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Kadamay: Unjust policies force poor to occupy housing sites

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Urban poor group Kalipunan ng Damayang Mahihirap (Kadamay) marched to Mendiola yesterday to urge President Rodrigo Duterte to a dialogue in order for them to show proof that hundreds of housing units are unoccupied in Bulacan Province.

Instead of distributing government housing units to poor beneficiaries, the National Housing Authority only choose families who can pay exorbitant rates, Kadamay said.

Hundreds of Kadamay members occupied several housing projects in Bulacan last week, a move aimed at bringing the issue to Duterte’ attention, the group said. (Video by Divine Miranda/Featured photo by Romie Malonzo) Read more

Bayan, Makabayan hit tax reform and death penalty bills

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In a rally in at the House of Representatives various sectors led by the BAYAN and the Makabayan Coalition called for the rejection of the bills that would restore the death penalty and another that imposes higher taxes on the people. Both bills are government-sponsored.

Evan Hernandez of the rights group Hustisya said that under a justice system that is flawed if not downright rotten, death penalty is not a deterrent to crimes nor will it render justice to the victims.

Like the death penalty, the tax reform only hits the the poor rather than the rich said Rep. Carlos Zarate of Bayan Muna. Zarate and other members of the Makabayan bloc vowed to oppose the bill and will instead push the Finance Dept. and the Bureau of Customs to efficiently work on their collection. (Video by Divine C. Miranda) Read more

Black Friday protest vs impunity held at Camp Crame

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A multi-sectoral rally was held at the PNP headquarters in Camp Crame to protest the killings in the Duterte government’s “war on drugs,” citing the brazenness by which the crimes were committed, mostly among the urban poor residents.

Rights group Karapatan said Pres. Duterte is “partly to blame for this brutality as he condones the police actions done in the name of his ‘war on drugs.”

The protesters called on the government to instead focus its attention to ‘economic reforms that would address poverty and violence”, which are among the reasons why the drug problem persists. (Video by Divine C. Miranda) Read more

Victims of recent demolitions condemn QC government

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RESIDENTS of Apollo Street along Tandang Sora Avenue protested at the Quezon City Hall today to condemn the demolition of their community.

Demolition victim Ernesto Ringor Jr. said Quezon City Police District (QCPD) personnel showed up at their compound under the pretext of the anti-criminality drive Oplan Galugad in the early hours of June 16.

Read the rest of the story here: Victims condemn lllegal demolition of communities

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Victims condemn illegal demolition of communities

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RESIDENTS of Apollo Street along Tandang Sora Avenue protested at the Quezon City Hall today to condemn the demolition of their community.

Demolition victim Ernesto Ringor Jr. said Quezon City Police District (QCPD) personnel showed up at their compound under the pretext of the anti-criminality drive Oplan Galugad in the early hours of June 16.

But the initial batch of police officers was followed by more QCPD and demolition personnel later in the morning and started tearing down their houses, Ringor said. Read more

Health workers vow to block Fabella’s closure

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Health workers and urban poor residents protested at the gates of the Dr Jose Fabella Memorial Hospital in downtown Manila today to denounce its impending closure by the Benigno Aquino government on June 9.

Alliance of Health Workers (AHW) members said that as many as 2,000 patients per day, including hundreds of mostly poor birthing mothers, will lose free medical services offered by the 700-bed hospital when it closes. Read more

Kadamay holds Kalbaryo 2016

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To dramatize their sufferings as a result of the government’s “anti-poor” housing programs, members of the Kalipunan ng Damayang Mahihirap (Kadamay) held its annual procession from Quiapo to Mendiola, Manila last March 22.

Kadamay condemned Benigno Aquino’s government’s failure to solve the housing crisis for the urban poor.

They also scored what they call are unjust wages and lack of social services that would allow them to build better communities.

Kadamay’s “Kalbaryo” is annually staged during Holy Week with participants dramatizing their sufferings by carrying crosses with political demands.

Urban poor hold annual procession (contributed video)

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Carrying a cross made by acclaimed Filipino artist Toym Imao, urban poor group KADAMAY (Kalipunan ng Damayang Mahihirap) performs a Lenten tradition to deplore the lack of livelihood and housing that they suffer. From Plaza Miranda fronting the Quiapo Church they passed by Sta. Cruz before proceeding to Mendiola.