Growing up in Sta. Rita, Pampanga, where I was born into a rice-farming family eight decades back, I enjoyed watching seasonal farmworkers do their tasks during the planting and harvesting seasons.
Category: At Ground Level
SC defends judiciary from online abuse
“By merely having access to social media, private individuals could publish their thoughts without need of self-policing or adhering to the ethical standard required of the press. As a result, content could be created and shared with abandon, purely for clout for ‘likes’ and even disregard for the truth.”
Military hubris at play in envi activists’ case
To recall, the two activists, Jhed Tamano and Jonila Castro, both in their early 20s, were kidnapped and held in secret custody for 17 days in September last year. Presented at a press conference purportedly to announce that they had surrendered, the two instead accused the military of abducting them. Taken by surprise, the authorities were shocked into releasing them pronto.
Call to tax the very richest arises from their own ranks
The combined wealth of the world’s very richest dipped by $500 billion in 2023, to $12.2 trillion from $12.7 trillion in March 2022, according to Forbes, whose list of 2,668 billionaires in 2022 also dipped to 2,640.
South Africa slams Israel at ICJ for genocidal acts
“Genocides are never declared in advance but this court has the benefit of the past 13 weeks of evidence that shows, incontrovertibly, a pattern of conduct and related intention that justifies a plausible claim of genocidal acts.
South Africa takes Israel to ICJ on ‘genocide intent’
Israel’s unrelenting, devastating attacks on the Gaza Strip in its war against Hamas has spurred South Africa to formally raise the issue of potential genocide before the International Court of Justice.
In 2024, current wars are seen to intensify
By all indications, the coming year will see the continuation and even intensification of devastating wars in the world.
In Christ’s birthplace existential war rages
What a sad Christmas season this is for the peace-loving peoples of the world. Devastating wars are being waged, most notably, today, in Palestine and Ukraine. Soldiers are dying, civilians are suffering and dying too, and there seems to be no power on earth that will stop the gunfire.
Is peace adviser spoiling the resumption of talks?
This is the third piece in a row I’ve written about perceivable hindrances to the smooth resumption of formal peace negotiations between the government and the National Democratic Front of the Philippines. It had been announced in early December that they had agreed to do so in Oslo, Norway, on Nov. 23.
At Ground Level | Repeal Anti-Terror Law, abolish the NTF-ELCAC
This was the top-of-mind step that Ian Fry, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of human rights in the context of climate change, urged the Philippine government to take as he wound up a 10-day official visit in the country last Wednesday.
At Ground Level | At UN and Vatican, women push for leadership roles
At two world institutions, the United Nations and the Vatican, despite obstacles, momentous changes are on the way: changes that would ensure women equal rights with men to be elected heads of their policy-making and executive bodies.