President Aquino

THE PHILIPPINES: Another Filipino Media Professional Murdered

TREVOR ISBELL WRITES – Filipino media violence has steadily risen ever since November of 2009, when leaders of a political clan and their “private army” massacred 58 people, 32 of which were journalists, in Maguindanao province. Now the problem continues, as media professionals around the country are constantly putting their lives…

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PHILIPPINES: ‘Third Most Dangerous for Journalists’

TREVOR ISBELL WRITES – With the deaths of Filipino journalists on the rise, the country’s free press system is in jeopardy. Responding to the killings of 14 journalists last year, President Aquino claims the solution lies in strict law enforcement, gun control and an efficient judicial system. Sadly, none of…

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PHILIPPINES: AQUINO NEEDS TO BE MORE PRESIDENTIAL

TREVOR ISBELL WRITES – Talk of a possible impeachment of President Benigno S. Aquino is making the rounds among the Philippines citizenry. It stems from allegations that Aquino mishandled funds from a controversial government works project known as the Disbursement Acceleration Program, or DAP. Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago set tongues wagging…

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PHILIPPINES: Freedom of Speech Gets a Criminal Record

The Philippines has introduced yet another law restricting freedom of speech, causing the Human Right Watch (HRW) to call for an appeal. The Cybercrime Prevention Act, which was signed into law by President Aquino earlier this September, drastically increases punishment for criminal libel, raising the minimum sentence twelve-fold, from six…

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PHILIPPINES: Is Aquino Finally Taking Assassinations Seriously?

Speaking of extremely dubious distinctions … Christopher Guarin, publisher of Tatak News Nationwide and presenter for radio station dxMD, was shot dead earlier this month in General Santos City, making him the first Asian journalist to be killed in 2012.

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