Political Critique

There was palpable distrust among some residents toward Kabataan Partylist, and a clearer discomfort with Rep. Renee Louise Co than with the presence of the Armed Forces of the Philippines. This was evident in online comments and public statements that circulated even before her Campus Tour and Konsultahang Kabataan at Kalinga State University on August 14. Long before the event began, voices online were already questioning the purpose of the visit. The dominant tone was n

Habang nagpapatuloy ang mga operasyong panseguridad, nananatiling bukas ang mas mahalagang tanong para sa mga nasa loob pa ng kilusan: maghihintay ba silang maging susunod na pangalan sa listahan ng mga “martir,” o pipiliing umuwi habang may pagkakataon pa? Gaya ng sinabi ni Ri Chard sa kanyang mga dating kasama: “May iba pang kaparaanan upang magsilbi sa mamamayan.”

Ayon sa dating kadre na si Lady Desiree Miranda, nananatiling bulnerable ang kababaihan sa iba’t ibang anyo ng pang-aabuso sa loob ng CPP-NPA, sa kabila ng umiiral nitong mga patakaran tulad ng Tres Otso o Three Main Rules of Discipline and Eight Points for Attention. Sa isang panayam na inilabas sa social media, isinalaysay ni Miranda ang matinding hirap, takot, panggigipit, at umano’y pamimilit sa kanya na humawak ng armas. Para sa kanya, inilalantad ng mga karanasang it

For a revolution is not sustained by the gun; it is sustained by belief, and belief cannot be extracted at gunpoint, at checkpoint, at the barrel pressed lightly against a sakada's ribs.

Marami tayo ngayong kinakaharap na mga lehitimong isyu: korapsyon, mataas na presyo ng bilihin, kawalan ng disenteng trabaho, mahinang serbisyong panlipunan, at patuloy na pagyurak ng ibang bansa sa ating soberanya. Tama at makatarungan naman talaga ang maging kritikal sa gobyerno. Tama ring maging passionate sa social justice at maging aktibista. Ang demokrasya ay hindi nangangahulugang tahimik na pagsang-ayon—ito ay espasyo para sa protesta, organisasyon, at pananagutan.

Ano ba talaga ang kinatatakutan ng Gabriela Women's Party? Noong Hulyo 16, naghain ng reklamo sa Commission on Human Rights (CHR) ang Gabriela Partylist-Marikina laban sa 12th Civil Military Operations Battalion ng Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP). Ang sentro ng kanilang reklamo ay ang umano'y panliligalig at ang sunod-sunod na community outreach activities ng militar sa isang komunidad sa Marikina—mga medical mission, feeding program, pamamahagi ng ayuda, at iba pang

In his speech at the Katungod Conference on July 15 at the University of the Philippines at Diliman, he declared that the AFP is a "threat to democracy and national security." That conclusion is too sweeping. And his treatment of the Talaingod 13 is also too politically convenient, if not downright lazy.

Muling sinusubukan ng mga grupong kaugnay ng National Democratic movement na buhayin ang usapin ng tinaguriang “Talaingod 13.” Noong Hulyo 16, pinangunahan ng Save Our Schools Network ang isang kumperensiyang pinamagatang “Annual State of Justice in Mindanao Conference: Justice for Talaingod 13 and Beyond.” Sa naturang pagtitipon, muling iniharap ang naratibong ang estado umano ang nang-api sa mga tinawag nilang “human rights advocates” na nagsagawa ng rescue mission para sa

Sa huli, ang totoong motibo ng NPA ay hindi ang pagprotekta sa kalikasan kundi ang pagkolekta ng “revolutionary tax.” Kapag tumangging magbayad ang isang kumpanya, doon sila nagiging target — hindi dahil sa kanilang pinsala sa kapaligiran, kundi dahil sa kanilang pagtanggi na sustentuhan ang armadong kilusan. Ito ang mapait na katotohanang kailangang malaman ng publiko upang hindi na sila malinlang ng magandang pakinggan pero huwad na propaganda. Ang tunay na pagtatanggol sa

On July 10, two men were found shot dead in Victorias City — Jerome Seballos, 59, and Alex Cunanan, 58. Two days later, the NPA's Roselyn Jean Pelle Command claimed responsibility, saying its "Special Partisan Unit" had carried out a "death penalty" against both, accusing Seballos of working as a military informant. Two men were executed in their own barangay, and the killers announced it publicly as a warning to everyone else. That is what spy-tagging is for. It is not, i

For years, I believed that genuine change in the Philippines could only come through armed revolution. Like many idealistic young people, I was drawn to the promise of a nation free from injustice, inequality, and corruption. I sincerely believed that taking up arms was not merely an option; it was the only path. I was wrong.

One line from Atom Araullo's graduation speech at UP Baguio this week hit me harder than I expected. "You don't have to kill your dreams in the name of service. Just make sure your dreams don't require you to kill your conscience."

Sino nga ba talaga ang pinoprotektahan ng Karapatan? Ang mas nakararaming mamamayang nais maging ligtas laban sa terorismo, o ang mga indibidwal na nahaharap sa kasong may kaugnayan sa mga grupong iniuugnay sa armadong kilusan?

Inside the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People's Army (CPP-NPA), she was "Ka Kira" - an organizer, recruiter, cadre, and believer in the revolution. Today, however, she is simply Mara: a daughter, a partner, a peace advocate, and a former rebel determined to help others find the path she once struggled to take. Her story did not begin in the mountains. It began when she was only fourteen years old. Growing up in a family with relatives working overseas, Mar

In the third quarter of 1998, Elena received a Party assignment. As a member of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP), she was designated as a cadre tasked with helping lead an NGO operating in Western Mindanao. On paper, the organization focused on disaster preparedness, disaster management education, and measures designed to reduce the impact of natural and human-induced disasters. Its programs targeted remote communities in the region's hinterlands, areas often expo