300 Left Kadamay to Form New Rally-for-Hire Group

Fed up of being used and manipulated, around 300 Kalipunan ng Damayang Mahihirap or Kadamay members have called it quits, bringing into the open alleged corrupt practices of the pro-urban poor organization.

In a fit of anger, the former members, who occupy a government housing project in Pandi, Bulacan, threw their Kadamay identification cards to the ground, stomping them while chanting President Duterte’s name.

“Nagkakaisa po kami rito dahil sa mga panloloko ng mga Kadamay na yan,” said Bueno Cayman, one of the leaders of the group that broke away from Kadamay.

The splinter group said they have had enough of being forced to join protest actions which were mostly aimed at Duterte.

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But the worst part, they claimed, Kadamay had turned them into milking cows.

“Yung sinisingil po kami ng 150, 200, 300, makapag rally lang po. Hindi libre, kami pa po ang nagbabayad nun,” Jeffrey Ariz told GMA News.




Ariz, who also leads the breakaway faction, alleged that shelling out money for what they call as “lakbayin” or rally wasn’t voluntary. It’s either you cough up or face the specter of threats and harassment from Kadamay officials and their henchmen, he said.

Some were told to just simply pay up. “Minsan sinasabi ‘wag na kayo sumali sa rally magbigay na lang kayo ng 300,” said Julieta Dela Cruz.

A former Kadamay member, who requested anonymity, divulged that he got the unit he now occupies after giving in to the monetary demand of a Kadamay official whose name he didn’t mention.
At the onset of Kadamay’s takeover in Pandi, Bulacan in May 2017, he was asked to produce P15,000 in exchange for a guaranteed slot in a vacant housing project. After bargaining, it was reduced to P10,000. A final deal was made, he would pay P7,000 and settle the P3,000 balance later.
“Ang palabas nyan, sir, bayad para sa “lakbayin” pero hindi totally “lakbayin,” binibenta po sa amin yun,sir, he said.

Charlene Andesa couldn’t hold back her tears as she spoke to GMA News. She was also promised a housing unit. But up to now that remains just that.

“Nagbigay po ako ng isang buong baboy po. Hangggang ngayon wala pa po akong bahay. Pinapangakuan lang po ako,” she said crying.

But the Kadamay Pandi, Bulacan Chapter has shrugged off the apparent exodus, denying the
corruption allegations.

“Voluntary po ang paghingi ng suporta para sa mga “lakbayin,” said Pat Tupas, chairperson of Kadamay Pandi, Bulacan.

He turned the tables on one of the leaders of the breakaway group, claiming that Ariz was first stripped of authority as Kadamay official after he was caught acting as an “agent” in the illegal sale of vacant housing units in Pandi.

Tupas said “hindi tinotolerate ng organisasyong Kadamay ang ganitong mga taong nagtitiwalag at nilalabag ang batas.”

Ariz belied the allegation, promising to expose other wrongdoings being perpetrated by Kadamay.
The breakaway group said they will re-organize and form a new group to continue their goal.

“Bubuo po kami ng sarili naming group. Alam nap o naming kung papano magpatakbo ng ganitong klaseng grupo at ang goal naming ngayon ay lahat ng members dapat ang makikinabang, hindi yong mga lider lang,” Ariz said.

Cheers, disgust as Duterte kisses OFW in South Korea -Jim Paredes

Cheers, disgust as Duterte kisses OFW in South Korea https://t.co/jI9NIQi6yI via @rapplerdotcom

— Jim (@Jimparedes) June 3, 2018

Stephen Sackur: Filipinos should elect more intelligent senators next time

Journalist Stephen Sackur shows the rest of the world’s “journalists” how it’s done on his BBC talk show HARDtalk where he put Philippine “senator” Antonio Trillanes IV through the wringer. Trillanes is one of the harshest critics of Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte and, by far, the most rabid — like a dog with a bone in his resolve to cut down Duterte’s government midway through its term.
Sackur did not mince words. He first got Trillanes to confirm that he is an avowed democrat then proceeded to grill him on the matter further citing the inconsistency of this vow to uphold democratic rule with his track record of launching coup d’etats (notably described by Sackur as “pathetic” in the way they lasted for no more than a day or two) against a duly-elected president, then President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, through the 2000s.

 On that single point, Sackur built a consistently-themed conversation with Trillanes. He kept referring to the simple fact that Duterte had, during his campaign for the presidency, been fully up front about what he envisions his rule will be like, laying on the table every gory detail of the way he plans to make good on his promises to run roughshod over every obstacle — even over “human rights” — to fulfill his mandate to clean up his country. That he won the presidential election with all those ideas laid out before the public to digest is, as Sackur points out more than a few times during the interview, democracy at work. Today, “the majority of Filipinos seem to like his iron fist,” Sackur observes. From there, more pointed questions were fielded by Sackur in rapid succession. One of his most difficult questions to Trillanes was, around whether or not his efforts to take down the Duterte administration were in tune with ordinary Filipinos’ sentiments. Sackur even went as far as describing Trillanes’s comments on the Philippine government as “constantly negative” in that light. Trillanes could only stammer out a response that merely

Duterte rejects Robredo`s intent to be DOTR CHIEF

President Rodrigo Duterte shot down the possibility of having Vice President Leni Robredo take over the position of Social Welfare secretary after it was vacated with the recent rejection of Judy Taguiwalo by the powerful Commission on Appointments.
Asked by reporters on the possibility of having Robredo, the former housing secretary, to take over the Social Welfare portfolio, the President on Monday night responded with a resounding “no” on the suggestion. He did not clarify.
Duterte, however, said that he had asked an incumbent senator once if “she” could be the next DSWD chief.

The President likewise offered in jest the position of DSWD secretary to popular ABS-CBN broadcaster Doris Bigornia—who were among the reporters present during the roundtable held at Malacañang Park, a few steps from his Bahay Pagbabago home at the Pasig riverbanks.
The President said he will replace Taguiwalo with someone who will “avoid corruption” and “work sincerely” for the post.
Robredo’s name floated as one of the possible contenders for DSWD chief after one of his die-hard supporters, the former sex guru now Communications Assistant Secretary Margaux “Mocha” Uson included her in an online poll, which the Vice President topped.
Uson later on accused the Vice President of employing trolls to win the online poll.
Duterte and Robredo had a falling out after the Vice President was disallowed to attend Cabinet meetings, following her criticisms over the Presidnet’s bloody drug war.
In the same media interview, the President said that he intends to work around the “legally-feasible” limits of the law to have the current military chief, General Eduardo Año within his turf.
While Año cannot assume a post yet due to one-year appointment ban, Duterte said that he can make him his senior aide at the Office of the President or even an undersecretary at the Interior Department, if this is possible.
“I need his services. Año would be under me. I would make him a senior aide of the Office of the President or whatever. Or undersecretary if that is legally feasible. Ilagay ko lang siya undersecretary but he performs as officer-in-charge,” Duterte said.
“It’s Año. But he has a mission. Sabi ko, “Tapusin mo muna ‘yung Marawi then I want you to go to the DILG,” he added.
Current Interior Officer-in-charge Catalino Cuy will remain in his post as DILG chief, until Ano’s one year restriction would be over, the President said.

U.S Ambassador Nikki 'We Must Give President Duterte to run Hist Nation'Stop Criticizing For Every of His Mistake'

The U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, Nikki Haley has called upon human rights groups to be impartial and not to take political inclination while dispensing their duties in any particular nation.

Nikki urged right groups in Philippines to engage in consultations with president Duterte government and shun from taking political stances which may lead to a lose of relevance and credibility in the country.

“We must give President Duterte the space to run his nation. We must respect their independence … It is not in our purview to decide his administrative issues for the Philippines.” She said

“That is the job of the president,” she added during this year’s United Nation General Assembly in New York.

The Philippines Government has been accusing human rights groups and regional blocs of not supporting his administration and colluding with opposition politicians to sabotage his war on drugs.

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CHR’s Gascon calls for resistance to worldwide ‘democratic recession’

Philippine Commission on Human Rights chairperson Chito Gascon is urging people across the world to stand up against "democratic recession" plaguing all continents due to the rise of strongmen.
In an article published in TIME magazine on Wednesday, Gascon wrote that "democracy and human rights are in retreat today, and not only in the Philippines, but across all continents."
He said that the appeal of strongmen is not new, but that they present a "false and even dystopian dichotomy" that leads to their rise to power.
He added that the strongman's appealing proposition is a "false choice," and "an alternative of greater safety, security, and stability, in exchange for diminished freedoms."
"We can and we must direct a righteous rage towards this trend, in a manner that is both purposive and strategic," Gascon said.
He called for non-violent strategies in parliaments, courts, cyberspaces, and streets, while urging to build solidarity.
"Let us be emboldened by an unrelenting will to stand up for justice, and an undying faith in humanity’s capacity for good. If we do not struggle, we will not overcome. We must push back," he said.

Broken promise
Gascon lamented the broken promise that was the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), which is celebrating its 70th anniversary later this year.
Adopted in 1948, the UDHR is a historic document that signifies a milestone in the history of human rights. It sets out a standard that was meant to be adopted by all nations.
"Since its creation, the world has painstakingly constructed an entire edifice of human rights norms, establishing domestic and international protection mechanisms to ensure the fulfillment of the UDHR’s promise. But that promise has been broken around the world," he said.
He highlighted President Rodrigo Duterte's relentless war on drugs in the Philippines, and his continued calls to ignore international outrage over the thousands killed in the bloody campaign.
Gascon said that the world must continue upholding human rights, and that there is no battle that is more important than that.
"We need more democracy and not less of it, and we must uphold human rights for there is no battle more important today. Democracy and human rights are important enablers of human development that will create conditions for people to reach their full potential. As long as persons in any part of the world remain deprived of their fundamental rights and freedom, we are all diminished," he said.
"If we are unable to ensure the respect, protection, and fulfillment of human rights and fundamental freedoms of all—especially the poorest and the most marginalized—then the universal human rights project will indeed mean nothing," he added. —Jessica Bartolome/LBG,

Hontiveros Admits Signing of Documents to Release ₱10.6-B Fund to Garin, But….

Former PhilHealth executive and now Senator Risa Hontiveros admits signing of documents related to the diversion of ₱10.6 billion PhilHealth fund intended for senior citizens but denied she benefited from doing so.

Hontiveros aired her side following a viral fake news that claims she proliferated the calling for the resignation of Solicitor general Jose Calida.

The Commission on Audit (COA) earlier said that the ₱10.6 billion fund intended for senior citizens was diverted to the Department of Health (DOH), by then secretary Janet Garin. Hontiveros was the head of PhilHealth that time.

“The records will bear me out. Although I signed the documents, I never benefited from it. Everything was a normal process and based on the agency’s protocols,” Hontiveros said in a statement.

“That’s why I’m calling on our health officials to get their act together and explain to the public the records, course of activities and the overall paper trail of the government’s big-ticket health programs,” she added.


Hontiveros also criticized Calida anew, who she accused of benefiting from the government contracts that his security agency’s bagged.

“Hindi po tayo kagaya ni Mr. Calida na milyon-milyon ang naibulsang pera ng kanyang negosyo mula sa mga kontrata sa gobyerno,” the lawmaker said.