“The guidelines are clearly overreaching and will have a chilling effect on citizens’ constitutional right to free expression,” Tinio stated.
“The principles laid out in our Program of Action and Declaration on the Rights and Welfare of Children align with, and often exceed, the standards set by international humanitarian law,” NDFP’s Coni Ledesma said.
A group of peace advocates called on the Ferdinand Marcos Jr. government to release all National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) consultants as a trust building measure in ongoing efforts to revive formal peace negotiations.
In the current 19th Congress, 142 district representatives are reelectionists belonging to political dynasties, PCIJ’s own count shows. At least 67 others are seeking higher positions or switching with family members.
“We’ve been through many elections, and this (the rule of political dynasties) has always been the problem. But because some famous personalities, along with their family members, filed under such circumstances, it became a bigger concern,” Caritos said.
“The transfer of these funds would have jeopardized the benefits of countless Filipinos relying on PhilHealth for essential health services. This decision prevents a grave injustice from occurring,” former Bayan Muna congressman Neri Colmenares said.
Seeking higher positions and swapping roles allow political dynasties to stay in power and expand their political influence. It is only two of many tactics that are repeated in varying degrees in provinces, districts, cities, and municipalities.
The National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) Negotiating Panel said the Ferdinand Marcos Jr. government is pushing ongoing efforts to revive formal peace talks “to the brink of collapse” with the arrest and killing of peace consultants.
“Without a doubt, the successive arrests of NDFP peace consultants were carried out with the aim of derailing efforts to revive the NDFP-GRP peace negotiations, at a time that both sides are working hard to forge ahead, based on the Oslo Joint Declaration of November 2023,” Valbuena said.
Disappeared for two months since her supposed release from the Lucena City District Jail (LCDJ), Dasig is undergoing debriefing with her lawyers led by former Ateneo Law School Dean Antonio La Vina, Karapatan Southern Tagalog announced.
