Sara Duterte's P125M 'confidential funds' questioned
House Deputy Minority Leader and ACT Teachers Partylist Representative France Castro questioned Vice President Sara Duterte’s P125 million ($7.1 million) confidential funds. According to documents from the Department of Budget and Management (DBM), the Office of the Vice President (OVP) spent the said money in just a period of 19 days.
Read more: Sara Duterte's P125M 'confidential funds' questioned
GRP suffers heavy losses amid bluster to ‘defeat NPA’ within Marcos Jr term
The US-Marcos regime recently incurred heavy losses after a series of tactical offensives launched by the New People’s Army (NPA) in Sultan Kudarat, Mindanao and in Quezon Province, Southern Tagalog in the last two months. This is despite recent remarks made by the GRP’s National Security Adviser Eduardo Año claiming that the GRP will ‘defeat the NPA’ within Marcos Jr’s term.
Read more: GRP suffers heavy losses amid bluster to ‘defeat NPA’ within Marcos Jr term
Groups alarmed over rising cases of forced disappearances under Marcos Jr
Human rights groups trooped the Manila Court of Appeals calling to surface missing activists in commemoration of the International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearance last 30 August. Led by the group Desaparacidos (organization of families and friends of the disappeared), families and friends of victims sounded alarm over the increasing cases of enforced disappearances under the Marcos administration.
Read more: Groups alarmed over rising cases of forced disappearances under Marcos Jr
PH must ‘stand up to the Chinese Titan and American Colossus’ – CPP
Amid China’s continued aggression against Filipino ships and fishermen in the disputed waters, the United States, Australia, and the GRP recently held naval drills in the West Philippine Sea last 25 August. The military exercise, called “ALON war games,” was staged in Palawan, 200 kilometers from the Spratly Group of Islands. According to reports, the war games simulated the retaking of an enemy-controlled island.
Read more: PH must ‘stand up to the Chinese Titan and American Colossus’ – CPP
NDFP warns of ‘heightened state terrorism’ as Marcos Jr unrolls new security policy
“We expect heightened state terrorism and more violations of people’s rights as the US-Marcos regime unrolls its new security policy,” said Luis Jalandoni, Chief International Representative of the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) in a statement released last 18 August.
Read more: NDFP warns of ‘heightened state terrorism’ as Marcos Jr unrolls new security policy
NPA holds training, hones skills and abilities of nat’l minorities, red fighters
As part of its regular efforts to hone the skills and abilities of Red fighters including national minorities, the New People’s Army (NPA) held a basic military course in the third week of July in Western Samar. More than 30 Red fighters finished the training amid continuous military operations in the area, reports Ang Bayan, the official publication of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP).
Read more: NPA holds training, hones skills and abilities of nat’l minorities, red fighters
Groups urge EU president to re-examine human rights record of Marcos Jr.
Various groups and individuals from Europe urged European Union (EU) President Ursula von der Leyen to re-examine the human rights record of the current Marcos Jr. regime in an open letter published this 13 August. The open letter was released by Friends of the Filipino People in Struggle (FFPS), an independent solidarity group in support of the Philippine struggle for national liberation.
Read more: Groups urge EU president to re-examine human rights record of Marcos Jr.
People’s war in the Philippines continues, says study
Borne out of fundamental social problems, the protracted people’s war in the Philippines continues according to a July 2023 study published by ACLED (Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project), a US-based non-profit organization monitoring conflicts worldwide.
Read more: People’s war in the Philippines continues, says study
NPA belies declaration of ‘insurgency-free zone’ in Quezon
The New People’s Army (NPA)-North Quezon refuted the recent declaration of the Quezon provincial government that the province is “insurgency free”. Eliza “Ka Eli” dela Guerra, spokesperson of the NPA unit, said in the 23 June, 2023, that this declaration is only to pave way to the destructive and rapacious projects in the province.
Read more: NPA belies declaration of ‘insurgency-free zone’ in Quezon