Content about Social Issues

MANILA, Dec. 31, 2011–The crusade for a culture of life is an advocacy of truth, and based on the goings-on in 2011 alone, the pro-life advocacy has covered a lot of ground and, inadvertently, saw much success in promoting the truth.

Though reproductive health (RH) legislation in the Philippines is not new — being proposed, discussed, rejected and resurrected for decades now — 2012 saw significant developments in its promotion as well as in its opposition. The year ended with the RH bill reaching the period of interpellation in both chambers of Congress, heated debates in progress when legislative sessions went on adjournment on the final month of the year. Mass actions such as rallies and prayer vigils to express opposition to the bill happened not just in the country’s capital, but in many other cities in Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao. Civil society seemed to wake up to the folly of the legislative measure and wanted to be heard loud and clear.

Heartbreaking tragedies and heartwarming tales of generosity and heroism.  Crippling crises and empowering developments.  Shameful scandals and inspiring comebacks.

All these characterized the news of 2011, a year that started with so much optimism and potential, yet would end with the country in a state of calamity. 

MANILA, Philippines (Dec 29,2011) - Four days before the New Year, the Social Weather Stations (SWS) released its Fourth Quarter Social Weather Survey, conducted from Dec. 3 to 7, showing that 95 percent of Filipino adults said they would welcome 2012 with hope while only 4% would face the New Year with fear.

Despite gloomy global economic forecasts and a string of natural calamities that hit the country this year, the figure is two points higher than the 93 percent who entered 2011 with hope and matches the all-time high of 95 percent recorded in 2002 who were hopeful entering 2003, the SWS said.

MANILA, Philippines (Dec 21, 2011) President Aquino visited the flood-ravaged cities of Cagayan de Oro, Iligan and Dumaguete yesterday, declaring a state of national calamity in the aftermath of the devastation caused by tropical storm “Sendong” as a massive relief operation continued.

As thousands of workers search and retrieve decomposing bodies, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) has placed the death toll from the storm at close to a thousand, more accurately 998, with an undetermined number still missing, mostly from the cities of Cagayan de Oro and Iligan.

MANILA, Philippines (Dec 12, 2011) – As the country’s  internal armed conflicts have reached negotiation stages,  it’s time to take on external threats to defend and preserve the Philippines’ sovereignty territorial intergrity

This is President Aquino’s position that is echoed by newly installed Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief Lt. Gen. Jessie Dellosa who declared yesterday that the 125,000-strong military under his watch will focus on territorial now that domestic insurgency problems are being addressed on the negotiating table.

MANILA, Philippines (Dec 3, 2011) – Citing that President Aquino was raising issues and concerns important to public interest, Malacañang defended his pronouncement expressing doubts on the impartiality of the Supreme Court.

Yesterday President Aquino’s questioned the Supreme Court’s (SC) decisions, particularly the temporary restraining order on the travel ban against former President and now Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

FORT BONIFACIO, Taguig City (Dec 1, 2011) – As the whole Filipino nation celebrates the 148^th birth anniversary of Gat Andres Bonifacio on November 30, the Philippine Army also recognizes the heroism of each soldier, both in war fighting and in winning the peace.

The act of courage and bravery displayed by Filipino soldiers in combat, and their selfless service to the citizens through the conduct humanitarian missions and rescue operations during disasters, are manifestations that the flame of heroism is burning and alive.

Once again, our Nation is apparently in a dilemma on how a former president, now Gloria Arroyo, accused of a crime and arrested by virtue of an arrest warrant should be treated. Or simply put, where should she be detained pending judicial proceedings?

President Aquino was certainly right in dodging the question by stating that such matter is within the jurisdiction or power of the court that issued the warrant of arrest. His government’s job is to prosecute the case, that is, to present evidence to show guilt beyond reasonable doubt...

MANILA, Philippines – Pasay Regional Trial Court Branch 112 has approved the temporary detention of arrested ex-president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo at the St. Luke’s Medical Center as she awaits trial for non-bailable offense of electoral sabotage.

 “For humanitarian reasons the motion (for hospital arrest) is granted,” said Judge Jesus Mupas of Pasay City Regional Trial Court (RTC) branch 112.

“The court has agreed to a temporary hospital arrest due to her health condition and for humanitarian reasons,” clerk of court Jose Pelicano told reporters after the court postponed to Friday a hearing on the motions filed by Arroyo’s lawyers.

JACKSON, Mississippi (AP) — Mississippi voters Tuesday defeated a ballot initiative that would have declared life begins at fertilization, a proposal that supporters sought in the Bible Belt state as a way to prompt a legal challenge to abortion rights nationwide.

The so-called "personhood" initiative was rejected by more than 55 percent of voters, falling far short of the threshold needed for it to be enacted. If it had passed, it was virtually assured of drawing legal challenges because it conflicts with the Supreme Court's 1973 Roe v. Wade decision that established a legal right to abortion. Supporters of the initiative wanted to provoke a lawsuit to challenge the landmark ruling...

MANILA, Philippines (Nov. 4, 2011) – The 253 new cases recorded by the Department of Health (DOH) this September is an all-time high  on monthly basis and bring the total known cases of the dreaded viral disease in the Philippines to 7,684.

The report, prepared by the DOH’s National Epidemiology Center and released yesterday,  reveals a 65 percent increase over the 153 AIDS cases recorded in September 2010. Out of the 253 cases, 5 are already considered full-blown AIDS...

PARIS (AP) — Palestine became a full member of UNESCO on yesterday in a highly divisive breakthrough that will cost the agency a fifth of its budget and that the US and other opponents say could harm renewed Mideast peace efforts.

Soon after the vote, the United States cut funding to the organization because of a US law that bars funding an organization that has Palestine as a member before an Israeli-Palestinian peace deal is reached.