Piercing Pens

The Pekeng Pangulo Googlebombing campaign of Young Radicals and Youth-Dare actually worked. Typing the phrase “pekeng pangulo” in Google would now lead you to Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s website.

After the killing of Ricardo “Ding” Uy of DZRS-AM in Sorsogon City last Friday, another Filipino mediaman was murdered on Sunday night. Robert Ramos of the tabloid Katapat based in Laguna, was killed by two gunmen around 8 p.m. Sunday (November 20) in front of a market in barangay Looc, Cabuyao town, Laguna.

NUJP said Ramos was the 72st Filipino journalist murdered since 1986, the 35th journalist murdered since Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo took power in January 2001, the 9th journalist murdered this year, and the 2nd in less than 60 hours.

Don’t the enemies of press freedom get tired?

The National Union of Journalists of the Philippines today reported another killing of a radio announcer in Sorsogon City this morning.

Reports received by NUJP say Ricardo “Ding” Uy of DZRS-AM in Sorsogon City was shot by a lone gunman his house.

The parents of Muhammad Jamail Sultan— a two-year old boy with biliary atresia, a congenital liver problem–have put up a website to help raise funds for their child’s operation.

Rosario and Jamail Sultan use the website that a friend created to solicit donation for a liver transplant that MJ needs.

“MJ is strong and happy baby. He has an easily smile for everyone. He acts like any baby should. he’s got big bright eyes that seems to take in everything. We call him a ‘fighter’. So let us give him a fighting chance,” the website states.

“He will soon die, unless he gets a liver transplant,” it added.

Visit and help MJ at http://jamailsultan.sanktuaryo.com/

Please pass or repost.

This statement was signed last November 16 by 14 faculty members of the University of the Philippines College of Mass Communication (UP CMC) led by Dean Nicanor G. Tiongson. For verification, please call Prof. Danilo A. Arao (Chair, Department of Journalism) at 920-6852 or (0917) 833-ARAO.

We, the undersigned faculty members of the University of the Philippines College of Mass Communication (UP CMC), are disturbed by the statement made by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo last November 10 at the 31st Top Level Management Conference of the Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster ng Pilipinas (KBP) in Baguio City. As quoted by the media in the days that followed, she said that the media must cast aside their “bad boy” image by focusing on what the public wants – winners. According to her, “the economy is the only winner here today amidst these losers who carry no public mandate.”

(Photo and text from a PETA press release)

Considered the world’s first male supermodel, Marcus Schenkenberg is starring in a new ad campaign to let people know that “kalayaan karapatan ng bawat nilalang” and urging bird lovers to “let birds fly free.”

The sexy new ad for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) Asia-Pacific is being released to coincide with the Philippine Bird Festival, which celebrates native birds and encourages their conservation. Inspired by a widely publicized incident in which the supermodel rescued a bird who had become trapped in his hotel room, the ad shows a buff, shirtless Marcus holding an empty cage as birds fly free behind him.

NUJP’s Press Statement
November 10, 2005

We appreciate President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s effort to fight terrorism in the country. Unfortunately she seems to be firing her guns all over and is hitting innocent victims, journalists included.

Mrs. Arroyo complained about criticisms she got after she disclosed an “intelligence report” about journalist Julius Babao’s alleged role in bailing out a terrorist.

Madam President, your intelligence report was wrong. When the media reported Babao’s denial, they were not criticizing you, they were telling you the information you got from your people was wrong. The media were reporting a story.