Korapsyon OONG Panahon Ni FVR, Ilan Sa Mga Nabunyag Na Kwento Papel Ni Pangulong Arroyo Sa Iskandalong Ito
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Human Rights FORUM 1 NOTES ON THE HEALTHCARE UNDER NBN-ZTE SCANDAL LOCK AND KEY Why are we not surprised? Dissecting the Hospital Detention Law 4 By Percival Cendaña 7 By Candy Diez Disappearances Continue Without Let-up By Mary Aileen Diez-Bacalso ........................................................................................................................ 11 Alamin ang Inyong mga Karapatan Writ of Amparo ............................................................................................................................ 16 War in Mindanao Renewed Offensive, Renewed Cost By Sitti Nur-Aina L. Jaji ............................................................................................................................ 18 Ang Barikada sa Pacquet, Kasibu Nueva Vizcaya Isang Kwento ng Pakikibaka Laban sa Malakihang Pagmimina Ni Emy Tapiru ........................................................................................................................................ 22 Corporate Social Responsibility and the Mining Industry Ingraining people’s participation in mining communities through CSR By Roel A. Andag ................................................................................................................................... 25 PHILIPPINE HUMAN RIGHTS INFORMATION CENTER Editorial Board Sibuyan Island: NYMIA PIMENTEL-SIMBULAN DR. P.H. People’s Resistance to Plunder Ends in Death SONNY MELENCIO GINA DELA CRUZ By Rodne Galicha ....................................................................................................................................... 28 BERNARDO LARIN Asean Charter Poses Difficult Challenge Editor-in-Chief Regional alliance takes tentative steps toward one day possibly JM VILLERO forming an economic and political union Managing Editor By Vitit Muntarbhorn .............................................................................................................................................. 31 ARNEL RIVAL Art Director HR DIGEST .............................................................................................................................................. 33 EUGENE BACASMAS HR TRIVIA ......................................................................................................................................... 33 Illustrator FACTS AND FIGURES ......................................................................................................................... 34 The Human Rights Forum is published quarterly by the Philippine Human Rights Information Center (PhilRights) EMBASSY OF FINLAND with office address at Manila 53-B Maliksi St. Barangay Pinyahan, Quezon City Telefax: 433-1714 Tel. No.: 436-5686 This publication is made possible through the support of the Embassy of Finland E-mail:[email protected] Website: www.philrights.org The Philippine Human Rights Information Center (PhilRights) is the research and information center of the ISSN 0117-552-1 Philippine Alliance of Human Advocates (PAHRA). 2 Human Rights FORUM n EDITORYAL Korapsyon OONG panahon ni FVR, ilan sa mga nabunyag na kwento papel ni Pangulong Arroyo sa iskandalong ito. ng katiwalian ay ang PEA-Amari, kontrata sa mga Ang pinakahuling pumutok na insidente ng suhulan ay Nindependent power producers, at Expo Filipino. mismong sa Malakanyang pa naganap at nakuha pa sa video ang Kay Erap, payola sa jueteng, Boracay Mansion, at mga mga mambabatas at mga lokal na opisyal na lumalabas sa palasyo pandaraya sa stock market. at tila mga batang may bitbit na mga ‘regalo.’ Ang mali lang ng Syempre hindi rin pahuhuli si Ate Glo. Nandyan ang overpriced mga namigay ng suhol, pati si Fr. Ed Panlilio na gobernador ng na Diosdado Macapagal Boulevard, ang misteryosong bank account Pampanga ay inabutan nila at ito ang siyang nagbunyag sa ni Jose Pidal, fertilizer scam, at ang kontrobersyal na ZTE national nangyaring pamimigay ng pera matapos makipagpulong ng broadband network deal. pangulo sa mga nasabing opisyal. Mula sa antas ng Presidente hanggang sa mga lokal na opisyal Sobra na nga sigurong nasanay sa ganitong kalakaran ang mga sa barangay, tila naging bahagi na ng pampulitikang kultura ng nasa pamahalaan at wala na silang nakikitang mali rito kahit na mga Pinoy ang korapsyon. Masyado na tayong nabantad dito at ang perang ipinamumudmod upang makuha ang katapatan ng itinuturing na ngayong ‘normal’ ang pag-kickback ng mga pulitiko mga opisyal na ito ay galing sa kaban ng bayan. sa pondo ng mga pagawaing bayan. Ang tawag nga ng mga Bukod sa dapat nilang tandaan na ang panunuhol at katiwalian contractors sa porsyento ng mga mambabatas, lokal na opisyal, at ay nanatiling krimen sa ilalim ng ating mga batas, dapat din nilang mga kawani ng pamahalaan sa budget ng mga pampublikong isipin na sa bawat pisong napupunta sa kanilang bulsa ay may proyekto ay ‘SOP’ o standard operating procedure. napagkakaitang mga indibidwal ng kanilang mga karapatan. Maganda na sanang senyales ang hatol na ‘guilty’ ng Ang dapat sa mga tiwaling opisyal ng pamahalaan ay Sandiganbayan kay dating pangulong Estrada sa kasong pansamantalang patirahin sa mga lugar na napakahirap puntahan pandarambong (‘plunder’), sapagkat sa unang pagkakataon ay may dahil sa kawalan ng maayos na kalsada at hindi rin naaabot ng mataas na opisyal ng pamahalaang naparusahan. Ngunit ilang serbisyo ng kuryente at komunikasyon. O kaya ay isang linggo linggo lamang ang lumipas at muling namayani ang laro ng silang makipamuhay sa mga pamilyang nakatira sa ilalim ng mga pulitika at binigyan ng ‘pardon’ ni GMA ang na-convict na dating tulay o kaya ay sa mga kariton para maramdaman nila ang dinaranas lider ng bansa. Ganun na lang ‘yun? ng mga Pilipinong wala na ngang sapat na kabuhayan ay hindi pa Sa ZTE naman, bagama’t ibinunyag ni dating kalihim Romulo nakakatanggap ng mga serbisyong panlipunan mula sa pamahalaan. Neri ang tangkang panunuhol ni dating Commission on Elections Sa ganito ring paraan, maiintindihan nilang ang chairperson Benjamin Abalos, tumikom ang bibig nito at nagtago pangungurakot ay hindi lang pala krimen kundi paglabag na rin sa saya ng ‘executive privilege’ nang maungkat ang posibleng sa karapatang pantao ng mga mamamayan. Human Rights FORUM 3 NOTES ON THE NBN-ZTE SCANDAL Why are we not surprised? The China syndrome As China developed into an economic powerhouse, it has accumulated a veritably impressive foreign reserve pool. The Chinese government sits on one the largest (if not the largest) foreign exchange reserve of any single country in the world. This enormous amount is tentatively pegged at more than a trillion US dollars. This is where the corruptibility of projects paid for with Chinese government loans begin. usual, Filipino politicians are Because so much money is more than willing to grab the just sleeping in their coffers, “opportunity.” China is very anxious to lend it out and make profit in the De Venecia connection n By PERCIVAL CENDAÑA market. But the lending out of At first, the exposé of Joey the Chinese government’s de Venecia was quite surprising. ES, it was big, bold and brazen. But in the money is not without strings A lot of people were wondering end there was nothing really surprising attached. as to what prompted an First, it has onerous terms important ally or cohort of the about the NBN-ZTE scandal because the wherein the Chinese president to spill the beans. Arroyo administration has raised the bar government chooses the Scratching the surface would of corruption in the country to an almost contractors and insists on reveal that there is nothing numbing level. It is also not surprising if not a single settlement of contract disputes really surprising about de Y in Chinese courts. Second, Venecia’s action (or reaction as soul is sent to purgatory because of involvement in allowances for kickbacks and some would put it). It was just a this incredibly terrible deal. bribe money are seemingly simple case of some crook On the political front family members of the incorporated into the contract whining because he was robbed however, the scandal has laid president eagerly fight over the cost. of his loot. In this case, the bare the cracks in the makeshift spoils. The botched National No wonder, a project that whining actually meant that he foundations of President Broadband Project is in the six should have cost $130 million was robbed “not once, but Arroyo’s continued reign. The to seven billion-peso range. balooned into a whooping $329 twice.” foundations that were Simply put, this is a very big million fiasco. Speaker Jose de Venecia was originally cemented by greed pool of corruptible money—so This particular scenario the first agent or salesperson of for both wealth and power are big an amount that loyalties can presents an environ that is very the Chinese government in the now weakening as courtiers and be breached. conducive to corruption. As country. He was responsible for 4 Human Rights FORUM The cast of characters in the NBN- ZTE scandals: Joey de Venecia, the First Gentleman Mike Arroyo, Jarius Bondoc, Benjamin Abalos. deal. But it was said that he has been robbed of the project by no less than the First Gentleman. The second blow came when the $329 million NBN project was awarded to ZTE Corp., cutting out the share of his son’s Amsterdam Holdings Inc. This time, the deal was brokered by Malacañang’s own agent, then-COMELEC Chair Benjamin Abalos. As expected, the Speaker got very angry because he could not stand being robbed by PJR/LITO OCAMPO Malacañang the second time around. Speaker