News Roundup 28 February 2023
Feb 28, 2023 • 5 min Read
Bulatlat opposes Esperon motion to be dropped from website blocking case | PHILSTAR.COM – MANILA, Philippines — Alternative news website Bulatlat has filed opposition to a motion by former National Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperon Jr. to be dropped as a respondent in a pending court case questioning a government order to block access to it and to other sites that the government claims is linked to communist rebels.
The National Telecommunications Commission order that left the Bulatlat website inaccessible in the Philippines from June to August last year was based on a request from the National Security Council, which Esperon previously headed.
Esperon has asked the Quezon City court to instead put Eduardo Año, the current NSA, as respondent. Bulatlat, which brought the issue to court and managed to secure a temporary restraining order against the blocking of its site, countered that he should still be a party to the case.
“Bulatlat agrees that Año is a party to the case by virtue of being the incumbent NSA but Esperon is being sued in his personal capacity,” Bulatlat publisher Alipato Media Center Inc. said in a statement to media.
It said that the NTC block order, which also affected the website of Pinoy Media Center’s Pinoy Weekly, was based on a request that Esperon made “with malice and in bad faith.”
It said that Esperon, in his letter to the NTC, had “cited three resolutions of the Anti-Terror Council and listed 27 websites, including those not designated by the ATC as terrorists.”
Full Story at: Bulatlat opposes Esperon motion to be dropped from website blocking case | Philstar.com
Senate joins call by jeepney drivers, operators to postpone phaseout | PHILSTAR.COM – MANILA, Philippines — The Senate adopted Tuesday a resolution “strongly urging” the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board to postpone the scheduled phaseout of traditional jeepneys on June 30.
The LTFRB has required jeepney operators to consolidate their franchises under a cooperative or corporation for their jeepneys to be allowed on the road past that date, and even then only until December 31. Transport groups that have been opposing the government program to replace traditional jeepneys with minibuses said the new units are too expensive to buy and have said they hold a week-long strike in protest.
“To enforce a deadline is not only insanity, but also inhumane,” Sen. Grace Poe said in sponsoring the resolution that she authored. “It is contrary to the constitutional directive to promote social justice in all phases of national development.”
“It is also contrary to public welfare, as it will compound the acute shortage of public transportation modes in the country,” she continued.
Senators took turns to express their support for the resolution, which only expresses the opinion of the chamber on an issue and is not binding.
Particularly, they scored the LTFRB for expecting jeepney drivers to cough up around P2 million to buy a modern jeep and for still not having a final route rationalization plan.
Full Story at: Senate joins call by jeepney drivers, operators to postpone phaseout | Philstar.com
Prioritize hunger, poverty response over Cha-cha — Binay, Hontiveros | INQUIRER.NET – MANILA Philippines — Prioritize addressing hunger and poverty instead of pushing for Charter change (Cha-cha), Senators Risa Hontiveros and Nancy Binay said on Tuesday.
In separate statements, the two senators cited the need to provide for the needs of the public, saying that Cha-cha is not timely.
“We should do away with this long-standing tale of make-believe that charter change will solve all our problems. Hindi ‘yan kailangan sa ngayon (that is not necessary as of now),” Hontiveros said.
“Harapin natin ang realidad na (let us face the reality that) inflation, poverty and corruption are the pressing issues that need to be addressed with aggressive political will and focus,” she added.
Hontiveros questioned the “sense of urgency” for Cha-cha but not on issues that burden Filipinos.
“Putting Chacha front and center is just another major distraction, and will only sideline urgent issues. The economy is worsening and the agricultural sector is laden with so much scandal. Redirecting large amounts of our limited resources to charter change at this time will just do more damage,” she said.
Binay took a similar stance and saw no need for the proposed measure as she respected Senator Robin Padilla’s prerogative to hear the House resolution calling for a hybrid constitutional convention (con-con).
“Kung yung concern lang ni Sen. Padilla yung economic provisions, nandyan na ang Public Service Act (PSA), Retail Trade Liberalization Act (RTLA) at Foreign Investments Act (FIA),” Binay pointed out.
(If Sen. Padilla’s concern is only on the economic provisions, we have the PSA, RTLA, and FIA.)
Full Story at: Prioritize hunger, poverty response over Cha-cha — Binay, Hontiveros | Inquirer News
7-day strike vs jeepney ban set in Metro Manila, regions | INQUIRER.NET – MANILA, Philippiines — Various transport groups are staging a weeklong strike beginning March 6 to contest the impending phaseout of traditional jeepneys.
Mar Valbuena, national president of Manibela, said the “tigil pasada,” the first major protest of the sector since public utility vehicles (PUVs) were allowed to operate under full capacity since the pandemic struck three years ago, would involve an estimated 40,000 traditional jeepneys and UV express units and would “ensure employees won’t be able to come to work.”
Valbuena did not disclose the specific routes that would be affected but said the strike would be held in Metro Manila, Central Luzon, Calabarzon (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, Quezon), and other regions as well.
“We ask for the understanding of the public. If we don’t fight this, the commuters will suffer more,” he said.
Full Story at: 7-day strike vs jeepney ban set in Metro Manila, regions | Inquirer News
