News Roundup 19 October 2023
Oct 19, 2023 • 4 min Read
People Power revolt holiday essential to preserve memory of fight vs Marcos dictatorship — group | PHILSTAR.COM – MANILA, Philippines — Enacting a law to make the EDSA People Power anniversary a regular holiday is essential to preserve the memory of Filipinos’ struggle against the dictatorship of Ferdinand Marcos Sr., a coalition of Martial Law victims said Thursday.
The Campaign Against the Return of the Marcoses and Martial Law (CARMMA) welcomed the bill filed by Rep. Edcel Lagman (Albay) seeking to declare the EDSA anniversary on February 25 a regular national non-working holiday.
The commemoration of the day, which marked the ouster of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.’s father and namesake, was omitted from next year’s list of 18 public holidays.
CARMMA criticized this omission as a “desperate low take by the Marcoses, in line with their systematic schemes distorting history.”
“This is obviously meant to belittle the Filipino people’s efforts in ousting a tyrant and dictator,” the group said in a statement.
In filing House Bill 9405, Lagman, a Martial Law survivor, also said that the exclusion of the democratic milestone from the country’s holiday celebrations is a “continuing distortion of the verities about the evils and repression of the Marcos martial era.”
Full Story at: People Power revolt holiday essential to preserve memory of fight vs Marcos dictatorship — group | Philstar.com
CBCP panel not with NTF-ELCAC since September – source | PHILSTAR.COM – MANILA, Philippines — An official of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines confirmed to Philstar.com that the CBCP Episcopal Commission on Public Affairs (ECPA) has withdrawn its membership to the controversial National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) last September.
The official who requested anonymity confirmed that the Public Affairs Commission has quietly withdrawn last month its involvement as one of the private sector representatives to the government body tasked to end Asia’s longest running insurgency.
The Church official would not confirm or deny if this was in reaction to CBCP President and Kalookan Bishop Pablo Virgilio David’s previous clarification that the entire bishops’ conference is not involved with the NTF-ELCAC.
David said that the ECPA is in a position to “address some Church issues vis-à-vis government, including the issue about the red-tagging of some cause-oriented groups and Church organizations.”
Full Story at: CBCP panel not with NTF-ELCAC since September – source | Philstar.com
Evidence shows Hamas militants likely used some North Korean weapons in attack on Israel | INQUIRER.NET – SEOUL, South Korea — Hamas fighters likely fired North Korean weapons during their Oct. 7 assault on Israel, a militant video and weapons seized by Israel show, despite Pyongyang’s denials that it sells arms to the militant group.
The video was analyzed by two experts on North Korean arms. Along with an Associated Press analysis of weapons captured on the battlefield and South Korean military intelligence, the video indicates that Hamas used the F-7 rocket-propelled grenade, a shoulder-fired weapon that fighters typically use against armored vehicles.
The evidence shines a light on the murky world of the illicit arms shipments that sanction-battered North Korea uses as a way to fund its arms programs.
Rocket-propelled grenade launchers fire a single warhead and can be quickly reloaded, making them valuable weapons for guerrilla forces in running skirmishes with heavy vehicles. The F-7 has been documented in Syria, Iraq, Lebanon and the Gaza Strip, said N.R. Jenzen-Jones, a weapons expert who works as the director of the consultancy Armament Research Services.
Full Story at: Evidence shows Hamas militants likely used some North Korean weapons in attack on Israel | Inquirer News
Lawmakers tell why they back realignment of confidential funds | INQUIRER.NET – MANILA, Philippines — Some lawmakers expressed support for the decision of the House of Representatives to realign confidential funds (CF) of civilian agencies.
They say altering a proposed budget is part of Congress’ powers.
Davao del Sur Representative John Tracy Cagas on Thursday said the chamber has the prerogative to rearrange items in the National Expenditures Program (NEP).
NEP becomes the General Appropriation Bill (GAB) once amended.
“There’s no question about it. The Congress, particularly the House, where the national budget bill originates, possesses that power. It is granted by the Constitution,” he said in a statement.
“The limitation to that power is that the Congress, to use the language of the Constitution, ‘may not increase the appropriations recommended by the President for the operation of the government as specified in the budget,’” he added.
Full Story at: Lawmakers tell why they back realignment of confidential funds | Inquirer News
