The denudation of forests is undeniably one of the major reasons behind massive floods and landslides in times of calamity. Government data in 2015 indicate that the country has only a remaining 7 million-hectare total forest cover, or merely 23% of its total land area. Only 3% of primary or virgin forests remain in the […]

The reactionary state has no genuine plan to rehabilitate forests in the country. Its National Greening Program (NGP) is merely a scheme for massive contract growing of commercial timber that are mostly invasive and endanger biodiversity. Local politicians from the big landlord class and their agroforestry business counterparts mainly benefit from contracts awarded under the […]

Even prior to the onslaught of successive typhoons, the fishing sector has already been ravaged by the Covid-19 pandemic and the Duterte regime’s failed response. The public health crisis aggravated the livelihood crisis shouldered by one of the poorest sectors of society. Due to lockdown restrictions which limited their livelihood, their conditions further deteriorated. There […]

A farmer was kiled and 16 others were arbitrarily arrested by elements of the Armed Forces of the Philippines in the past few weeks. Killing. Elements of the 85th IB killed copra farmer and peasant leader Armando Buisan in Barangay Santa Maria, Catanauan, Quezon on November 14. Buisan, 60, was a resident of Sitio Luyahan, […]

Two journalists were killed, four were arrested, and another was red-tagged by state forces in the past two weeks. Soldiers of the 2nd IB gunned down writer Ronnie Villamor in Barangay Matanglad, Masbate on November 14. He was in the area to cover a case of land grabbing by businessman Randy Favis. He was stopped […]

The National Union of People’s Lawyers (NUPL) disclosed to the Supreme Court on November 17 the first case in which the Anti-Terror Law (ATL) was used against innocent civilians. Two Aetas, Jasper Gurung and Junior Ramos, were baselessly accused by the 7th ID of violating Section 4 (participating in activities intended to cause death or […]

Australian Defense Force Chief Gen. Angus Campbell admitted on November 17 that soldiers of the Special Air Service (SAS) of Australia were involved in the brutal killings of 39 civilians in Afghanistan from 2005 to 2016. An investigation clarified that the victims were all prisoners and farmers, and not combatants. Information on the case was […]

More than 900 soldiers of the 82nd IB, 51st IB, 58th IB, 1st Special Forces Battalion and Scout Rangers besieged villages along the boundary of Talakag, Bukidnon and Tagoloan II, Lanao del Sur on October 15-21. Soldiers aboard five military trucks and two armored personnel carrier (APC) attacked barangays San Rafael, Lemonsudan and Kibulag in […]

The budget for the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) for 2021 was increased from ₱208.7 billion to ₱215 billion during a Senate hearing for the proposed budget last November 20. The Senate particularly increased funding for AFP modernization from ₱25 billion to ₱83 billion (₱58-billion increase). The Senate also increased the AFP’s “unprogrammed” funds […]