Category: General

At certain points in its history the the usually fragmented Filipino nation is brought together by striking events. The last time this happened was when Angelo de la Cruz, an OFW, was abducted by Iraqi guerillas.

Now, while Fernando Poe, Jr., (Ronald Allan Kelley Poe in real life) –the 65-year old king of Philippine cinema–is in coma after a stroke, we are again seeing this temporary unity among Filipinos.

People from all classes–from old housewives to government officials to popular actors and actressess to taxi drivers– have been expressing their sadness at what happened to the King. Amid reports that FPJ’s condition is not getting better, they are all hoping and praying that FPJ would be given another chance to live.

(Below is a NUJP-initiated pooled statement on the killing of journalists. For those who would like to sign this statement, please email nujphil@gmail.com. The list of signatories is here. )

The Philippine Constitution lists press freedom as a basic right of Filipinos, on par with the right to life, the right to freedom of speech and expression, and freedom from involuntary detention and torture.

On the eve of the commemoration of the International Day of Human Rights, Filipino print, radio, television and web-based media practitioners join the lament of all compatriots whose rights have been violated in what is supposed to be one of Asia’s most vibrant democracies.

If you’re tired of comment spam flooding your blog and advertising Casino, viagra, sex and penis enlargement pills, among other unwanted things, you might want to check out Coffelius’s blog. He has created Trencaspammers, an anti-comment spam plugin for WordPress. The site is in Spanish, I think, but the instructions on the Read me file of the plugin is in English. It’s fast and easy to install, so you might want to give it a try.

Here’s a tula for Andres Bonifacio, Father of the Philippine Revolution. This was stolen from INQ7’s YOU:

Dangal ni Bonifacio
By Francisco Austria
YOU contributor
http://you.inq7.net/express/11242004/exp2-1.htm

Supremo
Kataastaasan
Kagalanggalangan
Katipunero na Anak ng Bayan
Ikaw ay ginugunam-gunam at hinahangaan
Sa iyong pag-ibig sa bayan
Layunin mo’y pag-isahin ang sambayanan
Matimtiman at masinsinan
Lumaban sa mga mananakop na dayuhan
Alang alang sa kalayaan at kasarinlan
Kahit pa mahirap ang iyong kalagayan
Nagsikap kang makipagsapalaran ng lubus lubusan
Itinatag mo ang kapatiran
Subalit ipinagkait ang pagkapangulo ng rebolusyonaryong pamahalaan
Minaliit pa ang iyong kakayahan
Pangulo ng Haring Bayang Katagalugan
Titulong hinuha ng iba’y limitadong luklukan
Ngunit usaping pansemantiko lang naman
Hindi ka na nga sinuportahan ng indiong mayayaman
Tinraydor ka pa ng sarili mong kasamahan
Dahil lamang sa paksyon at personal na interes ng iilan
Pinagbintangan ka pang nagnakaw ng yaman
Doon sa Buntis bundok ikaw at iyong kapatid pinaslang
Nasayang ang matapang at matapat na buhay ng walang kalaban laban
Kaya’t para kay Lakambini at sa karamiha’y kapighatian
Di katulad ni Rizal na namatay sa kamay ng kalaban
Ikaw ay pinatay ng sarili mong kababayan
Kahihiyan sa mga pahina ng ating kasaysayan
Sa paggunita sa iyo sa ikatatlumpo ng Nobyembre
Habang binubulay-bulay ka at inilalarawan
Na may hawak na itak at pulang bandila na may araw sa itaas
ng tatlong letrang K
Na sumusugod sa himagsikan
Sana’y maalala ka ng mga mamamayan lalo na ng kabataan
Hindi dahil ikaw ay nasa pera o may monumento sa Caloocan
O sa Vinzon’s Hall ng UP napadaan
Kundi dahil tutularan nila ang katipunan ng magagandang nagawa mo
Dahil sa pagmamahal mo sa ating bayan

Whenever I think of the Hacienda Luisita violence that killed 14 people–mostly farmers and workers–I couldn’t help being reminded of Kris Aquino and the obscene display of her luxurious life on national television.

Kris is a daughter of former President Corazon Cojuangco Aquino, one of the owners of Hacienda Luisita. She loves talking about fashion, clothes, and jewelry and models for a whitening soap, among other products.

Two days after the killing of photojournalist Gene Boyd Lumawag, a Bombo Radio station manager in Kalibo, Aklan, was shot last night. NUJP chair Inday Varona released this statement:

The National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP) strongly condemns the senseless shooting last night (November 13) of Bombo Boy Hinolan, station manager of DYIN Bombo Radyo Kalibo and anchor of the Bombohanay big time.

Continue reading “NUJP Condemns Shooting Of Radioman”

I just opened an e-mail from Carlos Conde of NUJP informing members of his PinoyPress group of another sad news in the media community: A young photojournalist in Mindanao was killed yesterday.