Tinig Migrante
By E. Maestro
As individuals, we enjoy basic
human rights, like the right to housing,
to be educated, to speak freely, to
move around, to vote, to have security,
to have the protection of the law, and
so many others, without distinction of
any kind such as race, sex, political
or other opinion, religion, etc. There
are no exceptions to the provision of
human rights. The basic framework
of the UN Universal Declaration of
Human Rights makes sure of this for
all peoples and all nations. This is
mirrored and reaffirmed in our own
Canadian Charter of Human Rights
and Freedoms. To make exceptions
is to have chaos, fear, iron-fisted law
– all the things that diminish or take
away the right of all of us to life, liberty
and security of person.
Not even the highest
politician or tyrant is exempted from
these laws. While tyrants will proclaim
in loud voices that critics need to be
silenced, that suspected drug users
need to be killed, that lawyers working
for the poorest in Philippine society
will be red-tagged and assassinated,
that sugar workers with children can
be massacred for planting vegetables
during the tiempo del muerto, that
suspected drug users are judged
guilty and killed in extrajudicial fashion
without the benefit of the legal system,
PHILIPPINE ASIAN NEWS TODAY November 16 - 30, 2018
Taking Action: Dec 10 Human
Rights Day Rally
and so many other evil things --
they the tyrants are not above the
law.
Tyrants peddle the excuses
that human rights violations are
necessary so that “peace and order”
can reign, so that drugs can disappear
from our streets and communities.
The “peace” that is peddled is the
peace of the grave and the “order”
that is peddled is the climate of fear
that terrorizes communities.
The
Philippines
under
Duterte is the perfect example of how
a tyrant can violate human rights and
make the law stand on its head, and
create the blanket of impunity. And so,
on when December 10 rolls around,
there is no cause to celebrate Human
Rights Day, what with the bloody Farmers groups protest the massacre of 7 sugar cane workers and 2 minors in
human rights record of Duterte.
Sagay, Negros Occidental. The group has been called Sagay 9. Photo credit: AP/Bullit
However, we will mark the Day Marquez
to highlight that people have the right
to resist, the right to be critical, the to fight fascism, resist and condemn Kagawasan Liberation, Canada-
right to fight for justice and the right to human rights violations in all its forms Philippines Solidarity for Human
defend the people. In the Philippines, and hold all of those accountable to Rights, Migrante BC.
It is time to take action
there are people raging against the justice.
On December 10, Monday, for human rights, not only in the
dying of the light – including lawyers,
at
6
pm,
join the Human Rights Day Philippines but across Turtle Island
workers in the cities and the farms,
Rally:
Stop
Criminalizing Resistance and in other countries. Let us join our
human rights defenders, students,
at
the
Commercial-Broadway
Skytrain voices in declaring: Stop Criminalizing
urban poor organizers, women
activists, indigenous communities, Station. The rally is organized by People Who Struggle for their Rights
and yes, even church people -- at so progressive groups and individuals to Land, Income, Shelter, Dignity, and
much great risk to their lives. To mark in Vancouver including the Alliance a Just Peace!
We’ll see you there!
International Human Rights Day is for People’s Health, the International
League of Peoples Struggles,
UP-Ateneo in historic battle for UAAP basketball crown
It will be a championship
fight for the ages.
For the first time in the
history of the University Athletic
Association of the Philippines (UAAP)
basketball league, the University of
the Philippines and Ateneo de Manila
University will face off for the finals.
It’s been billed as the Battle
of Katipunan, the Quezon City
district where the two universities are
neighbours.
The best of three series starts
on December 1.
It is also a historic moment
for the UP Fighting Maroons. For the
first time in 32 years, the team has
entered the UAAP basketball finals.
The last time UP won the
championship was in 1986 when
Benjie Paras, Ronnie Magsanoc
and Eric Altamirano led the team to
victory.
Now a new breed of UP
Fighting Maroons have stepped into
hallowed ground and are back in
the finals to try and bring back to
the Diliman campus against all odds
collegiate basketball’s biggest prize.
UP will challenge defending
champion Ateneo for the throne after
overcoming No. 2 Adamson Soaring
Falcons’ twice-to-beat advantage on
November 28.
Top-seeded Ateneo, on
the other hand, overwhelmed the
Far Eastern University Tamaraws
in their own semifinal duel and
clinched its third straight UAAP Finals
appearance.
For the first time in three
years, the Ateneo Blue Eagles only
needed one game to eliminate the
Far Eastern University Tamaraws to
clinch the first championship berth in
the UAAP Season 81 men’s basketball
tournament.
Three decades after they
dispatched off Jerry Codiñera and the
University of the East Red Warriors in
the UAAP Finals under coach Joe Lipa,
the 2018 Fighting Maroons, with Paul
Desiderio and Juan Gomez de Liano
will face off with Thirdy Ravena and
the well-rested defending champion
Ateneo Blue Eagles.
“This team will fight, no
matter what,” said coach Bo Perasol,
a former team captain of the Fighting
Maroons in the early 90s. “These guys
refused to give up. We were blessed
with this kind of win.”
B.C. conducting second test of emergency alert
to wireless devices
VICTORIA –A test of the
new wireless alerting system will be
conducted for a second time as part
of the national Alert Ready system to
improve public safety in the event of
emergency.
“The key to emergency
alerting is to reach as many people on
as many communication platforms
as possible,” said Mike Farnworth,
Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor
General. “The addition of emergency
alerts on wireless devices is another
valuable way to reach out to the public
in an emergency. These alerts will be
issued alongside routine television and
radio tests as an added complement
to these and other emergency alerting
mediums already in use.”
The expansion of the existing
radio and television alerting system to
include cellular devices was launched
in B.C. on April 6, 2018, and an
initial test was conducted on May 9,
2018. Emergency Management BC
is responsible for issuing emergency
notifications on the Alert Ready
system in the province and will initially
use wireless alerting for tsunami
threats only, with plans to expand to
other emergencies and hazards in the
future.
“Alerts can provide valuable
information and notice, but individuals
also have to do their part,” said
Jennifer Rice, Parliamentary Secretary
for Emergency Preparedness. “As you
ensure your devices have up-to-date
software and are compatible for the
alerts, also take the time to prepare
your emergency kit and create a plan
for hazards.”
The emergency alerts will be
issued, alongside routine television
and radio tests, to compatible wireless
WWW.PHILIPPINEASIANNEWSTODAY.COM
devices, such as smartphones. The
test message will read: “This is a TEST
of the British Columbia Emergency
Alerting System, issued by Emergency
Management British Columbia. This
is ONLY a TEST. If this had been
an actual emergency or threat, you
would now hear instructions that
would assist you to protect you and
your family. For further information go
to www.emergencyinfobc.gov.bc.ca.
This is ONLY a TEST, no action is
required.” (BC NDP website)