VERA Files
With a Covid-19 death in the family, the unthinkable in Philippine life has happened. No wakes, and not even a last look and a last goodbye. Cremation must be done within 12 hours of death. Only an urn is handed back to the family. Such is the reality of the pandemic amongst us.
Ipinahayag ni Communications Secretary Martin Andanar sa isang panayam sa radyo noong Okt. 12 na ang Pilipinas ay hindi na kabilang sa mga pinaka-delikadong bansa sa mundo para sa mga mamamahayag dahil sa “mabilis na resolusyon” ng Maguindanao massacre noong 2019, na, aniya, ay bahagi ng legacy ni Pangulong Rodrigo Duterte.
Communications Secretary Martin Andanar claimed in an Oct. 12 radio interview that the Philippines was no longer among the world’s most dangerous countries for journalists due to the “swift resolution” of the Maguindanao massacre in 2019, which, he said, formed part of President Rodrigo Duterte’s legacy. This is inaccurate on two counts.
United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (UN OHCHR) Michelle Bachelet said on Thursday that she “remains disturbed” over reports of “continuing and severe” human rights violations across the Philippines despite the government’s claims that it is addressing the issue.
The COVID-19 health crisis has spurred an increased overall trust in news among Filipinos but has led to waning interest in news products.
Human Rights Watch (HRW) Asia Deputy Director Phil Robertson called on the international community to press the Philippine government to address the “deteriorating” human rights situation in the country as rights abuses continue even during the coronavirus lockdowns.
The United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (UN OHCHR) is offering “technical assistance and capacity-building” to the Duterte government to help improve the human rights situation in the Philippines.
Mali si Presidential Communications Secretary Martin Andanar sa pagsasabi na ang Iceland ay walang diplomatikong kinatawan sa Pilipinas.
Presidential Communications Secretary Martin Andanar is wrong in saying that Iceland has no diplomatic representation in the Philippines.
The history of the death penalty in the Philippines in the 20th century is the history of the state’s pursuit to clinically execute convicts. The political leaders may all have wanted to act tough on criminals, yet, in the execution chamber, the functionaries of the state went to great lengths to relieve or mask the pain for the convict in the course of an execution. They did not always succeed.