Bicolanos despise Teodoro ad in Pacquiao-Hatton fight

From Tessa Lopez, Bagong Alyansang Makabayan – Bikol, forwarded by Vince Casilihan.

Teodoro ad in Pacquiao fight, done in bad taste

As with most Filipinos, we enjoyed the Pacquiao-Hatton fight last Sunday even if it was quite short and it had a lot of commercials. But what really is irritating and is almost surely anomalous is the supposed infomercial of the National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC) which has Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro giving tips on disaster by spelling out his surname.

This is an ill-disguised campaign gimmick for his 2010 presidential bid and it is at the expense once again of the Filipino people, because it was funded from the taxpayer’s coffers. Here in Bicol where calamities always occur, we take it as an insult that Teodoro is using our plight as well as the people’s money to push for his election. We hope that this is immediately investigated and that Teodoro be held accountable.

22,000 Bicolanos streamed the streets on May 1

"What is a typhoon when we have already braved far worse deluges of poverty and state violence?" Pinaglabanan Monument, Legaspi City (Photo courtesy of Vince Casilihan)

Protest actions in Albay

Yesterday, a series of protest actions were conducted by various progressive organizations in Albay led by Bayan-Bikol.

Bicolwide Transport Strike: 85% Paralysis

Daraga, Albay (Photos courtesy of Vince Casilihan)

According to Joel Ascutia, President of Condor-Piston the transport group that led the regional transport strike, as of 6 AM, paralysis of transportation in the Bicol region registers as follows: 90% of jeepneys and 90% of tricycles in Albay; 70% of jeepneys, 60% of tricycles, 40% of vans, and 50% of buses in Sorsogon; 80% percent of jeepneys and multicab vans in Iriga, Camarines Sur; and 70% of jeepneys, vans, buses, and 50% of tricycles in Camarines Norte.

Bicolwide Transport Strike

Bukas April 27, 2009 maglulunsad ang Condor-Piston ng isang regionwide transport strike sa Bicol. Maliban sa pagprotesta sa LTO Department Order # 2008-39 at 2008-38, na nagtaas ng 200%-1,200% multa sa mga violations at nagtataas sa halaga sa pagkuha ng lisensya ng mga driver at konduktor, nilalabanan pa ng mga tsuper at operator ang pagsasamantala ng mga kartel sa presyo ng produktong petrolyo, at ang mga batas na Oil Deregulation Law at 12% Value Added Tax.

Dispersal victims, Naga City police violence

Sampung aktibista ang nasaktan noong lunes, April 20 sa pagbuwag ng police sa mga rallyistang sumalubong ng protesta kay Pres. Arroyo sa Naga City (click for the Inquirer post). Heto ang litrato ng ilan sa mga biktima ng pandarahas ng Naga City police na ipinadala ni Vince Casilihan, spokesperson ng Karapatan Bikol at kuha ni Jan Rev Davila ng BikolXPress.

Kalbaryong Balikatan

Kaboronyogan Cultural Network and BAN Balikatan present a modern and social oriented version of the traditional Pabasa or Pasyon in Bikol, the Via Cruxis. A Street play, Kalbaryong Balikatan: Pasakit sa Banwaan stages in Naga, Albay and Sorsogon on April 1, 2 and 3, respectively.

The Kalbaryo was very well documented by the independent and regional BikolXPress. You can watch video footages of the regional Kalbaryo here at the activity’s YouTube channel.