UPLB Perspective Volume 41 Issue 3

UPLB PERSPECTIVE | Volume 41 Issue 3 | November 2014 - January 2015

VOLUME 41 ISSUE 3

NOVEMBER 2014 - JANUARY 2015

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03 LRT/MRT RIDE PRICES UP

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OPLAN BAYANIHAN

10 ANG NAWAWALA

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UPLB PERSPECTIVE | Volume 41 Issue 3 | November 2014 - January 2015

UPLB PERSPECTIVE | Volume 41 Issue 3 | November 2014 - January 2015

#NasaanAngPangulo?

UPCAT 2015 results out 2,530 pass in LB

ng feeling ko noong nalaman ko na pumasa ako ng UPCAT,” said Allen Dimapilis, an incoming UPLB BS Nutrition student from Cavite National Science High School in an interview. “Relax lang ako the day before the UPCAT, I know in myself that I prepared well for it and nagpray ako before it started.

After ng UPCAT, excited na agad ako malaman yung results. Finally, pumasa!”

On the other hand, another interviewee who requested anonymity stated “Ito na ang pinakaheartbreaking moment sa buhay ko,” upon knowing that she failed UPCAT. “I’m still looking forward though, to getting admitted in UP.” [P]

WORDS | Guien Eidrefson Garma, with reports from Charity Faith Rulloda

Comparative representation of the top 10 UPLB degree programs for UPCAT 2014 and 2015

UPCAT results Main site: http://upcat.up.edu.ph/results/ may be viewed in the Stickbread Mirror: http://upcat.stickbread.net/ following websites: PREGINET Mirror: http://upcat.pregi.net/

UHO has new chief

WORDS | Rachel Nuñez & Guien Garma

To face challenges posed by policies before his term Dr. Cesar B. Quicoy, a professor from the Department of Economics (DAE), College of Economics and Management (CEM), was named the new UPLB Housing Office (UHO) Chief.

Quicoy was appointed by Chancellor Fernando Sanchez

Data from it.uplbosa.org

“Mabuhay ang mga bagong Iskolar ng Bayan!”

The University of the Philippines College Admission Test (UPCAT) results for academic year 2015-2016 has been released by UP Office of Admissions last January 12, Monday.

Among the estimated 87,000 students who took the UPCAT last August 2014 in 82 testing centers around the country, about 13,100 passed.

According to the data from the Office of Admissions posted on the Office of Student Affairs (OSA) website, the total number of UPLB passers in the UPCAT 2015 is 2,530, The BS Biology program offered by the College of Arts and Sciences (CAS) has the highest number of passers with 183 students. The BS Computer Science program, which has last year’s highest number of passers became second this year with 172 passers.

Meanwhile, there are also 540 students who also passed in UPLB, but will be admitted in degree programs with available slot (DPWAS) of their choice.

In social media, “Congrats UPCAT” trended on Twitter worldwide just hours after the UPCAT results were out.

“Proud, ecstatic and nervous ang 3 adjectives na makakapagdescribe

Filipinos flare up VS Aquino

WORDS | Czarina Joy Arevalo & Charity Rulloda

Jr. after former UHO Chief Dr. Ma. Larissa Lelu P. Gata filed her courtesy resignation last November 2014.

Gata’s term is supposed to end on December 2014. Quicoy’s appointment was effective December 1.

Chancellor’s marching order: Make UHO a ‘service sector’ In an interview with the Perspective, Quicoy said that Chancellor Fernando Sanchez, Jr. tasked him to make student and staff housing “a service sector of the University” that students should feel.

“I agree with that,” Quicoy said. “The dormitory is supposed to be a service.

In fact, I sometimes call it as a right of the students to have a shelter in the University.”

Some of his plans for student dormitories include installation of CCTV cameras and landline phones, and provision of computer and printing services – services which should be accessible within the dormitories in order for students not to go outside the campus anymore.

SCs uphold original CRSRS in 39th GASC Body to join R4E alliance

The 39th General Assembly of Student Councils (GASC) held at UP Cebu on January 9-11 retains the current Codified Rules for the Selection of the Student Regent (CRSRS) without amendments.

The CRSRS, which was drafted in 1997 is the set of rules governing the democratic selection process for the Student Regent (SR). All Student Councils (SCs) in the UP System are convened under the GASC which happens twice a year—the first being the discussion of proposed amendments raised by SCs for the CRSRS and the deliberation of national and local issues affecting UP and the country. The second being the selection of the SR based on the approved CRSRS. In attendance were 44 out of the total 53 student councils from all UP campuses.

One Council, One vote Among the highlights of the congress was the proposed amendment of UP Diliman University Student Council (UPD USC) and UPD College of Social Science and Philosophy Student Council (CSSP SC) to give each council a separate vote.

In the current version of the CRSRS, the selection of the SR is through the consensus of each constituent campus. Two votes are allotted for autonomous campuses (Diliman, Manila, Los Baños, Baguio, Cebu, and Mindanao) while a single vote is given for regional campuses (Visayas, Tacloban, Palo, and Pampanga)

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NEWS

WORDS | John Paul Omac

In the midst of the debate, CSSP SC was ordered to hold a caucus outside the session and settle internal matters after one of their councilors, Marielle Marcaida, expressed her disapproval of their council’s proposal. They were then forced to withdraw leaving the UPD USC as the sole proponent.

The Assembly scrapped the one council, one vote proposal through 29 votes. Nine SCs on the other hand voted “no” while six chose to abstain. The proposed amendment, according to critics, endangers smaller campuses as it gives most of the voting power to larger campuses with more student councils. Currently, more than half of the student population of the UP system are in UPD and UPLB. Diliman also has the most councils in the system, with 21 out of 53. Moreover, they emphasized the significance of consensus-building in the Assembly.

“Sa GASC, consensus building, nagkakaroon ng tunggalian ng ideya.

BIlang lahat tayo’t may sari-sariling ideya, magkaroon tayo ng bukas na isip at magandang desisyon. Tinatanggal sa one council, one vote ang pagbukas ng gantong ideya at ang mga sides ng ibang panig,” UPLB CAS SC added.

Citing their “consideration to the welfare of the assembly” after long hours of debates, UPD USC and CSSP SC withdrew their remaining proposals. These include imposing a minimum academic requirement

for SR nominees, and ensuring a three-year effectivity clause of the amendments.

Meanwhile, the Law Student Government (LSG) proposed that the students directly vote the student regent. However, they were forced to withdraw the proposal on technical grounds since they filed it under nomination, not voting. It would be against the current rules to change their proposal which should have been finalized before October 1, 2014. Their other proposal to elect representatives per campus to the Office of the Student Regent (OSR) was likewise junked by the body.

Assembly to Rise for Education The Assembly also approved various resolutions proposed by different SCs. Among these was the proposal for the body to join the Rise for Education Alliance that calls for quality and accessible education. The proposal was approved but the membership of individual councils will be subject to their ratification.

Other approved resolutions include the call to junk ludicrous and exorbitant school fees; the campaign to abolish CHED Memo no. 20 series of 2013, which removes Filipino subjects in tertiary education; the call to abolish the pork barrel system and eradicate corruption; campaign to stop privatization of public hospitals; and lastly, demand for the expulsion of military in academic institutions. [P]

However, while Quicoy revealed these plans to the Perspective, he was still hesitant to make any promises yet.

“Ayaw ko munang ipagsabi sana kasi [may] expectations kaagad, e.

Wala naman sa akin ang control [sa pondo],” Quicoy said. He added that all the plans of the UHO are still subject for approval from higher offices, and will depend on the pace of procurement.

His appointment has come amidst the scrutiny of various policies implemented by Gata, such as the new payment process, reservation scheme, and renovation plans, which dormers and student-leaders criticized as repressive and tedious.

Payment goes to Landbank Recently, UHO implemented a new rent payment scheme. Instead of the traditional manual payment scheme at the UHO’s main office, dormers now pay their fees at the Land BankUPLB branch. The payment process was on freeze for more than a month during the transition.

In the new process, the dormers have to get three copies of statement of account and bank deposit slip from their dorm managers. The fees shall then be paid at Land Bank.

The copies of statement of account shall be machine-validated. After the payment, the dormers have to turn over one copy of the statement of account to the UHO main office and another copy to their dorm.

The new payment scheme was fully implemented on November 6.

As observed by the Perspective on the midday of November 6, UPLB dormers were queued together with regular Land Bank customers.

In a consultation with various dorm associations, UHO said that on every 15th of the month, the deadline of payment of fees, a special lane will be dedicated to dormers in Land Bank.

Alliance of Dormitory Associations (ADA) President Justine Maturan recalled in an interview with the Perspective that according to the past UHO administration, the change in the payment scheme is due to security measures.

“We understand the side of UHO that we need [a more secure payment center]. … Let us be considerate about the [safety of our payments],” Maturan said in Filipino. However, this new scheme brings more hassle to students, according to experiences shared to Maturan by her fellow dormers.

“We saw the hassle, the stress of very long lines. There was an instance when a dormer queued up at 9am, she was finished by 11:30.

It’s just a single transaction,” she also said.

UHO has new chief... Page 4

#NasaanAngPangulo (Where is the President?) was the battle cry of student leaders, organizations and student institutions at the University of the Philippines Los Baños during an indignation rally held January 30, Friday at the Oblation grounds. This was in honor of the 44 Philippine National Police (PNP) Special Action Force (SAF), 18 members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), 5 members of the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) and 7 civilians, who died in an 11hour combat in Mamasapano, Maguindanao on January 25.

The protesters wore black shirts to amplify their disappointment and opposition to President Benigno S. Aquino III’s absence in the arrival of the remains of the troops on January 29, Thursday. They condemned the President for his abandonement and lack of accountability on the incident. #NasaanAngPangulo was a trending topic on Twitter on January 29 after President Aquino did not attend the arrival ceremony for the remains of the SAF troopers, who instead chose to go to the opening of a car plant in Laguna province.

Former President Fidel V. Ramos, the founder of the SAF during the time that the police force was still under the Philippine ConstabularyIntegrated National Police (PC-INP), was also in the event in Laguna, but opted to leave earlier to attend the arrival honors.

The following day, January 30, the necrological service for the officers at Camp BagongDiwa had to be paused as the President would arrive late.

Still, Aquino heaped criticisms for his late arrival that caused netizens to express their disappointment using #LateAngPangulo.

Various student movements, such as this one in UPLB, anchored series of campaigns and protest actions to show and manifest their distrust to Aquino.

All of these protests – both online and offline – are flared on the Chief Executive’s actions with regards to Oplan Exodus, an operation aimed to arrest Malaysian bomb maker Zulkifli bin Hir alias Marwan, and his Filipino subordinate Basit Usman, and to condemn US involvement on the encounter.

The Mamasapano encounter In what Interior Secretary Mar Roxas called a “misencounter” [sic], 44 members of the PNP SAF died in a marshy part of Mamasapano, Maguindanao, while executing the operation engaged with members of MILF and BIFF, a terrorist group that broke away from the MILF.

Source: Presentation of Dir. Benjamin Magalong to the Senate, as posted on www.gov.ph.

The number of deaths among the BIFF is not accounted for as of press time.

A total of 392 SAF men were in Mamasapano, Maguindanao for the operation, with the 84th Special Action Company (84th SAC) Seaborne and 55th SAC executing the main operation.

Before ‘Exodus,’ nine ops Before the botched Oplan Exodus, nine operations were conducted to arrest Marwan, but all of these failed to attain the main objective.

In a presentation to the Senate by Dir. Benjamin Magalong, who headed the police’s Board of Inquiry (BOI) on the Mamasapano operation, it was revealed that only three operations were executed, while five were aborted.

One of the defining features of the latest operation, Oplan Exodus, was the time-on-target principle. This meant that the commanders will only inform and coordinate with the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) only when they are already on-site.

Series of blame games For two times, President Aquino addressed the nation on nationwide primetime television.

In his first address on January 28, President Aquino said that the SAF members were there to serve a warrant of arrest to the wanted terrorists.

“Allow me to clarify: When a warrant is issued against an individual, all officers of the law are obligated to serve it. This is precisely why, since long ago, our security sector, including the AFP, PNP, and NBI, has undertaken multiple operations to capture Marwan, Usman, and other terrorists,” he said in Filipino.

He also said that they are “not always required to obtain” his approval before every operation, as “it would be impractical.”

The President also put the blame on sacked SAF chief Dir. Getulio Napeñas, who, he said, always answered “Yes, Sir” when reminded about coordinating with the armed forces.

“If my order [to Napeñas] to ensure sufficient coordination had been complied with, then perhaps it was pushed to the limit, resulting in very minimum compliance,” he said.

“In fact, I was surprised to learn that the heads of the Western Mindanao Command, or even of the 6th Infantry Division, had only been advised after the first encounter involving Marwan and Usman; the SAF forces were already retreating, and the situation had already became problematic,” the President added.

#NasaanAngPangulo... Page 5

New year, new fare:

LRT/MRT ride prices up

WORDS | Miguel Carlos Lazarte & Elisha Padilla

The Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) has approved fare increases for the three main light rail lines in Metro Manila, the Light Rail Transit 1 (LRT1), Light Rail Transit 2 (LRT-2), and Metro Rail Transit (MRT-3). The new fare matrix was implemented on January 4, 2015.

DOTC’s Department Order No. 2014-014 states that the mentioned rail lines will follow a uniform distancebased fare scheme, with a base fare of P11 and an additional P1 per kilometer.

This has increased the maximum train fare by at least P10. The fare changes from the terminal stations of the three light rail lines are listed in the table above.

The implementation was delayed “one last time until after the Christmas season” according to DOTC Secretary Joseph Abaya. He said that it had been a tough decision, but it has been several years since an increase was enforced.

This is the first time in 12 years that fare for the light rail services have increased. It was in 2003 when the LRT-1’s fare increased from P15 to P20. Aside from this hike, the last known price change was MRT-3’s lowered fare in 1999, from P34 fare to P20 we knew until today.

Reasonably fare?

According to DOTC and the Palace, the hike was in line with the MediumTerm Philippine Development Plan 2011-2016 which covered the userpays principle. The principle suggests that passengers should pay more for their transportation.

According to them, the whole country pays taxes for Metro Manila commuters.

The government subsidizes 60% of the fares for LRT and 75% for MRT, which leads to a P12 billion worth allotted to light rail each year.

If the user-pays principle is applied, those who use the train lines should pay more since they get the benefit

of the transportation system itself, compared to the people who pay taxes and do not benefit from the trains like Filipinos who do not work or reside in Metro Manila.

Furthermore, the extra pay effort was said to be used to “improve services” within the transit system.

The fare hike is already long overdue because of the inflation rates in the past years,which increased the operation costs.

Additionally, the P2 billion savings from the allotted subsidy will be spent on social services and more pressing concerns, such as the rehabilitation of typhoon-stricken areas.

Also, during fare talks in 2013, then Transportation Secretary Mar Roxas said the fare hike is made to be at par with bus fares, adding that it is not right that the more efficient mode of transportation is cheaper than the less efficient one.

Unreasonable and unfare?

The day after its implementation, various militant groups, petitioners, and youth activists immediately rounded up in the Supreme Court to file a Temporary Restraining Order (TRO) on the hike.

Strike the Hike protest group encouraged commuters to express their protests on the fare hike through selfies and groufies in train stations.

The photos were posted on social media with hashtags #SelfieProtest and #NoToMRTLRTFareHikes.

The fare hike also caught the ire of several politicians.

Rep. Carlos Zarate of Bayan Muna partylist said that there was no due process and no public hearing. Furthermore, the hike was announced on holiday season, when offices are on break, a scheme to avoid resistance from the people.

Rep. Neri Colmenares, also of Bayan Muna, said that the P2 billion will be used like the Disbursement Acceleration Program (DAP), and that the hike ”defeats the purpose of mass transit systems” which was

GRAPHICS | JOHN PAUL OMAC

Sources: DOTC website, Rappler, Inquirer, ABS-CBN News, GMA Network, Journal, Manila Bulletin, Interaksyon, PhilStar, Manila Times, Teddy Casiño’s Wordpress

to provide cheap transportation. He further described it as “government irresponsibility and greed,” and “corrupt practices onto hapless commuters.”

Senators Grace Poe, chair of the Senate Committee on Transportation and Communications, and Francis Escudero, chair of the Senate Committee on Finance, both criticized DOTC. Poe said DOTC did not mention the fare hike in the Senate’s public hearings, further adding that this action is “insensitive” to the public.

Escudero on the other hand stated the Senate would not have approved the DOTC’s 2015 budget, had they mentioned that they were planning to implement a fare increase.

Critics added that the fare hike is unreasonable, since P1.2 billion was allotted for MRT rehabilitation and P728 million for LRT Lines 1&2 rehabilitation in the 2014 supplementary budget. Moreover, MRT was allotted a P4.65 billion subsidy and P7.4-billion rehabilitation in the 2015 budget.

Former Rep. Teddy Casiño, in his blog post entitled “6 lies and fallacies on the LRT MRT fare hike”, argued that the proceeds of the fare hike will go to private concessionaires including the MRT-3’s Sobrepeña group and LRT-1’s Metro Pacific-Ayala consortium. Also, it was said that the increased revenue was needed to improve the financial standing of the different owners to raise funds for the LRT-1 extension project.

Furthermore, he included Abaya’s declaration that the estimated P1 billion will go to an escrow account for the payment of the government’s monthly dues to the MRT corporation.

This was due to a contract made during the Ramos government, when the Sobrepeña company was granted a 15% annual rate of return for 25 years.

DOTC’s New Year’s resolutions As the new year was greeted with the LRT/MRT fare hike, their own long term new year’s resolutions were also immediately made.

From the revenue of the fare hike in place, the DOTC hoped that by 2015, the MRT-3 will be improved through new light rail vehicles; rail replacements, upgrades in the signaling system and a new radio communications system for safer and faster trips; upgrades in elevators and escalators for convenience; and traction motors replacement.

For the first quarter of the year, they have been procuring a new 3-year maintenance contract. As they set their own deadline by September 2015, they also aim to have acquired 48 new MRT-3 coaches and an automatic fare collection system for the major train lines.

On October 2015, once the LRT-1 operations are passed to the Light Rail Manila Consortium (LRMC), the construction of the 11.7-kilometer Cavite extension is expected to begin.

On 2016, they expect the MRT-3 overhauling to be complete. Finally, by 2017, although still under bidding, the LRT-2 line will be extended by 4.2 kilometers to Masinag. [P]

NEWS

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UPLB PERSPECTIVE | Volume 41 Issue 3 | November 2014 - January 2015 UHO has new chief... continuation from Page 2 The Perspective attempted to get an explanation from the past UHO administration, but our request for an interview has been denied, citing the transition to the new administration at that time.

For his part, Quicoy actually agrees with the new scheme, citing security risks for the UHO staff, the office itself, and the payments under the previous scheme.

“Una, wala kaming vault. Saan namin itatago yung pera? The risk na, baka at 5 o’ clock, students [will go out], bigla na lang may papasok na nag-aabang. Kita mo ang risk ng mga tao doon,” he said.

He also added that banks are specialized to store and secure money, emphasizing that UHO has not enough security for storage of money. However, Quicoy said that the problems concerning the new payment scheme are administrative problems that need an “administrative remedy.”

Dorm reservation to renovation On November 7, 2014, the University Student Council (USC) and ADA officers had a dialogue with the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Community Affairs (OVCCA) to clarify urgent issues regarding dorm operations that gave confusion to students.

Thus, from the original schedule which was November 10-12, priority reservation was moved to November 24-December 1.

According to a memorandum released by Dr. Serlie Barroga-Jamias, Vice Chancellor for Community Affairs, the rescheduling was made to “provide ample time for the dormers to settle any arrears, save enough funds for the needed slot reservation and meet the requirements and processes.”

After the said dialogue, USC and ADA also ensured the following resolutions: • No dormitories will be closed during the second semester; • All dormitories will be fully operational for the upcoming semester; and • Renovations will be made during summer and semestral break.

Delays in infra programs, procurement Quicoy revealed that the Board of Regents (BOR) has already allotted P40 million for dorm renovations.

However, UHO has encountered a “problem in accounting.” “[The fund] is under capital outlay. It should be contracted.

Hindi puwedeng [UHO mismo ang magtatrabaho],” Quicoy said.

Quicoy told Perspective that when he was new in office, the UHO has already started ordering materials for renovations. A purchase request for materials was filed to the Bids and Awards Committee (BAC) last December 2014. However, the office learned later in January this year that the budget for renovations was under capital outlay.

Under the government’s procurement law, if a project’s fund

is under capital outlay, the project should undergo the bidding process.

This means that the UHO should not do the actual renovations, and the project should be contracted out.

The renovations at the International House (IH) started during the term of Gata sometime in October 2014, and was done by the administration itself.

This means that the UHO bought the materials and hired labor to do the renovations.

“Nung naningil na ang supplier, hindi binayaran ng Accounting [Office]. Sabi ko, bakit, e nandyan na [ang pondo]? [Ang sagot sa akin,] ‘Sir, hindi puwede kasi capital outlay,’” he said.

“Kapag sinabing capital outlay, ibig sabihin, ikontrata mo lahat yun; wala kang gagawin. Kung by administration sana, we can buy materials, we can hire labor,” he explained.

He revealed that the office is still in talks with the Accounting Office to settle the problems in the said project.

Meanwhile, as to whether or not residents would have to find new shelter when their dormitories are to be renovated, he said: “Ang instruction sa akin, there should be no displacement of the students while we’re doing [renovations].”

Thus, Quicoy said, renovations will only be done during the midyear (June to July).

“We are now rushing all the plans,” he said.

Students’ Action on Dorm Issues A Student Summit was organized by the University Student Council (USC) and Office of the Student Regent (OSR) where the student body convened to discuss University-wide issues . There, the USC formed a campaign for dorm issues which aims to create close coordination with the ADA in resolving dorm-related concerns.

USC Councilor Yvann Zuniga, one of the councilors heading the campaign said “Kailangan natin pataasin ang antas ng dorm campaign. Huwag lang natin ‘to ikulong bilang isyu lamang ng mga dormers. Tingnan natin to bilang isang manipestasyon ng buong sistema ng edukasyon sa bansa. Makikita natin na ang daming fees na sinisingil sa mga dormers na ‘di naman dapat.”

“Mayroon ding mga polisiya tulad ng curfew na tumatapak sa academic freedom ng mga dormers. Malinaw ang commercialized, colonial, at fascist dorm policies na kaitsura ng buong sistema ng edukasyon sa bansa,” he also said.

In a separate interview at around the same time, ADA Vice Chairperson Denise Doctolero said, “Syempre, pro-student, pro-dormer [dapat ang bagong UHO chief] at ibalik yung maayos na sistema ng pagpapalakad ng dorm. Bakit sa loob nagdo-dorm ang mga estudyante? Kasi una sa lahat, mura. Hindi nila afford sa labas eh kaya dito sila sa loob nagdo-dorm.

“Itong laban ng dorm, hindi lang laban ng dormers; laban ng lahat,” she added. [P]

#NeverForget Mendiola Massacre: 28 years, still fighting WORDS | Shameij Latap

QUEZON CITY/MANILA, January 22 – About 500 militants from various organizations protested outside the residence of President Benigno Simeon “Noynoy” Aquino III in Times Street, Quezon City.

On another side of the metropolis, militants from Central Luzon and Southern Tagalog regions, continued their demonstrations by marching from España to Mendiola. The battle cry was to demand genuine land reform and justice for the victims of the bloody massacre.

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Twenty-eight years ago, nearly 20,000 unarmed militants rallied in Mendiola to ask for land reform from then President Corazon CojuangcoAquino in Malacañang. They were met by the police and marines, who “fired a hail of bullets on all directions” on the unaware demonstrators. The massacre murdered thirteen peasants and injured 50 more protesters.

State Impunity on Massacre On 1988, a year after the massacre, the relatives of the victims filed a P6.5 million suit before Manila Regional Trial Court Branch 9. The case was dismissed. They later on pursued the case to the Supreme

UPLB PERSPECTIVE | Volume 41 Issue 3 | November 2014 - January 2015

IBS orgs, patuloy na naninindigan upang maibalik ang mga tambayan

WORDS | Denise Rocamora GRAPHICS | TRISTA IE GILE

Nabigla ang mga organisasyon ng mga mag-aaral ng Institute of Biological Sciences (IBS) sa alok na mga bagong tambayan ng partidopulitikal na Buklod-UPLB bilang solusyon sa ‘di umano’y tambayan phase out.

Parte ng proyekto ng Buklod-UPLB ang paglalayon na makapagpatayo ng 36 tambayan sa buong kampus, ngunit hindi pa detalyado kung saan eksaktong itatayo ang lahat ng mga ito. Ang nabanggit lamang ay ang pagtatayo ng mga tambayan ng BioSci orgs; na nasa pagitan ng Wing B at Wing C ng IBS. Ilalaan ‘di umano ang siyam sa 36 na tambayang nais ipatayo ng partidopulitikal para sa mga organisasyong UP Cell Biological Society (CELLS), UPLB Genetics Society (GeneSoc), Philobioscientia (Phileos), Society of Pre-med Students (PremedSoc), Symbiosis, UPLB Zoological Society (OZOOMS), UP Entomological Society (UP EntomSoc), UPLB Microbiological Society (MicroSoc), at UP Ecology and Systematics Major Students Society (ECOSYSTEMSS).

Sa isang pagpupulong na ginanap noong Oktubre 22 kasama ang mga IBS orgs, ipinahayag ng Buklod-UPLB na ang proyektong ito ay matagal nang naipanukala at napag-usapan kasama ng mga IBS orgs noon.

Napag-usapan rin sa pagpupulong na ito ang pagkakaroon ng malabong komunikasyon, na itinuturing na isa sa mga dahilan kaya ikinagulat ng mga organisasyon sa IBS ang panukala ng partido-pulitikal.

Sa pagtatapos ng pagpupulong ay nanindigan ang mga IBS orgs na nais pa rin nilang maibalik ang kanilang mga tambayan sa IBS at tutol sila sa proyektong inilahad ng Buklod-UPLB. Nagpahayag ang UP CELLS ng pagtutol sa proyektong ito. Itinuring nila itong isang band-aid solution sa tambayan phase out. Iginiit din nila ang transparency sa mga proyekto kung sakali mang ito ay para sa kapakanan ng mga organisasyon. “...they should be more transparent with their plans should they involve the welfare of organizations and strive to consult with each. Consolidating their efforts with other concerned bodies

such as the University and College councils should also prove to be a powerful factor in the enactment of policies geared towards the benefit not only of organizations, but of the entire system as well,” pahayag ng UP CELLS. Ayon naman kay Kris Jireh Tongol, konsehal ng College of Arts and Sciences Student Council (CAS-SC), hahayaan nila ang Buklod-UPLB dahil proyekto naman nila ito. Sa ngayon, mas pinagtutuunan ng SC ang pagbibigay-suporta sa laban ng BioSci orgs para sa kanilang mga tambayan.

“Sa ngayon, ‘yung council, ‘di naman niya kino-concern ‘yung sarili niya tungkol dun sa activity, sa project ng Buklod, since project naman yun ng Buklod. Sa ngayon, mas tinutulungan na lang namin itong nabubuong alliance ng BioSci orgs. Para sila mismo, from their own ranks, magawa nila itong pagbabalik ng sarili nilang tambayan,” pahayag ni Tongol.

Dagdag pa niya, mahalaga ang sama-samang pagkilos ng mga estudyante dahil ang ganitong isyu sa tambayan ay hindi lamang sa BioSci nagaganap o maaaring maganap.

“Sa ngayon, itong nangyayari sa BioSci orgs, para siyang precursor sa lahat ng puwedeng mangyari. So, kung maipapakita ng BioSci orgs na sa sama-samang pagkilos nila, magagawa nilang mag-assert, e ‘di malalaman ng lahat ng estudyante na nagawa natin yun,” ani Tongol.

Samantala, sinubukan ding hingin ng [P] ang panig ng Buklod-UPLB matapos ang pagpupulong ngunit tumanggi itong magbigay ng mga detalye ukol sa proyekto dahil ayon sa kanila, hindi pa naman pulido at pinal ang kanilang mga plano. “[We] are declining any request for information regarding the final plans for the BioSci Tambayan Project. We are yet to finalize everything, thus no information is definite. This is at least for the mean time. Please understand that we want the final plans to be solid before presenting them to the general public,” ayon sa kanilang pahayag. [P] [Mananatiling bukas ang Perspective sa panig ng Buklod-UPLB at mga organisasyon sa IBS ukol sa proyekto. – Ed.]

Court in 1993 but the court declared the state’s immunity from suit. “…The Mendiola massacre may now just as well be a chapter in our history books,” the SC decision read. “For those however, who have become widows and orphans, certainly they would not settle just for that. They seek retribution for the lives taken that will never be brought back to life again.”

Theresita Arjona, one of the survivors of the massacre was present in the demonstration. She was only 19 when her husband, Danilo Arjona, died in the rally.

She regularly joins the annual

movement hoping for justice for her deceased husband. She vowed that as long as she lives, she will fight for the death of her husband and for genuine land reform.

Twenty eight years after, progressive organizations continue to demand for appropriate legal actions from the second Aquino government for the massacre.

“Baka naman hindi angkop o hindi napapanahon na ihahain pa ‘yan [Mendiola massacre case] sa pintuan ng kasalukuyang administrasyon” Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. was quoted as saying a few hours after the demonstration.

“…Batid naman ng lahat na hindi naman ito nangyari ngayon lang,” Coloma added.

However, Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP) stated that PNOY, as the current President, is accountable for the enduring lack of justice for the fallen martyrs of Mendiola Massacre during his mother’s administration.

The Movement for Genuine Agrarian Reform According to Pagkakaisa ng Manggagawa sa Timog Katagalugan – Kilusang Mayo Uno (PAMANTIKKMU), House Bill 252 or the Genuine Agrarian Reform Bill (GARB) states that the land can already be distributed to the farmers in three to five years’ time. It is also clear on how to help the farmers in developing their farming. The principal author of HB 252 is Anakpawis Representative Fernando Hicap.

One of the objectives of GARB is to cut the monopolizing control of foreign and few landowners of the Philippine lands. The land is to be distributed freely to the needy without undergoing the tedious application and screening. This distribution is allocated with a budget of P50 B, which should be accomplished in five years’ time opposed to that of Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP) that extended up to twenty-six (26) years. There are no exemptions other than the actual use of public or private land. There will be further support for the improvement of the lives of agricultural workers. It is also the objective of GARB to increase the income of farmer beneficiaries and improve their living standard, enable rural women and indigenous peoples, and bring about foundation for national industrialization.

“Ang tunay na reporma sa lupa ay isang pamamaraan upang kilalanin ang mga magsasaka at manggagawa na may karapatang mabuhay ng may dangal at magpasya sa sariling bayan,” PAMANTIK added.

“Ang katumbas ng kawalan ng lupa sa pamilya ng mga magsasaka ay pagkitil sa kanilang buhay,” also said a statement from Anakbayan – Southern Tagalog.

Also, CARP and CARPER are the most expensive land reform programs in the world. CARPER alone costs P50 B under the present Aquino government.

Here in Southern Tagalog, the Yulo King Ranch in Palawan, Hacienda Looc in Batangas, Hacienda Yulo in Laguna, and Bondoc Peninsula in Quezon, which are owne by big landlords, are being called to subject for reform.

Joms Salvador, Secretary General of Gabriela said that to be able to finally own the land they are tilling is the best justice the farmers can get. “[At] hindi porke’t hindi tayo magsasaka, hindi na natin ipaglalaban ang panawagan ng mga magsasaka,” said Joyce Andales, Gabriela organizer. [P]

Sources: 1. Republic of the Philippines, et al. vs.

Sandoval, et al., G.R. No. 84607, 19 March 1993 2. Andreo, Calonzo. “Palace: Justice for Mendiola victims not PNoy’s job.” GMA News. 22 January 2015. Web. 3. “Pagsasabatas ng Genuine Agrarian Reform Bill, paggawad ng hustisya sa mga biktima ng Mendiola Massacre.”

PAMANTIK 22 January 2015: 2. Print.

4. “28 Taon: Walang Hustisya sa mga Biktima ng Mendiola Masaker.”

ANAKBAYAN 22 January 2015: 2. Print.

5. “Katarungan sa mga Biktima ng Mendiola Masaker! Singilin at Patalsikin ang Rehimeng US-Aquino!” KASAMA-TK 22 January 2015: 2. Print.

6. Umil, Anne. “28 Years: Remembering the Mendiola Massacre.” Bulatlat.com.

Alipato Media Center, 24 Jan. 2015. Web. 24 Jan. 2015.

7. “After two Aquino administrations, no justice for Mendiola Massacre victims.”

Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas 23 January 2015. Web.

Militants used human plastic forms to re-enact the fallen victims shot and killed during the 1987 rally in Mendiola.

PHOTO | PHOTOGRAPHER

#NasaanAngPangulo... continued from page 3

In his second message to the nation on February 6, President Aquino said that being the father of the nation, the SAF troopers were his responsibility.

“I am the father of this country and 44 of my children were killed. They can no longer be brought back. This tragedy happened during my term, and I will carry this to the end of my days,” he said in Filipino.

Again, Aquino put the blame on Napeñas: “The commander of the operation should have been aware of this, especially since he has long been assigned to Mindanao. Situational awareness is demanded of him.”

“As commander, he had full knowledge of the entire plan, together with the dangers that came with it; he would be the first to know if the plan was being executed correctly.

He should have known what was happening at every moment,” the President added.

“How and why did it happen that there was no coordination? Why did the mission continue, when it had

“Nasaan nga ba ang Pagulo?”

PHOTO | SHAIME FAITH LATAP

deviated so far from the original plan, and our troops were already in grave danger?” Aquino asked.

Insincere President?

President Aquino met with the families of the 44 SAF troopers two times. First was during the arrival ceremonies at Camp Bagong Diwa in Taguig City on January 30.

“I wish to tell you, the families of our policemen who fell during Sunday’s encounter, that I genuinely understand how you feel. I, too, lost a loved one in a sudden manner,” the President said in Filipino in his eulogy, remembering the death of his father, Sen. Benigno Aquino Jr. There, while everyone is grieving, he promised that government forces will capture Usman.

“Now, be assured that the second target that eluded us will be captured. You know this: I am a man of my word. Capturing Basit Usman is number one on our list of priorities…

Your government is already working towards this end…I assure you, we will get Usman,” he said.

His second meeting with the families, however, caused controversy.

President Aquino surprised families on February 18 at the Multipurpose Center of the PNP at Camp Crame, Quezon City. Here, relatives of the fallen 44 were able to ask questions to the Chief Executive.

In a report by ABS-CBN’s Anthony Taberna, after a family member requested Aquino that justice be served to them and prove that the government would be able to make the MILF and BIFF troopers accountable for the encounter, Aquino was quoted as saying “Ano gusto niyo, kunin natin ang finger print ng mga kalaban?”

He reportedly added, “Namatay rin ang tatay ko, alam ko pakiramdam niyo kaya patas na rin tayo ngayon.”

The same television report revealed that when one relative asked why the encounter lasted for almost half-day, the President reportedly answered: “Kayo ba, pag kunwari ite-text ninyo ang friend ninyo, ‘kita tayo sa MOA, ’ganun lang ba kadali sa inyo na pumunta dun?”

However, Malacañan insisted that the meeting with families was not heated.

“There was no altercation or heated discussion on the other side [families]. There were explanations to the families, and the President listened to the sentiments of the families who were in the meeting,” Communications Secretary Sonny Coloma, speaking in Filipino, told GMA News’ 24 Oras.

Calls for resignation Various organizations are calling for the resignation of President Aquino in relation to the Mamasapano debacle, among other matters.

Here in UPLB, SLAM Aquino, a multisectoral alliance composed of students, organizations, and professors, is calling for the resignation of the President and is pushing for the formation of a People’s Council, or a provisionary government composed of representatives from various sectors of society.

“The call for BS Aquino’s resignation is legitimized by a number of reasons that affirm the anti-people character of his regime – from his ineptitude that has cost the lives of thousands during typhoon Yolanda’s destructive attack and has continued to mar the rehabilitation of the devastated areas, his insistent implementation of the anomalous and unconstitutional DAP (Disbursement Acceleration Program), to his most recent role in the bloody Mamasapano clash, which demonstrates more than anything the moral bankruptcy of his regime with the orchestration of deceptive tactics to conceal his direct participation and authorization of the illegal involvement of US troops,” the alliance said in a statement posted on their Facebook page.

In the national scene, several progressive groups, including women’s group Gabriela, Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (BAYAN), and an alliance called Save Our Nation: Aquino Resign, composed of students and members of the academe led by the Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) Partylist, also called for the President’s resignation. These progressive groups also stand to establish a People’s Council.

Meanwhile, several bishops and Aquino’s relatives, aunt Margarita “Tingting” Cojuangco and uncle Jose “Peping” Cojuango are leading the National Transformation Council (NTC), which also pushes for a transition government that shall lead the nation until 2016, when the next presidential election will take place. [P] Sources: ABS-CBN News/ ANC, GMA News, Bulatlat, Official Gazette of the Republic of the Philippines Online.

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UPLB PERSPECTIVE | Volume 41 Issue 3 | November 2014 - January 2015

UPLB PERSPECTIVE | Volume 41 Issue 3 | November 2014 - January 2015

UPLB opposes House rep move to transfer BSP land ownership Moves linked to Binay WORDS | Caren Malaluam

The University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB) has expressed disapproval with a proposed bill in the House of Representatives, which, if passed, would entitle the Boy Scouts of the Philippines (BSP) full control over part of the Makiling Forest Reserve (MFR) where their structures stand.

The proposed legislation is House Bill (HB) No. 4325, also known as “An Act vesting the BSP with control, jurisdiction, and administration of a parcel of land located at Mt. Makiling, Los Baños, Laguna, to be known as the ‘BSP Jamboree Site,’ and for other purposes.” “[The University] does not support HB 4325 as it will impair the integrity of Mt. Makiling to perform its important role as a national patrimony for national survival and as a national asset,” the University said in a position paper.

HB No. 4325 was a bill filed in 2011

by Makati Representative Mar-Len Abigail Binay in the 15th Congress that sought transfer of control of the approximately 57.7 hectares of land located at the Makiling Forest Reserve from UPLB to the Boy Scout of the Philippines (BSP).

Abigail’s father, Vice President Jejomar Binay, is the president of BSP. The Senate Blue Ribbon Subcommittee conducted hearings about Binay’s alleged involvement in corruption in Makati City, where he served as mayor for multiple terms.

The said bill was just one of the other bills filed as attempts for the BSP to acquire control of the parcel of land.

The other House Bills filed were:

Mga katutubong Manobo, dumayo sa UPLB Bahagi ng kampanya para sa malayang Mindanao WORDS | Rachel N. Nuñez

Isang grupo ng mga kabataang katutubo mula sa Davao del Norte ang nagtungo sa UP Los Baños upang iparating sa madla ang mga problemang kinakaharap ng kanilang lugar, kabilang ang mga paglabag sa kanilang mga karapatang pantao.

Isinagawa ang PANAGHIUSA: Pakikiisa sa Katutubong Mamamayan, isang forum ukol sa kultura at karapatan ng mga katutubo noong Nobyembre 13, 2014 sa Makiling Ball Room Hall, Student Union Building.

Ang kampanyang ito ay bahagi ng Save Our Schools Network, isang kampanya laban sa tumitinding militarisasyon na nakakaapekto sa karapatan ng mga batang katutubo na makapag-aral at nagmimistulang balakid upang mabigyan ng mapayapang komunidad ang Mindanao.

Layon din ng programa na maipakita ang iba’t ibang kulturang katutubo sa pamamagitan ng samu’t saring pagtatanghal. Nagkaroon ng cultural exchange at nagpamalas ng kani-kanilang presentasyon ang mga grupong Umalohokan, UP Writers’ Club at UP Sandayaw.

Ang Salinlahi Alliance for Children’s Concerns at ang Kapatiran at Adbokasiya para sa Lipunan, Kalikasan, Kultura at Katutubong Hangarin (KALIKHA) kasama ang University Student Council (USC) at iba pang mga organisasyon sa unibersidad ang nanguna sa naturang forum.

06 NEWS

Paglaban sa tumitinding militarisasyon Pangunahing tampok sa programa ang isang pagtatanghal ng mga magaaral na Manobo ng Salugpongan Ta’Tanu Igkanugon Community Learning Center, Inc. ng Tatalingod, Davao del Norte.

Ipinahayag ng mga kabataan ang sitwasyon ng kanilang komunidad sa pamamagitan ng katutubong sayaw, awit at dula. Sa kanilang pagtatanghal, ipinakita ang pagatake ng mga armadong sundalo sa kanilang mga paaralan sa akusasyon na ang mga ito ay paaralan ng mga rebelde. Dulot nito, marami ang hindi na nakapag-aral dahil sa pananakot ng mga sundalo.

Ayon kay Ronald Bongcales, isa sa mga batang nagtanghal, “patuloy pa din ang matinding operasyon ng mga sundalo.”

Nagdudulot ng matinding takot sa mga guro at mag-aaral ang paglusob ng mga sundalo. “May time na naglalasing sila at nagpapaputok sila ng kanilang baril. Yung mga schoolmate namin na nagkaklase natatakot sila,” dagdag ni Bongcales.

Mensahe ng mga Manobo “Masaya ako na nakapag-present sa harapan ng maraming tao para rin maintindihan ng mga manonood kung anong nangyayari sa amin.

Ang nais ko lang iparinig sa kanila ay paalisin na talaga ang military sa amin nang makapagpatuloy na kami sa aming pag-aaral,” ani Bongcales.

“Kaya nga nandito kami ngayon para ipaalam sa mga nakikinig at kung meron mang gobyerno na makakarinig na paalisin na ang sundalo. ‘Yan ang

hadlang sa aming pag-aaral.”

Desidido si Ronald na gawin ang lahat upang makapagtapos.

“Gusto kong maging teacher para makatulong ako sa aking mga kaparehong katutubo. Dahil dun sa amin, maraming guro na kulang.”

Pag-oorganisa Bilang isang organisasyon na nagsusulong ng mga layunin para sa mga katutubo, ang KALIKHA ay patuloy na sumusuporta sa laban ng mga Manobo. Isa sa kanilang miyembro na nangunguna sa ganitong adbokasiya ay si Ana Bibal.

Ayon kay Bibal, ang kultura ng mga katutubo ay nakabatay sa kalikasan at pagkakaisa. Mapapansin din sa pagtatanghal ng mga katutubo ang malalim nilang kamalayan.

“Layunin din nila, maliban sa pagpapakita ng kultura, [ay] yung usapin din ng karapatan…

Sinasabi nila ang kapayapaan dapat nakabatay sa hustisya. Hindi puwedeng kapayapaan na tahimik lang at hindi sila makaimik. Sinasabi nila [mga bata] sa play na hindi dapat matakot. Kung ang lupa ay buhay, ang buhay ay lupa at kailangan mong ipaglaban,” sabi ni Bibal.

“Ang ginawa ng mga katutubong mamamayan at mga adbokasiyang grupo, sila ang gumagawa ng paraan para yung mensaheng yun ay maiparating sa publiko.

Kasi hangga’t hindi nalalaman ng publiko, wala silang kakampi. Sa pamamagitan ng pagpaparating ng mga ganitong kalagayan sa publiko, umaasang lumalawak ang kakampi nila,” dagdag ni Bibal.

Pakikilahok ng mga mag-aaral Ayon naman kay USC Councilor Yvann Zuñiga, “Mahalaga ang ganitong forum kasi it’s an avenue to educate people on the condition of different sectors particularly for this forum, the sector of indigenous people. Lingid sa kaalaman natin, maraming nangyayari sa sektor nila lalo na ang pagpapaalis sa kanilang ancestral lands at yung militarization.

It really leads sa pagtaas ng cases ng human rights violation.”

“Yung tinatampok nila, highly militarized yung lugar nila.

Nagkakaroon ng mga human rights violation, violence at iba pa. Hindi yun isolated na sa kanila lang. Because all of us experience that. Kahit ano pa mang sektor –kabataan, magsasaka, manggagawa o kung ano man, parepareho tayo ng isyung kinakaharap.

Dapat hindi tayo magkakahiwalay sa mga efforts natin para tugunan o solusyunan ang mga isyu na ito,” dagdag pa ni Zuñiga.

Nakilahok din sa programa ang mga mag-aaral mula sa iba’t-ibang paaralang sekondarya sa Laguna.

Nang tanungin kung ano ang natutunan niya sa naturang forum, sinabi ni Andrei Michael Gadijah, magaaral sa ikatlong taon mula sa Dayap National High School ng Calauan, “Unang-una, pahalagahan natin kung anong meron tayo. Napakahirap ng mga ginawa nila. Tayo, simple lang ang buhay. Sila uhaw sila sa pagaaral pero tayo parang wala na satin ang pag-aaral. Magrereklamo pa tayo. Pinakagusto ko dung i-point out sa sarili ko na i-challenge ko, sa paguwi ko sa bahay laging alalahanin yung tribo nila.”

“Para po sa akin, kung gaano mo pinahahalagahan yang sarili mo, ganun mo din pahahalagahan ang tribo mo. Tao ka, Pilipino ka. Sila din kasi tao din sila, Pilipino din sila,” dagdag ni Gadijah. [P]

The site Since 1990, the 57.7 hectare land functioning as the BSP’s campsite served as the home for different camping-related activities held by the organization. In year 2015, the 25year lease agreement granting the BSP unhampered access of the area for an annual rate of just one peso per hectare – less than P60 per year – will expire.

During the 25-year agreement, the BSP has made several changes on the site. BSP International Makiling, a four-story hotel, and a cell tower were said to have been built. The hotel was built in 2009 specifically for the hosting of the 26th AsiaPacific Regional Scout Jamboree held from December of the same year to January 2010.

BSP claimed that no trees were cut while building the hotel because it was built in the exact location where former Romulo Hall and Vicente Lim Hall were located.

PHOTO | NEPS FRANCO

“The latest lease agreement (1990) is still in force and to abrogate now this lease contract via HB 4325 will in effect impair the obligation of contracts which runs against the Constitution,” UPLB further stated.

Republic Act 6967, “An act to vest control, jurisdiction and administration of the Forest Reserve in Mount Makiling in the University of the Philippines in Los Baños” and Republic Act 3523 stipulate that UPLB has the right and responsibility to manage the MFR. Granted this right, the University strongly assumes the responsibility of preserving the area by upholding a sustainable and effective management.

“What UPLB cannot do is to abrogate its rightful responsibility of controlling the land uses and the watershed resources in the entire MFR by allowing others control of

the portion(s) of the Mt. Makiling watershed,” the University said.

New admin still doing groundwork The Perspective tried to secure an interview with the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Community Affairs (OVCCA) on the matter. However, Dr. Serlie Barroga-Jamias, the newlyappointed Vice Chancellor for Community Affairs, said that “As part of the new administration, we are doing our groundwork and research like you [the Perspective].”

“We are digging in and reading background and historical accounts of what transpired before our time; reviewing policies and agreements; and also dialoguing with people on the issue. We want to be informed and guided in decision making and in renegotiating for leases - not just of BSP but also for our other resources,” Jamias said in an email. [P]

Pope concludes 5-day visit Calls for Filipinos to end poverty and social inequality

WORDS | John Paul Omac, Jose Lorenzo Lim , Kent Sydney Mercader

PHOTO | ABS-CBN NEWS

HB Nos. 3005, 4765, and 1143 were filed by Marikina Mayor Del R. de Guzman while HB Nos. 4325 and 6352 were by Makati Representative Mar-Len Abigail Binay. All the House Bills filed were pertaining to the campsite being leased by the BSP from the University, with the exception of HB No. 6352 which made no direct reference to the site but presented the same intention.

The 10th World Scout Jamboree Totem with inscriptions of the Scout Oath and Scout Law.

Environmental concerns The MFR is one of the 18 key centers of plant biodiversity in the Philippines and serves as a training and learning laboratory for the advancement of scientific and technical knowledge of forestry education.

Aside from the abundance of flora and fauna in the area, the MFR also houses a watershed that supplies the needs of nearby towns in the provinces of Laguna and Batangas.

These facts, as specified in the position paper, further prove that the management and preservation of MFR are of critical importance because it does not only serve as a learning and training ground but also as a natural environment that caters to one of our basic needs.

“This portion of the Mt Makiling Forest Reserve [the BSP site], owing to its critical nature, is best managed as part of the larger watershed. Its segregation will seriously threaten the inherent watershed conditions within it as well as those in the adjacent areas,” UPLB’s position stated.

Another concern raised in the position paper was the proliferation of squatters in the area.

“In a span of ten (10) years, from 17 household squatters, the number has grown to 68 households to this day.

Highly deplorable is the fact that some of these squatters are either personnel of BSP, or retirees of the same organization,” UPLB’s position stated.

Legal concerns Since the BSP is under a leasing agreement with UPLB for an area located in the MFR, a provision allowing the BSP to take full control of the site presents a conflict to the obligation of the agreement.

He came to the poor, the poor came to him.

Millions of Filipinos around the country welcomed Pope Francis for his five-day visit in the Philippines from January 15-19. His visit, which was culminated with a mass at the Quirino Grandstand, gathered a record-breaking crowd of around six million people.

Dubbed as the ‘People’s Pope’, Pope Francis has become widelyknown for his ‘revolutionary’ teachings and ideas focused primarily on the marginalized. Upon witnessing the devastation brought by super typhoon Yolanda after it struck the Philippines in 2013, the pope expressed his intention to visit the Philippines, particularly the victims of the typhoon in the Visayas region.

Year of the Poor Prior to his visit, the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) have asked the pope to set 2015 aside as “Year of the Poor”.

“We are renewing our commitment to always take the side of the poor and the oppressed, especially when and where there is injustice and denial of basic human rights,” said Fr. Enrico Martin F. Adoviso, Chairman of the Archdiocese of Manila (RCAM)’s Commission on Social Services and Development (CSSD).

“The farmers that till the land to bring us food, the fisher folks who navigate the seas for us and the workers who run the industries are still materially poor after decades and generations of work for living,” he added.

The Pope, on the other hand, in his first itinerary which is his courtesy call to the Malacañang on January 16, delivered a speech at the ceremonial hall for the general audience which include President Benigno Simeon “Noynoy” Aquino III, senior government officials, members of the diplomatic corps, and members of the Senate and the House of Representatives.

In his speech, Pope Francis gave emphasis on being merciful and

compassionate to poor people, called for the rejection of corruption, and wished the Philippines blessings among others.

“The great biblical tradition enjoins on all people the duty to hear the voice of the poor,” he said.

The Pope further said, “It bids us to break the bonds of injustice and oppression which give rise to glaring, and indeed scandalous, social inequalities. Reforming the social structures which perpetuate poverty and the exclusion of the poor first requires a conversion of mind and heart.”

The Pope also issued strong political statements as he dared Filipino politicians inside the Malacañang. “I hope that this prophetic summons will challenge everyone, at all levels of society, to reject every form of corruption which diverts resources from the poor.”

The Pope also remarked the significance of ensuring social justice and respect for human dignity to attain national goals.

It is known that the Aquino administration has been marred with several corruption issues such as the Disbursement Acceleration Program (DAP) and the Pork Barrel scam.

Moreover, the President remains haunted with thousands of landless farmers and hundreds of political prisoners and victims of extrajudicial killings. The President, in response, passed the blame and blasted his critics, particularly religious leaders whom he alleged to tolerate abuses of the former President Gloria Arroyo.

Meeting with Families A meeting with the families was held at SM Mall of Asia Arena. In and outside the arena, massive crowds with thunderous cheers scrambled for his blessings, and the people’s Pope stops every now and then to hug and kiss babies and children.

Pope concludes 5-day visit... Page 8

NEWS

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UPLB PERSPECTIVE | Volume 41 Issue 3 | November 2014 - January 2015 GRAPHICS| ryan dela cruz

Pope concludes 5-day visit... Continuation from page 7 In his message, he stressed on the importance of dreaming. “All mothers and fathers dream of their sons and daughters in the womb for nine months. They dream of how they will be. It isn’t possible to have a family without such dreams.”

He added that “When you lose this capacity to dream you lose the capacity to love, the capacity to love is lost.”

The Pope also showed his humor to the crowd, telling a story about the sleeping St. Joseph statue on his desk, saying that he writes his problems on a piece of paper and puts it under the sculpture so the Saint could dream about it.

Desap, PolPrisoners’ Families hope for freedom Families of desaparecidos (victims of enforced disappearances), political prisoners, and victims of extrajudicial killings sent Pope Francis a letter through the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) to mediate in the release of their loved ones, who are suffering in prisons over “false charges”.

The move is inspired by the recent release of Cuban political prisoners imprisoned in the United States.

Pope Francis played a significant role in the resumption of diplomatic relations between the two countries.

There are around 500 political prisoners in the country, of which 220 were arrested during the Aquino administration, according to human rights group Karapatan.

“We believe that the Catholic Church and the Vatican have compassion for victims of human rights violations,” Karapatan’s Cristina Palabay was quoted by Rappler as saying. “We are appealing to Pope Francis to call for the release of the political prisoners.”

It was in Pope John Paul II’s 1995 visit when the terrible conditions that political prisoners go through were revealed. During that time, they asked the pontiff to intercede with their release through letters and hunger strike. The release was consequently granted by then President Fidel Ramos.

This time, there was an original plan to release a list of aging and sick inmates that the President would pardon as a gift for Pope Francis.

However, the expected pardon did not get in time for the Papal visit.

“It cannot be perfunctory just because there’s an occasion.

They’re doing complete staff work or due diligence to ensure the decision of the President will be equitable, fair and just,” Communications Secretary Sonny Coloma said.

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FEATURE

Shortened Visayas trip The highlight of the Papal Visit was the Pope’s visit to the Yolandastricken Tacloban City and Palo, Leyte. Hundreds of thousands of people crowded Daniel Z. Romualdez Airport, despite the harshness of the weather.

Ditching his prepared English speech in his desire to speak from the heart, Pope Francis delivered an impromptu in his native Spanish with the help of a translator during the mass he officiated at the Tacloban airport. The Pope told the people that Yolanda “silenced his heart,” and that he wanted to visit Tacloban immediately after seeing the devastation from Rome.

Admittedly speechless in front of the Yolanda survivors, he asked the people instead to offer their hearts to Christ for He understands them as he had “underwent all the trials that we, that you, have experienced.”

Afterwards, the pontiff went to Palo, Leyte to have lunch with 30 Yolanda survivors. Due to Tropical Storm Amang, his Holiness’ visit in Leyte was cut short, which needed the plane to board back to Manila four hours earlier.

On the eve of Pope Francis’ visit to the typhoon-devastated city of Tacloban, pilgrims from different parts of Leyte and Samar and advocates from various sectors under the People’s Committee to Welcome the Pope in Eastern Visayas (People’s Welcome-EV) held what they call as a Gathering of the Poor at the University of the Philippines – Tacloban College. They commenced a candle-lighting vigil to appeal for the pontiff to give voice to Typhoon Yolanda survivors’ calls for justice and accountability.

Pope to youth: love, weep, act for others On January 18, Sunday morning, Pope Francis met with religious leaders at the University of Sto. Tomas (UST). Afterwards, he met with the youth at the UST Sports Field for a liturgical celebration. “[T]he Gospel offers us a serene way forward: using the three languages of the mind, heart and hands – and to use them in harmony… To think. To feel. To do.” he said.

The Pope also expressed his dismay at the number of women who talked during the meeting, “There’s only a very small representation of girls among you…. Sometimes we are too machistas and we don’t allow enough space to women.

But women can see things…with a different eye.”

Glyzel, a homeless child who read her letter to Pope Francis, asked why child abuse still continues. He could

only say, “Only when we too can cry about the things you said can we come close to answering that question.”

The Pope asked the youth to shun “worldly compassion that is useless.”

He said, “I want to encourage you, as Christian citizens of this country, to offer yourselves passionately and honestly to the great work of renewing our society. “ Progressive youth organizations said they have derived inspiration from the message of the Pope.

Vencer Crisostomo, Chairman of Anakbayan, said “Contemplating on the message of Pope Francis to the youth today, we realize that it is a call for the youth to engage the status quo, to be catalysts of change, to be activists.”

Einstein Recedes, Spokesperson of the Student Christian Movement of the Philippines (SCMP) also said that words of the Pope rekindled and energized the youth’s idealism.

“Pope Francis encourages us to dream of a society devoid of poverty, inequality, and injustice – and we will surely follow his words, words that highlight and reflect the Lord Jesus’ own teachings,” Recedes said.

The mass at Luneta Park which culminated the Pope’s visit was deemed to be the largest papal event ever held with a crowd estimated at around six million.

The Pope called on to build a better world for the children.

Pope Francis said God created the world as a beautiful garden and asked us to care for it. “But through sin, man has disfigured that natural beauty; through sin, man has also destroyed the unity and beauty of our human family, creating social structures which perpetuate poverty, ignorance and corruption.”

He also reiterated the role of young people in the world and the responsibility of adults to guide and help them by building “…a society worthy of their great spiritual and cultural heritage.”

Before concluding the mass, Cardinal Antonio Luis Tagle delivered a message to thank the Pope for his visit. In his message, he mentioned the workers, the farmers, the migrants, the relatives of the missing – those who are poor and those who are suffering that the Pope referred to in his messages.

“Every Filipino wants to go with you not to Rome but to the peripheries…

We will go with you where the light of Jesus is needed,” he said.

“We want to go with you to shanties, prison cells, hospitals, world of politics, finance, arts, sciences,” Tagle further said.

UPLB PERSPECTIVE | Volume 41 Issue 3 | November 2014 - January 2015 Militants slam ‘whitewashing’ Progressive organizations, on the other hand, slammed the President on his attempts to whitewash the Philippine situation by hiding social realities and displaying a “peaceful” community in order to impress the Pope in his visit.

Andrianne Mark Ng, coordinator of the People’s Assembly for the Pope’s Arrival (PAPA), a multi-sectoral pilgrimage from Southern Tagalog, smacked the administration’s actions against the ordinary masses.

Last January 15, a commotion transpired along Baclaran as the police grabbed the welcome banners of the pilgrims which bear their calls addressed to various social issues in the country. This was after policemen ordered pilgrims to take down their banners with calls of “social justice”, “just and lasting peace”, and “land for farmers”, saying that only “welcome greetings” are allowed to be seen by the Pope. Policemen also blocked the road with vans and trucks to bar the protesters to get near the road where the Pope is.

“The pope himself has spoken of his intent to see the people and be of service to them. Why bar them from getting close to him? Why hide their sentiments? Why project a reality we all know that is nothing but a pretense? Only a deluded president fearful of criticism and apprehension would only do so— truly detestable,” said Ng. Ng also cited the Pope’s decision to break protocol after his mass at the Manila Cathedral wherein he exited through a side door and went straight to a children’s foundation along Gen. Luna street in Intramuros.

“The Pope even has to break protocols to see the ordinary Filipino. This just goes to show that the Pope has genuine intentions to be with the people, and that he’ll probably be delighted to see and hear the stories of human rights violations victims, farmers, workers, and urban poor families—people whom the government keeps away from him”, Ng also said.

Pilgrims also affirmed the Pope’s statement regarding the youth who has also faced several challenges under Aquino including tuition hikes, unemployment, and budget cuts in basic social services. The Pope called for a culture of integrity among the youth which “honors goodness, truthfulness, fidelity and solidarity as the firm foundation and the moral glue which holds society together.”

Meanwhile, The Philippine Star reported online that 10 buses with around 500 street children along with their families, and 100 Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) staff, were sent to Chateau Royale Resort in Nasugbu, Batangas during Pope Francis’ visit in the country for a “family camp”.

DSWD Secretary Dinky Soliman said that the homeless families from Pasay, Manila, and Parañaque were sent away so that they would “not be vulnerable to the influx of people coming to witness the Pope,” in an interview with TIME magazine.

Soliman also explained that the “family camp” was a part of the Modified Conditional Cash Transfer program. She later added that the families “could be seen as not having a positive influence in the crowd.”

Bagong Alyansang Makabayan called this a deliberate move and lambasted the DSWD for hiding the poor from the Pope.

“Every time there is a big international event, the Aquino government would scramble to hide the poor and homeless from the eyes of the international media and guests,” Bayan Secretary General Renato Reyes said. [P]

CAMPUS FORUM

WORDS | KEZIA GRACE JUNGCO graphics&layout | trista Ie gile

Sa darating na 2015, anu-ano ang New Year’s Resolution mo?

Mas magsisipag ako sa pag-aaral! :D Sisikapin kong mas maging aware sa mga nangyayari sa loob at labas ng campus. Siyempre, Honor and Excellence. ~Anon, 2012-xxxxx, CVM Dahil gusto kong matapos kaagad, makatulong sa kapwa, at maingat ang aking pamilya, sisikapin ko pang magkaroon ng mataas na grado sa mga susunod na semestre. Gusto ko rin mabawasan ang YOLOing ko at maging responsableng estudyante sapagkat sayang ang panahon at oras lalo pa’t ang mahal ang tuition, kawawa ang aking magulang kung bagsakin ako.... ~Juan Bayan, 2013-xxxxx, CAS Gagawin ko ang mga bagay na gusto ko kahit na madaming hadlang gagawin ko. Mag-aaral na ko ng maayos. Sisikapin kong mahati ang oras equally. Magpapakasaya ako habang ginagawa ang responsibilidad. ~XXX, 2013-60780, CEM Pagbutihin pa lalo ang pag-aaral.

I-master ang time management. ~Treble Maker, 2013-xxxxx, CAS Makapagbasa ng at least 50 books.

Wag gumastos ng sobra.

Makakuha ng matataas na grades. ~Potato, 2013-xxxxx, CAS Iwaksi ang mga bagahe. ~LetItGo, 2011-xxxxx, CDC

Fill in the blank: Si Noynoy ang pinaka __________ na Pangulo.

Makasarili. ~Solo Eternamente, CAS Inutil. ~2011, CHE Si Noynoy ang pinaka-bitter na Pangulo. Lahat ng shortcomings n’ya kasalanan ng past Administrations. ~2012, CEAT Maling binoto. ~Andrea Barros, CEAT

Sino ang dapat na sisihin sa Mamasapano massacre?

I’d say whoever planned the mission is to blame because they already knew that the people they were after had reputations of being well-known improvised explosive device experts. I think the planning could’ve been more preventive of the casualties of the soldiers involved in the operation. ~Samantha Duremdes, CEAT Hindi ko rin alam. Hindi ko alam yung buong detalye. ~2011, CVM “Commander-in-chief PNoy.” ~Santol, CDC Wala ako sa posisyon para magsalita ditto dahil wala akong masyadong alam tungkol sa isyu, pero kung opinion ko lamang bilang isang karaniwang mamayan ang hihingin, ang Pangulo ang dapat sisihin dahil siya ang punong tagapamahala ng mga gawain ng mga nasawi. Tulad ng responsibilidad ng kapitan ng isang barko sa kanyang mga pasahero at katrabaho, ang Pangulo ang dapat na umako ng responsibilidad sa mga pangyayaring tulad nito. ~Armadillo, CDC

Sino ang ka-date mo ngayong Valentine’s Day? Bakit?

Barkada ko. Bilang sila lang ang nagyaya sakin. (awtsu) ~2013, CEM Yung crush ko kase why not. Todo kilig yon hahahaha. Otherwise, ComArtsSoc + JapSoc <3 + JejeFriends. ~Ann, CAS Kama ko kasi lagi syang nandiyan para saluhin ako. ~2013, CAS

BY N UMB A tr ERS ail o f blo od u It is the homestretch nde to the final years of Oplan r PN Bayanihan (OPB) ---the U.S. – Aquino regime’s supposed Internal oy Peace and Security Plan (IPSP).

Oplan Bayanihan officially started on January 1, 2011 and is set to last until year 2016. It succeeded Oplan Bantay Laya (OBL) which ended on December 31, 2010.

Amnesty International, a non-government organization (NGO) that focuses on human rights, noted that according to the military, Oplan Bayanihan is a ‘paradigm shift’ that will replace its preceding counterinsurgency policy, Bantay Laya 1 & 2. Oplan Bantay Laya, which was implemented during Gloria-Macapagal-Arroyo’s regime, was infamous of numerous cases of serious human rights violations against civilians throughout its implementation.

The NGO also noted that the Internal Peace and Security Plan (IPSP) emphasizes that Aquino’s security agenda focuses ‘on the people and calls for a multi-stakeholder approach to peace and security and the protection of our rights and civil liberties’. The IPSP document stated that the aim of Oplan Bayanihan is the ‘primacy to human rights’ with its two strategy imperatives such as: “(1) adherence to human rights and international humanitarian law, and (2) adherence to the rule of law and involvement of all stakeholders.” It also emphasizes the ‘holistic notion of human security’ and its goal for a ‘people-centered security strategy’.

Lags and loopholes Upon Aquino’s inauguration in June 2010, 18 of Amnesty International’s national offices wrote to reaffirm the call to make human rights as his priority. One of the recommendations is to “end political killings, unlawful arrests, secret detention, enforced disappearances, torture, cruel, inhumane and degrading treatment, and to prevent the use of counterinsurgency and counterterrorism to justify human rights violation”.

A year after its implementation, Amnesty International rated Aquino administration’s response as stagnant.

The 2011 first quarter data gathered by Karapatan (Alliance for the Advancement of People’s Rights) supports the rating of Amnesty International. According to Karapatan, from January 1 to March 31, 2011, there are 14 victims of extrajudicial killings (EJKs); 70 victims of threat, harassment, and intimidation; and 1, 427 were ‘internally displaced’ due to widespread evacuation of rural communities. The number of victims of extrajudicial killings during the first three months was only 4 points short from the 18 victims in the first six months of the Arroyo regime.

Moreover, Amnesty International also recommended “reviewing the government’s counterinsurgency policies, such as Oplan Bantay Laya 2 and revoking those policies which infringe on human rights protection and do not comply with the International Humanitarian Law (IHL).”

Also, despite the Armed Forces of the Philippines’ (AFP) new scheme of changing their operations to human rights discourse, it is undeniable that these state security forces are still involved in grave human rights violations.

“Civilians suspected of supporting the insurgents are still subject to extrajudicial executions and enforced disappearances,” Amnesty International’s statement reads.

A threat to indigenous people The Philippines’ counterinsurgency programs have always been ‘brutal and relentless’. The

supposedly multistakeholder approach to peace and security under Oplan Bayanihan has actually implicated various consequences which did not spare indigenous peoples (IPs) and other vulnerable groups of the society.

According to the Observer, a journal on threatened human rights defenders in the Philippines, the National Security Policy (20112016) under Aquino’s regime launched Oplan Bayanihan as its very own counterinsurgency plan. The plan proposed to integrate the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), Philippine National Police (PNP), government agencies, NGOs and local communities dubbed as ‘stakeholders in peace and security’, as detailed in Oplan Bayanihan’s framework.

The Observer also opposes Oplan Bayanihan’s claim as ‘open, transparent, and people-centered’ in the cause of ending impunity in the country through addressing human rights violations. Yet, just like the preceding counterinsurgency programs such as Arroyo’s Oplan Bantay Laya, Oplan Bayanihan is no different.

From the report of the Observer, the Chairperson of KALUMBAY Regional Lumad Organisation Datu Jomorito Goaynon said that Oplan Bayanihan has become the government’s ‘apparatus’ to target the indigenous peoples and their ancestral lands.

Goaynon also added the difficulty in asserting their basic human rights due to policies that require all IP organizations to be recognized by the military, police, and other agencies.

Not only Lumads in the South experience a string of human rights violations. The indigenous people of the Cordillera in the North are also fighting the same battle.

In 2013, Karapatan reported that there is an ongoing aggression against the indigenous people in the Cordillera Region. One of these is the PAMANA (Payapa at Masaganang Pamayanan), a supposedly national government’s peace and development program situated in areas in the country where there are armed conflicts. Karapatan noted that PAMANA has become a prop to the counterinsurgency strategy of Oplan Bayanihan, forfeiting the role of addressing the armed conflicts in the Philippines. While the government has been spending more than 200 million pesos on peace projects, PAMANA has been ‘arbitrarily discontinuing peace negotiations with the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army-National Democratic Front (CPP-NPA-NDF).

Also, in 2013, there are major cases of violations of rights to ancestral lands and self-determination as reported by Karapatan. One of these is the case of 60 heavily armed security guards commissioned

by Gold Creek, a mining company, who broke into a human barricade done by the locals of Itogon, Benguet as protest to the mining operation.

According to the data of the Mining and Geosciences Bureau in 2013, 1.86 % of Cordillera lands are covered by Exploration Permits, Mineral Production Sharing Agreements (MPSA) and other mining permits. Roughly 41% of the land is also covered by applications that are still under process.

In response to these violations, the indigenous people in the Cordillera Region continue to ask accountability from the Aquino regime in the perpetuation of human rights violations.

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UPLB PERSPECTIVE | Volume 41 Issue 3 | November 2014 - January 2015

Violations to civil and political rights by numbers Karapatan gathered data from July 2010 to June 2014, summarizing the various cases of civil and political rights violations under Aquino’s regime and interventions of his police and military forces. There are:

in police/ 549 civilians military operations as cases of use of

141,490

guides and/or shield cases of use of schools, medical, religious and other public places for military purpose cases of restriction or violent dispersal of mass actions, public assemblies and gatherings

65,712 9,929 204 9,932 The data provided by victims of victims Karapatan only reveals the true frustrated face of Oplan Bayanihan.

17,145 ofdemolition 207 extrajudicial 57 killings Promises and inconsistencies victims victims of victims On June 30, 2010, Benigno Simeon forced of “Noynoy” Aquino III promised to “reduce 504 ofdomicile 172 9 labor torture poverty, combat corruption, restore good victims victims of governance and uphold human rights tuo better victims of forced of the lives of Filipinos”. Moreover, Aquino’s Liberal party manifesto 21 disappearances12,694 destruction of property 3 declared that “human rights are a powerful weapon for social rape transformation”. victims of victims of illegal arrest victims of “We are now making certain that our commitments to these disinvestment 272 without physical 355 treaties do not remain paper promises because for the first time 395 of property detention assault and in nearly a decade, we have a government that is indeed serious injury victims of about human rights,” Aquino declared in his speech last December victims arrest 20, 2010, during the 62nd anniversary celebration of the Universal of forced 664 illegal and detention 39,800 evacuation Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR).

Aquino has always been consistent in reassuring the Filipino people of his promises in his victims of speeches, yet these are contrary to the numerous cases of human rights violations under his regime. illegal search 270 and seizure While Aquino’s regime is down to its final years, the struggle must continue. It is high time that the trail victims of extrajudicial killings

victims of threat/ harassment/ intimidation victims of indiscriminate firing victims of forced or fake surrender

of blood must reach its end. More than the numbers, these are people, stories, and lives.

These are people, stories, and lives that must be given justice and be accounted for. [P]

ANG NAWAWALA Bakit nga ba may mga nawawala? Missing? Desap? Desaparecidos?

Sa palengke madalas mong makikitang naka-kalat ang mga litrato sa mga pader.

Malapit sa banyo, sa may ulonan ng aleng nagtitinda ng tinapa, ng laing, ng sinaing na tulingan. Mga litrato. Missing. Kung may nakakita man po sa kanya, ipagbigay alam lang po sa numerong ___________.

Madalas sinisingil ang mga ganitong kaso sa krimeng human trafficking. Ngunit may isa pang dahilan: ang pagiging ‘antag’ sa gobyerno. Trending ito noong Martial Law. Freedom of speech, freedom of speech kuno. Walang ganito noong Martial Law. Ipahayag ang mga nakikita mong mali sa mga polisiya sa pag-aakalang may tunay na kalayaan sa pamamahayag at abangan ang mga pakiwari ng mga matatanda: Itigil mo na yan at delikado. Que, delikado; delikado. Bakit nga ba delikado? Nagsimula ito sa istruktura ng gobyernong ipinauso pa ni Baron de Montesquieu: ang paghihiwalay ng kapangyarihan.

Ah! Si Montesquieu. Naaalala ko ang unang pagtatalo natin. A, well, ang una nating pag-uusap. Sabi mo mali ang pagkaka-pronounce ko sa Montesquieu. Oo na. Sige na. Mali ang pagkakabasa ko. Mali ang /mon-tesk/. Pero salamat na rin kay Montesquieu, at sa aking pagkakamali, nagsimula kitang _____.

Si Montesquieu ang nagpauso ng prinsipyo ng trias politica. Dito nahahati sa tatlo ang kapangyarihan sa gobyerno: executive, para sa Presidente at gabinete nito; legislative, para sa mga senador at kongresman upang magpasa ng mga batas; at judiciary, para sa mga husgado upang mag-regula ng batas. Ngunit, saan naman dito papasok ang desaparecidos? Tignan ang kapangyarihang mayroon ang executive branch. Ang presidente ang commander-in-chief ng buong sandatahang lakas ng isang bansa. Kontrolado niya ito. Dapat.

E kaya nga may mga coup de ‘etat e. ‘Diba hindi naman absolito ang kapangyarihan ng presidente sa militar nito? Hindi absolito ang kapangyarihan nito kung ang mga sundalo mismo ay may sari-sariling pagpapasya; o lalo kung hindi sila nabibigyan ng mas mataas sa normal na sahod. Ang kaso, walang sariling pagpapasya ang mga sundalo—kung naka-ayon sa kanilang mga prinsipyo, at oo, nakakatanggap ang mga sundalo ng mas mataas sa normal na mga insentiba.

Alalahanin ang isa sa mga iskandalo sa panunungkulan ni Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo: ang Euro Generals.

Matatandaang nagpakahayahay ang ilang mga militar dito na may matataas na ranggo sa Europa, kasama ang pinakamamahal nating dating presidente. Gastos dito.

Gastos doon. Buhay hari, samakatuwid. Sa ganitong moda, nakuha na ng presidente ang isa pa sa mga dapat niyang hawakan para tuluyang makontrol ang bansa: ang militar. Hawak man niya ang militar sa papel, sa ganitong pamamaraan ay hawak na rin niya ang militar sa leeg. At dito. Dito nagsisimulang magkaroon ng mala-lubid na pangkonekta sa mga sundalo—lubid para makontrol sila ng administrasyon na parang papet.

At, kung sino man ang magpapahayag ng kanilang hinaing sa gobyerno at magbibigay resolusyon sa mga baliko nitong polisiya ay masasa-panganib. Ganito sila magpagana ng martial law-extended version ngayon kahit hindi napapansin ng karamihan. Kaya nga: may NAWAWALA.

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FEATURE

WORDS | GREENBOARD GRAPHICS | MERCURY LAYOUT | MIGUEL ELVIR R. QUITAIN

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UPLB PERSPECTIVE | Volume 41 Issue 3 | November 2014 - January 2015

Ilang taon na nang huling ______.

Hindi ko alam kung magtitirik ba ako ng kandila o hindi.

Hawak ko ang isang palito ng posporo, naka-ambang sa gilid ng kaha nito para sindihan.

Hindi ko magawa.

Hindi ko magawang sindihan.

Naniniwala akong buhay pa siya.

Sana. Hindi, hindi.

Alam kong buhay pa siya.

Sa ilalim ng buwan binabalot ng undas ang hangin.

Nasaan ka na ________?

Oo, bigla kang nawala. Kung kailan madalas na tayong nagkaka-kwentuhan. Kung kailan naiintindihan ko na ang lahat ng pilit mong ipinapaliwanag sa akin.

Kung kailan. Kung kailan napagiisipan ko nang ano, ipagtapat. Lahat.

Balikan ang pinsipyo ng trias politica. Ang direktang pagkontrol ng administrasyon ay nakalundo sa pagwawaring ang presidenteng ibo boto ng taumbayan ay ‘maayos’, ‘matino’, at kung anuano pang pang-uring madalas iginagawad natin sa isang presidente.

Ngunit, bakit may pagtatasang tila demonyo ang presidente at kung sinoman ang mga kasama niya?

May mali ba tayo? Mali ba ang taumbayan?

Sabi mo wala. Sabi ko meron. Sabi ng lolo ko wala.

Sabi ng prof natin meron; malaki. Mahilig daw kasi silang magtapon ng basura kung saan-saan. Sabi ng lolo ko, “Kaya ka gagawa ng basurahan.”

Walang kamalian ang taumbayan. Wala tayong mali.

Ngunit, may mali sa kulturang ginagalawan natin. May mali sa kulturang isinusubo sa atin ng lipunang popular.

May mali sa mga naka-antabay at nakapalamang kultura sa mga napapanood nating mga komersyal o drama sa telebisyon. May mali sa mga balita. May mali sa mga wattpad books na nang-uubos ng espasyo sa mga bookstore. May mali sa pag-iidolo ng mga magulang natin sa mga personalidad sa showbiz: sa partikular, may mali kay Kris Aquino. May mali sa kanilang nakakulong sa ilusyon ng relihiyon: sa partikular, may mali sa block voting. May mali kay Marcelo. May mali. May mali.

Pero may isang tama.

Dahil ngayon pa lang, nakatakda na kung sino ang iboboto ng marami. Nakatakda na kung sino ang mananalo. Isang malaking dula-dulaan ang ipinapalabas sa atin ng media at ng gobyerno—6 years ang duration.

Ika-labindalawa ng Agosto, dalawang libo’t labing apat. Inaresto ng NBI si Jovito Palparan—ang tinaguriang ‘berdugo’. Berdugo ng mga taong nagpapahayag ng kanilang damdamin laban sa gobyerno sa loob ng panunungkulan ni Gloria. At ngayon, kasalukuyan siyang nagpapakasasa sa malambot na higaan, normal o mala-hari pa sigurong buhay kasama ang kanyang mga kakosang sundalo. Reunion. Lintik na reunion.

Nasundan pa sila Sherlyn Cadapan at Karen Empeño ng iba pang biktima ng pagkakadukot. Dumami pa nga lagpas pa noong panahon ni Gloria nang tahakin natin ang ‘tuwid na daan’. Ang mga ganitong kaso ay isinisingil sa mga militar sa isang dahilan: sila lang ang may motibo para dukutin ang mga taong ito na kapwa mga nakikibaka para sa pagbabago ng lipunan.

Maaaring hindi mo siya kilala. Maaaring wala kang pakialam sa kanya.

Pero dati kasi, seatmate ko pa siya. Dati, wala rin akong pakialam sa pagrarally-rally nila. Dati, ni hindi ko siya kilala—liban sa minsang pagkakabasa ko ng pangalan niya sa assignment niya nang ipinapasa ito ng propesor right to left. Dati. Dati nakikita ko pa siya.

Ilan pa kaya ang kagaya ko? Nangungulila sa isang tao na hanggang ngayon, hindi mawari kung buhay o patay. Ilan kaya ang kagaya kong hindi pinapatulog sa gabi? Hindi makapagtirik ng kandila dahil may tangan pa ring kaunting pag-asa? Ilan kaya kaming hanggang ngayon nasasaktan, naghahanap, naghihintay, umaasa?

Sa NAWAWALA. [P]

to C ARPer P R A C A long stretch of 25 years has already ended.

Yet, the lands were not sowed with justice.

A stretch of loopholes and backlogs of agrarian reform in the Philippines

Last June 30, 2014, the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program Extension with Reforms (CARPER) law ended. According to GMA News, the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) assured farmers that the distribution of lands will still continue despite the end of CARPER’s effectivity.

“Mismong ang batas ang nagsasabi na bagama’t ngayon ang huling araw para mag-issue ng NOC (Notice of Coverage), nagbibigay-puwang [pa rin ang batas] sa kagawaran para sabihin na kung mayroong nakabinbing kaso o ‘di kaya’y sinimulan nang proseso para sa pagsasailalim ng lupain sa programa, ay maari pong ituloy ito hanggang sa matapos at makumpleto bagama’t lumampas na sa petsa,” Undersecretary Anthony Parungao said in an interview by GMA News.

HR 4077 or the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program Extension with Reforms (CARPER) bill is the 5-year extension of the 20-year-old Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP). It was signed into law last August 7, 2009 and is the most recent among the agrarian reform programs implemented in the country.

Overview of Agrarian Reform in the Philippines Agrarian reform is basically a land reform that aims to transfer control and ownership of agricultural lands to the actual tillers.

According to Anihan,a resource center for Research and Advocacy on Agrarian Reform and Rural Development (ARRD), an agrarian reform was institutionalized to correct

“numerous defects in the country’s agrarian structure”.

The defective structure allows the ownership of land to be concentrated in only among few people, which results to deprivation of resources to the many. This results to unemployment, low productivity and income, and the slack economic growth of rural communities.

According to the Legislative Budget Research and Monitoring Office (LBRMO), the Philippine Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program is “one of the longest-running programs of its kind anywhere in the world”. Moreover, it affects a total of 30-million hectare of land in the Philippines, making it the widest in terms of coverage.

Backlogs from CARP to CARPER The Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP) was institutionalized by the Republic Act 6657.

The 1987 Constitution envisioned CARP as a “tool towards social justice through the redistribution of the country’s wealth thereby redefining land relations and empowering landless farmers and farmworkers”.

Moreover, former President There are Corazon Aquino considered blatant cases CARP as a ‘centrepiece program’ during her regime. where farmers, During President Ferdinand just because Marcos’ term, Presidential they do not have Decree 27 limited agrarian land titles, are reform to rice and corn forbidden by lands only. CARP, however, is applicable regardless of their landowners crops and fruits produced to practice and irrespective of tenurial sustainable arrangements to ensure that agriculture. the economic status of the beneficiaries will be lifted.

The CARP is supposedly time-lined for ten years (1988-1998). However, CARP projection as LBRMO noted, ‘fell short of its objectives’. As compensation, the WORDS Congress enacted RA 8532, an Act Strengthening Further Kezia Grace Jungco the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program Providing an Additional P50 Billion for the Program and Extending graphics&layout the Land Distribution until 2008, last February 1998 to trista ie gile achieve the constitutional objective of “agrarian reform and rural development”.

Over the years, CARP has undergone several revisions.

For instance, last August 2009, the Congress extended the program’s implementation until June 2014 as a response to continuing peasant unrest. By virtue of RA 9700, an Act Strengthening the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP), Extending the Acquisition and Distribution of All Agricultural Lands, Instituting Necessary Reforms, Amending for the Purpose Certain Provisions of Republic Act No. 6657, Otherwise Known as the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Law of 1988, As Amended, and Appropriating Funds Thereof, CARP Extension with Reforms (CARPER) was institutionalized.

Since CARP underwent several revisions, the scope of CARP in terms of land area changed from time to time. According to LBRMO, from 10.300 million hectares of land, the scope scaled down to 8.062 million hectares after the 1993 ‘cleansing of data’.

Moreover, in 2006, the coverage was revised to 8.572 million hectares as a result of the Inventory of CARP Scope (ICS) conducted by the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) that started in 2004.

But even after CARPER, the problem on the distribution of land remains. Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP) Chairman Rafael Mariano said in an interview by Bulatlat that CARPER must undergo three phases in order to fulfill the distribution of lands.

This, according to Mariano, is an impossible feat that is bound to failure. In order to implement the three phases, the original lands covered by CARP must accomplish 90% of its distribution. Unless the third phase becomes successful, the

first phase and the second phase will cover for their failure that will take up another five years. KMP’s data showed that only 43% of all agricultural lands were distributed in CARP’s 20 years.

Loopholes by numbers In 2012, a supposedly target year for accomplishing the land redistribution, DAR was not able to accomplish even half of its objective Moreover, DAR Secretary Virgilio delos Reyes promised to distribute more than 900,000 hectares of land. DAR targeted to distribute 180,000 hectares for 2012; 260,000 hectares for 2013; and 200,000 hectares for 2014. These distributions leave roughly321, 974 hectares of undistributed lands in 2014 or more that just 25% of DAR’s target.

There are also problems encountered in land distribution itself.

According to the Focus on the Global South, even in public forest lands, DAR and DENR have to deal with smorgasbord of problems such as “(1) private and public land overlaps and issues of delineation of landholdings; (2) reform reversals in public lands because of land reclassifications; (3) de-prioritization of community-based forest management lands; (4) competing claims over the contested public forest land due to different policies and laws governing public land reform and (4) documentation, or non-documentation of untitled properties.”

In addition to the land distribution backlogs are DAR’s further loopholes, as pointed out by the Focus on the Global South. According to DAR, the Land Acquisition and Distribution (LAD) balance in 2011 has a total of 961,974 hectares. As of January 1, 2013, the LAD balance was 879, 526 hectares. The figures show that the Net LAD balance or the actual distributable lands only measured 704,526 hectares. Moreover, a fraction of the land amounting to 182, 121 hectares was labeled as ‘problematic’ which means that there are pending cases and technical problems. This means that only 522, 405 hectares were for redistribution by DAR. Also according to Focus on the Global South in collaboration with Save the Agrarian Reform Alliance, provinces with high land distribution backlogs face high magnitude of poverty. Among the top provinces with high land distribution backlogs are Negros Occidental with a poor population of 915,157 or 32.2% in 2009, Camarines Sur with 794,832 or 47.0 % and Masbate with 441,688 or 54.2%.

Denied land, denied justice There are numerous backlogs brought about by the lack of genuine agrarian reform in the country. One of these is the difficulty in sustainable agriculture. There are blatant cases where farmers, just because they do not have land titles, are forbidden by their landowners to practice sustainable agriculture.

Moreover, majority of the victims of human rights violations in the Philippines are peasants. “This is not just denied land, but denied justice,” Bulatlat’s website reads. For example is the story of Nanay Leoning, a farmer from Brgy. Mapalicsao, Hacienda Luisita, Tarlac.

According to Sarah Maramag of the Philippine Online Chronicles (POC), Nanay Leoning’s small piece of land in Hacienda Luisita is currently in rough waters due to the issues faced by the Certificate of Land Ownership Awards (CLOAs) by DAR to farm workerbeneficiaries under CARP. Nanay Leoning was one of those who have been given a small parcel of land through a raffle done by DAR as part of their implementation of the 2012 Supreme Court decision to distribute 4,500 hectares of land to 6,296 farm worker-beneficiaries of Hacienda Luisita. “Mas masahol pa sa sabong ang ginagawa nila sa amin.

Nangako sila ng pamamahagi ng lupa pero kami-kami ang pinagaaway nila dahil sa iskemang ito,” POC’s website reads.

Call to Action Aquino promised the completion of CARP in his third State of the Nation Address (SONA). However, his recent actions contradict the latter. Aquino’s ‘transition plan’ will result to the transfer of support services to the Department of Agriculture (DA) and other CARP implementing agencies. Moreover, staffing and organizational structure will also change due to DAR’s streamlining scheme.

This transition, however, seems more of an abandonment rather than improvement. As Global South noted, DA’s structure and organizational setup may not cater to Agricultural Reform Beneficiaries or ARB’s down to the barangay level. Even Sec. Proceso Alcala admitted that his agency is not yet ready for such transfer.

For many years, land reform in the Philippines has been favoring the elite members of the society. Until the very last vast of land be rightfully given to farmers, the need for a genuine agrarian reform policy will always be the call of the people.

Sources: http://www.anihan.org/top/agrarian/ http://bulatlat.com/main/2009/06/14/why-carper-is-worsethan-carp/#sthash.4OucTWu3.dpuf http://bulatlat.com/main/2009/06/14/why-carper-is-worsethan-carp/#sthash.4OucTWu3.dpuf http://focusweb.org/sites/www.focusweb.org/files/thestate-of-agrarian-report.pdf http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/368003/news/nation/land-distribution-to-continue-after-carper-expires-dar http://thepoc.net/index.php/carp-carper-crap-26-years-ofdirty-land-reform-2/

FEATURE

11

UPLB PERSPECTIVE | Volume 41 Issue 3 | November 2014 - January 2015

UPLB PERSPECTIVE | Volume 41 Issue 3 | November 2014 - January 2015

That AOE Punch You So Want To Deliver Words | Greenboard

Graphics | FRITZGERALD GENEROSO

Layout | Jose Lorenzo Lim

Rights: the lifeblood of our citizenship; of one’s being a citizen--to live within these rights, to be subsumed by it. We capitalize our citizenship by owning and using these rights. Consequently, we are always adamant about defending these, particularly: freedom.

But, freedom, to some extent can be so free that it may hinder other ‘freedoms’. How is this?

Just think about how libel became libelous or murder became murderous. These acts are criminalized as these acts impede other freedoms--the freedom of other persons.

In Barcelona, Spain, protesters raise pens in sign of support of the death of the journalists.

PHOTO | GETTY IMAGES

Je Suis Charlie At the seventh of January, a massacre had happened in which twelve people were killed at the offices of the French satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo in Paris, France. Charlie Hebdo is a weekly magazine Specific religious views design specific dogmas, and that features cartoons, reports, polemics, and jokes reactionaries, is the debate between freedoms: freedom with these specific dogmas come specific laws; and including jokes on Islam, particularly Muhammad. of speech and freedom of religious expression.

This attack was not the first. Attacks to Charlie What separates France from most countries when religions are very antagonistic about blasphemy. It is hard to find any religion that would openly, liberally Hebdo can be traced back when it still was the Hara involving religious matters? Laïcité. accept blasphemy to its own faith. This is the main Kiri magazine. In 1982, Hara Kiri then was banned The principle of laïcité is the solid thesis of the suspects in the Charlie Hebdo incident, for mocking the death of former separation of church and state which and is actually the same sentiments of the people not French president Charles de Our ancestors can was enshrined in 1905. In this principle, very much agreeing about all this Je Suis hype. Some Gaulle. It was only in 1992 that vividly remember how people are free to practice the religion critics actually claimed that what Charlie Hebdo has the publication was resurrected. the Christians and the of their choice, but only in private. They done and has been doing is out of line. Specifically, Charlie Hebdo’s Muhammad required to keep their religion out of Francis Szpiner, Grand Mosque lawyer described how Muslims engage in wars cartoons started to create a stir public sphere. The mere distinction and Hebdo is blurring the distinct difference between in 2006. Their February 9, 2006 just to take hold on evaluation of the principle between how Muslims and Muslims terrorist, and here he claimed edition had a title “Muhammad Jerusalem, not because the private and public sphere be treated is that what Charlie overwhelmed by fundamentalists”, an ostensive point of difference from how Hebdo does is a form of it is a strategic post in with a cartoon showing a weeping The problem starts to the church and the state are separated racism.

Muhammad saying, “It’s hard the era of wars, and in other particular countries, as for stir up and create these being loved by jerks.” The 2006 not because it hides example, Philippines. The requirement Preparing a Coffin so called religious wars issue was consequently followed This century old for the religious people to withhold their by numerous lawsuits coming beneath it oils or golds, debate on religion, when people start to religious practices and keep it in their from the The Grand Mosque of but because it IS the freedoms, on private spheres not only gives leeway on generalize.

Paris, the Muslim World League, Holy Ground. to people with a more secular view of expressions, can only be and the Union of French Islamic nature; but also creates a tendency---that fully understood, and Organizations (UOIF). these secular people use this leeway not thus by little means be answered, by deep philosophical Five years after, at the second of November 2011, they only to get on with their lives normally but also to scrutiny. We cannot really say that Hebdo did nothing wrong--that they are merely exercising rights to changed their title into Charia Hebdo as a response capitalize the chance to satirize the religious. freedom of expression. These rights, as they call it, to recent news of the post-election introduction of These satirizing on the other hand were not entirely Sharia law in Libya and the victory of the Islamist irrational. There is an ongoing debate on how or why stomps the rights of other people. Of course, we are party in Tunisia. It exposed negative themes critical or whatever is something religious, or if it is really just as sure as right that what the assailants did was to Islamic faith such as oppression of women under needed, such and such. One of the longest war is wrong--it is a criminal act, if one would not know.

Sharia, domestic violence, mandatory veiling, even rooted from religion. Our ancestors can vividly The problem starts to stir up and create these so called burquas, restrictions on freedom, forced marriage, and remember how the Christians and the Muslims engage religious wars when people start to generalize. It is stoning of those accused of adultery. It also pointed at in wars just to take hold on Jerusalem, not because it when people put out their outrage on other Muslims oppression of gays and dissenters, and practices such is a strategic post in the era of wars, and not because clearly innocent of the crime to Hebdo. Churches as flogging, hand/foot/tongue amputations, polygamy, it hides beneath it oils or golds [at least far from what were burned. Riots were initiated. These actions were and early indoctrination of children. As a result, their Iraq or Iran could geologically achieve], but because it only to retaliate--even without a direct target. Of what cause? Their beliefs were belittled? At least, we office was fire-bombed, which would eventually lead IS the Holy Ground. can safely say that both parties did wrong---Charlie to the current year, in January 7 when twelve people This is nothing against the religious sectors, their Hebdo and the assailants. To answer the question, were killed. During the attack, the gunmen shouted, “Allahu Akbar!” (Arabic for “God is great!”) and “The practices, and the traditions they must hold on to. But, how bad a party did or which party did the worse this is something against the wars, the decapitations, at least, is to dive into the seemingly endless demise Prophet is avenged!” the ransack that is the very legacy of these religions Je Suis Charlie was a slogan adopted by freedom of [at least historically]. Sadly, this history has once again where one is battling with the probability that one is speech and freedom of the press initiated by French haunted us from the past where the same problem actually preparing his own coffin.

There is a similarity with what is going on here in artist and music journalist for Stylist Magazine, that persisted that time is the same problem that Joachim Roncin when he wanted to react on the persists today; and this problem is not yet resolved; an the Philippines. People generalize. What one Muslim subject but lacked words. With the intention of unresolvable problem, maybe. What is this problem? does is a crime accountable to all the Muslims; What evoking solidarity to the victims, the slogan was Religious wars. Religious incompatibilities. These one Christian does is a crime accountable to all the embraced worldwide becoming one of the most religions are irreconcilable and cannot coexist in the Christians. People hating people. People insisting to wage war; to wage an all-out war. To what? To popular hashtags in Twitter history. The slogan also same public strata. indirectly retaliate? A war is that area-of-effect (AOE) encroached upon the popular culture being used in Apparently, various religions can, but. Here’s a big BUT. punch that one so wants to deliver. music, being displayed in print and even in animated cartoons--including the Simpsons. It also became the new name of a town square in France.

Want to say something to [P]?

Religious Wars The bristle Charlie Hebdo incident had created Feel free to send your comments and feedbacks here: a chaos in the religious community. In Niger, postattack issue of Charlie Hebdo resulted in ten deaths, uplbperspective1415@gmail.com at least dozens injured, and nine churches burned.

UPLB Perspective Violent demonstrations were present in countries around the globe. The core of these clashes among the 09177514195

12

CULTURE

SKETCHPAD

Ang hindi inaasahan

John Paul Penuliar

“Mag-iingat ka palagi diyan at tatandaan mo na mahal na mahal ka namin ng mga anak mo.” Ito ang huling sinambit ni Inay nang kunin niya sa akin ang telepono upang magpaalam kay Itay.

ng dilim. Kalmot dito, kalmot doon, paulit-ulit ang mga nangyayari kasabay ng pagpinta ng mga mapang-akit na ngiti sa kanilang mga labi. Pamilyar ang senaryong iyon na aking muling nasaksihan.

“Oh Gina anak, mauna ka na munang umuwi sa bahay pero dumaan ka muna sa panaderya. Tiyak na naghihintay na ang mga kapatid mo at hindi pa sila nag-aalmusal.”

Nangangatal ang aking mga labi sa sandaling iyon, pilit kong tinatakpan ang aking bibig gamit ang aking mga kamay upang hindi makalikha ng ingay.

Gusto kong sumigaw at kumawala sa galit na aking nararamdaman ngunit hindi, hindi maaari. Wala ako sa tamang pagkakataon upang palayain ang aking sarili sa isang pagkakakulong na hindi ko naman ginusto. Gusto kong lumaya sa seldang pilit akong binibihag at pinapahirapan.

“Nay, bakit hindi na lang tayo magsabay pauwi?”

“May kakausapin pa pala akong katekista rito. Sige na, mauna ka na. ‘Yung bilin ko Gina ha.”

Tulala pa rin mula sa mga bagay na bumabagabag sa aking isipan, nagsimula na akong maglakad pauwi. Pakiwari ko ay tumigil na naman ang oras. Hindi ko maunawaan ang mga nagaganap at kasabay nito ay ang paghila ng malabatobalaning daigdig sa aking katawan.

Idinako ko ang aking paningin sa gawi kung saan nagtungo si Inay. Hindi ko namalayang unti-unti ko nang ihinahakbang ang aking mga paa pabalik ng simbahan para sundan si Inay. Ayaw ko mang mag-isip ng masama, ngunit hindi ko na mapigilang hindi matakot sa tuwing nawawala sa aking paningin ang anino niya. Maya-maya’y nakarating na ako sa pintuan ng opisina ng simbahan.

“Sige po Father, maraming salamat po.” Bakas sa labi ni Inay ang kakaibang ngiti kasabay ng pagtapik sa kanya ng isang lalaking nagkukubli sa kulay-ube nitong abito.

Mabilis na lumipas ang isang buwan mula nang masaksihan ko ang pangyayaring nanatiling bangungot sa aking murang isipan. Sa loob ng panahong iyon ay ramdam ko ang pagiging abala ni Inay sa mga gawaingsimbahan. Halos daig pa niya ang isang katekista sa bilang ng oras na nilalagi niya sa bahay-dalanginan. Ngunit patuloy ang pagbagabag sa akin ng hindi mabilang na katanungan.

Tumutulo ang pawis ng dalawang nilalang kasabay ng paglapat ng kanilang labi sa bawat isa. Animo may dalawang tigreng nag-aaway o naglalaro sa gitna

“Anak, gising! Gina anak!” Pasigaw ang tinig ni Inay. Nagising akong pawisan at tila ba ay naghahabol ng hininga.

“Hindi ka yata nagdarasal bago matulog kaya ka laging binabangungot.”

Halata sa boses ni Inay na irita siya sa mga taong hindi nagdarasal habang ako ay wala pa rin sa aking sarili.

“O siya, bumangon ka na r’yan at darating na mamaya si Father, ngayon ako nagpa-schedule ng pagpapa-bendisyon ng bahay.” Nilisan ni Inay ang aking kuwarto at agad na rin naman akong kumilos upang igayak ang aking sarili.

Dumating ang kinahapunan at natapos ang pagbendisyon sa bahay. Sa mga sandaling iyon ay tila isa akong pulis na mahigpit na binabantayan ang bawat kilos ng sarili kong Ina at ng paring tinitingala sa aming parokya.

Ramdam ko sa pagkakataong iyon ang galit, ang poot, ang suklam.

Gayunpaman, alam ko na hindi ito ang tamang pagkakataon para ilabas ang matagal ko nang dinadalang pasakit ng dibdib.

“Tao po, tao po.”

Narinig ko ang isang boses ng lalaki mula sa labas ng bahay kaya agad akong tumungo rito at ramdam ko na sumunod sa akin si Inay at ang pari.

Saglit akong napatigil sa aking pagkakatayo, mabilis na tumulo ang aking luha, at niyakap ng mahigpit ang lalaking dumating.

Sino kaya itong lalaking dumating? Abangan ang Sketchpad sa ikaapat na isyu ng [P]!

CULTURE

13

UPLB PERSPECTIVE | Volume 41 Issue 3 | November 2014 - January 2015

KWENTONG FRESHIE “Freedom baby, oh yeah, oh yeah!”

Kung may unang sigaw si Bonifacio sa Balintawak, aba! ‘Di ako papatalo sa unang sigaw ko sa Carabao Park.

Kasabay ng unti-unting pagtirik ng araw ay ang pagtirik din ng aking lubos na kasiyahan dahil sa wakas natungtong ko ang tinatawag na unibersidad ng mga ISKOLAR NG BAYAN. Kahit nangangawit pa ang pwet, mabigat pa ang mata, kumakalam pa ang sikmura, hapung-hapo ang katawan, at nahihilo ang diwa dahil sa walong oras na biyahe sa bus mula sa aming probinsiya, Camarines Sur, alam kong bakas sa mukha ko ang pananabik na sa wakas makakamit ko na ang kasarinlan.

“Sigurado kang kaya mo na magisa?” kunot noong tanong ng papa ko. Hindi man niya sabihin alam kong siya ang hindi handa na ako ay magsosolo na.

“Sige, mag-iingat ka ha?” kasabay nito may jeep na huminto sa harap namin. Sumakay na si Papa, at habang papalayo ang jeep nakatitig pa din ang nag-aalala niyang mata, wari’y may naiwan siyang napakahalagang bagay na kahit kailan hindi niya dapat kaligtaan.

Nang mawala na siya sa paningin ko, tiningnan ko ang paligid, ang ganda ng Freedom Park mula sa kintatayuan ko sa labas ng Men’s Dorm. Unang araw ng pasok bukas! Sabik na sabik na talaga ako! Bagong lugar, bagong tao, at bagong karanasan ang naghihintay sakin.

UP shirt, pants na maong, at rubber shoes para handa sa kung ano mang pamumundok, check. Tubig para sa uhaw, check. File case na may schedule, blue book, yellow paper, at mapa ng UPLB, check. Back pack na may lamang libro at kung ano pang school paraphernalia, check.

I.D. na may makapal na UP lanyard at ID case, check.

Hindi naman ako masyadong nahirapan sa paghahanap ng mga silid-aralan ko sapagkat sumama naman ako nang mag-Campus Tour.

14

OPINION

Medyo nakakapayat lang talaga ang paglipat-lipat ng mga gusali, malayo nung high school kung saan ang guro ang pupunta sa mga silidaralan. Pagpasok ko sa mga silidaralan nagulat ako sa laki at sa dami namin, at ang mas kinagulat ko pa ay ang tatangkad nila, napag-iwanan nga talaga ako. Lagi tuloy akong napagkakamalang estudyante ng Maquiling.

Kapansin-pansin din na sa loob at labas ng bawat gusali ay may nakatagong hiwaga. Mula sa chem lab ng IC, mga basag na bintana sa lecture hall, hanggang sa sira-sirang upuan sa ilang silid-aralan.

Matapos ang mahaba kong araw, umupo ako sa isang upuan sa Oblation Park. Napansin ko ang mga bangang nasa harap ng Physical Science Bldg (Francisco O. Santos Hall). Pinagmasdan ko ang mga bangang iyon. Nagtataka ako kung para saan ba ang mga yun? In fairness, maganda naman siya tignan.

Habang abala pa din ako sa pamomroblema kung para saan ang mga bangang iyon, may batang lalaking lumapit sakin.

“Ate, bili na po kayo ng mani, malutong, maalat-alat, at hmmmm yummy,” sinabi ng bata na may kasama pang sayaw.

Natawa ako sa sinabi ng bata, iba ang tinakbo ng imahinasyon ko.

“Sige na po ate, bili na po kayo,” pagmamakaawa ng bata.

“Magkano ba yan?” tanong ko.

“Sampung piso lang ‘te, pero dahil maganda ka naman, bigay ko sayo ng dalawa sa halagang bente,” hirit ng bata.

Dahil nagsabi siya ng totoo tungkol sa kagandahan ko, pinatulan ko na lang. Pagkabili ko ay tinignan niya lang ako at nagtanong. “Freshman ka po ba dito?”

“Oo, bakit?” tanong ko.

“Ang swerte niyo po. Taga san ka po ba?”

“Taga-bikol,” sagot ko.

“Talaga po? Eh di malayo kayo ngayon sa mga magulang niyo? Di po ba kayo natatakot?”

NO FURY SO LOUD

JOHN PAUL OMAC

commodity that is sold to the people instead of a right that should be freely enjoyed.

In fact, greater state subsidy could have easily answered the problems of the education sector. The United Nations encourages member countries to allocate at least six percent of their total Gross Domestic Product (GDP) to education. The Philippines, on the other hand, allocates less than two percent of its GDP to education. The shortage, according to the government, is due to limited funds.

However, through a thorough inspection, it can be clearly seen that a big chunk of the national budget goes to debt servicing and military spending. It is also important to point out that the administration is willing to cut government support for education, as in RPHER, but not on military and debt services. This might point out where the priorities of our government are. As a result, tuition and other fees continue to soar to prices, making education inaccessible to many students.

Moreover, promises of economic progress for people in areas with ecozones are disproved by statistics. For instance, in Batangas, poverty incidence rose to 14 percent from the previous 13.8 percent despite the surge of investments for the First Philippine Industrial Park located in the province. The same goes for Pampanga, whose poverty incidence rose from 4.9 percent to 6.7 percent even with increasing investments for the Clark Special Economic Zone.

Ecozones transform rural provinces into urban business parks with no reflective development in the living conditions of the local residents. This just proves that no significant economic progress is brought by the ecozones as it only benefits the corporate investors.

As the prime stakeholders of our University, it is up to us to defend our rights for quality and accessible education. At the same time, we must broaden our ranks together with the community around us that will also be affected. It is about time we regain the pro-student, pro-people character of the University.

UPLB : University na Puro Lintik na mga Banga Diana Jane Plofino

“Hindi naman, sa totoo nga tuwang tuwa pa akong nandito ako eh. Sa wakas malaya sa mga dinidikta ng mga magulang ko, malaya sa mga problema sa pamilya.”

“Ako po, gusto ko din ng malayo sa pamilya ko para malaya na din sa mga problema. Panganay po kasi ako sa aming magkakapatid. Tatay ko nasa bahay lang nag-aalaga daw ng mga kapatid ko pero inom lang naman nang inom. Ang nanay ko po naglalabada,” malungkot na kwento ng bata.

Nagulat ako sa pagkukwento ng bata tungkol sa buhay niya. Napaisip ako kung gaano ako kaswerte sa mga magulang ko. Pinakinggan ko ang kuwento niya, nasa sekundarya na daw dapat siya kaso huminto siya.

Nabanggit niya nga din na gusto niya sanang makapag-aral dito sa UPLB pero parang malabo na daw dahil wala silang pera para mag-aral dito.

Nagulat ako na nasa sekundarya na pala dapat siya pero maliit din siya tulad ko. Akala ko nasa elementarya palang siya. Sinabi ko sa kanya na libre naman mag-aral dito, akala ko gagaan ang loob niya nang sabihin ko yun, pero parang mas nalungkot pa siya.

“Wala ka po bang binabayaran dito?” tanong niya.

Napa-isip ako Bracket C (PD60) nga pala ako, may binabayaran pala ako, hindi pala libre ang makapagaral dito. Ngunit, pinaliwanag ko sa kanya na depende naman sa estado ng mag-aaral kung magkano ang

“

Nagulat ako sa sinabi ng bata. Tama siya, wala talagang libreng edukasyon.

Pano nga naman talaga makakapagpasa ang isang tulad niya ng mga proyektong nangangailangan ng pera? Natahimik na lang ako at tinitigan ko siya habang nilalaro niya ang mga binibinta niyang mani.

babayaran niya. Dinagdag ko pa na sa tingin ko naman magiging E2 (Full Discount + Stipend) siya.

“Sinabi ko na po yan sa mga magulang ko, na pwede naman akong malibre, saka may mga scholarships naman, pero ang sinabi po nila sakin, wala naman po talagang libreng edukasyon, gagastos at gagastos ka tulad na lang po ng mga proyekto sa paaralan, mga dapat na bilhin para pumasa ka, mga fieldtrips at kung anu-ano pa. Sabi nga po ng nanay ko, paano daw po kaming kulang pa ang isang kahig para sa isang tuka,” malungkot na tugon ng bata.

Nagulat ako sa sinabi ng bata.

Tama siya, wala talagang libreng edukasyon. Pano nga naman talaga makakapagpasa ang isang tulad niya ng mga proyektong nangangailangan ng pera? Natahimik na lang ako at tinitigan ko siya habang nilalaro niya ang mga binibinta niyang mani.

“Ate, napansin ko po kanina tinititigan niyo ang mga banga yun,” pagbasag niya sa katahimikan.

“Ay, oo, nagtataka lang ako kung para saan,” sabi ko sa bata “Ah ganun po ba? Hindi ko rin po alam para saan yan at sinong nakikinabang niyan. Sige po ate, salamat! Sa susunod po ha, bili ka ulit ng malutong, maalatalat, at yummy kong mani,” nakangiting sinabi ng bata.

Bigla akong napaisip sa presyo ng mga bangang iyon. Kung ilang kagaya kaya niya ang kayang makapag-aral gamit ang pondong nilaan para sa mga banga. Ilang classroom kaya ang naisagawa o naisaayos man lang?

Nakakainis isipin na ang buwis na binayaran ng aking mga magulang at binayaran ko sa bawat bilhin ko ay napunta sa pagpapagawa ng mga banga, na madalas ay sabagal pa nga sa daanan at sa kung ano-ano pang hindi praktikal na ‘pagdidisenyo’ ng unibersidad, habang patuloy na may mga building na may “Beware of falling windows.”

Ang mga bangang iyon na upuan ng pagod, sintasan ng sapatos, patungan ng gamit, at ihian ng aso ay sadyang walang halaga sa mga batang nais ng libreng edukasyon.

MUMBLINGS Greenboard

Guien Eidrefson Garma

Chips are falling. To hell with it.

It seems that President Benigno Simeon Aguino III is letting the chips fall where they may, and when it falls in the wrong place, nah, to hell with it.

When the President did not follow the chain of command for Oplan Exodus, an operation to neutralize terrorists Zulkifli bin Hir, alias Marwan, and Basit Usman, and assigned Alan Purisima, suspended chief of the Philippine National Police (PNP) take the lead in the operation instead of officer-in-charge Leonardo Espina, he had the letthe-chips-fall attitude indeed.

It was risky, but it might be rational: it was a high-profile and covert operation, which needs confidentiality. The President might have assigned Purisima because it was during his time as PNP chief that the operation was being cooked, and having someone else take the lead might not yield to a good result. But the fact that the chain of command was broken might cause danger to the troops on the ground executing the operation, and to the morale of the whole police force in general.

As revealed in the exchanges of texts between Aquino and Purisima, ...When faced there was no trace of the Commanderby the situation, in-Chief’s concern for the Special Force (SAF) troopers. There he did not seem Action was no text about how to pull out the to care, really, troops who were already in a ‘virtual about the troops. suicide’ operation.

As The Manila Times’ Rigoberto He did not seem Tiglao argued, “After being informed to care about the that only one terrorist was killed, civilian casualties. with the other two targets escaping, that Muslim insurgents had He only cared about and pinned down the SAF troopers, the pointing fingers, commander-in-chief got mad and and aiming for the berated Purisima. He realized that there was a high probability that passage of the police commandos would be killed…

Bangsamoro Basic Law He panicked, and then went on a (BBL) while he is reality-denial mode. He froze, and even ask his closest officials still in office... couldn’t what to do.”

Definitely, Aquino let the chips fall where they may. Unfortunately, it fell in shambles.

It is not helping that the President tries to wash his hands off the incident. In his two addresses to the nation broadcast on a primetime slot, he has not explained his role in the botched Mamasapano operation. Just recently, in a closed-door meeting with several congressmen, he was quoted saying that he ‘was lied to’ by Purisima and relieved SAF director Getulio Napeñas. We can say that our President is really into the finger-pointing game.

It is undeniable that the President has gained bad publicity with the way he handled the aftermath of the botched misencounter [sic]. Instead of attending the arrival honors for the fallen elite police commandos, he attended an event in a car manufacturing plant. It is not helping that several relatives of the fallen 44 are coming out and revealing the horrendous treatment they got from the President during a surprise meeting. Take note, this is also the same President who, in a nationally-broadcast address, said that he was the father of the nation, and that he lost 44 of his sons.

President Aquino did not stop at letting the chips fall into shambles.

When faced by the situation, he did not seem to care, really, about the troops. He did not seem to care about the civilian casualties. He only cared about pointing fingers, and aiming for the passage of the Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) while he is still in office.

Just and Lasting Peace There has always been a need for just and lasting peace in Mindanao. For several times, past administrations tried to give peace a chance in the island – the Tripoli agreement, the formation of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM), and the Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) on Ancestral Domains (which was declared unconstitutional), but there are still insurgent groups in several parts of Southern Philippines.

President Aquino is set to railroad the passage of the Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL), despite the opposition of several lawmakers.

He wants the bill to be passed by June 11. Railroading laws is a haphazard move, but it seems President Aquino is letting the chips fall again, and again!

Passing the BBL haphazardly is not a good option. Declaring an all-out war is definitely not a good option either. Ordinary people lose greatly. Having all insurgent groups enter into peace talks, meanwhile, is easier said than done.

So, how should we attain peace? Almost every secession in the country – whether led by our Muslim brothers and sisters or by communists camping in the mountains – starts with one big problem: poverty and inequality. As one of my professors say, government is the main recruiter for rebellion.

As to how it should be done, let’s leave it to the people of the southern Philippines to articulate and argue. They know better than us, and they are tired of wars and evacuations.

But on our part, we can make one thing happen: Make the President accountable through whatever means possible for the loss of our men, and for the lack of development – not merely economic, but social development – and for the prevalence of social inequality for our fellow Filipinos down south. [P]

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Tiktik: The Aswang Chronicles Kakagaling ko lang sa isang demonstrasyon. Lintik kasi, sumusobra na si Noynoy!

Taas kamaong nilakad ang ilang kilometro. Mainit. Malagkit. Nakakauhaw.

Nakakapagod. Kailangan na talagang ipakita na punung-puno na ang mga Pilipino sa kanya.

Apektadong Pilipino—hindi kasi kasama dito ang mga malalaking tao, at hindi apektado ng isyung pang-nasyonal, silang yumuyurak sa pinaglalaban namin. [Prayoridad kasi sila: magpuputol ng mga puno para makabawas ng trapik o magpapalayas ng mga indigenous people (IP) at magsasaka para magkaroon ng mall, airport, o siguro banyong high-class.]

Sobrang hassle. May mga dinadakip pa. Kesyo NPA daw o kung ano man, baka pagbintangan ka pa ngang MILF, o Jemaah Islamiyah.

Basta makapanghuli lang, makapang-torture lang—ni walang patunay sa kung ano man ang ipinaparatang nila.

Nakakalungkot. Ang ilan, kahit naisin nilang ipagsigawan at ipaliwanag sa mga nagbubulag-bulagan ang tunay na nagaganap sa bansa, pipiliin na lang nilang magtalukbong at ipilit ang sarili sa mundo ng middle class— makikipagsabungan sa iba pang middle class para malagay sa tuktok kasama ang iilang limang porsyento ng naghaharing-uri.

Wala talagang freedom of speech.

Huwag kang hunghang. Wala. Subukan mo lang ipamahagi ang tunay mong nararamdaman ukol sa kasalukuyang nagaganap sa gobyerno—at, ihanda mo na rin ang sarili sa iligal na pagdakip ng mga nakauniporme’t may baril. BAWAL kutyain ang gobyerno. Ulul.

Kailan nga ba nagsimulang protektahan ng militar ang gobyerno kasabay ng pag-iwan nito sa bayan? Martial Law? Jovito? Hindi.

Nagsimula ito kapag nagsimula na ring lumihis ng landas ang nasa pinakataas nila. Naaalala ko noong hayskul sa CAT namin: Rule No. 1: The commandant is always right.

Rule No. 2: If the commandant is wrong, follow rule no. 1.

Nice—kung ang pagsasakahulugan nito ay old English: ignorante.

Mayroon pa: “What you see, what you hear, what you feel, when you go, leave it here.”

Nice ulit—sa old English nitong pagsasakahulugan. At, O alam na natin kung saan unang nauso ang kakurakutan?

Itong ‘subtle’ na hidwaan sa pagitan ng militar at ng mga taong nagsasalaysay ng mga hinaing nila laban sa gobyerno ay umaabot sa mga unibersidad— partikular sa UPLB. Kaya nga merong mga: Tiktik—Maniniktik. Emisaryo. Sugong Lihim.

Kabilang ito sa trabaho ng mga militar: Intel. Nililikom nila ang mga pangalan ng mga estudyanteng sumasama sa mga rally-rally. Sa isang rally, there are tiktik everywhere. Nagmamatyag. Naglalaway.

Sa aking pagkakatantiya, protocol ang pag-iintel sa panahon ng digmaan. Pero bakit naman tatarget-in ang mga taong tahasang isinisalaysay ang mga kamalian ng gobyerno? Dahil makakasira ito sa gobyerno? Dahil may leaning ito sa sosyalismo nilang tinatawag? Sino nga ba dapat ang pinaglilingkuran ng mga militar? Ng mga kapulisan? Ng mga propesyong may baril? Siguro kung saan sila kumukuha ng sweldo. Kung titignan, sa gobyerno nga naman nila nakukuha ang sweldo nila—pero saan ba ito galing? Sa buwis. Buwis galing sa taumbayan. Mga lintek.

Nakakatakot? Hindi rin. Mga aswang lang naman kasi sila. Nananakot ba. Takot din sila sayo. Takot malantad kung sino sila. Paano nga ba sinusugpo ang mga aswang sa probinsya? Taumbayan. Taumbayan ang susi.

Sa ilalim ng kainitan ng araw nakasalubong ko ulit ang loko. Tucked-in ang damit. Naka-belt. Hindi ako tinitignan. Sa bulsa niya nakita ko ang maliit at puting notebook. May bolpeng nakaipit. Kilala niya ako. Hindi ko siya kilala. Hindi mo siya kilala. Kilala ka niya.

Kilala niya lahat.

GRAPHICS ryan dela cruz

Lease Complicated

UNDER SCRUTINY Since the late 2000’s, UPLB has continuously sought for the accreditation from the Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA) to establish a Special Economic Zone inside the university property. The SEZ will cover 69.99 hectares to be subdivided into an information technology hub (9.15 ha) and an agro-industrial park (60.84 ha). It will rise on a portion of the 155.8-ha Barangay Putho-Tuntungin referred to as the UPLB Science and Technology Park.

According to the administration, setting up an economic zone will generate income for the University in order to make it self-sufficient. Furthermore, they explained that not only the University will benefit but the community as well since attracting businesses to set up their facilities in UPLB would bring jobs and economic welfare.

As promising as it initially sounds, we, the primary and most important stakeholders of the University—the students—should remain wary about this.

Legislated during the Ramos administration, RA 7916 provided the legal framework in the creation and operation of ecozones which aim to speed up economic growth through exports. Ecozones seek to provide an inviting atmosphere for foreign investors in order to attract them to engage in businesses. These include giving investors exemptions from export taxes and Corporate Income Tax for five years.

Basically, the proposed ecozone will lease University lands to private corporations to generate income for its ‘self sufficiency’.

This is in line with the Aquino administration’s Roadmap to Public Higher Education Roadmap (RPHER) which states that State Universities and Colleges (SUCs) shall be self-financing by 2016. In turn, this will further lessen the state subsidy given by the government to public higher educational institutions. This will make SUCs dependent on corporate institutions which have vested business interest—turning education as a

UPLB PERSPECTIVE | Volume 41 Issue 3 | November 2014 - January 2015

OPINION

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UPLB PERSPECTIVE | Volume 41 Issue 3 | November 2014 - January 2015

GRAPHICS | trista ie gile

EDITORIAL

The UPLB Perspective AY 2014-2015 Editor in Chief Jil Danielle M. Caro

‘NAK NG !

NASAAN NA ‘YUNG LAMAN NG ED CART?!

ABA MALAY. BAKA MAY INAUGURATION PANG PINUNTAHAN. OR KASAL, ‘DI ‘KO SURE. ‘TANONG MO KAY DARLA.

Associate Editor John Paul M. Omac Managing Editor Princes D. Bulaclac News Editor Guien Eidrefson P. Garma Features Editor Kezia Grace R. Jungco

PNoy: Ang trahedya ng bansang Pilipinas

Sino nga ba ang mag-aakala na mangyayari ang Enero 26, 2015 --- Gumulantang ang kalunos-lunos na balita. Apatnapu’t apat na miyembro ng Philippine ganitong trahedya? Samantalang sa nagdaang mga National Police Special Action Force (PNP-SAF), labing- unang araw ng taon ay naramdaman natin ang walong miyembro ng Moro Islamic Liberation Front panandaliang kasiyahan, ‘pansamantalang kapayapaan’ (MILF), limang kasapi ng Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom at pagpapala mula sa pagbisita ni Pope Francis, na kilala Fighters(BIFF), at pitong sibilyan, kabilang na ang isang bilang “People’s Pope” dahil sa pagpabor nito sa mga walong taon na bata , ang nagbuwis ng buhay sa isang mahihirap at pinagsasamantalahan. Ngunit, nakalapit engkwentro sa Mamasapano, mula alas-kwatro ng umaga nga ba ang mga mahihirap sa Santo Papa? hanggang alas-singko ng hapon ng Enero 25.

Matindi ang naging pandarahas ng mga kapulisan Samu’t saring emosyon ang umusbong mula sa sa libo-libong mamamayan na nagnanais lamang sambayanang Pilipino dahil sa isa na namang malagim magsagawa ng tahimik at mapayapang vigil upang ilapit na trahedyang sinapit ng bansa. Marami ang nagluksa, sa Santo Papa ang mga pangunahing panawagan ng mga pangunahin na dito ang pamilya at malalapit na kaibigan Pilipino --- tunay na reporma sa lupa, trabaho sa bansa, ng mga nasawi --- nawalan ng mga asawa, ng mga ama, makatarungang pasahod, abot-kayang edukasyon, ng mga anak, at ng mga matatalik na kasamahan. Ngunit kapayapaan at hustisya sa mga biktima ng tortyur, sa halip na mabawasan ang pighati ng mga nawalan, pamamaslang, iligal na pagkakabilanggo, at sapilitang nakadagdag pa sa sakit na nararamdaman ang hindi pagkawala. pagsipot ng Pangulong si Benigno Simeon “Noynoy” Naririyan din ang humigi’t kumulang limang daang Aquino III sa arrival honors ng nasawing SAF 44. Sa halip, mahihirap na pamilyang naninirahan lamang sa kalsada ay mas pinili ng ating butihing Pangulo ang dumalo sa ang itinago sa Santo Papa, at dinala sa Chateau inauguration ng Mitsubishi Motors Corporation Plant.

Royale Resort sa Nasugbu, Batangas. Ngunit, agad na dinepensahan ni Department of Social Welfare Ang naganap na engkwentro sa and Development (DSWD) Secretary Dinky pagitan ng dalawang panig ay bahagi ng Oplan Exodus na kilala rin bilang ...sa halip na akuin Soliman ang hakbang na ito at iginiit na ito ay bahagi ng family camping workshop sa ilalim Wolverine Operation. Ang oplan ay ng Pangulo ang Modified Cash Transfer Program (MCTP). naglalayong madakip ang dalawang responsibilidad sa ng Naririyan din ang ginawang pagdampot sa kilalang mga terorista na si (Zulkifli bin nangyaring insidente, mga batang lansangan at pagkulong sa Hir alias Marwan at Basit Usman). Unang kung saan siya mga ito sa detention centers. Ito muli ay kinonpirma ng mismong Board of Inquiry ang pasimuno, at dinepensahan ng mga opisyales na nagsabing (BOI) ng PNP na malaki ang bahagi ng pangunahing lumabag ito ay isinagawa upang protektahan ang Estados Unidos sa oplan, na hindi na rin naman nakakagulat pa. Ito ay sapagkat sa chain of command, Santo Papa sa pananamantala ng mga tinaguriang “beggar syndicates.” Sa limang hindi na maikakaila pa sa mga Pilipino ay kaliwa’t kanan araw na pananatili ng Santo Papa sa ang sabwatan sa pagitan ng Estados ang ginawa nitong ipinagkait sa kanya ang dahilan ng Unidos at ng bansa sa pamumuno ng paghuhugas-kamay at bansa, kanyang pagpunta, ang mga mahihirap at kasalukuyang administrasyong Aquino. pagtuturo ng daliri at ang mga biktima ng Yolanda.

Kaya nga nilagdaan ang Enhanced pagdidiin ng sisi...

Defense Cooperation Agreement Ah! Ang Yolanda! Sino nga ba sa (EDCA), hindi ba? atin ang nakalimot na sa nangyaring Kabi-kabilang batikos ang sinapit ng kasalukuyang sakuna? Kung saan higit pang karumal-dumal ang administrasyon dahil sa nangyaring trahedya, sa sinapit ng ating mga kababayan makalipas ang bagyo na kapabayaan ng Pangulo na naging dahilan ng madugong magpahanggang sa ngayon ay kakapurat pa lamang ang insidente, sa pagiging sunud-sunuran sa kagustuhan ng natatanggap na tulong mula sa gobyerno. Makalipas ang Estados Unidos at sa pagtapak nito sa damdamin ng mahigit isang taon, libo-libo pa rin ang walang tirahan at mga pamilya ng mga nasawi. Ngunit sa halip na akuin walang permanenteng kabuhayan, samantalang bilyonng Pangulo ang responsibilidad sa nangyaring insidente, bilyong dolyar at milyon-milyong donasyon ang natanggap kung saan siya ang pasimuno, at pangunahing lumabag ng bansa upang matulungan ang mga biktima. Ngunit, sa chain of command, ay kaliwa’t kanan ang ginawa nitong nauwi lamang sa korapsyon, pananamantala at tuluyang paghuhugas-kamay, pagtuturo ng daliri at pagdidiin ng pagkasira ng buhay ng mga nasalanta nating kababayan. sisi sa suspendidong PNP Chief Alan Purisima at PNP-SAF Ang dinanas matapos ang bagyong Yolanda. Ang EDCA. Chief Getulio Napenas. Kagaya rin ng inaasahan, nariyan Ang Mamasapano. Iilan lamang ang mga ito sa trahedyang ang litanya ng Pangulo na “Namatayan din ako ng ama.” dinanas ng ating bansa sa kamay ng Pangulong Aquino.

Sa kabila ng mahigit pitumpung buhay na ibinuwis, Kasabay ng mga ito ang kaliwa’t kanan na pagtaas itinuring ng Pangulo na tagumpay ang operasyon dahil ng mga pangunahing bilihin, walang pakundangan na sa pagkamatay ni Marwan. Nangibabaw ang kagustuhan pagmamahal ng mga bayarin sa edukasyon, patuloy ng Pangulong magdeklara ng all-out-offensive sa na pagtaas ng bilang ng mga paglabag sa karapatang kabilang panig, at hindi man lang isinaalang-alang ang pantao, kawalang-aksyon sa patuloy na pagpaslang sa magiging kalagayan ng Isla ng Mindanao na ilang dekada mga mamamahayag, pagtaas ng bilang ng mga Overseas ng biktima ng gyera, gutom, pangangamkam ng lupa at Filipino Worker (OFW), patuloy na pagbuyanyang sa pagbabakwit. Sa hakbang na ito ng pangulo ay lalong sariling lupa at patuloy na pagsuko ng soberanya ng tumingkad ang diskriminasyon sa mga Moro at pinaigting bansa para sa Estados Unidos. Napakarami pang iba. ang maling konotasyon na sila ay mga terorista. Hindi Hindi sapat ang artikulong ito upang isa-isahin lahat ng lamang apatnapu’t apat na kapulisan ang nawala sa pinagdaanan ng sambayanang Pilipino sa loob ng limang atin, bagkus ay nawalan din tayo ng mga kapatid nating taong panunungkulan ni Aquino.

Moro na nagnais lamang na makamtan ang hustisya Hindi na maikukubli ang dinanas ng bansang at pagkakapantay-pantay na primaryang dahilan ng Pilipinas sa ilalim ng isang Pangulong bulag at bingi sa paghawak ng armas. Anong klaseng Pangulong mayroon hinaing ng sambayanan. ang bansang ito na magdedeklara ng all-out-offensive sa Panahon na. Panahon na upang wakasan ang kabila ng mga mabubulaklak na salitang binibigkas niya pambubusabos ng administrasyong Aquino, upang sa kanyang bawat talumpati patungkol sa kapayapaan magkaisa at manawagan ng pagpapatalsik sa isang taksil ng bansa? Anong klaseng Pangulo mayroon tayo na na Pangulo, at tuluyan nang baguhin ang sistema. kaysa itaguyod ang kapayapaan, ay pinapalala ang Imulat na ang mga mata at huwag na kailanmang matagalang hidwaan dahil sa patuloy na pagpapahirap pumikit pa. sa sarili niyang mamamayan?

Panahon na. [P]

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EDITORIAL

Culture Editor John Moses A. Chua Production and Layout Editor Trista Isobelle E. Gile Business Manager Ana Catalina C. Paje News Staff Aileen M. Alcaraz Jeremiah N. Dalman Albert John Enrico A. Dominguez Caren Joy B. Malaluan Rachel N. Nuñez John Paul Penuliar Abraham A. Tabing Features Staff Ysabel Dawn B. Abad Czarina Joy B. Arevalo Charmaine Distor Mary Anne V. Gudito Miguel C. Lazarte Diana Jane M. Plofino Jhon Marvin R. Surio Culture Staff Clariza Cassandra C. Concordia Karl Gabrielle B. De Los Santos Andrew A. Estacio Angella Jayne T. Ilao Jey Filan C. Reyes Production Staff Paul Christian A. Carson Vicente C. Morano III Miguel Elvir Quitain Business Management Staff Jose Lorenzo E. Lim Albert Joseph Bleu B. Manlapig Denise Madeleine Gale C. Rocamora Apprentices: Elisha V. Padilla Pamela A. Mendoza Shaime Faith B. Latap Kent Sydney H. Mercader

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