Filipino remittance firms were investigated in the aftermath of the 2016 cyber-heist that siphoned off $81 million from the central bank of Bangladesh. Documents now show that a few years before the daring theft, these remittance firms had moved millions of U.S. dollars in “suspicious” transactions, raising the question as to why they were not stopped in their tracks much earlier.
The European Parliament, voting last Thursday, September 17, said it proactively supports the adoption of a resolution at the ongoing 45th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council to establish an international investigation into human rights violations committed in the Philippines since Duterte became president.
De Lima pointed out the peace negotiations can immediately resume on the Comprehensive Agreement on Social and Economic Reforms (CASER) once Duterte is out of office.
Research group IBON hit the Duterte administration for prioritizing transport infrastructure in its proposed 2021 budget over the country’s more pressing needs at the height of the pandemic crisis. The group said resources for health, social protection, and production support are more urgent areas needing attention to genuinely usher the economy to recovery but are only receiving paltry amounts.
Nag-rali ang mga kasapi ng Makabayan Bloc sa Batasan noong Lunes, Setyembre 14, upang tutulan ang anila’y napakalaking badyet ng tanggapan ni Pangulong Rodrigo Duterte samantalang mababa ang badyet para sa kalusugan sa gitna ng krisis ng coronavirus.
Are the planned infrastructure projects really what the economy needs right now after everything that’s happened this year? How much of the infrastructure helps fight the COVID-19 pandemic? Or is the government just building the same road and transport infrastructure from its pre-pandemic plan?
Nagprotesta ang mga progresibong grupo at mga dating biktima ng batas militar sa Bantayog ng mga Bayani, Setyembre 11, bilang pagtutol sa pagsasabatas na gawing modelo at holiday ang kaarawan ng dating diktador na si Pangulong Ferdinand Marcos.
“Indeed, what Ed wrote on his post, two weeks before charging into the night, was brightly appropriate for our irrepressible and larger-than-life Mad Marx: ‘Long live the continuing struggle of the Filipino people for social justice, democracy and national sovereignty!’” IBON said.
In the National Expenditure Program (NEP) for 2021 submitted to Congress, the government actually defunds areas that are vital to boost the public health system in the time of a pandemic. These include those for disease surveillance, health infrastructure, and human resource capacity building. Despite the glaring health and economic needs exposed by the COVID-19 pandemic, the NEP for 2021 reflects how the government sticks to its old priorities such as transport infrastructure and defense, which are not what the situation urgently requires.
“So a murderer (will be) released for good conduct. Are we supposed to just forget that he killed Jennifer Laude because he’s done some good? Another question: you think this murderer (I’m not even gonna say his name) wasn’t treated fairly, but was it fair that Jennifer Laude was murdered out of hate just because of her sexual orientation?”