natural – to which we answered, “but we don’t know how to.”

Eventually, we learned more about each other’s hang-ups and likes. We learned to control our emotions. I learned not to be mad at the slightest of things. He learned to be more sensitive and to be more vocal. Eventually, we balanced out each other. It helped that both of us got into our respective groups. We learned to deal with different kinds of people in different situations.

I guess we matured. Still, we are not the typical couple. But we don’t really care. We are not striving to be a typical couple. We strive to become better individuals (for the service of others, of course) and eventually better partners… The things we do and strive for brought us together. We’d like to grow with everybody else.

read full story at http://summerellie.wordpress.com/2010/01/30/firsts/

Isang bagong entry sa nangangalawang kong blog. Dahil hindi ako makatulog at nag-aadik na naman sa pagssearch ng news at mga sulat parangal para sayo Tanya....

http://summerellie.wordpress.com/2010/01/19/tanya/

Hi! Naka tatlong entry na ako kaya pwede ko nang i-soft launch. Haha. Pero grabe, two weeks apart yung mga entries. Hay. Good luck. Add me na lang in your blog rolls and I'll add you back. :) Baka pwedeng i-post nyo din dito blogs nyo para magawan ko na din ng link. Thanks!

www.summerellie.wordpress.com

Hi. As you have noticed, I have abandoned my Multiply site for some time now. I'm happy that some students are able to find it because of my Martial Law post (which some use as reference). I'm already working/serving the people so I barely have time to blog.

I do have a Facebook account ("Tine Sabillo" - add me), which I update everyday. I already have a new blog site in Wordpress but still can't find the time to put in some content. Sigh. I guess I have to wait until the budget hearings and sessions are over. After which, I would have time to ponder again and write some stuff for myself and my friends.

I guess I don't plan to focus on Multiply. Once I have my new blog up and running, I'd probably just repost some of my future content.

Thanks and all the best, especially to my batchmates.

Hope to see you in cyber space or in real life again.

Ecumenical Youth Fellowship Against BNPP Revival (Bataan Nuclear Power Plant Revival)
March 26-27, 2009 (1pm to 1pm)

All expense paid (transpo and food). 50php lang for the No to BNPP shirt.
Activities: discussion, bible reflections, workshop, unity walk, liturgy (all in 24 hours)

Sama na kayo!
Txt me if you're interested...if you don't know my number, message me.

Venue: Parish of Our Lady of Pillar, Morong Bataan
Kitaan: QC

Syete. Hindi ko alam kung sign ba ito na kailangan magpadala na talaga kami ng aatend sa mga meeting ng anti-sexual harrasment alliance with Gabriela o babala na hindi na dapat ako nagmiminiskirt (at boots dahil oppressive ito sa mga babae, sabi nga ng thesis adviser ko - at lalake sya ha)...

pero matapos kong bumoto ng STAND-UP straight sa maskom at habang naglalakad papuntang sc, may lalake ba namang nakastambay sa motor na biglang humawak sa likod ng hita ko sabay sakay at patakbo ng motor nya! Grabe talaga.... hindi ko alam kung iiyak ako o hahabulin sya at itutumba sya mula sa motor na kinasasakyan nya. Pero masyadong mabilis at unexpected ang mga pangyayari na hindi ko man lang nakuha ang plate number nya dahil nakalayo na sya.

###### talaga....

nakahelmet pa sya at jacket kaya hindi ko sya mamumukhaan...

sa totoo lang, mga ganitong pangyayari ang ang sobrang kinatatakutan ko. mas gusto ko pang mamatay bago ma-rape. nakakalungkot nga at madaming ganitong kaso, of varying degrees, na wala lang sa karamihan sa atin.

Oo, ang kasaysayan naman ng miniskirt ay oppressive, kasama nya ang mga high heels, veils at kung anu-ano pang ipinasusuot sa babae.

Pero kasalanan ko ba yung nangyari sa akin dahil nagsuot ako nun? Dahil ayokong magpantalon ng mahaba at wala naman akong shorts o ibang skirt na pang-alis?

Hypocrite ang mga taong nagsasabi na women get what they deserve in such instances.

Hay...hindi ko na talaga alam...


###### talaga...

Pag di na ko galit siguro magsusulat naman ako ng matinong entry na objectively na madidiscuss kung bakit nangyayari ito... in broad daylight sa up...madami pang mas malalang nangyari sa ibang kababaihan o kahit sino man.

Syete. Timing lang talaga para sa araw ng mga kababaihan. Unwarranted anecdote para sa klase ko ng media at gender mamaya.

The Union of Journalists of the Philippines- UPD invites you to WRITING ON THE WALL STREET, a forum on the media coverage of the global financial crisis.
Feb. 17, 2009 Tuesday, 1-4pm at the College of Mass Communication Auditorium.

Speakers include
Doris Dumlao - Philippine Daily Inquirer
Kenneth Guda - Pinoy Weekly
Journalism professor Danilo Arao
and
IBON Foundation

For inquiries, contact Maine at 09276500081

"...is there by any chance in the near future that tuition fee will increase again?"

Roman: "YES, i think. there is a tuition.. the tuition may again be increased again in the future. although i can only speak for the next 3 years. but when the board approved the new tuition in 2007, there is a provision there that the university may increase tuition based on inflation"

....

Roman: "i don't know that UP education is very expensive. It's 40k per year on average. Our cost of educating a student
is about 50-55k so it's is still subsidized. UP tuition is much much less than highschool tuition in some private universities, it's not expensive... "

panoorin sa YOUTUBE:
http://www.youtube. com/watch? v=JbK4eRllP8Y& feature=channel_ page
uploaded by brinknotes, dec 23, 2008

Go out and vote. Participate in the systemwide referendum for the Office of the Student Regent on January 26-31, 2009.
Defend Student Rights. Defend Student Representation. Vote YES and Defend the Office of the Student Regent.
- DEFEND OSR Systemwide Alliance
------------ --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- ---
In Defense of Student RepresentationAn Open Letter from the
Office of the Student Regent
Warm greetings!
As the university heads to the final days of its year-long centennial celebration, I have observed that one historical landmark of the students¢ democratic struggle inside the academe remains largely ignored- the creation of the Office of the Student Regent (OSR).
Now that the university looks back on its 100 years of existence, the significance of the OSR must not be ignored or forgotten. For the office is a concrete product of the UP Students¢ sustained efforts for the representation in the Board of
Regents (BOR), the highest policy-making body in the University. The BOR was once dominated by personalities appointed by Marcos. And although the students formed the largest sector in the university, there was no student representative in the body.The students, however, fearlessly pushed for their democratic rights. Even during Martial Law, they held massive student demonstrations inside and outside the academe, determined in the face of repression from both Malacanang and the UP Administration. As the students¢ campaign reached its peak, the administration relented. Pres. Corazon Aquino approved Executive Order No. 204, which led to the inauguration of the OSR. Since then, the office has become a symbol of victory for the UP studentry in asserting their democratic demands to the BOR.
Historically, the office has spearheaded the fight for greater state subsidy by initiating lobbying efforts in Congress and student actions. It has also stood up against discrimination on the basis of class, gender, race and religion. For this is the mandate of the OSR- to safeguard the interests of the students at all times.
Despite several attempts to render the OSR impotent in its duty to serve the students and the people, it has struggled to remain loyal to its function by pushing for measures to ensure the quality and accessibility of UP education and to realign the thrust of the university along the democratic interests of the people. At the locus of the campaign for student rights and welfare across UP units is the sole student representative to the
BOR.
Ironically, the OSR is hounded by uncertainties, even as the whole university looks confidently to another 100 years. Traditionally, the General Assembly of Student Councils approves the Codified Rules for Student Regent Selection. The new UP Charter, however, obliges a referendum of students in order to approve the selection process for the Student Regent. The mandatory referendum is a move by the state and administration to invalidate the student-crafted selection process which exhibits student autonomy and self-governance.
A referendum is a logistical difficulty. The process requires more than half of the entire population of UP students nationwide to cast their votes in favor of the
OSR. There are two possible scenarios, should the students fail to clinch the majority vote: the office may be left vacant, leaving the students without representation in the BOR, or the office may still be occupied, but by a Malacanang-appointe d student regent. Either way, the institutional autonomy of the OSR is undermined. This presents dangerous implications for the office, whose commitment to democratic rights is ensured, in part, by its independence from Malacanang and administration intervention.
Sadly, these bleak scenarios come at a time when student representation in the BOR is much needed. Today, the rightful role of students in the development of the university and country is being challenged at all fronts, from the reduction of state subsidy to the militarization of campuses. It is worth noting that year after
year, the state has slashed added income. Meanwhile, legitimate student institutions and formations at the forefront of campaigns against commercialization are met with suppression.
At this landmark moment in history, there is no other way to succeed over threats against our rights to representation than to collectively rise up to the challenge of a referendum. At a time of crisis, we are tasked to protect, defend, and uphold our sole voice in the BOR, in the same way that we are tasked to advance our democratic struggle against commercialization of education and campus repression, not just for ourselves but for the future generations. Now that the office is in peril, let us continue the spirit of vigilance and persistence that led to the founding of the OSR.
With the firm resolve demonstrated by those who fought for the OSR, I call on the broadest number of UP students across the entire university system to support the campaign to defend the OSR and prove, once and for all, that measures meant to impede our democratic rights shall fail against the collective militancy of the students. By defending our basic rights to be represented, we concretely reaffirm our democratic struggle for greater state subsidy, for tambayans, and for our right to organize.
Once more, history demands that students register the potency of collective action in the fight for freedom and democracy inside and outside the university. We will respond to this challenge, valiant and united.

SHAHANA ABDULWAHIDUniversit y of the Philippines Student Regent
FIGHT FOR STUDENT RIGHTS AND REPRESENTATION! BE PART OF OUR CAMPAIGN TO DEFEND THE OSR!Join the OSR Volunteer CorpsContact
0916-26351-43 (UP Diliman)
Related Article: Represent and StruggleThe Office of the Student Regent and KASAMA sa UPby JPaul Manzanilla

***Please circulate among your
yahoogroups and repost on the internet. You may also use the attached web campaign goodies for your social networking accounts and blogs. You and your organization can also come up with your own support campign goodies and can also ask for educational discussions regarding student and university issues from the OSR on the resumption of classes.    

YOU SHOULD THANK THE HEAVENS A HUNDREDFOLD
Alexander Martin Remollino

For US President George W. Bush, after the shoe-throwing incident in Baghdad

You asked, "So what if he threw shoes at me?"

So what if he threw shoes at you?
You should thank the heavens a hundredfold
that Al-Zeidin did not drive a bolo at you.
There was no small amount of cruelty
running through Imelda's veins,
but at least she did not snuff out the lives
of close to a hundred thousand innocents
on the pretext of a "war on terror".
Imelda was almost hacked to death
for atrocities far lighter than yours.
You should thank the heavens a hundredfold
that Al-Zeidi did not do a Dimailig.

     e 
BR^AKING THE NEWS.
 
 
THE DOGS' ASSO-CIATION OF THE WORLD IS SENDING FLYERS TO ALL DOGS TO ORGANIZE AN INTERNATIONAL RALLY/DEMONSTRATION ALL OVER THE CIVILIZED WORLD TO PROTECT AND DEFEND THEIR RIGHTS AND DIGNITY AGAINST THE STATEMENT OF THE SHOE THROWER, AL-ZAIDI.  AL-ZAIDI CALLING BUSH A DOG MADE THE DOGS INDIGNANT AND PROTESTING AGAINST SUCH STATEMENT.  
 
THE FLYERS SAID THAT THERE IS NONE IN HISTORY THAT A DOG MURDERED THOUSANDS OF CHILDREN, WOMEN AND INNOCENT CIVILIAN. OR SEND THOUSAND OF THEIR PUPPIES TO DIE IN WAR. THERE IS NONE IN HISTORY THAT DOGS CREATED DECEPTION ABOUT WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION TO GENERATE FEAR AND TERROR  TO RALLY INNOCENT DOGS TO SUPPORT GENOCIDAL WAR.
 
THE FLYER CONCLUDED THAT IT IS AN INSULT TO THE DOGS TO CALL BUSH A DOG.
 
THE FLYER IS NOW BEING SENT TO ALL CIVILIZED DOGS OF THE WORLD TO DEFEND THEIR DIGNITY AND HONOR.
 
 
This news item is published by the Underdog Newspaper.
Sponsor: Aso Ciation for Animal Protection
 
kilometer64@ yahoogroups. com

Below is a story published by the Inquirer.. It is about Raymond Manalo, the farmer who, along with his brother, escaped the military camp where UP Students Karen and Sherlyn are/were allegedly also being held.

To those who haven't read it yet, a word of warning: it is quite graphic. Though it is as real as it gets.

As for updates, a fact-finding/ digging mission was conducted by human rights group Karapatan and volunteers in the camp where Karen and Sherlyn were last seen by Raymond Manalo. The dig produced a bone that was taken to the laboratory for tests. We are still awaiting the results.

RAGE
By Patricia Evangelista
Philippine Daily Inquirer
23 November 2008
http://opinion. inquirer. net/inquireropin ion/columns/ view/20081123- 173829/Rage

THIS
is the story of one Raymond Manalo, farmer, who disappeared on Feb. 14,
2006 with his older brother from their farm in San Ildefonso, Bulacan.
Manalo was neither activist nor rebel when he disappeared. He escaped
more than two years later. He says there are many, many more like him.

* * *
They
put you in a cage four feet by one foot small, the height of an average
man. There are hollow blocks to the side and iron grills in front. You
sit with three other men, crouched in a line. There is no other way to
fit.

Your
brother is in the same cell. The door opens, more of them come in. More
of them like you—beaten, bruised, helpless. They are put inside the
next cell. This time there are two men and a married couple. The woman
has burns all over her body. She was raped, they tell you. She was
raped and beaten until she soiled herself. They say she has gone mad.
They take her away.

This
is where you shit, where you piss, where you wash if you still care.
You do not feel the wind; you do not see the sun. Your food comes
rarely, and what comes is rotten, leftover pig feed. Three men arrive,
from Nueva Ecija. They are tortured. One of them has both arms broken.
Bleeding.

Sometimes,
when the soldiers are drinking, they take you out of your cage and play
with you. The game varies, but it is usually the same. Two by fours,
chains, an open gardening hose shoved down your nose. You crawl back to
your cage, on your hands and knees. You wake up to screaming, to the
sound of grown men begging, and you wonder which one it is this time.
Sometimes, one of your cellmates will disappear. Sometimes, they don't
come back.

Then
they take you away, and there is a doctor, pills, antibiotics, a bed.
They tell you they are taking you home to see your parents. You meet
the man they call The Butcher, and he tells you to tell your parents
not to join the rallies, to stay away from human rights groups, that
they would ruin your life and your brother's. He tells you, this small
man in shorts, that if you can only prove you're on his side now, he
would let you and your brother live. He gives you a box of vitamins,
and tells you that they are expensive: P35 per pill.

They
put a chain around your waist. The military surround your farm. Your
mother opens the front door crying, and hugs you. You tell them what
you were told to say. You hand them the money Palparan told you to
give. Then you are told you must go.

Always,
you keep thinking of escape. You make yourself useful, to make them
trust you. You cook. You wash cars.. You clean. You shop. No task is too
menial. And one day, while you sweep the floor, you see a young woman,
chained to the foot of a bed. Her name is Sherlyn Cadapan, she tells
you, Sports Science, University of the Philippines Diliman, the same
Sherlyn who disappeared from Hagonoy, Bulacan on June 26, 2006. She
says she has been raped.

Later,
you meet Karen Empeño, also from UP, and Manuel Merino, the farmer who
rushed to save the two girls when they were abducted. Karen and Sherlyn
are in charge of washing the soldiers' clothes, you and Manuel and your
brother Reynaldo wash the car and carry water and cook.

The
five of you are taken from camp to camp. You see the soldiers stealing
from villagers. You see them bringing in blindfolded captives. You see
them digging graves. You see them burning bodies, pouring gasoline as
the fire rose. You see them shoot old men sitting on carabaos and see
them push bodies into ravines. And in April 2007, you hear a woman
begging, and when you are ordered to fix dinner, you see Sherlyn, lying
naked on a chair that had fallen on the floor, both wrists and one tied
leg propped up.

You
see them hit her with wooden planks, see her electrocuted, beaten,
half-drowned. You see them amuse themselves with her body, poke sticks
into her vagina, shove a water hose into her nose and mouth. And you
see the soldiers wives' watch. You hear the soldiers forcing Sherlyn to
admit who it was with plans to "write a letter." You hear her admit,
after intense torture, that it was Karen's idea. And you see Karen,
dragged out of her cell, tied at the wrists and ankles, stripped of her
clothing, then beaten, water-tortured, and burned with cigarettes and
raped with pieces of wood. And it is you who are ordered to wash their
clothes the next day, and who finds blood in their panties.

And
you are there, on the night they take away Manuel Merino, when you hear
an old man moaning, a gunshot and the red light of a sudden fire.

* * *
The
day Raymond Manalo and his brother Reynaldo escaped was the day he
promised himself they would pay, all of them who tortured Karen and
Sherlyn, who killed so many, who tortured him and his brother until
they begged and pleaded. They were pigs, he says, those men were pigs.
If he escaped, they told him, and if they couldn't find him, they would
massacre his family. And if they do not answer to the courts here, they
will answer to God.
They can still kill him, he says. But even if they do, it is too late. He's told his story.

IBON Launches Photo Essay Competition for Students

As part of its 30th anniversary celebration, IBON Foundation, Inc. launches this September the National Photo Essay Competition.

The
contest is open to all elementary, high school and college students
nationwide. The contest themes are: Children's Rights (elementary) ,
Human Rights (high school) and Freedom (college). A photo essay is a set or series of photographs intended to tell a story or evoke a
series of emotions in the viewer. Through the photo essay, students are
challenged to communicate a story or concept and provoke thought and
discussion and inspire the viewer to take action.

Deadline of submission of entries is on November 7, 2008 and the awarding ceremonies will be on December 10,
International Human Rights Day. Prizes at stake for each level are: 1st
place – P5,000 cash, IBON gift pack plus trophy; 2nd place – P4,000
cash, IBON gift pack plus trophy; and honorable mention (3) – P1,000
cash, IBON gift pack plus certificate.

Each image in the photo
essay must be printed in 5R (5x7 inches) colored or black and white
photo paper. The entire essay should be four (4) to eight (8)
photographs only, and mounted on an illustration board. For digital
entries, each image must be in JPEG file format and the entire essay
submitted as a Microsoft PowerPoint show with maximum file size of 4 MB. Only original, unaltered images
may be used in the photo essay. The photo essay must not include music,
text (except for captions, which must be in a separate text box
adjacent to the image) or illustrations.

Send entries to IBON Foundation, Inc., c/o IBON Partnership in Education for Development, IBON Center, 114 Timog Avenue, Barangay Sacred Heart, 1103 Quezon City. Digital entries must be emailed as attachments to photoessay@ibon. org.
All entries must be accompanied by the following: 1) Personal details
of entrant (full name, name of parent/legal guardian if a minor, date
and place of birth, name and address of school, grade/year level and
section/course, postal address, email address, telephone number, mobile
phone number; 2) 2x2 ID picture; and 3) certification from school that
entrant is currently enrolled.

IBON
is an independent development institution that provides research,
education, publications, information work and advocacy support on
socioeconomic issues.

Justice for Rachelle Mae Palang (1986-2008), press freedom fighter and nurse for the people

The College Editors Guild of the Philippines, on behalf of its National Office, regional formations and chapters, all member publications and affiliate organizations nationwide and across the globe, expresses its most heartfelt condolences to the family, friends and colleagues of Rachelle Mae Palang (1986-2008).


Rachelle, or Mae-Mae to her closest friends and colleagues, was beloved to the Guild for her bubbly, tongue-in-cheek demeanor. She graced the Guild's gatherings with her easy banter and infectious smile, but was always brisk and business-like in her leadership. She has served as a valuable pillar and driving force in all of the conventions and gatherings she has attended and helped organize. To most Guilders, she was not only a colleague but a precious friend and confidante.


Shock for her untimely demise is evident in her Friendster and Multiply accounts, riddled with comments ranging from disbelief, grief, and even anger – all directed at her, as if to attest that even at the time of her death her friends and colleagues still go to her for conciliation.


Such was Mae-Mae's legacy and brand of leadership. She has always been easy to approach, a rational adviser and generous in her time and efforts.


Mae-Mae was also an outstanding student at the Velez College in Cebu City where she took up and finished her nursing degree. She became editor-in-chief of Vital Signs, the official campus publication. As campus journalist and student leader, she exemplified deep commitment to uphold press freedom, freedom of speech and students' democratic rights and welfare. She is respected by her fellow campus journalists nationwide for her wit, intelligence and sharp grasp of issues.


She was elected as Vice President for the Visayas during CEGP's 67th National Student Press Convention and 33rd Biennial Student Press Congress held in Albay, Bicol in 2005. She served her term for three consecutive years before she finally relinquished her post May of this year. The CEGP will without end be honored and grateful to have had someone as dedicated as Mae-Mae as one of its leading officers.


Mae-Mae worked hard to help re-open closed campus publications, establish student papers in universities who had none, and expose and fight campus press freedom violations as well as other forms of campus repression nationwide. She led, organized and participated in countless poetry readings, cultural nights, Writers' Trips, journalist skills workshops and protest actions and activities. Even after her stint as VP for the Visayas, she proved instrumental in gathering and collating cases of campus press freedom violations in the region for CEGP's quarterly digest.


Mae-Mae had to cut short her attendance in CEGPs' 68th National Student Press Convention and 34th Biennial Student Press Congress in Davao City for her scheduled nursing licensure exams in May 2008. She passed with flying colors and eventually became a registered nurse. Even before she left, she announced to the Guild her desire to pursue an alternative medical career, one that she would devote to the less-privileged. Mae-Mae also took and passed the National Medical Admission Test. She dreamt of becoming a doctor.


It therefore did not come as a surprise to the Guild to learn that upon achieving her nursing license Mae-Mae immediately volunteered for a three-month medical mission to the hinterlands of Negros. Mae-Mae barely finished her volunteer work in Negros when her dreams died with her.


Mae-Mae was killed by elements of the Armed Forces of the Philippines on September 18, 2008 in an alleged encounter with New People's Army rebels. Her face was barely recognizable; she was shot at point-blank range. Her feet and legs were black and bruised, signs of torture evident elsewhere in her beaten body.


Mae-Mae's untimely demise reminds the Guild all too painfully of the same fate that another CEGP alumna suffered under the hands of the AFP.


In April 2002, Benjaline 'Beng' Hernandez, former CEGP Vice-President for Mindanao and a human rights volunteer, was murdered by the military while conducting a fact-finding mission in Cotabato province. Investigations revealed that the AFP, after wounding Beng, raped and shot her at close range. The AFP later on insisted that Beng was an NPA rebel.

Beng, like Mae-Mae, was also only 22 years old when she died.


The CEGP condemns in strongest terms accusations and insinuations by the AFP that Mae-Mae was armed and a combatant. She was in Negros in her capacity as a registered nurse and circumstances surrounding her brutal killing should be independently investigated.


The CEGP, in this regard, welcomes initiatives by the Commission on Human Rights Regional Office to conduct an investigation on Mae-Mae's case.


The CEGP is also reviled at the AFP's gall to celebrate Mae-Mae's death by bestowing incentives and acclaim to her killers. It is an awful and terrible reminder of the state and characteristic of our security forces. They who are supposed to protect civilians are the main enemies of human rights defenders and social workers.


The CEGP also condemns in strongest terms the AFP's malicious attempts to malign the Guild's name through red-tagging and nasty insinuations. It is precisely this kind of twisted mentality that gives license to the military to repress, harass, silence and kill with impunity. Journalists are easily treated and branded as rebels simply because they are exposed to the ills of society.


The CEGP calls on all its member publications and fellow journalist organizations nationwide and abroad to collectively wield their pens and raise their voices to denounce Mae-Mae's killers.


The CEGP regards the likes of Beng and Mae-Mae as heroes of the present generation, young martyrs who have chosen to exchange their lives of comfort for their noble convictions.


Highest tribute to Rachelle Mae Palang!
Justice for Beng and Mae-Mae!

TULOY ANG SIMULAIN NI DIOSDADO “KA FORT” FORTUNATULOY ANG LABAN NG MANGGAGAWA NG NESTLE PARA SA KARAPATAN, KABUHAYAN AT KATARUNGAN !Setyembre 22, 2008 - ikatlong taon ng pagkakapaslang kay kasamang Fort, ang pangulo ng unyon ng manggagawa ng Nestle(Union of Filipro Employee-DFA-KMU). Lumipas ang tatlong taon ng kawalang hustisya at katarungan, isang buhay ng dakilang lider ang nawala na ang tanging ginagawa bago pinaslang ay ang pamumuno sa makatwirang pakikibaka ng manggagawa ng Nestle para sa pagpapatupad ng desisyon ng Korte Suprema hinggil sa retirement ng manggagawa. Dahil sa pagpaslang sa kanya, naiwan niya rin ang napakahalagang posisyon sa kilusan ng manggagawa at masang Anakpawis.Samantala, dahil patakaran ng Rehimeng Arroyo ang Extra Judicial Killing(EJK) gaya ng pagpatay kay kasamang Fort, nagpipista ang mga unipormadong kriminal at nabibigyan pa ng medalyang tigmak ng dugo ang gumagawa nito, at umaani ng proteksyon sa gobyernong Arroyo kagaya ng proteksyong ibinibigay sa Nestle Phils, ang utak sa pagpaslang kay kasamang Fort at naunang pangulo ng unyon na si Ka Mel Roxas na pinatay sa harap mismo ng planta ng Nestle sa Cabuyao noong Enero 20, 1989.Wala pa ding katarungan sa manggagawa ng Nestle.. Patuloy ang pagtatakip ng kapitalistang Nestle sa katotohanan at pagbaboy sa batas sa ating bansa..Nagtatago ang kriminal na Nestle, ang kanyang mga kamay na tigmak ng dugo ng manggagawa at kapamilyang humihiyaw ng katarungan sa mga magagarbong komersyal sa radio at telebisyon na ginamitan ng mga tanyag na personalidad sa industriya ng showbiz. Layunin nitong linlangin ang mamamayan at pagmistulahing matino ang kanyang produkto, makatao ang Nestle subalit makikita mismo ng sinumang mamimili na kahit anong init ng tubig ang ibanto sa kape at gatas na gawa ng Nestle ay hindi matunaw at umaalsa ang dugo ng manggagawang nakahalo sa produktong Nestle. Dugo ito ng manggagawang malaon ng sumisigaw ng katarungan!Matapos ang ilang taong paikot-ikot nang proseso sa ligal, noong Marso 3, 2008 ay naglabas ang ika-3 at pinal na desisyon ng Korte Suprema sa usapin ng halos pitong taon na ipinag welga ng mga manggagawa, laman nito ang kautusan na bumalik sa negosasyon ang Nestle Management at ang Unyong UFE-DFA-KMU para pag-usapan ang retirement ng mga manggagawa sa loob ng Collective Bargaining Agreement. Dagdag pa ang inilabas na Entry of Judgement ang Korte Suprema noong Mayo 8, 2008 na naglalaman na pangunahan ng Deparment Of Labor and Employment (DoLE) ang implementasyon ng desisyon.Bilang moro-moro ng Dole, tatlong beses na pagpapatawag ang DoLE ng Mandatory Conference na magsisimula na dapat noong Mayo 21, 2008 bilang proseso ng implementasyon ng desisyon, subalit wala itong magawa ng hindi nagpakita kahit anino ng management ng Nestle at sa halip ay nagfile lang ito ng mosyon para magpasa na lamang ng Posisyon Paper sa halip na magnegosasyon ayon sa sinasabi ng desisyon ng Korte Suprema. Tuluyan ng nagpagamit ang DoLE sa maniubra ng Nestle ng tanggapin nito ang mosyon ng management at mag-order na magsumite na lamang ng position paper ang dalawang panig. Maging ang mosyon ng manggagawa ay hindi na din nito pinakinggan.SABWATAN NG DOLE, PNP, MGA AHENSYA NG GOBYERNO AT NESTLE PHILS. ANG MISMONG NAGPAPAHIRAP SA MASANG MANGGAGAWA.Kasaysayan ang magsasabi na kung naging maka manggagawa lamang ang DoLE at hindi naging bayarang sunud-sunuran sa kagustuhang ng Nestle management ay hindi na sana tumagal ng halos pitong taon (7) na sumisigaw ng katarungan ang mga manggagawa.Protektado din ng berdugong PNP at militar ang karahasang ginagawa ng Nestle Phils sa manggagawa. Mahaba na ang Krimen ng sabwatang ito sa manggagawa, krimen na ang pangunahing nagpapatupad ay sina Mr. Gideon Manuel (Senior Vice President,Corporate HR Director) at ang mersenaryong abogado na si Atty. Jack dela Rosa sa basbas ng CEO/President ng Nestle na si Nandu Nandkishore. Ang kanilang marahas na patakaran ang pumatay sa buhay ni kasamang Meliton Roxas (1989) at kasamang Diosdado Fortuna (2005) kapwa pangulo ng unyon sa kanilang kapanahunan.Dahil din sa patakarang ito 23 manggagawa na ang namatay, 75% manggagawa ang nawalan ng tirahan, 398 na anak ng mga manggagawa ang huminto sa pag-aaral, 60 manggagawa ang nasaktan sa marahas na dispersal sa tuwing may pagkilos ang mga manggagawa, dadag pa ang 274 na kinasuhan ng gawa- gawang kasong kriminal sa panahon ng welga.MAKATWIRAN AT MAKATARUNGAN ANG IPINAGLALABAN NG MANGGAGAWA NG NESTLE AT PAMILYA NITO.Walang ibang hiling ang manggagawa ng Nestle kundi ang ipatupad ang dapat ay sa manggagawa na. Isang kahilingan na ang makikinabang ang hindi lamang ang kasalukuyang manggagawa kundi ang mga anak natin at mga manggagawa sa susunod na mga taon at panahon. Hindi dapat payagang mangibabaw ang mali at kapangyarihan ng dayuhang kapitalistang Nestle sa batas ng ating Bayan. Huwag nating hayaan na ang hustisya ay babuyin ng kapangyarihan ng kapital at ang mga nasa ahensya ng Gobyerno ay mananatiling protektor at sunud sunuran sa maling kagustuhan ng dayuhang kapitalistang Nestle.Patuloy kaming nananawagan ng tuloy-tuloy na suporta sa lahat ng manggagawa at mamamayang naniniwala at nagtataguyod sa katarungan. Dahil bulok ang sistemang umiiral at maka kapitalista ang batas, nasa inyong patuloy na suporta ang aming lakas.Manggagawa ng Nestle, pahigpitin pa ang pagkakaisa. Nasa ating pagkakaisa ang Lakas, nasa ating Sama-Samang Pagkilos ang Tagumapay, TULOY ANG LABAN NG MGA MANGGAGAWA NG NESTLE , TULOY ANG LABAN PARA SA PAGHAHANAP NG KATARUNGAN..IPATUPAD AT IGALANG ANG PINAL NA DESISYON NG KORTE SUPREMA! NEGOSASYON NGAYON NA!KATARUNGAN KAY DIOSDADO FORTUNA!!KATARUNGAN SA MGA MANGGAGAWA NG NESTLE!!IBOYKOT ANG PRODUKTONG NESTLE !PALAYASIN ANG PNP SA LOOB NG PLANTA NG NESTLE!mula saPUGAD LAKASOpisyal na pahayagan ng Union of Filipro Employee- DFA-KMUe-mail add. HYPERLINK "mailto: ufe_mailbox@yahoo.comThis e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it " ufe_mailbox@yahoo.comThis e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it visit us @ HYPERLINK "http://www.blood-in-your-coffee.blogspot.com" www.blood-in-your-coffee.blogspot.com youtube – nestle kills workers

TO A FAITHFUL SHOPPER

The coffee in your cup,
The milk in your coffee,
The water your drink,
All these are made by the workers
Of Nestle factory.

The cereal you have for breakfast,
The tamarind paste for your Asian-style soup,
The instant noodles you snack on,
Are all sold by the capitalists
Of Nestle company.

Between the workers and the capitalists,
You stand, faithful shopper, you stand.
Each time you purchase a product,
Unknowingly crossing the picket lines.

So as you slurp your soup,
Does your stomach not growl?
As you munch and chew,
Does sarcasm not bite?
For how can truncheon beatings of workers
Make chocolates semi-sweet?

Remember. Even Alpo Dry Dog Food
For your beloved Spot
Is poisoned by the blood of the union leader slain.
Is poisoned by the blood of the union leader slain.


This poem is for Diosdado "Ka Fort" Fortuna,union president of UFE-DFA-KMU in Nestle Philippines Cabuyao Factory, who was slain on September 22, 2005. Meliton Roxas, former union president of UFE-DFA-KMU, was similarly gunned down in front of Nestle gate on January 20, 1989.

Joi Barrios, BAYAN Women's Desk and the National Council for the Protection of Workers' Rights (NCPWR)
27 Setyembre 2005

"How to catch a big fish," a lecture brought to you by the Union of Journalists of the Philippines - UP Diliman.

Investigative techniques such as people and document trailing will be discussed.

Sept 24, Wed, 8:30-11:30 a.m. UP College of Mass Communication Auditorium

Invited speakers: Glenda Gloria (this year's JVO awardee, Newsbreak, ABS-CBN), Lala Rimando (Newsbreak), Carmela Fonbuena (last year's JVO awardee and UJP alumna, Newsbreak, ABS-CBN), Bobby tuazon (Founder of bulatlat.com) and Malou Mangahas (PCIJ executive director)

*Huling Lagapak ng Kandado*
- Axel Pinpin

Kumupas at kumupis ang kalendaryo
Kumalampag at ipininid ang kandado
Kumupad at bumilis ang oras
Nagasgas at numipis ang rehas
Dumatal at umalis ang lamig
Sumagad at umibis ang init
Nangutya at tiniis ang inip
Nanuya at nanikis ang inis

Walong daan at limampu't siyam na araw
Paulit-ulit, paikid-ikid lamang na galaw

Dalawang taon at apat na buwan
Pabalik-balik, paikit-ikit lamang na kawalan

Ninakaw, inagaw ang kalayaang inakalang
Maitatangkal sa kalaliman ng kadiliman
ng libingan ng mga buhay at matatabunan
Ng tambak ng batas na butas
Na nauna pang maagnas at ipag-aguniyas
Ang kamatayan ng sirkerong testigo na di-bihasa
Sa kinabisang panulayana t panimbangan.
Ay! Nagkandudulas sa lubid ng kasinungalingang
Ibinuhol ng buhong na piskal, nagkandabulol
At nagkandahulog ang katwiran
na nagiging mahika-blanka
Sa tuwing kabulaanan ang bumubulagang
Sorpresa sa kahon ng ebidensya at hindi
Kunehong puti na sana'y mabilis at malinis
Na lilinlang sa namanghang mga
Mamamayang bantay sa kataruingan
sa sala ng Hukom na nagmistulang karnabal.
Walong daan at limampu't siyam na araw
Paulit-ulit, paikid-ikid lamang na galaw

Dalawang taon at apat na buwan
Pabalik-balik, paikit-ikit lamang na kawalan

At sa isang iglap, walang nakaurap,
Tapos na ang palabas!

*Si Axel Pinpin, makata, ay kabilang sa Tagaytay 5 (aang apat pa ay kapwa mga peasant organizers) na dinakip ng PNP noong 2006 dahil sa akusang "plotting to destabilize the national government". Pinalaya ang lima noong huling linggo ng Agosto.

Besides the continuing political and economic crisis in the country and in our capitalist society in general, I think there is a problem...(note: this is not one of my rant or emo posts). There is a problem in how we (particular group of people) are working. I hate it when I become subjective, especially when I know I am. That means there really is something wrong. And the fact is, other people seem to feel the same. But what are we doing? Nadda... We just talk about it...but we can't seem to find the time to really fix the problem. Gahd...I feel so helpless.

But of course, I'm still holding on. The masses are Messiah.