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Blaming the victims: The dominant media vilify Hamas The dominant media are in high gear over Gaza. They vilify Hamas, stay silent about Gazan suffering, are mute on the crippling blockade, its devastating human toll, and practically champion Israel’s call for “all-out war” and the slaughter of defenseless men, women, children and infants.

News

NUJP: Number of murdered journalists reaches 98 Journalists from different media outfits on Thursday offered lighted candles for press freedom and to honor of colleagues felled in the line of duty.

Features

Cuesta family tries hard to cope with journalist-father's murder “He loved so much his work as a journalist. He could not imagine himself doing any other job. One can say he died doing what he loved the most.” This was how Gloria Cuesta described her husband, Dennis Cuesta, the Radio Mindanao Network (RMN) broadcaster who was shot last Aug. 4 in General Santos City by motorcycle-riding assassins near a commercial complex.

Viewpoints

Perils of legislating 'right of reply' Congress is now in the final stages of passing a law that would mandate the automatic “right of reply” — not just in big commercial newspapers and television, but also in freely distributed advocacy newsletters, books, blog sites and civil society text campaigns.

Readings

Media and human rights education: Now more than ever It is not a crime in journalism for reporters to be human rights advocates – rather we see it as giving clarity to our mission – and it provides us a badge of courage and commitment, says Alan David, director of the Philippine Human Rights Reporting Project.

Mediawatch

Gov't, media 'fall short of responsibility' in HR issues - rights advocates In the midst of rampant human rights violations in the country allegedly perpetrated by the state’s armed forces and intelligence agencies, human rights groups and advocates lament that the government is not making any move towards resolving them. The media, they say, is likewise falling short of its responsibility of bringing the issue close to the public.

Solidarity

IFJ welcomes release of Afghan journalist from US base The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) is relieved to learn that the United States Department of Defence has finally released journalist Jawed Ahmad, who had been held without charge at Bagram air base in Afghanistan since last October.

Nation

Abandoned military camp yields bones, evidences, quest for justice continues The cries for justice of the victims of enforced disappearances and their relatives can never be muted as a former camp yielded burnt human bones and other vital evidences proving the claims of escaped torture victim that the military was involved in the abduction and torture of UP students Sherlyn Cadapan and Karen Empeño, and farmer Manuel Merino.

Focus

40 years and counting: The communist movement in Mindanao Agusan del Norte - It was the 40th founding anniversary of the Communist Party of the Philippines and an endless stream of visitors and supplies are being ferried deep into the jungles of a Mindanao town where at least 200 fully armed regulars of the New People's Army have assembled themselves to celebrate the four decades of "armed revolution" in the countryside.

Analysis

On the current global financial crisis The entire world capitalist system can be summed up as being in a state of depression, especially if we fully take into account the actual social and economic conditions of the oppressed peoples and nations, writes Prof. Jose Maria Sison in this article.

Opinion

Greed at the heart of capitalism Capitalism is built and thrives on, in fact requires and rewards greed–the more excessive the better. By greed we mean the relentless drive for the most profit – wealth appropriated from the labor of others – with the least scruples, in order to reinvest and gain even more profit in a continuing spiral of thievery and rapacity or, plainly put, exploitation and oppression.

Statements

Day 30: Mabtad! Last Sept. 17, intelligence agents of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) in collaboration with the Philippine National Police (PNP) abducted James Balao at gunpoint in Lower Tomay, La Trinidad.

World

The politics of an Israeli extermination campaign: Backers, apologists and arms suppliers Because of the unconditional support of the entire political class in the US, from the White House to Congress, including both Parties, incoming and outgoing elected officials and all the principle print and electronic mass media, the Israeli Government feels no compunction in publicly proclaiming a detailed and graphic account of its policy of mass extermination of the population of Gaza.

JMS Arrest

Human rights group stands by concerns for violations of rights of Filipinos in NL On this supposed “independence day” of the Philippines, the Philippine Human Rights Watch delegation in attendance at the UN Human Rights Council 8th Session confirms its support to the joint statement delivered by the International Association of Democratic Lawyers (IADL) during the “interactive dialogue” yesterday on the consideration of the report of the Working Group on the Netherlands Universal Periodic Review (UPR).

Antonio Zumel

Remembering Tony Zumel Antonio “Tony” Zumel – journalist and revolutionary leader – would have turned 75 last Aug. 10. Aug. 13, 2007 marks his sixth death anniversary. Known to his colleagues and many friends as Antumel or Manong, Zumel was born in Laoag City, Ilocos Norte – the second of six children.

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Video
'State of denial'

"State of denial" is Australian Broadcasting Corporation's video report on the political killings in the Philippines. Bangkok-based correspondent Karen Percy highlights the story of two University of the Philippines students - Karen Empeño and Sherlyn Cadapan - who on June 26 last year were abducted by armed men believed to be under the command of recently retired Major-General Jovito "The Butcher" Palparan. ABC aired this feature last May 15.

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