Philippine Collegian Tomo 97 Isyu 9-10 by Philippine Collegian

PHILIPPINE

COLLEGIAN

The Official Weekly Student Publication of the University of the Philippines Diliman

Volume 97 • Issue 09-10 • 16 pages Friday, 22 November 2019

EDI TORYAL

NEWS Dubious ‘wholesale’ issuance of warrants worsens crackdown on progressives 8-9 KULTURA Don’t touch the artwork Hanggang tingin lang sa museo at hanggang tanaw lang sa labas— swerte kung salamin ang pader. Ang tunay na sining ay hindi panaginip, literal na nahahawakan, nararamdaman, lumalapat sa palad ng pinagsasamantalahan.

Kayong Balatkayo

Page 16

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EDITORYAL

DIBUHO • MARCY LIOANAG

PHILIPPINE COLLEGIAN The Official Weekly Student Publication of the University of the Philippines Diliman

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Beatrice P. Puente ASSOCIATE EDITOR Marvin Joseph E. Ang MANAGING EDITORS John Irving D. Gandia Kimberly Anne P. Yutuc BUSINESS MANAGER Cathryne Rona L. Enriquez

YUGTO NG PAGWAWASTO Kapalpakan ang kinahantungan ng pagkalulong ng pamahalaan sa karahasan. Tila handa nang bitawan ni Pangulong Rodrigo Duterte ang kampanya kontra-droga na platapormang nagpanalo sa kanya. Subalit hindi nito mahuhugasan ang mantsa ng madugong katotohanan—naging lunduyan ang bayan ng dahas bunsod ng walang habas na patayan. Ilang araw lang ang nakararaan nang italaga si Bise Presidente Leni Robredo bilang co-chairperson ng Inter-Agency Committee on Anti-Illegal Drugs (ICAD). Hamon ngayon sa kanya at sa 21 ahensyang miyembro ng komiteng tugunan ang malaking pagkukulang at kamalian ng pamahalaan hinggil sa isyu ng iligal na droga. Nararapat na panindigan ng ICAD ang mandato nito sangayon sa Philippine Anti-Drugs Strategy—ang maglunsad ng komprehensibong programa laban sa iligal na droga na nakatuon sa prebensyon at rehabilitasyon. Taliwas ito sa kasalukuyang madugong anyo ng opensibang giyera kontra-drogang kumitil na

Hamon sa bagong liderato na wakasan ang pagka-adik ng gobyerno sa karahasan at bigyan ng bagong hubog ang kampanya—wakasan ang kultura ng patayan at kawalang-pananagutan.

sa mahigit 20,000 mamamayan. Bagaman hayag ang pagpuna ni Robredo sa ganitong palisiya, mahalagang mailatag din niya ang alternatibong tutugon sa tuluyang pagpuksa sa droga at pagsasaayos sa buhay ng mga biktima. Ngunit hindi nakikita ng ilan— kabilang ang mismong mga miyembro ng ICAD—na kayang pamunuan ni Robredo ang komite. Ayon sa kanyang co-chairperson na si Aaron Aquino ng Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency, kapalpakan lamang ang ibubunga

FEATURES EDITOR Richard C. Cornelio

ng pagtanggap ni Robredo sa pwesto. Dahil sa mapanghating kaisipang ito, mahihirapan ang ICAD na isulong ang komprehensibong palisiya laban sa iligal na droga— iyong hindi marahas at lehitimong tutuldukan ang problema. Kailangang iwaksi ng mga kawani ng pamahalaan ang kasalukuyang sistema at sa halip unahin ang paglikha ng mga programang tunay na tutulong sa mahihirap. Pagkat dalawang beses kung sila ay maging biktima—biktima ng mga drug cartel sa pagpapatakbo ng iligal na negosyo, at biktima rin ng kapulisang handa silang patayin, maging ang mga inosenteng itinuturing na “collateral damage.” Inaasahan ng marami ang pagbabago ng ganitong klaseng kalakaran sa ilalim ng pamumuno ni Robredo. Hamon sa bagong liderato na wakasan ang pagka-adik ng gobyerno sa karahasan, at bigyan ng bagong hubog ang kampanya— wakasan ang kultura ng patayan at kawalang-pananagutan. Susi ang pagkakaroon ng ganitong oryentasyon upang masabing tunay na may pagkilala sa hustisya ang pamahalaan. Bagaman hindi na maibabalik ang buhay nina Kian Delos Santos at iba pang biktima ng madugong giyera kontradroga, marami pang natitirang buhay na dapat pangalagaan. Sa kasalukuyan, mayroon lang 53 drug abuse treatment and rehabilitation centers sa bansa,

ngunit 13 lang dito ang direktang pinangangasiwaan ng Department of Health. Kailangang lumikha ng ganitong mga klaseng institusyon at paglaanan ito ng sapat na pondo upang kalinga sa halip na dahas ang ibigay sa mga biktima. Higit ding makatutulong kung magiging bukas ang bansa sa tulong ng mga pandaigdigang organisasyon upang epektibong tugunan ang suliranin. Sa pakikipagpulong ni Robredo sa United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, mas napagtibay ang ideyang dapat kilalanin ang suliranin bilang isyung pangkalusugan—ideyang ngayo’y hindi binibigyang-pansin. Mahalaga ring mapanagot di lang ang kapulisang handang pumatay, kundi mismong ang pangulong nagbibigay-pahintulot dito. Kung kaya’t siya ang pangunahing dapat singilin sa lahat ng kapalpakang ito. Gayunman, sa halip na makulong ang usapin sa tagisan ng galing sa pamamahala ng administrasyon at oposisyon, kinakailangang unahin ng gobyerno ang kapakanan ng mamamayan. Nangangahulugan ito ng paglikha ng mga palisiyang para sa mahirap na kayang tugunan ang kanilang pamumuhay sa halip na kikitil sa kanila. Matapos ang madugong kapalpakan ng pamahalaan, ito na ang yugto ng pagwawasto—na dapat simulan sa pagpapanumbalik ng pagkilala sa karapatang pantao. •

DISENYO NG PABALAT • KIMBERLY ANNE YUTUC

KULTURA EDITOR Sheila Ann T. Abarra GUEST EDITORS Sanny Boy D. Afable Adrian Kenneth Z. Gutlay Jiru Nikko M. Rada STAFF Samantha M. Del Castillo Lucky E. Dela Rosa Polynne E. Dira Karla Faith C. Santamaria Jose Martin V. Singh AUXILIARY STAFF Amelyn J. Daga Ma. Trinidad B. Gabales Gina B. Villas CIRCULATION STAFF Gary J. Gabales Pablito Jaena Glenario Omamalin ••• UP Systemwide Alliance of Student Publications and Writers’ Organizations (Solidaridad) College Editors Guild of the Philippines (CEGP) www.philippinecollegian.org ••• Sampaguita Residence Hall University of the Philippines Quirino Avenue, Diliman Quezon City

NEWS

Bacoor fisherfolk, residents resist displacement amid looming reclamation For over three decades, Noel Bogaloso begins his daily routine in the wee hours of the morning. By 4 a.m., the 59-year-old fisherman would be set to sail the waters of Manila Bay. LAURA DELA TORRE

DANIEL SEBASTIANNE DAIZ Much like any other fisherfolk in Bacoor City, Cavite, his day does not end the moment he comes back from the bay. After eight long hours of sailing in the middle of the sea, Bogaloso would head straight to a mussel farm to harvest tahong for the day, where he usually earns P700 at most for his family of seven. As if working the waters was not enough, Bogaloso and hundreds of fisherfolk in Bacoor face rougher waves ahead with destructive big-ticket reclamation projects set to rise in the city, thereby displacing them and killing their livelihood. “Ang buhay namin, nasa dagat, e papano kung dalhin nila kami sa [ibang lugar]? Ano na’ng hanapbuhay namin doon? Paano na ang pamilya namin?” Bogaloso said.

Uneven development Two reclamation projects will be launched in Bacoor City alone, according to the Philippine Reclamation Authority (PRA). Reclamation projects are done by dumping soil on bodies of water to create artificial lands where commercial industries are built. Fisherfolk groups tried to seek help from the Bacoor local government unit (LGU) to stop the project, but to no avail, since the latter itself proposed the Bacoor Reclamation Project. The project, which spans 420 hectares, is just one of the 22 projects to rise along the Manila Bay coastline. Only the Navotas City Reclamation Project is already being implemented, while five others are in the detailed engineering stage, according to the PRA (see sidebar 1). Because of the lack of public consultation, Bogaloso said city hall officials are apparently downplaying the issue of

Sidebar 2A • WHAT DOES THE SUPREME COURT MANDAMUS ON MANILA BAY SAY? WHEREFORE, judgement is hereby rendered ordering government agencies* to clean up, rehabilitate, and preserve Manila Bay and restore and maintain its waters ... to make them fit for swimming, skin-diving, and other forms of contact recreation. *Agencies: DENR, DILG, MWSS, LWUA, PPA, MMDA, DA, DBM, DPWH, DOH, Deped, Philippine Coast Guard, and PNP Maritime Group

Sidebar 2B NEGATIVE EFFECTS OF RECLAMATION Reclamation projects, on the contrary, have been proven detrimental to the environment. Some of the negative environmental impacts of reclamation include: • flooding • increased susceptibility to storm surges • liquefaction, leading to possible occurrence of sinkholes • change in water quality that might affect marine life • increased intensity of ground shaking during earthquakes.

Las Piñas

Sidebar 1 MANILA BAY RECLAMATION PROJECTS

Scale: 1 cm = 2.67 km

Bacoor Parañaque

Source: Philippine Reclamation Authority

Pasay

Manila Navotas Inactive Stage

Implementation Stage

Detailed Engineering Stage

Application Stage

reclamation. Rather than helping the locals keep their homes and livelihood, the LGU plans to transfer them to the mountainous Naic, Cavite instead. “Pag dun kami dinala, para na rin kaming pinatay. Nasa dagat kasi ang hanapbuhay namin,” Bogaloso said. Displacement Bacoor locals living near the coast like Consolacion de Luna, 69, are equally worried once the reclamation projects begin. De Luna, a resident since 1972, is among the 336,000 individuals feared to be displaced by these projects, based on a 2019 report from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR). To defend their homes and livelihood, de Luna actively partakes in the campaigns of their organization, the Koalisyon Kontra-Kumbersyon at Reklamasyon-Cavite. Along with multisectoral groups, the organization filed a petition before the DENR demanding for a cease-and-desist order against three reclamation projects in Cavite, November 7.

Citing the 2008 Supreme Court ruling on the rehabilitation of Manila Bay, the groups said that allowing reclamation projects to push through will only harm the bay (see sidebar 2). Amid all threats, De Luna believes that the only fitting response is to resist. “Diyan na kami tumanda, kaya dapat ‘di na kami alisin sa lugar na ‘yan. Dapat ang gobyerno pa nga ang magbibigay sa amin ng tirahan, hindi ‘yung sila pa ang nagpapaalis,” she said. Food insecurity Reclamation projects, however, should not only concern Bacoor fisherfolk and residents, for these will ultimately affect the country’s food security, said Fernando Hicap, national chairperson of fisherfolk group Pambansang Lakas ng Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas (Pamalakaya). For one, a quarter of the 4,351.89 metric tons of aquatic produce in 2018 came from local fishing areas including Bacoor, according to the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources. All efforts to turn these food sources into land, then, would significantly diminish the country’s

Sources: MMDA et al. vs. Concerned Residents of Manila Bay, G.R. no. 171947-48 DENR Project Description Report (for scoping) of the Bacoor Reclamation Project

Cavite

INFOGRAPHIC • KENT FLORINO

food stock, said Hicap. Poor land management, in addition, has led to a sharp drop of present fish stock to just 10 to 30 percent of the levels posted in 1940, according to a United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization report in 2016. With one-third of the population still lacking access to safe and sufficient food supply, based on the national nutrition survey in 2011, Hicap calls on every Filipino to oppose these reclamation projects alongside the fisherfolk. “Hindi namin kayang kami lang na mga mangigisda ang lumalaban sa ganitong mapanirang proyekto kung hindi kami tutulungan ng mga tao,” he said. “Nakataya na talaga rito ‘yung seguridad [ng] pagkain ng bawat mamamayang Pilipino.” Given these conditions, Bogaloso said the country’s fisherfolk must continue fighting for their right to shelter and livelihood. “Baka dumating ang araw na wala na kaming [mapangisdaan] dito [kapag natuloy ang reklamasyon],” he said. “[Pero] ilalaban talaga namin itong dagat dahil buhay namin ito.” •

NEWS

INFOGRAPHIC • RICHARD CALAYEG CORNELIO

Over the past decade

2 in 5 journos killed are radio broadcasters liberty at kalayaan sa pamamahayag ay ‘di napoprotektahan.”

CATHRYNE ENRIQUEZ

Hotbed of impunity Most of the killings with confirmed motives happened in Mindanao, with a total of 40 recorded cases from 2009 to August 31, 2019 (see sidebar 1). The deaths are mostly attributed to encounters with criminal groups and conflicts with government officials, the CPJ reported. Under the Duterte administration, 12 killings have been recorded as of September 2018, per the Center for Media Freedom and Responsibility. While journalist murders are rampant in the contry, attaining justice, on the other hand, remains difficult. From September 2008 to August 2019, a total of 41 cases of journalist killings remain unsolved, based on the annual Global Impunity Index published on October 29. This is the highest number of unsolved killings worldwide. Moreover, the Philippines is ranked the 5th worst country in solving media killings worldwide (see sidebar 2). Such ranking is partly due to the lack of conviction on the Ampatuan massacre—the single deadliest event for journalists.

Dindo Generoso, 67, a Dumaguete-based radio broadcaster, decided to drive on his way to work on the morning of November 7. He hosted a daily morning program at 96.7 Bai Radio. Generoso, however, would miss his airing that day, as unidentified assailants would riddle his car with bullets and kill him on the spot. Generoso’s death adds to the multiple cases of journalist killings in the country. Over the past decade, 47 journalists were murdered as of August 31, while another one died due to dangerous assignment, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), an international press organization. Of the figure, 19 are radio broadcasters like Generoso. In 2018, radio broadcaster Edmund Sestoso was gunned down in Dumaguete, although the motive for his killing remains unconfirmed. A total of 32 cases of killings in the past 10 years have gone unidentified (see sidebar 2). As the country commemorates Impunity Month this November, CPJ’s report reveals the tragic situation that journalists face in the Philippines. “Number one sa kawalan ng pagpapanagot,” said National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP) SecretaryGeneral Raymund Villanueva. “Yung right [ng journalists] to life and

Elusive justice A decade since the Ampatuan massacre killed 58 individuals, including 32 journalists, justice has remained elusive for the victims. Kin of victims would have to wait for another month for the verdict, since the deadline of the case

ERRATA

The Philippine Collegian would like to rectify factual errors committed in the publication of previous issues. In our sixth issue published 9 October 2019, the caption in the news photo “Debt Trap” said jeepney drivers will have to loan P1.2 to P1.6 million in order to acquire new jeepney units and should earn at least P800 daily to pay it off. The amount should have been P2 million with a six-percent interest per year, and the jeepney drivers will have to earn P1,500 daily to pay the loan. In the accompanying infographic of the news article “On year three of bakwit school, Lumad amplify calls vs. Pantaron mining explorations, martial law,” we cited data but failed to provide their sources, which were Save our Schools Network and Karapatan. According to a sidebar in our special issue published 21 October 2019, six people were killed and 26 were arrested in December 2019, following the implementation of Memorandum Order No. 32. The date should have instead been 27 to 29 July 2019. The publication takes full responsibility for these mistakes, and we promise to adhere to even stricter journalistic guidelines in our reportage.

promulgation has been moved to December 20. Acting on a request from Judge Jocelyn A. Solis-Reyes of the Quezon City Regional Trial Court Branch 221 handling the case, the Supreme Court imposed a onemonth extension for the court to finally arrive at a decision. “While it took the prosecution three years to present its case, six years na-delay ‘yung kaso dahil sa tactics ng defense,” said Villanueva. Ampatuan’s lawyers, for one, filed a motion to suspend the proceedings, which SolisReyes denied on October 25. Out of the 197 initially charged for the mass murders, only 97 remain in detention, while nine others have already been cleared of the charges. Around 80 are still at large and 11 are out on bail. The mastermind, Andal Ampatuan Sr., on the other hand, died in July 2015. “[W]e strengthen our demand for accountability. We will not be muted nor cowed, but further propelled by the prevailing injustices in the country to finally change this repressive and fascist system,” said human rights group Karapatan in an online statement. Visions of safety On top of the killings and impunity, journalists must also be wary of the government’s intensifying crackdown on dissenters. “Journalists, especially those who are critical, ay kasama doon sa tina-target ng estado by painting us as terrorists,” Villanueva said. For instance, community journalist and founder of alternative media outfit Paghimutad Anne Krueger was unjustly arrested over trumped-up charges of illegal possession of firearms and explosives on October 31 (see related article on pages 8 to 9). Krueger was temporarily released after posting bail on November 13. “If we have high government officials na nagle-lay ng predicate for more attacks [against] the press, paano natin masasabi na titigil ang media killings, much less get a conviction [on the killings]?” Villanueva said. “What’s worse is that we have a president who justifies media killings.” Other forms of attacks such as redtagging and death threats also jeopardize media workers’ safety in

Sidebar 1 MAP OF CONFIRMED MEDIA KILLINGS IN THE PHILIPPINES JOSELITO AGUSTIN (JUNE 2010)

For purposes of clarity, excluded from the map are the 32 journalists and media workers killed in Maguindanao in 2009. The death toll from the massacre would require a bubble the size of almost a quarter of the page.

JOJO TRAJANO (JUNE 2009)

ROMEO OLEA (JUNE 2011)

RUBYLITA GARCIA (APR 2014)

LARRY QUE (DEC 2016)

JOEY LLANA (JULY 2018)

CRISPIN PEREZ (JUNE 2009)

JOAQUIN BRIONES (MAR 2017)

CHRISTOPHER LOZADA GERARDO ORTEGA (OCT 2017) (JAN 2011) ERNIE ROLLIN (FEB 2009) JOAS DIGNOS FERNANDO SOLIJON (NOV 2013) (AUG 2013) DENNIS DENORA (JUNE 2018) EDUARDO DIZON (JULY 2019) CHRISTOPHER GUARIN (JAN 2012)

Sidebar 2 TOP 5 MOST DANGEROUS COUNTRIES FOR JOURNALISTS BASED ON RATE OF UNSOLVED KILLINGS IN 2019

1 2 3 4 5

Somalia (1,670 per billion) Syria (1,300 per billion)

MARIO SY (AUG 2013)

Sidebar 3 RADIO BROADCASTERS KILLED IN THE PAST 10 YEARS IN PH*

LEGEND:

Radio broadcasters Confirmed media killings Unconfirmed media killings

* Each circle corresponds to two journalists.

Iraq (570 per billion) So. Sudan (460 per billion) Philippines (380 per billion)

the country. “Personally nandoon ‘yung takot, may psychological effect [‘yung redtagging] in the sense na minsan mapapaisip ka kung gusto mong i-practice yung restraint,” said Villanueva, who is also a victim of redtagging. Amid the worsening attacks on

Note: The Global Impunity Index rank is based on the number of unsolved journalist murders as a fraction of the country’s population. Source: Community to Protect Journalists

journalists, the NUJP enjoins the people to continue fighting for a free press. “Without independent and critical journalism, the people are more underserved,” Villanueva said. “Kasi sino ang magiging kakampi ng taumbayan [kung walang mga journalist]?” •

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NEWS BALITA

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Matapos ang marahas na dispersal

Manggagawa ng Regent, magsasampa ng kaso laban sa kumpanya KENT IVAN FLORINO Magsasampa ng kaso laban sa Regent Foods Corporation ang mga nagpoprotestang manggagawa ng kumpanya matapos ang marahas na pagbuwag ng kanilang piket sa Pasig at Taguig City noong Nobyembre 9. Higit tatlong linggo nang nagpoprotesta ang higit 300 manggagawa noon upang tuligsain ang hindi makataong kondisyong dinaranas nila gaya ng kontraktwalisasyon at berbal at pisikal na pang-aabuso. Tinatayang nasa 100 goons, gwardya, at pulis ang bumuwag sa mga piket, ayon kay Eduardo Gado ng Regent Foods Worker’s Union (RFWU). Nasa 23 indibidwal ang ikinulong sa Pasig City Police Headquarters sa kasong hindi pagsunod sa awtoridad, physical injury, at alarm at scandal matapos ang marahas na insidente. Dalawa sa mga sinampahan ng kaso ay mga paralegal officer ng Defend Job Philippines, habang ang isa naman ay tricycle driver. Wala ring ipinakitang ligal na dokumento sa mga manggagawa ang mga awtoridad noong araw na iyon.

Matapos makakalap ng sapat na pondo mula sa mga pamilya at kaibigan ng mga biktima, at sa tulong na rin ng iba’t ibang grupo, nakapagpyansa ang lahat ng mga hinuli noong Nobyembre 15 at 18. Nakipagdayalogo si Pasig City Mayor Vico Sotto sa pamunuan ng Regent upang iurong ang kaso ngunit nanindigan ang kumpanya laban dito. “[The company says they] will ‘just trust the judicial process’—which is of course easy to say as multimillionaires who will eat three times a day no matter what happens here,” ani Sotto sa isang Facebook post. “[T]he people they have sued have recently lost their main source of income and are now even torn away from their families,” dagdag niya. Sasampahan naman ng RFWU at Unyon ng mga Manggagawa sa Regent Foods Corporation ng kaso ang mga may-ari ng kumpanya na sina Ricky at Susan See, pati na rin ang ilang opisyal ng pulis at militar na nasa likod ng marahas na dispersal. “[The workers] will never bow down nor will never be silenced by this recent harassment of the Regent management against its workers who are only airing out their legitimate rights,” ayon

sa pahayag ng Defend Jobs Philippines. Dahil nagpapatuloy pa ang dayalogo sa pagitan ng kumpanya at mga unyon sa National Labor Relations Commission (NLRC), hindi maaaring sapilitang alisin ang piket ng mga manggagawa. Nasa ilalim ng Department of Labor and Employment ang NLRC na inaatasang resolbahin ang hidwaan sa pagitan ng mga unyon at kumpanya. “Simple lang naman yung hinihiling namin—iregularisa nila kami at bigyan ng sapat na sahod, [pero] ang naging sagot nila ay karahasan. Ngayon, dahil wala talaga silang balak na ibigay yung makataong kondisyon sa pagawaan, gagawa kami lalo ng mga paraan para mapanagot yang Regent,” ani Dante Rafael, isa sa mga manggagawang sugatan. Isa si Rafael sa 800 manggagawa ng kumpanyang hindi binibigyan ng overtime fee at night differential rate sa 14 oras na pagtatrabaho. Hindi rin kinikilala ng kumpanya ang pamunuan ng mga unyong lumalaban para sa karapatan ng mga manggagawa. “Napakasahol ng kondisyon dito sa pagawaan kaya napakarami nang gustong mag-resign. Kaso, napakahirap

KENT IVAN FLORINO

BINASAG NA KALASAG • Isinasalaysay ni Loyd Bentoza, 43, ang nangyaring karahasan sa piket ng mga manggagawa ng Regent Foods Corporation sa Brgy. Ibayo Tipas, Taguig City. Ginising ng pamamalo at pambabato ng higit 100 lalaki ang mga manggagawa bandang alas singko ng umaga, Nobyembre 9. Nagtamo ng mga pasa si Bentoza habang nagkaroon ng malalalim na sugat ang kanyang mga kasamahan. Malaya na ang 23 indibidwal na kinasuhan ng physical injury kabilang ang dalawang miyembro ng labor group na Defend Job Philippines. Maghahain naman ng kaso ang mga manggagawa laban sa kumpanya. Sa pananatili ni Bentoza rito, naranasan niya ang kawalan ng sahod, pisikal at berbal na pang-aabuso, at kontraktwalisasyon—mga paglabag sa Labor Code ng bansa.

humanap ng trabaho lalo na’t hindi naman kami nakapagtapos ng pag-aaral at sa katulad kong matanda na,” ani Rafael. Sa gitna ng panggigipit, nangako ang mga manggagawang ipagpapatuloy nila ang paglaban.

“Hangga’t walang maayos na trabahong naghihintay [sa’min] ... at hindi pa naipapakulong yung mga nasa likod ng pandarahas na naranasan namin, hindi matatapos ang welga namin para makamit yung hustisya,” ani Gado. •

Regulasyon sa bagong terminal sa Philcoa, idinadaing ng mga drayber KENT IVAN FLORINO Malaking dagok ang kinahaharap ng mga drayber ng dyip ng UP-Philcoa mula nang magsimula ang pagsasaayos ng drainage system sa kanilang dating terminal sa tabi ng Citimall noong Agosto. Dahil sa proyektong ito ng UP, napilitan silang lumipat ng paradahan malapit sa UP Bliss na sanhi ng pagliit ng kanilang kita bawat araw. Mula sa dating P2,000, bumaba na lamang sa P1,500 ang kita ng mga drayber gaya ni Francis Mariano sa arawang pasada. Mas mababa pa rito ang kanyang naiuuwing pera dahil sa pagbabayad ng krudo at

boundary na aabot sa P1,200. “Kahit hindi pa puno [yung jeep], umaalis na kami kasi sobrang tagal na naming nakapila at perwisyo na sa mga estudyanteng papasok. Kahit luging-lugi na, napipilitan kami [na bumyahe na],” ani Mariano. Parte ang proyekto ng UP Master Development Plan (MDP) na naglalayon umanong gawing moderno ang unibersidad, ayon sa mga drayber. Ngunit dahil tatanggalan nito ng espasyo ang mga komunidad sa loob ng UP, mariing tinututulan ng marami ang MDP. Sa kanilang unang dalawang linggo sa bagong terminal, ilang beses hinuli ng Department of Public Order and Safety ng Quezon City ang mga drayber. Dalawang yunit lamang kasi

22 Nobyembre 2019 • www.philippinecollegian.org

ng dyip ang pinahintulutan ng administrasyon ng UP Diliman na makaparada, kung kaya’t iligal umanong maituturing ang sabaysabay na pananatili ng ibang drayber sa lugar. Kalaunan ay binigyan silang lahat ng permisong pumarada at magsakay ng pasahero sa lugar, matapos ang serye ng dayalogo sa pagitan ng UP-Philcoa Jeepney Drivers Association (UPPJDA) at administrasyon ng unibersidad. Gayunman, patuloy pa ring umiiral ang mga regulasyong nagpapahirap sa mga drayber gaya ng pagbabawal sa kanilang iparada ang dyip sa terminal tuwing gabi. Dahil dito, napilitan si Mariano na magrenta ng espasyong pinaparadahan ng kanyang dyip sa halagang P100. Ngunit matapos man ang

pagsasaayos ng orihinal na terminal kung saan maaari silang magparada ng dyip tuwing gabi, mabigat pa rin para sa mga drayber ang P3,000 na terminal fee na sisingilin sa kanilang grupo bawat buwan, ani Ferdie Damasco, tagapangulo ng UPPJDA. Bagaman noong Oktubre 15 nakatakdang matapos ang proyekto, nagpapatuloy pa rin ito ngayon. Inabisuhan din ang mga drayber na hindi nila agad magagamit ang espasyo sa oras na matapos ang proyekto dahil sa mga seremonyang gagawin upang pasinayaan ang lugar, dagdag pa ni Damasco. “Nagkakandautang-utang na kami tapos hindi pa magagamit pagtapos [magawa] yung pilahan namin. Hirap talaga aabutin namin,” ani Damasco.

Dagdag suliranin din para sa mga drayber ang jeepney phaseout na naglalayong palitan ng modernong yunit ang mga lumang dyip. Tinatayang aabot sa 2.2 milyon ang bawat yunit na hindi mababayaran ng mga drayber dahil sa liit ng kanilang kinikita, ani Mariano. Sa kabila ng kawalan ng aksyon ng UP hinggil sa kanilang hinaing, magpapatuloy ang mga drayber na ipaglaban ang kanilang panawagang agarang makabalik sa kanilang orihinal na terminal. “Gusto rin naming marinig yung UP admin na magsalita tungkol sa phaseout kasi hindi lang kami ang apektado kung mawala kami sa daan—mapipilay rin ang buong komunidad na umaasa sa’min sa araw-araw,” ani Damasco. •

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When Dusk Falls

BARING THE COSTS OF SEX TRADE IN THE PHILIPPINES

For these women, the red light means “go.” The night invited adrenalin, euphoria, and speeding taxis—anything fast enough to forget themselves for several hours and do it, go on, sell pleasure to strange men. The streets lined with karaoke and nightclubs are aglow with neon lights. Outside the resto bars, amidst cigarette smoke and chatters of bystanders, there stood scantily clad women, braving the chilly Makati wind while flaunting their most marketable assets. Beyond monetary negotiations and in-between carnal transactions, these women are stripped, not only of their clothing, but also of their freedom. Inside high-end hotel suites, within the hours their bodies are slapped with a price tag—85 dollars when luck is on their side—they are diminished into a mere object. This reality evokes not so much shock as familiarity to many Filipinos. It dates back to centuries ago, when foreign predators arrived and entrenched them into a servile economic class. Their bodies have since been reduced to a commodity sold at foreigners’ disposal. Doubly oppressed for their race and gender, Filipino women are the principal victims of this exploitation. Angel in disguise For tonight, her name is Michelle. Her real name does not matter. Change her age, her gender, her body measurements, and it would not

matter to clients who see the likes of her all the same. They refuse to disclose their identities because their work is taboo. The sex business is regarded as invisible in plain sight. About 800,000 women work as prostitutes in the country, per 2005 United Nations Children’s Fund data, a rough estimate considering that not all of them want to be identified. But behind these statistics are stories of abuse, of racial discrimination, of rape, of underaged girls sold off by their parents. Under all that rogue, no one would know that Michelle was 18 when her neighbor took her to a bar, thinking she was just going to dance, but ended up being coerced to put her cherry-status up for sale. No one would guess that her petite body has been fending for five children. Her striking makeup and clothes conceal the fact that she has been doing this for 14 years now, every moment of which she despised. “Hindi ko gusto yung trabaho ko. Sino bang gugustuhin yung ganitong trabaho?” Michelle had sworn to herself that she would leave this once she turned 30, but the streets of Makati are too inviting and the world outside it too cruel. Within a split second, her despondent mood shifts to a seductive one upon seeing a scruffy white old man walking in her direction. He will be Michelle’s first customer for the night. She tugs on his arm and smiles flirtatiously. Under the lights, as they walk away, her eyes look hollow, tired, telling a heavy emotion that would have to be suppressed all night long. Dreamless nights For many of these women, there used to be a time when dreams meant hopes and aspirations, not some erotic word on a neon sign

PHOTOS • LUCKY DELA ROSA

draped outside a bar. When asked about her dreams, Janella said: “Hindi matulad [mga anak ko] sa ganitong trabaho.” Janella is a single mother. To provide for her three children, she once took housekeeping jobs overseas. Adversities were normative to her as an overseas worker, but she reached her tipping point when her Kuwaiti employer sexually harassed her. She eventually ran away and broke her contract. This led to her imprisonment and deportation. She had not anticipated, though, that this predicament would still follow her even in her own country. Janella was running out of means to provide for her children— no one was willing to employ her with her lack of education. That was when the streets of P. Burgos were more lit than ever, enticing her to make money out of what had already been used from back in Kuwait. “Pagkadating ko rito, ganoon din pala. Kaya parang inisip ko [mas] mabuti na lang [kung pinagpatuloy] ko ito sa abroad, kaysa rito.” Abuses are inevitable, she said. But they just have to get through those nights, because what matters is the following morning, when finally they get to go home and give their children what they need. Her children, Janella said, are the primary motivators and beneficiaries of her work. But when asked about her dream for herself, she was caught offguard. “Sa sarili ko ah? Wala na kasi akong ano eh,” she trailed off. “Basta mga anak lang talaga sa ngayon.” This is why Janella has been keeping her work a secret from her children. If she protects them from the reality of her nightly activities, they might continue to pursue her dreams in her stead. Tonight, while her children are sound asleep

ABBY BOISER

at home, she soldiers on in these dark alleys. She cannot go on dreaming because she has to stay awake. The night is long and the sun would not rise for her until she gets a hand on her hardearned money. Consent at a cost Like any other global market, prostitution is an industry that is perpetuated by the insatiable demand from the West. The victims of this trade are the poorest and most vulnerable, usually women from countries with economies ravaged by Western colonialism. Recently, with prostitution put on the spotlight, discussions on its legalization have picked up. Groups campaigning for it claim that consenting adults should be allowed to sell their bodies as they please. But in a country mired in poverty, the grumbling of one’s stomach too often elicits consent. Ask Michelle and Janella a thousand times over and they will tell you a thousand times back: No one really wants to be a whore. “Sigurado ako na karamihan ng nandito, hindi nila gustong maging ganito,” said Janella. “Kanyakanya ng dahilan [kung] bakit napilitang magtrabaho [rito].” Ultimately, to empower sex workers is to lay down first the conditions that will enable them to exit the industry— that of job opportunities, social services, and living wages. For as long as patriarchy runs deep and the cycle of poverty entraps them within these districts, the red light overhead will not cease to blink. •

FEATURES

Spaces in Between

TRANS SEX WORKERS IN THE RED-LIGHT DISTRICT With high heels on and her face made up, Faye stood by the side of the road, flagging down lavish cars that passed by. Even in the dead of night, the flashing lights and music spilling from droves of bars on either side filled the streets of the red-light district with life. For its patrons, the district offers a sanctuary of sorts, brimming with wonder and exhilaration. Faye, however, views this as but a temporary juncture in her life: a stop between the vexations of her past and the hopes for the future. She and a group of friends are trans sex workers who make a living in P. Burgos, Makati. Paying P1,200 a day, she rents a hotel room in the area together with Ozawa and Kate—a small, temporary space for them in the middle of the district’s hubbub. Their line of work, dubbed the oldest profession, has led to polarized viewpoints regarding the industry, instigating a complex discussion about agency, victimhood, and structural exploitation. When it comes to trans sex workers, however, the conversation is even more convoluted, as there is often no room left for their voices to be heard. In a society that relentlessly amasses capital, their bodies and identities are paradoxically viewed as objects to censor and commodities to cash in on—leaving them in an

in-between place amid a city of prestige and prominence. At a crossroads Though the youngest of four siblings, Faye serves as her family’s breadwinner, like most of the women in the district. Having only finished third year high school, she took to the streets of P. Burgos to help her parents who earn meager wages in a factory. This is the reality of the transwomen in the district, whose hardships are worsened by the gender-based prejudices they have to grapple with. “Alam kasi ng pamilya namin na ‘basic’ ang pera rito kaya umaasa sa’min, kaya dinededma namin yung mga nagsasabi ng masasama,” said Faye, who still has three older siblings to support. “Kailangan naming kumita para sa pamilya at sarili.” Once the clock strikes 12, they head out into the streets, offering massage and extra services to the foreigners they chance upon. One of Faye’s friends, Kate, talked about how she would clinch two guests on better days. “Pero hindi naman araw-araw pasko,” Kate said, “minsan wala.” She once worked in a beauty parlor, but the low income from working an eight-hour job prompted her to see sex work as a more lucrative option. Besides, many job industries refuse to hire those who openly identify as trans. Although the pay is enough for them to be able to eat three meals a day, these women have to spend much of their income on products that help them transition. “Collagen, beauty skin, mga pills pampatanggal ng muscle,” Kate enumerated. It is no wonder that the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/ AIDS estimates, in 2012, that 44 percent of

transgender people worldwide are involved in sex work. Seeing it as a ticket out of economic disenfranchisement, the likes of Kate remain compelled by the allure of the neon lights, throwing a “Sir, massage?” at prospective customers. Ground zero As the streets are filled with sex workers and foreigners alike, police cars soon rolled up. Faye said that while cops would usually just stand around, periodic “sweeps” of sex workers would occur at times to round them up and haul them off to prison. This criminalization of sex work renders them more vulnerable to violence at the hands of state forces. In Asia, the Philippines ranked as the deadliest for transgender people, with 41 killed between 2008 and 2016, according to Transgender Europe, a network that seeks to combat transphobia. Such violence causes trans sex workers to experience trauma that endangers their wellbeing. “May mga dumarating na pulis tapos [magkakaroon ng] hulihan tsaka takbuhan,” Ozawa, the oldest of the group, said. She recounted how abuse and stigma elsewhere were part of what led her to sell sex for a living. “Sinasabihan kami ng mga masasamang salita, magnanakaw raw kami rito, tapos pokpok daw kami.” People would sometimes call them “transformers,” who trick men and run off with their money. In the midst of the bustling urban jungle that is Makati, redlight districts are often placed under heightened surveillance, the presence of sex workers treated as a form of incivility that has to be kept in check. With prostitution deemed precursory to other forms of criminality, authorities strain to leave areas like P. Burgos out of the public imaginary which, to this day, remains dominated by cis-normative and middle-class PAGE DESIGN • DYLAN REYES

KIMBERLY ANNE YUTUC

sensibilities. Sex workers are thus policed, unable to walk the frenzied streets of the city as urban dwellers like any other. Fork in the road Conflictingly, the containment of trans spaces comes visà-vis how their bodies are fetishized and commodified. The intrinsically heteronomative and male-controlled industry of sex work markets non-binary gender identities as “odd” and “exotic.” Kate, for one, remarked that the police could never really crack down on them because the district served as a tourist destination. Their foreign patrons, after all, bring profit into the city. “Siguro nga biktima ang mga prostitute—maraming di nakapagaral, mahirap kasi ang buhay sa Pilipinas. Pero yung iba, may dream pa na makapag-aral,” Kate lamented, running her fingers through her hair. “Ako, pangarap kong mag-HRM. Sa hotel room nga namin, ako yung taga-luto,” she added. She met Faye and Ozawa in the district years ago and has since decided to live with them. For transwomen who face institutional discrimination in the larger world, the entire stretch of P. Burgos serves, in some tragic irony, as a sanctuary, too, though not in the same way their foreign clients see it. Such a view perpetuates, if not worsens, the marginalization of transwomen in the city’s meager spaces where they are permitted to exist so long as their bodies are warm, able, and conducive to global capital. Even while the girls were laughing and joking around with each other as the wee hours passed, there loomed the unspoken worry that this supposedly momentary juncture could turn into a point of no return. •

NEWS

PHILIPPINE COLLEGIAN

Dubious ‘wholesale’ issuance of worsens crackdown on progress A spate of intensified human rights violations has hounded the country in the past weeks. Legal progressive organizations bear the brunt of these attacks, as about 60 activists have been illegally arrested and detained over fabricated charges of illegal possession of firearms and explosives. IGNACIO KAGAY

Such arrests, according to the groups, are baseless and suspicious. But what makes these arrests even more questionable is that all search warrants used for the simultaneous raids in Bacolod City and Manila were issued by a single judge from Quezon City Regional Trial Court Branch 89, Executive Judge Cecilyn Burgos-Villavert. While a Supreme Court (SC) circular allows executive judges from Manila and Quezon City to issue warrants outside their territorial jurisdiction, the said circular provides for certain conditions that must be followed. To maintain transparency, BurgosVillavert was supposed to publicize the special docket book where all such cases must be listed, but the judge has not released a copy of the document as of press time (see sidebar 1). Progressive groups call this act as “wholesale” issuance of warrants, which may eventually be replicated in other areas.

Bayan Muna chairperson Neri Colmenares has since called on the SC to review this act constituting grave abuse of power, but the high court said the groups should file a formal complaint instead. “In the context of President Duterte talking about the counterinsurgency—that there will be a little trouble in the coming months. Ito na yun— yung crackdown,” said BAYAN chairperson Carol Araullo. Malicious charges Charging dissenters with illegal possession of firearms and explosives has been the government’s usual move against activists. Since 2018, at least 18 progressives were detained over this charge, many of whom were National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) members and peace consultants (see sidebar 2). “Naninigurado ang estado na pwede nilang damputin at kasuhan agad-agad [ang members ng legal organizations],” said Ephraim

Sidebar 1 • GUIDELINES ON ISSUING WARRANTS OUTSIDE THE TERRITORIAL JURISDICTION OF MANILA AND QUEZON CITY Sec. 12, Chapter V of Administrative Matter No. 03-8-02-SC

Mariing tinutulan ng iba’t ibang grupo ang serye ng raid na isinagawa ng mga pulis at militar sa opisina ng mga progresibong grupo mula Oktubre 31 hanggang Nobyembre 1. Sinampahan ang halos 60 indibidwal ng gawa-gawang kasong illegal possession of firearms and explosives. Upang pabulaanan ang mga akusasyong may itinatagong armas ang mga progresibong grupo, inimbitahan ng BAYAN ang Commission on Human Rights (CHR) upang mag-inspeksyon sa kanilang opisina sa Quezon City, Nobyembre 6. Walang natagpuang anumang armas ang mga opisyal.

PAGE DESIGN • ELIZABETH MAGPANTAY AND DYLAN REYES

• Executive judges and vice-executive judges are allowed to issue warrants outside of their territorial jurisdiction • Executive judges shall have the authority to act on applications filed by the National Bureau of Investigation, Philippine National Police, and Anti-Crime Task Force for search warrant involving the following (but not limited to): 1. heinous crimes 2. illegal gambling 3. illegal possession of firearms and ammunitions • The application must be endorsed by the heads of the agency that requested for the warrant • The warrant must specify the place that will be searched, and the properties that will be seized • Executive judges and the authorized judges shall keep a special docket book listing names of judges to whom the applications are assigned, the details of the applications and the results of the searches and seizures made pursuant to the warrants issued

Cortez, Secretary-General of the National Union of Peoples’ Lawyers. “Kung di ka nila mapatay o madukot, kinakasuhan ka nila.” The legality of the arrests has been put into question when Anne Krueger, a Negros-based journalist from media outfit Paghimutad, caught on Facebook live video some police and military personnel planting evidence in the regional office of women’s group Gabriela. Krueger was among the 57 activists, peasant leaders, and human rights advocates arrested in Bacolod City last October 31. The reportedly planted evidence reflects how the arrests were politically motivated, BAYAN Eastern Visayas said in a statement. NUPL expressed grave

conc Burg warr was Cap Actin hour in Ne “ takb mag ay ka repre

Dan T the p to a mass P Mem Exec

Sidebar 2 • OTHER CASES OF ACTI ILLEGAL POSSESSION O January 31, 2018

Ra NDFP

February 22, 2018

Markl labor

June 2, 2018

Juan A labor

August 11, 2018

Oliver Rosale labor

October 15, 2018

Ad NDFP

October 15, 2018

Edicel Legaspi, Iren human rights

November 8, 2018

Vic NDFP

December 7, 2018

Rey Casambre NDFP peace co

July 23, 2019

Alexander Biro NDFP pe

July 27, 2019

Nadeline Joyce Cora peas

August 27, 2019 September 17, 2019

INFOGRAPHIC • RICHARD CALAYEG CORNELIO AND KIMBERLY ANNE YUTUC

Ester NDFP

Ant labor

f warrants sives

cern over the impartiality of gos-Villavert in issuing the rants, since the QC RTC judge seen meeting with National pital Region Police Office ng Director Debold Sinas rs before the raids and arrests egros. “Hindi na sila [korte] pwedeng buhan ng mamamayan para gbigay ng katarungan dahil sila asama na rin sa makinarya ng esyon,” said Cortez.

ngerous policies The groups see the arrests in past few weeks as an overture a larger crackdown on legal s organizations, said Cortez. Policies such as the morandum Order (MO) 32 and cutive Order (EO) 70 formalize

IVISTS CHARGED WITH OF FIREARMS

afael Baylosis peace consultant

len Maojo Maga r union organizer

Alexander Reyes r union organizer

es and Rowena Rosales union organizers

delberto Silva peace consultant

neo Atadeo, Hedda Calderon workers and organizers

TIMELINE

@phkule

CATHRYNE ENRIQUEZ

the government’s attacks against the people. Almost 90 cases of activist killings were tallied since MO 32 was implemented in Negros, Samar, and Bicol to supposedly curb violence and lawlessness. EO 70, on the other hand, outlines the “whole-of-nation approach” to end insurgency, which has also led to the creation of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict comprised of various government agencies (see sidebar 3). “Yung pag-issue ng warrants, ‘yung crackdown’ at ‘yung panghuhuli ay pag-ooperationalize na nung whole-of-nation approach,” Cortez said. Safety measures Ultimately, the simultaneous and consecutive arrests are part of the government’s attempt to weaken the leadership of legal organizations, Cortez said. “Yung mga arrests, nagpo-produce yan ng chilling effect hindi lang sa leaders, [kundi sa members din] ng mass organizations,” he added. In order to restore peace and order, the groups call on the government to end attacks not only against progressive groups, but as well as all forms of injustices against the people. “The arrests will just produce more intolerable suffering … The way to go is to address the root cause of the problems and the demands of the

Executive Judge Cecilyn Burgos-Villavert signed the request for search warrants for the raids in Manila and Bacolod City. Police Chief Master Sergeant Ramiro Gocotano applied for the warrant used in Bacolod, while Police Major Michael Villanueva applied for the one used in Manila. •

OCT

Naninigurado ang estado na pwede nilang damputin at kasuhan agad-agad [ang members ng legal organizations] ... Kung di ka nila mapatay o madukot, kinakasuhan ka nila.

Policemen forcibly entered the Manila home of Gabriela Metro Manila Spokesperson Cora Agovida and her husband, Kadamay officer Mickael Tan Bartolome. The two were detained on the same day. State forces raided provincial offices of Bayan Muna, Karapatan, Kadamay, and Kilusang Mayo Uno, which are located in the same compound in Bacolod City. The house of National Federation of Sugar Workers (NFSW) Secretary General Butch Lozande nearby was also raided.

OCT

A total of 57 individuals, 13 of whom are minors affiliated with cultural youth groups Teatro Obrero and Teatro Bungkal, were arrested. Community journalist Anne Krueger is one of those who were arrested. •

Ephraim Cortez, NUPL Secretary-General

NSFW district office in Escalante was raided and several of its members were arrested along with some officers of peasant groups Unyon ng Manggagawa sa Agrikultura and Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas. •

NOV most exploited.” To disprove all claims that offices of legal groups have illegal firearms, legal groups such as BAYAN, NUPL, and alternative media outfit Kodao, among others, requested the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) to inspect their headquarters, November 6. The authorities did not find any weapons and explosives in their offices located at Erythrina Bldg. in Brgy. Central, Quezon City. CHR representatives had similar observation in the office of Kabataan Partylist located in the same barangay. Amid worsening attacks, Araullo said they will continue to criticize, oppose, and propose countermeasures against the government’s anti-people policies. “Yung pagiging member at pagiging active sa ganitong organizations ay protected by civil rights kaya patuloy lang sa paga-assert ng ating mga karapatan,” Cortez said. “Bagaman may represyon, hindi natin ito papabayaang magtuloytuloy dahil darating sa punto na yung mamamayan na yung magreresist dito.” •

Another search warrant issued by Burgos-Villavert was used to raid the office of Bayan Manila. Bayan Muna campaign coordinator Ram Carlo Bautista, Manila Workers Unity Secretariat Alma Moran, and Kadamay Manila coordinator Ina Nacino were arrested following the raid. •

NOV

Out of the 57 individuals arrested October 31, a total of 21 workers from Ceres Bus Line and 11 members of Teatro Obrero were released. In earlier reports, Ernie Militar, spokesperson of the Northern Negros Alliance of Human Rights Advocates (NNAHRA), asserted that, when they were arrested, the latter only had leaflets, personal belongings, and a sound system in preparation for the commemoration of the 34th anniversary of the Escalante Massacre. •

NOV

Lozande was granted temporary release after posting bail. A long-time peasants’ rights advocate, he was formerly the fourth nominee of the Anakpawis partylist and has worked extensively with the sugarcane workers in Negros in asserting their right to land against the monopoly of a few landed families in the region. •

NOV

Krueger and a paralegal officer from NFSW were temporarily freed after posting bail. Members of progressive media network Altermidya pooled funds to post bail for Krueger, who represents Paghimutad, a newly inducted member of the network formed by volunteer journalists after the Sagay 9 massacre in October 2018. •

NOV

NFSW staff Roberto Lachica was released on bail. As of press time, seven more community leaders and human rights defenders arrested in Bacolod last October 31 and two more arrested in Escalante City the following day remain in jail. •

NOV

cente Ladlad peace consultant

e and Corazon Casambre onsultant and activist wife

ondo and Winona Birondo eace talks secretariat

azon and Ray Irvine Malaborbor sant advocates

rlita Suaybaguio peace consultant

tonietta Dizon r union organizer

Sidebar 3 • COMPOSITION OF THE NATIONAL TASK FORCE TO END LOCAL COMMUNIST ARMED CONFLICT

PRESIDENT OF THE PHILIPPINES CHAIRPERSON

NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER VICE CHAIRPERSON

Philippine National Police

Dept. of Justice

Dept. of the Interior and Local Gov’t

Armed Forces of the PH

Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process

Dept. of National Defense

Dept. of Agrarian Reform

Presidential Adviser Presidential for Indigenous Communication Peoples’ Concerns Operations Office

Dept. of Public Works and Highways

Dept. of Education

Dept. of Budget and Management

Dept. of Finance

Dept. of Social Welfare and Development

National Commission on Indigenous Peoples

National Economic Dev’t Authority

National Intelligence Coordinating Agency

Technical Education and Skills Dev’t Authority

Two (2) representatives from the private sector

KULTURA

Makapal na pahid ng pintura at matingkad na kulay dilaw at asul—ito ang mga marka ng mga larawang likha ng kilalang pintor na si Vincent van Gogh. Batid sa mga gawa niya ang lubos na emosyon, tipikal sa panahon ng post-impressionism noong 1885 mula sa Europa. Ngunit gaano man kakilala ng maraming tao ang istilo at buhay niya, nakukulong ang mga obra niya para sa iilan sa mga museo at exhibit tulad ng Van Gogh Alive. Prestihiyoso kung ituring ang museo sapagkat lunan nito ang mga piling gawa ng mga artista—mga likhang sining na kumbensyonal at pasado sa pamantayan ng institusyon. Subalit higit pa sa pagtatanghal ng sining, likas din nitong pinagtatagpo at pinagbubukod ang iba’t ibang uri at katayuan ng mamamayan. Nariyan ang direktor ng museo na nangangasiwa ng operasyon. Sa likod naman ng bawat sining na tinatangkilik ng mayayamang patron ay ang artistang lumikha nito at curator na bumuo ng exhibit na kinabibilangan nito. Bukod pa sa kultural na mga gawain, nandito rin ang mga manggagawa gaya ng janitor, sekyu, at mga kawani. Sa labas ng gusali, matatanaw ang mga karaniwang tao—walang puwang sa loob ng museo. Installation Nagtatanghal ng sining ang museo sa hangaring makapagturo sa nakararami. Subalit hindi nito saklaw ang lahat, mas dominante ang sining mula sa perspektiba ng mayayaman, ang mga tagapangasiwa ng pagpapatakbo nito. Dahil kinakatawan ang interes ng iilan, limitado ang museo sa mga nakaiintindi nito—sa mga

DON’T TOUCH THE ARTWORK SAM DEL CASTILLO

panggitnang uri, silang kayang maglaan ng oras at pera para makadayo. Bago makapasok, kailangan munang magbayad ng mga nais bumisita. Halimbawa na lang ang entrance fee sa Van Gogh Alive na P750, halagang hindi naman kayang ilabas ng marami. Inaasahan mula sa mga bisita ang wastong pananamit at tahimik na pag-uugali nang hindi maistorbo ang payak na kapaligiran. Ipinapalagay din ng mga exhibit na may intelektwal na kakakayahan ang mga bibisita para intindihin ang pagsasaayos ng mga likhang sining sa museo. Batid ng mga sining na nakapaloob sa kalakhan ng mga museo ang reyalidad ng mga makapangyarihan, masagana at tila walang kahirapan. Maganda at pulido ang mga larawan sapagkat hiwalay ito mula sa masalimuot na nangyayari sa lipunan. Sinasalamin nito ang katayuan ng kanilang uri: nasa tuktok at layo mula sa tunay na kondisyon ng mga nasa ibaba. Sa pagkanlong ng ganitong tipo ng sining,

nakakasangkapan ng mga makapangyarihan ang gampanin ng museo na magpakita at magpreserba ng sining para mapanatili ang natatanging pwesto nila sa lipunan. Private Collection Wala pa mang mga museo noong unang panahon, napapamalas na ng mga hari at emperador ang kanilang kadakilaan sa malalaking estatwang halaw sa imahe nila at palasyong tinitirahan nila. Ang mga likhang sining na ito ay nakatayo sa publiko, bukas para sa lahat. Nang sumibol ang

mga museo, nakahon ang sining sa isang gusali, nalayo mula sa publiko. Hindi nawaglit mula sa kamay ng mayayaman ang sining, bagkus lalo pang humigpit ang kapit nila rito. Karamihan sa malalaking museo sa bansa ay pagmamayari ng mga CEO ng naglalakihang kumpanya, kagaya ng Ayala Museum na hawak ng mga Ayala. Para sa kanila, nariyan ang sining para maging simbolo ng kanilang kayamanan at kadakilaan. Higit sa lahat, nagagawa nilang ikulong sa kanilang uri ang sining, tulad ng mga gawa ni Van Gogh, sapagkat mayroon silang kapital para kolektahin ang mga ito. Ngunit mayroon ding sining na hindi tali sa dominasyon ng kapital at inilulunsad sa labas ng mga museo. Tinatanghal sa maliliit na museo at gallery ang alternatibong sining na nagpapahayag ng malalim na pagpapahalaga sa sining. Bukod pa rito, makikita ring kasabay ng mga ginaganap na gig ang paglatag ng mga kultural na samahan ng kanilang mga likha. Hindi rin mawawala tuwing may kilos protesta ang sinusunog na effigy at mobile exhibit ng mga aktibista. Kamakailan ding

umusbong ang mga kolektibo ng mga artista’t manunulat na gumagaod ng kanya-kanyang ganap para itanghal ang kanilang mga gawa. Restoration Ang pagkalas ng sining mula sa poder ng mga museo ay hudyat ng paglaya ng sining mula sa iilan, ayon sa kritikong si Walter Benjamin. Nagiging aksesible sa taong bayan ang likhang sining sa paulit-ulit na pagpapakita nito sa telebisyon, libro, o magazine. Umuunlad ang sining hindi dahil sa pagiging sikat at maganda tulad sa kasalukuyan, kundi dahil sa esensya nitong lumikha ng bago, kumawala mula sa nakasanayan. Kung kaya’t malaki ang ambag ng sining sa paghubog ng mapagpalayang kultura. Sa pagbukas ng sining sa hanay ng mga dinedehadong sektor, mapararating sa kanilang may tungkulin sila sa pagpapalaganap ng ganitong kultura. Halimbawa na lang ang mga sining na naglalantad ng nararanasan ng karamihan: kahirapan, kawalan ng trabaho’t lupa, at karahasan. Pinipinta rito ang kanilang uri na may dangal; hindi na lang kimi kundi masikhay na kumikilos para sa mas pantay na lipunan. Nililinang ng ganitong tipo ng sining ang pag-unawa ng mamamayan sa tunay nilang kalagayan sa lipunan, bagay na laging binabaluktot ng mga makapangyarihan. Hanggang hindi tinutugunan ng sining ang suliraning kinahaharap ng lipunang humuhubog dito, mananatili itong naglilingkod sa mga naghaharing-uri. Sapagkat ang paglaya ng sining ay manggagaling lamang sa taong bayan, silang may hangaring lumaya mula sa pagsasamantala. •

DIBUHO AT DISENYO NG PAHINA KIMBERLY ANNE YUTUC

KULTURA

@phkule

Higit sa Hug t Dinala ng pag-unlad ng teknolohiya ang pelikula sa mga kompyuter at selpon; ginawang mas aksesible ng internet—libreng mapapanood ang mga piniratang palabas sa iba’t ibang website. Ang pelikula ay hindi na lang nasa malaking iskrin, sa loob ng malamig na sinehan—di na lang para sa may pera. Mas kumakalat ang mga kopya nito sa Youtube at Facebook, dahil halos lahat ay may akses, at madaling i-share. Sa paglawak ng plataporma para sa panonood, lumitaw rin ang mga nagsasariling produksyon— isa rito ang VinCentiments na pumatok dahil sa kanilang mga maikling pelikula. Close-up Sabihin ang matagal nang kinikimkim, ilabas ang lahat ng sakit—ganito ang madalas na tunguhin ng mga palabas ng VinCentiments. Nais ng direktor nitong si Darryl Yap na itampok ang nararanasan ng lahat, higitan ang hugot, at isiwalat ang “totoong” nangyayari. Kaya sa maikling pelikulang Jowable, ipinakita ni Yap sa pamamagitan ng monologo ang desperasyon ng isang babaeng nagmamakaawa sa Diyos na mabigyan ng nobyo. Sinubukang palabasin na ang kawalan ng jowa, para sa matatagal nang single, ay tila primaryang problema. Sumunod ang iba pa: tungkol sa batang pag-ibig, karanasan ng manggagawang pinagagalitan ng kanyang boss, at pinagdaraanan ng isang estudyante. Madalas ang paggamit ng monologo ng m g a bata,

DIBUHO • MARCY LIOANAG

ng manggagawa, at ng estudyante, upang ilabas ang galit at sumagot sa nakatataas, bagay na sa totoo ay mas pinipiling itago. Maraming naakit sa ganitong uri ng pelikula, dahil di ito gaya ng mainstream na ang mga eksena’y hanggang piksyon at pangarap lang. Sa kabila ng pag-arte hango sa pagmamalabis, nakikita nila ang bahid ng reyalismo sa mga linyang nagbubunyag ng nararamdaman nila. Dahil halaw sa karanasan ng manonood, ang pinagdaraanan ng aktor sa bawat episode ng VinCentiments ay sa kanya rin; ang artista ay repleksyon ng sarili. Cross cut Sa lipunang may pagtatangi sa materyal na yaman, mahalaga sa taong magkaroon ng representasyon ng kung anong meron siya, dahil ito ang nagpapakita ng kanyang katayuan sa buhay, ani Guy Debord, Pranses na filmmaker at pilosopo. Dahil sa midya, higit sa representasyon ay nagiging “spectacle” ang mga bagay, ang pagkilos ng mga tao. Makikita ito sa kultura, sa porma ng mga sining, kung saan ang buhay ng karaniwang mamamayan ay nagiging spectacle gamit ang “poverty porn.” Halimbawa ang pintang The Builders ni Victorio Edades na ginamit ang imahe ng m g a manggagawa nang walang pagkilala sa kanilang mga danas. Maging ang paggamit ni Brillante Mendoza sa

pelikulang Kinatay sa mahirap na komunidad bilang tagpuan upang umusad ang kwento ng bida— ipinakikita ang lunos na kalagayan, ngunit hindi tunguhing iangat sila mula rito. Ganito rin ang kinahinatnan ng pelikulang Virgin Marie ng VinCentiments: mapapanood ang batang nagbibigay ng testimonya laban sa pang-aabusong sekswal ng kanyang ama, ngunit pinalabas sa huli na siya’y minamanipula upang magsinungaling. Malayo sa reyalidad, wala itong pinatunguhan kundi ang lalong paglugmok sa mga biktima Sabihin mang halaw ang obra sa karanasan ng mamamayan, nananatili pa rin itong hiwalay sa kanya dahil sa huli, siya ay manonood at ang nasa harap ay imahe lang. Sa kasukdulan, ginagamit ang kanyang kahirapan, alang-alang sa estetika ng sinasabing sining. Sa parehong pagkakataong ginagamit ng midya ang danas ng manonood, gamit ang mga reyalistikong elemento ay nagbibigay din ito ng mga kondisyon na naglalayong ihalaw ng indibidwal ang kaniyang buhay sa napapanood. Sa pagharap sa kanyang kahirapan, susundan niya ang ginawa ng artista sa parehong sitwasyon. Dahil dito, madaling natatanggal ng spectacle ang kritikal na pagiisip at higit, ang sariling

DISENYO NG PAHINA • KIMBERLY ANNE YUTUC

POLYNNE DIRA

pagtingin sa reyalidad ng indibidwal. Manipestasyon nito ang pagdami ng mga telenobelang umiinog sa mga karakter na pulis o sundalo sa panahong lumalala ang extrajudicial killings at iba pang karahasan. Umiiwas ito sa mga usaping politikal at progresibo upang ilihis ang isipan ng tao. At kung magkaroon man ng pagkakataong lumalaban ang inaapi, sa dulo’y nauuwi ito sa imahinasyon. Ipinakikita ng palabas ang kayang gawin ng tao—ang lumaban— ngunit matalas ang linya nito sa pagitan ng kung ano ang posible, at ano ang maaaring gawin ayon sa dikta ng nakapangyayari. Montage Ganito ang eksena sa huling mga segundo ng KPL, mapagtatanto ng manonood na sa isip lang ng bida ang lahat— mabilis na pinapatay ang kaisipang kumilos at kuwestiyonin ang ugat ng kanyang mga pinagdaraanan. Dahil siya ay estudyante, office lady, o cashier, at wala siyang kapangyarihang sagutin ang nakatataas sa kanya. Ngunit taliwas naman ito sa totoong nangyayari: hindi nananatiling tahimik ang mga kabataan o manggagawa sa harap ng pang-aabuso at

kahirapan. Patuloy ang mga pagkilos, at paglabas sa kalsada upang sumama sa laban ng karaniwang mamamayan. Pinipili lang itong tabunan ng midya, binubura at iniiba ang kuwento upang manatili sa puwesto ang sino mang pinagmumulan ng kahirapan ng lahat. Kaya naman ang kahingian sa panahon ay mga kultural na produktong mula at para sa karaniwang Pilipino: higit sa kanyang kahirapan ay ipinakikita ang paglaban niya rito, o kahit reaksyon sa pinakapayak. Tulad ng pelikulang Tu Pug Imatuy na nagsalaysay sa karanasan ng mga Lumad sa gitna ng militarisasyon, at mga obra sa mga pagkilos na nagpapakita ng lakas ng mamamayan. Hanggang hindi tunay na hinaharap ni Yap, o ng mga manunulat at direktor, ang mga maralita, manggagawa, estudyante, at ang ugat ng kanilang paghihirap, wala nang ilalalim ang kanyang mga pelikula; mananatiling reyalidad lamang nila ang naipakikita — bulag, kulang, naglilingkod sa kasalukuyang sistema. •

KULTURA

Winiwika ng mga dinarahas at tinatakot ang sining ng pagkilos at pakikisangkot. Ang mga ninanakawan ng kalayaang magtipon, binubusalan sa kritisismo at nakakatanggap ng mga banta sa buhay ay sapilitang nilulubog sa lupa; ngunit uusbong muli, di pasisiil.

PHILIPPINE COLLEGIAN

November 5, 12 years apart SOPHIA DEMANAWA November 5, 1898 The Negros Revolution Against the Spanish invaders. We hold only Our arms: made of bamboo, we painted them black. But more important was the fact that we were armed With the belief That this land, these bodies, this country Are ours And only ours. That our belief in this was weightier than these bamboo guns. More real and mightier than the guns Of our enemies November 5, 2019 It is a day of celebration For the Negros Revolution and the Masskara Festival, a symbol of how we smile during famine (for chewing on sugarcane will never fill us). On this blessed day 57 activists (some, children) from Progressive groups are arrested. The PNP tell their stories, that they found Evidence (that they themselves put). But the arms that we had was only The truth, we wrote in red, this that we scrawled on scraps of the news and Manila paper. This we hold close to our chests but more Than that Is the belief that This land, these bodies, this country Are ours And only ours. Armed with this belief, more real and mightier Than the stories they tell. •

Kung tutuusin SHEILA ABARRA Hangin pa lang, pwedeng malimit na tinginan, o di kaya'y mahahabang usapan sa telepono ang ako noong panahong una raw nilang nasaksihan ang lakas ng mamamayang nagkakaisa sa Tingin ko, di lang hangin kung tutuusin, di pwedeng malimit at makulit na ligaw na panliligaw, o di kaya'y walang direksyong usapan ang nagtulak noong panahong iyon sa mga mamamayang binitawan ang trabaho sa kompanya ng telepono, sinara ang tindahan sa kanto at tumungo sa lansangan dahil kung Tutuusin at iisiping mabuti ang mga kondisyon noong panahong una ay hindi unang beses nagkaisa ang mga mamamayan dahil sabi ng nanay ko, sabi ng Lolo ko na sinabi ng kapatid niya nung nayntin kopong-kopong nagwelga na sila sa di makataong pasahod, di pa ko tao noong panahong unang iyon kung kaya sabi nila ano'ng karapatang magsalita, magmartsa sa kalsada, magtungo sa kanayunan, magalit sa bawat balita ng pagpatay sa mga magsasaka at saka ano raw ang alam ko e hindi naman ako taga Mindanao kaya sabi ko bakit di kayo magsalita tungkol sa bawat komunidad na minimilitarisa, bawat tahanang ginigiba sa mga lungsod, bawat kagaya kong pilit pinapahiran ng dugo ng mga berdugo, alang-alang sa pakiwaring kalaban ako ng gobyerno at oo na, oo nga, dahil kung tutuusin hindi ako estudyante, o di kaya'y kabataang sunud-sunuran sa ulol sa Malakanyang sa Tingin ko, ang hanging nagdadala sa bawat binhi sa kapatagan, kalunsuran, sa rural at larangan ay ang hanging nilanghap ng mga mamamayang nagkaisa mahigit tatlong dekada ang nakakaraan, pwedeng malimit at makabuluhang tinginang alay at paki sa kasama, o di kaya'y matalas na usapan sa mga kampuhan, maging sa silidaralan na nagtulak sa bawat kabataang lumabas at manawagan.•

Kasama mo sila KHIM ABALOS Katapusan na ng lahat Kaya ‘wag mong sabihing “Makibaka! Huwag matakot!” Kasama mo sila sa pagsigaw, Ang malawak na hanay ng masa, Dahil sa pagpaslang at karahasan. Patay na ang demokrasya, Wala na ang hustisya, Sa bansang katulad ng sa atin: Kailan pa? Kung hindi ngayon Ang panahon ng pagsuko. Walang puwang sa atin Na nasa katwiran. Ang paglaban Huwag mong ikatakot Kung ito’y katotohanan Sa iyong ipinaglalaban. Kung hindi ka sigurado Magdalawang-isip ka Katapusan na ng lahat. Kaya ‘wag mong sabihing May Kasama ka sa bawat laban. Isa itong malaking pagkakamali. Nag-iisa ka lamang. Walang katotohanan na Kasama mo sila. Ang malawak na hanay ng masa. Kasama mo sila sa pakikibaka--Pero kahit na ganito, Dahil hindi mo sila kasama sa arawaraw. Takot ang nangingibabaw sa umpisa Normal lang ‘yan dahil tao ka. Gusto nang sumuko. Umaabot sa puntong Nanlalamig, nanghihina, Sa kasalukuyang sitwasyon ng lipunan, Sa dami ng pagsubok, Kapag una kang sumuko. Ikaw ang talo •

(Basahin pabaliktad)

GRAPHICS • EBI VILLA

BALITA-OPED

Matapos ang tangkang pagpasok sa opisina ng Kulê

Pinaigting na seguridad, kalayaan sa kampus, inaasahan ng mga grupo MARVIN JOSEPH ANG Habang patuloy ang imbestigasyon sa insidente ng tangkang sapilitang pagpasok sa opisina ng Philippine Collegian noong Nobyembre 16, nananawagan ang iba’t ibang grupong mas paigtingin ang seguridad sa pamantasan at wakasan ang anumang porma ng intimidasyon laban sa pahayagan. Kasalukuyang nasa Office of the Vice Chancellor for Planning and Development (OVCPD) ang imbestigasyon sa kaso. Kinukumpirma ng mga opisyal ang pagkakakilanlan ni Wilfredo Manapat, 28, na nagtangkang pumasok sa opisina ng Kulê sa Sampaguita Residence Hall upang diumano’y mag-inspeksyon para sa isang surveillance. Nang dalhin si Manapat sa kustodiya ng UP Diliman Police (UPDP), sinabi niyang hinahanap lamang niya ang kanyang mga kasamahan. Nagpakilala siya bilang trabahador sa isang construction

site sa loob ng kampus, batay sa incident report na ipinadala ng opisina ng Chief Security Officer (CSO) at UPDP sa opisina ni Chancellor Michael Tan at OVCPD. “Kailangang gumawa sila [contractor] ng response doon sa ating report at gawin nila kung ano sa tingin nila ang appropriate action. Kapag na-receive na ang kanilang action at satisfied tayo, magse-settle tayo. Pero kung hindi, magre-review tayo ng response,” ani CSO Atty. John Baroña. Dahil sa insidente, kinakailangang mas gawing prayoridad ng administrasyon ng UP ang pagpapaigting ng seguridad sa pamantasan upang matiyak ang kaligtasan ng bawat isa, ayon kay USC Safety and Security Committee head Marco Dava. “In coordination with the UPDP, [Special Services Brigade] SSB, and CSO, we must make sure that there are roving guards and patrols that cover grounds at all times,” ani Dava, “We may also request for stricter inspections at every entry point in our campus.” Ngunit bukod sa paghihigpit ng

seguridad, para kay Dava, dapat ding bantayan ang nakaambang panghihimasok ng pwersa ng estado sa pamantasan, batay sa rekomendasyon ng Senate Committee Report No. 10. Taliwas ito sa Soto-Enrile Accord na nagbabawal sa presensya ng pulis at militar sa pamantasan. “Our calls for making UP a safe space transcend security systems. The threats of campus militarization still exist, so it is all the more reason for us to assert our academic freedom,” ani Dava. Kinundena rin ng iba’t ibang pormasyon ang tangkang pananakot at pagpapatahimik sa Collegian. Kataka-taka naman, ayon sa Altermidya Network, na nangyari ang insidente isang araw matapos paratangan ni Department of Interior and Local Government Secretary Eduardo Año ang mga organisasyon sa UP bilang “communist front groups.” “It is an attack on the right to press freedom and the right to free expression,” anang Altermidya. “Redtagging always precedes grave human rights violations as

KENT IVAN FLORINO we have seen in the recent raids and arrests of activists.” Upang pangalagaan ang kalayaan sa pamantasan, kinakailangang magkaisa ng bawat sektor sa unibersidad, ayon sa pahayag ng Congress of Teachers and Educators for Nationalism and Democracy–UP. “If we tolerate these fascist intrusions to penetrate the sacred walls of our university, then, we, as an academic community, is surrendering our solemn duty to

defend free expression.” Sa kabila ng panggigipit, nananawagan ang punong patnugot ng Kulê na si Beatrice Puente na patuloy dapat labanan ang anumang atake laban sa pahayagan at mga progresibong grupo. “The recent attack on the Collegian proves that there exists no safe space for dissent. The threat is alive, but we must remain firm and united in resisting these attacks,” ani Puente. •

threatens. Far too often we want to see UP as an idyll—where activists brew, and papers like the Collegian can slam draconian regimes, unburdened by fear for their members’ safety. This belief is so soothing that we tend to forget the campus perimeters are only as unbreachable as the ranks we ought to close, the line we must steadfastly hold. Now is the time to discard any pretensions to the university’s immunity from violence. For now, such prospects may appear far-fetched. Yet neither had we imagined several years back that activists and dissidents could get arrested—if not gunned down in broad daylight—almost regularly, in spite of the law. No president in recent memory has weaponized legal frameworks so viciously as to strike fear into the hearts of those he brands as enemies of the state. Nobody insists that the man who tried to enter the Collegian office was a state agent, but words like “inspection” and “surveillance” do not enter everyday parlance out of nowhere. They come from a rhetoric of bluster and desperation

delivered at a moment of national division, playing on fears to drive a wedge deeper between a demagogue’s loyalists and all else. Today’s sense of siege spares no institution that expresses even the slightest dissent. There is, however, safety in numbers—in the growing mass of Filipinos disillusioned with this regime’s unfulfilled promises, outraged by the social costs of political persecution and laying waste to lives by the tens of thousands. A lot more are bound to be stirred into action. They are the audience whose attention we seek to grab as we carry on with presswork in the Collegian, ditching sleep and downing mugs of coffee. Ours are mere sacrifices of a few luxuries. Though we squeak by in a lousy office, we are nowhere near as defenseless as those out in the streets, on picket lines, on the fields, staring down the barrel of a gun to stand their ground. To be paralyzed by alarm and cower in panic should be the last thing on our minds and is exactly what an imperiled democracy can no longer afford. •

REPRESSION OF EXPRESSION RICHARD CORNELIO

The Collegian is our safe space only insofar as its pages strive to console the vulnerable, to tell stories that have been shoved to the corners of the political realm as the grosser reflexes of tyranny are once again creeping to the center.

These days, I live out of a backpack and eco-bags loaded with clothes stowed under an office desk that doubles as a make-do cupboard. I take showers in a roofless bathroom, shit in a toilet that rotates like a sundial, and get dressed with other people around. The wee hours of the morning I spend nodding off on a hollowed-out couch after hours of unsnarling word salads and making sure no bland prose sees print. For days at a stretch, artists and writers like me share an office and live on instant coffee and fast food takeout to crank out newspaper issues. It is far from a convenient environment. The Collegian is our safe space only insofar as its pages strive to console the vulnerable, to tell stories that have been shoved to the corners of the political realm as the grosser reflexes of tyranny are once again creeping to the center. The recent attempt to encroach on this space reflects the shrinking sites of struggle elsewhere in the country. It follows the derangements in policy and character of a president keen to diminish democracy, to yank the

22 Nobyembre 2019 • www.philippinecollegian.org

economy into a slump, to slaughter all progressives if the ongoing crackdown proves futile. Today, to speak out implies a sort of waiver for your life. The Halloween haul of 57 peasant leaders, trade unionists, and people’s rights advocates in Bacolod City exemplifies the bolder attacks meant to depict civic participation as illegal, the assertion of what is right and just as untenable and terroristic. The government hoists the banner of these lies to rally blind support. The threat to raid the offices of think tank Ibon Foundation and media outfit Altermidya is one such effort to abet public ignorance of state brutalities, to snap up airwaves and mouth off conspiracies. Reports of rebels supposedly bred in the university are among the fictions bandied about in mainstream news. No longer just an orthodoxy of the state, the anxiety about youth insurgents now serves to justify a plan to deploy police and military units on campus to bust so-called communist fronts. There is little doubt about the greater harm such an incursion

KONTRA-AGOS ATHENA SOBERANO TALIPAPA • OKTUBRE 2019, BAGUIO CITY

LAYAG NG PAGLAYA Tuluyan nang napigtal ang mga tiwangwang na lambat ni Kuya Fred at kahit kumpunihin niya pa, hindi niya na ito mapakikinabangan. Inaanay na rin ang tabla at katig ng kanyang maliit na bangka, kaya bago pa tuluyang maluma, agad niya nang ipinagbili ang motor kay Papa. Pilit man niyang itago, alam kong mabigat sa loob niyang pakawalan ang mga ito. Nalugi na rin ang kanilang tindahan buhat ng matigil si Kuya Fred sa paglalayag. dahilan upang mamasukan siya sa amin bilang tagabuhat ng mga ibinabagsak na huling isda sa port. Kung dati’y siya ang nanghuhuli at kanya ang lahat ng kita sa mga nahuhuli, ngayon, tagapuno na lang siya ng banyera ng huli ng iba, habang kumikita ng mas mababa pa sa minimum. Buhat nang mapabalita ang insidente ng panggigipit ng mga Tsino sa mga mangingisda ng Masinloc, natulak ang mga dati’y pangingisda ang kabuhayan na maghanap ng panibagong pagkakakitaan. Ang ilan, katulad ni Kuya Fred, ay namasukan sa amin bilang mga kargador, habang ang iba’y pumasok sa mga pabrika’t kung saan-saan pang pagawaan. Katawa-tawa kung tutuusing pulu-pulo ang ating bansa subalit isa ang sektor ng mga mangingisda sa kakarampot ang kita at walang suporta ang pamahalaan. Nakadagdag pa sa

FAULT IN LINE LUCKY DELA ROSA

Ang mga bitak sa kalupaan ng Pilipinas ay matagal nang nangyayari bago pa man ang pagyanig.

mabigat nang pasanin nila ang pagharang sa kanila makapangisda malapit sa inaangking teritoryo ng Tsina. Hindi katulad ng ibang mga bansang inaagawan din ng teritoryo ng Tsina gaya ng Vietnam at Argentina, mukhang walang balak ang ating gobyernong igiit ang ating soberanya laban sa panghihimasok ng Tsina. Pagkat para sa ating mga lider, maliit na insidente lamang ito kumpara sa limpak-limpak na perang papasok sa bansa sa porma ng mga pautang ng bansang Tsina, na sila-sila rin lang ang makikinabang. Kung tunay na may malasakit ang gobyerno sa mamamayan, matatanto nitong ang interes na dapat nilang ibinabandana ay pabor sa kalagayan ng mga batayang sektor katulad ng mga mangingisda. At bagaman susi ang sigasig nina Kuya Fred sa tagumpay ng aming negosyo, naiintindihan ko ring hindi ito ang makakapag-ahon sa kanila mula sa kahirapan, kundi ang tuluyang makapangisda sila nang walang takot o pangamba ng pangingikil. Pagkat higit pa sa ekonomikong ganansya, mas mahalaga ang seguridad ng kanilang buhay at kabuhayan at higit, tayo-tayo mismo ang makinabang sa ating sariling likas na yaman, hindi ang dayuhan at iilang makapangyarihan. •

Hindi lang lupa ang yumanig dahil ramdam ko ito hanggang sa Facebook. Pa-scroll-scroll lang ako nang malaman kong nilindol ang Mindanao. Agad kong tinawagan si Papa upang siguraduhin ang kaligtasan ng aking pamilya. Nabanggit n’ya sa akin ang pagkatakot dahil yari lamang sa kahoy ang aming bahay. Nitong Oktubre, tatlong malalakas na lindol na ‘di bababa sa magnitude 6.0 ang yumanig sa iba’t ibang bahagi ng Mindanao. Pinakamalalang naapektuhan ang bayan ng Makilala, M’lang, at Tulunan sa North Cotabato na ngayon ay isinailalim sa state of calamity. Tinatayang 17 buhay ang nasawi at mahigit isandaang libong katao ang apektado sa rehiyon ng Soccsksargen at Davao, ayon sa National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council. Biglaan kung mangyari ang lindol, hindi nahuhulaan gaya ng ibang kalamidad na may signos na makukuha sa mga pag-aaral. Maliban sa mga paalala sa publiko na may aktibong fault, at mga paalala kung paano ang gagawin sa panahong lumindol, mainam

din ang kahandaan ng gobyerno sa programa ng rehabilitasyon at kagyat na tulong sa maaapektuhan ng sakuna. Matapos ang paglindol, magkakaibang tugon ang bumaha sa social media dahilan ng pagalarma ng publiko. Sa bukiring bahagi ng Makilala, gumuho ang lupa at natabunan ang isang sitio. Buhat ng pangamba ng muling pagtibag, anim na kilometro ang nilakad ng mga residente upang makababa sa pinakaligtas na lugar. Sa isang video clip, nagsitakbuhan ang mga nasa mababang lugar dahil sa agamagam ng tsunami. Nakaupo lang ako habang naghihintay ng mga updates. Dama ko ang sakit nang mabasa kong nasawi ang isang estudyante dahil naguhuan ng pader sa eskwelahan habang lumilikas. Ang rupok ng mga eskwelahang para sa evacuation centers ay bahagi ng suliranin—may pananagutan ang gobyerno sa palpak na konstruksyon at pagpapaunlad ng mga imprastraktura. Bunga ng matinding pinsalang idinulot ng lindol ay ang pagkaubos ng calamity fund ng Sangguniang

Bayan. Sa halip na ayusin ang sistemang ayuda tuwing may kalamidad, decentralization ang sagot ng gobyerno. Binabase lang sa kita ang pondong nilalaan sa calamity fund ng bawat local government unit kada taon. ‘Pag mahirap na lungsod, mababa ang nilalaan. Hindi na rin nila kayang tugunan ang mga pangunahing pangangailangan ng mga residente. At sa halip na manatili sa mga evacuation center, tumutuloy sila sa lansangan dala ang kanilang mga karatula upang mamalimos ng pagkain at medisina sa mga dumaraang sasakyan. Sa pananalanta ng lindol, kalakhan ng mga biktima ay mahihirap kung saan laging kapos ang tugon ng gobyerno sa mga relief operations. Kumpara sa mayayaman walang pangekonomiyang kakayahan ang mahihirap sa paghahanda dahil mas prayoridad nilang mapunan ang kumakalam na sikmura. Sa mga ganitong sitwasyon, ang pagtugon sa ugat ng kahirapan ang siyang dapat unahin ng gobyerno. Pansin ko rin ang mabilisang

pag-status ng aking mga kaibigan. Masaya silang nagpipiktyur sa kabila ng trahedya. Ganito kung sipatin ang Filipino spirit na laging pinapaketeng naratibo ng mga mahihirap. Nanonormalisa ang pag-ngiti bilang sukatan ng katatagan, pantapal sa walang humpay na pagdurusa sa pagiging mahirap, at ang ugat nito na panlipunang hindi pagkakapantay-pantay. Miserable ang tunay na buhay ng mahihirap at hindi natin ito dapat tanggapin. Ang mga bitak sa kalupaan ng Pilipinas ay matagal nang nangyayari bago pa man ang pagyanig. Pilit na ipinagkakait ng gobyerno ang batayang pangangailangan ng mga Pilipino at mas pokus sa paglaan ng 2.5 bilyong pisong intelligence fund ngayong taon. Kasing-aktibo ng mga fault line ang mga pwersa ng estado tuwing gabi ng panonokhang. Lalong-lalo na sa pag-aresto sa mga aktibista na plinaplantahan ng mga bala at baril. Ngunit wala nang mas mainam na paghahanda kundi ang pag-unlad na nakasentro sa mga mahihirap. Kalamidad man o giyera, di magigiba. •

phkule@gmail.com

OPED-GRPX LUCKY DELA ROSA

LIVING NIGHTMARE NATHAN ALLAZO

As the state and private entities continuously pursue personal greed at the expense of the marginalized, there is no proper recourse than to resist and wake up from this nightmare.

I have finally come to terms with the fact that I have zero willpower left—that even the easy task of setting alarms is something I refuse to do. There is no point in doing so anyway, since my body has become used to waking up before daylight. It is rather easy to tell if it is already five in the morning: When I sense the clanging in the kitchen, when I smell the brewing coffee, and when I hear Lola’s words, “Bangon na, Apo; baka ma-late ka sa trabaho,” spoken in a soft, comforting voice. But life has unfortunately taken so sharp a turn that the usual mornings I wake up to no longer exist. These days, I would usually face my laptop idly while the screen casts pale light over my rejected drafts. On the side is a half-empty coffee, fueling me to continue creating one illustration after another. The lights are dim, giving an impression of isolation. But the ghostly keyboard taps echoing around the office grounds me back to my fading senses—I am not alone in this nightmare.

22 November 2019 • www.philippinecollegian.org

It has already been the third day this week—the second week this month alone—that I spent 10 extra hours in the office past my designated shift. I said I’d take a break, yet here I still am, rendering design materials at my cubicle, along with my half-awake co-workers, exhausting what remains of our laptop storage, creative juices, and patience—if there is anything left at all. On top of this burnout, the exploitative work I experience diminishes my passion for the arts, making me feel less of an artist every passing day. And despite working beyond my scheduled hours, I am poorly compensated for my craft. As a contractual employee, it would be almost impossible to get an adequate pay. This is the reality shared by over 300,000 contractual workers in the country. Most of us receive wages disproportionate to the work we have rendered, as the majority of the profit goes straight to the pockets of multi-billionaire company heads. While companies accumulate huge sums from our labor, most workers are left suffering under

harsh, endangering conditions just to feed a family of five. Some factories, for one, do not even offer any safety equipment to its workers. Such conditions have pushed workers from NutriAsia, PEPMACO, and Regent Foods Corporation to resist this nightmare. The company management, instead of heeding their calls, only tagged the striking workers as criminal. They would even use brute force and fabricated charges just to send these people to jail. It is no doubt that 8.1 million Filipinos are considered overworked, based on the Philippine Statistics Authority’s 2015 data. This leaves millions at risk of serious health diseases and, potentially, even death. What is even worse is that not everyone understands where the workers are coming from. Some would suggest that instead of “complaining” they should just work harder—as if sowing hard work and practicing resilience could actually lead to a better future. A lot of people still believe in this unfounded

claim, including my family. Every time I rant about work, my Lola would often respond with the rhetoric of ungratefulness, saying I was lucky to even land an office job despite taking an unprofitable profession of an artist. I bet Lolo, who worked overseas as a construction worker, would say the same thing if he were still alive. Sadly, he died believing the illusion he was fed: the narrative of hard work and resilience as key to success, machinated by the elites, to keep on profiting from the underprivileged like us. He may not be the last one to die deluded in this fantasy. As the state and private entities continuously pursue personal greed at the expense of the marginalized, there is no proper recourse than to resist and wake up from this nightmare. As I feel my eyes giving in to the fatigue of working for long and taxing hours, my consciousness slowly fades away. There’s so much work still left to do, so I stood up to fix myself one last cup of coffee. “Bangon na, Apo,” says one familiar voice ringing in my head. •

PHILIPPINE COLLEGIAN

22 November 2019 Volume 97 • Issue 09-10 www.philippinecollegian.org

KAYONG BALATKAYO Ang tunay na nagsusulong ng demokrasya ang ngayo’y ligal at lantarang tinutugis ng mga huwad na tagapamandila ng panlipunang kaayusan. Sa tabing ng pagprotekta sa mga kabataan, isinulong ni Sen. Bato dela Rosa ang ulat nagrerekomenda ng pagkakaroon ng militar at pulis sa mga kampus. Subalit taliwas sa layunin nitong ibayong proteksyon, kakabit ng resolusyong ito ang tuwirang panunupil sa karapatan ng mga kabataan. Ang rekomendasyon ng senadong obserbahan ang mga kurikulum at leksyon ng mga propesor ay restriksyong tumatapak sa sosyopulitikal na karapatan ng mga estudyante. Ang ulat na ito ay nagmula sa imbestigasyon sa mga pinaratangang nawawalang menor de edad na nirekrut ng umano’y komunistang mga grupo. Ang batayan ng senado sa ulat ay wakasan ang pagiging radikal ng mga estudyante. Gayunman, hindi ito krimen; ang batas hinggil sa pagkasubersibo ay ibinasura noong 1992 dahil labag ito sa konstitusyunal na karapatan sa kalayaang magtipon. Walang demokrasya sa tugon ng administrasyon sa puspusan nitong pinatotohanang indoktrinasyon ng mga komunista sa mga unibersidad—sagabal umano sa pag-unlad, kaaway, terorista. Ito ang tuntungan ng administrasyon sa pagsasagawa ng mga seminar at lektura na “antikomunista” pagkat tinuturing na kaaway ng bayan. Gayunman, napatunayan na ng administrasyong ito mismo ang tunay na kaaway ng mga kabataan—sunudsunod ang ulat ng pagpatay

EDITORYAL

Ang totoong kaaway ng bayan ay ang mga mapaniil sa karaniwang mamamayan at sumusugpo sa mga lumalaban.

sa mga kadete sa Philippine Military Academy, habang ang mga kabataang araw-araw tinutugis at pinapatay ng giyera kontra-droga ay “collateral damage” kung tawagin ng rehimen. Terorista kung kumilos ang estado—ang gana ng sandatahang-lakas ay nakatuon sa karaniwang mamamayan sa kumpas ng Oplan Tokhang. Ang Oplan Sauron sa Negros ay pumapatay sa lahat ng nangangalaga ng karapatangpantao mula sa mga aktibista hanggang sa bulto-bultong sakada at magsasaka. Sa ilalim ng Memorandum Order 32, hinawan ng pangulo ang landas ng kanyang administrasyon sa mga kaaway ng diktadura— ang kalakasan ng insurhensiya sa mga probinsya ng Bikol, Samar, at Negros ayon sa imbestigasyon ng mga intelligence unit ng sandatahang-lakas ay ginawang prayoridad. Umabot na ito sa lungsod kung saan nire-raid ang mga opisina ng ligal at demokratikong organisasyon na pinararatangang prente ng CPP-NPA at iniisyuhan ng gawagawang warrant at kaso. Ang inisa-isang indibidwal ay esensyal sa kabuuang implementasyon ng Executive Order 70 na kumakasangkapan

sa mga ligal na yunit ng gobyerno para sa pambansang “task force” na naglalayong supilin ang kilusan at ang mga pinagbibintangang bahagi nito. Binubuo na ng mga dating sundalo ang gabinete, dahilan para sa madaliang paggaod ng task force sa usapin ng militarisasyon. At ang ulat ng senado ay isa sa mga pangunahing implementasyon ng EO 70— diktadura sa mga paaralan at akademikong institusyon. Inaatake ang kalayaang pangakademiko dahil ang tinatanggal ng ulat ay bahagi ng pinag-aaralan at isinasabuhay ng mga iskolar ng bayan—ang mga suliraning kinahaharap ng lahat ng inaapi at pinapatay ng administrasyon ni Pangulong Rodrigo Duterte. Sistematiko ang operasyong diktadura ni Duterte, ang bawat ibinababang memorandum at kinukumpas na order ay nakatuon sa pagpatay sa puno ng kalaban ng kaniyang administrasyon; ang mga katutubong nagtutungo sa Maynila para manawagan laban sa militarisasyon ay pinatutuloy ng pamantasan sa mga gusali nito; sampu ng mga nagkakampuhang manggagawa at magsasaka mula sa iba’t ibang pabrika at hasyenda. Ang mga pamantasang nangangalaga ng malaya at mapagpalayang kaisipan ay walang pagtatago at pagaatubiling nagluluwal ng mga kritiko ng gobyerno. Isa ito ngayon sa target ng pangulo, dahil hanggang buhay ang

kalayaan sa karunungan, mananatili ang laksa-laksang pag-aaklas na magpapahirap sa diktadurang gawin ang nais nitong lalo pang pagpapalawak ng kapangyarihang ganid at makasarili. Ang totoong kaaway ng bayan ay ang mga mapaniil sa karaniwang mamamayan at sumusugpo sa mga lumalaban. Ang tunay na kulay ng mga balatkayo ay lantad na at nasa taumbayan ang apoy na magtataboy sa pananamantala, kikitil sa karahasan. •

DIBUHO AT DISENYO NG PAHINA • KIMBERLY ANNE YUTUC