Audio reports of the GRP-NDFP first round of formal peace talks 2016

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LISTEN to radio reports of the first round of formal peace negotiations between the Government of the Republic of the Philippines (GRP) under President Rodrigo Duterte and the National Democratic Front of the Philippines NDFP) last April 22 to 27, 2016 in Oslo, Norway.

For the third consecutive time (first in 2004 and second in 2011), Kodao has been covering the formal negotiations between both parties.

The first round of talks between the Duterte GRP and the NDFP proves to be the most promising and successful since the turn of the millennium.

Both parties agreed to tackle the substantive agenda of socio-economic reforms when they meet next on October 8-12 this year. (Photos by Jon Bustamante)

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LARAWAN: Ang pagtatagpo ng dalawang panig — GPH at NDFP

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Opening ceremony of the resumption of formal negatiations between the Government of the Republic of the Philippines (GRP) and the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) in Oslo, Norway.

August 22, 2016

GRP-NDFP audio information plugs

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LISTEN to these audio information plugs on the peace process between the Government of the Republic of the Philippines and the National Democratic Front of the Philippines.

What is its history?  What benefit is it to the people? What can the Filipino people do to support the peace negotiations? Read more

LARAWAN: SONA ng Bayan 2016: 40 libo nagmartsa sa Batasan

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SONA ng Bayan 2016: 40 libo nagmartsa patungong Batasan

Tinatayang hindi bababa sa 40 libo ang nagmartsa mula sa iba’t ibang sektor at progresibong organisasyon sa pangunguna ng Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (BAYAN) mula sa Commonwealth Avenue patungong Batasan Road kaninang umaga. Ipinakita ng BAYAN ang kanilang pagsuporta sa mga maka-mamamayang programa ng bagong administrasyong Duterte sa kanyang unang SONA sa araw na ito. Naglakbayan ang mga delegasyon mula sa Mindanao, Eastern Visayas, Bicol, Southern Tagalog, Central Luzon at Northern Luzon patungong Maynila bitbit ang “agenda ng mamamayan” para kay Pangulong Duterte.

Commonwealth Avenue to Batasan Road, Quezon City
July 25, 2016

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STATEMENT: Journalists are not the enemy

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President-elect Rodrigo Duterte errs in declaring that most journalists are being killed for being corrupt and in implying that only corrupt journalists have been killed in the Philippines. While corruption is a continuing problem in the press and media, it is simply not true that most of the journalists killed in the line of duty were killed because they were corrupt. On the contrary. Most of those killed were in fact exposing corruption and criminal activities in the communities, and for their social and political advocacies. The Pagadian city journalist Edgar Damalerio was killed in 2003 for exposing wrongdoing in the local government; Marlene Esperat was killed in Tacurong city for exposing anomalies in the Department of Agriculture; and Gerardo “Gerry” Ortega was killed for his environmental advocacy in Puerto Princesa. Read more

STATEMENT: On Duterte’s media boycott dare

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The National Union of Journalists of the Philippines wishes to clarify that it was not the Philippine media which called for a boycott of President-elect Rodrigo Duterte’s press conferences.
For the record, it was the Paris-based Reporters Without Borders (Reporters Sans Frontiers; RSF) that issued the call, one that was, rightly, not heeded by the Philippine media.

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OPEN LETTER: It’s about the culture of impunity in our country!

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3 June 2016

Dear President-elect Rodrigo Duterte,

That was quite a mouthful you unleashed on media Thursday night. We do appreciate your reminder that, yes, we journalists are not a uniformly lily-white breed, in fact none of us are, although we would not go so far as to consider ourselves in the same line of work as publicists, for theirs is a totally different field as you yourself pointed out. Read more

STATEMENT: Nothing justifies the murder of journalists!

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It is appalling that President-elect Rodrigo Duterte should justify the murder of journalists in the country by playing the corruption card.

In his press conference in Davao City Tuesday, Mr. Duterte issued the broad assertion that “most journalists killed are corrupt.”

“Just because you’re a journalist doesn’t mean you’re exempted from assassination if you’re a son of a bitch,” he said.

“Freedom of expression won’t save you,” he added. “The Constitution cannot help you kapag binaboy mo ang isang tao.” Read more

CARTOON: The need for vigilance

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election
(Cartoon by Amel Sabangan)

The campaign period for the 2016 National Elections has wound down. Various groups and parties are now calling for vigilance against what they suspect is an impending massive fraud to be perpetuated by the ruling Liberal Party and the Commission on Elections.

Poll watch groups rue the fact that there have been shortcuts and unexplained decisions made by the Comelec which may lead to massive fraud that would favor candidate Mar Roxas.