SWS

GLOBAL NEWS 4 of 5 Pinoys believe quality of life worsened in past 12 months — SWS

MANILA (Mabuhay) — Four out of fi ve adult Filipinos, or 82%, believe their quality of life worsened compared to a year ago, while only 6% believe it got better, according to results of a recent Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey.

Meanwhile, 11% believe quality of life was the same from a year ago, the SWS said. "The resulting Net Gainers score in September 2020 is -76 (% Gainers minus % Losers) which is considered by SWS as catastrophic (-50 and below)," the SWS said. "Losers," according to SWS, refers to those believe the quality of life got worse from a year ago while "gainers" refers to those believe it was better.

The survey, conducted from September 17 to 20, also revealed that the only other time the net gainers score reached catastrophic level was during rice and oil price hikes in June 2008.

Further, the -76% net gainers rating now is worse than the -72% in July and just slightly better than the -78% rating posted in May.

Based on SWS standards, a net gainers score lower than -50% is considered catastrophic.

The lowest net gainers score of -80% was registered in the Visayas, followed by -76% in the National Capital Region.

The biggest drop of net gainers, compared with July fi gures, was recorded in Mindanao, which posted a nine-point drop, followed by Visayas (fi ve points), Metro Manila (four points) and Balance Luzon (one point).

The worst net gainers score of -84% was recorded among those hungry families, while those non-hungry families’ net gainers score reached -72%.

In addition, those who experienced severe (often and always) and moderate hunger (only once and a few times) hunger both tallied a net gainers score of-84%.

The catastrophe is also the worst for those who are non-college graduates.

Net gainers score among those who had some junior high school education is the lowest at -83%, followed by college graduates at -76%.

Those who did not fi nish elementary school posted a net gainers rating of -72, while college graduates had the highest net gainers score but still at a catastrophic level at -64%.

Moreover, the net gainers score among those with a job and the jobless is almost just the same.

Net gainers rating among those with a job is at -73%, just slightly ahead of those who never had a job at -77%.

Net gainers among those who do not have a job at present but used to have one is at -79%.

The SWS poll was a probability-based survey conducted using mobile phone and computer-assisted telephone interviewing of 1,249 adult Filipinos aged 18 years old and above nationwide.

Of this number, 309 in Metro Manila, 328 in Balance Luzon, 300 in the Visayas, and 312 in Mindanao.

The sampling error margin is ±3% for national percentages, ±6% for Metro Manila, ±5% for Balance Luzon, ±6% for the Visayas, and ±6% for Mindanao. (MNS)

Joma Sison denies linking orgs as legal fronts of CPP, says military ‘spliced’ his video

MANILA (Mabuhay) — Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) founding chairman Jose Maria Sison on Wednesday strongly denied that he had identifi ed some progressive groups as legal fronts of the CPP.

In a television interview, Sison accused the military of "splicing" the video to make it appear that he redtagged some groups including Gabriela, Kilusang Mayo Uno, Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas, League of Filipino Students and the Alliance of Concerned Teachers. "I spoke in Belgium, in Brussels in 1988 and the Philippine military was able to get hold of the video. They spliced the video to make it appear that I said that the legal democratic organizations are fronts in the sense that they are façades. I never used that kind of language," Sison said. "As a matter of fact, I differentiated the legal forces of the national democratic movement from the armed revolutionary movement. It's stupid of the military to splice this. I used to call them military morons but I call them idiots," Sison added.

The military has since denied the red-tagging accusations against them, insisting that it was Sison who had named these alleged legal fronts.

In the same interview, the Netherlands-based communist leader also branded National Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperon and Southern Luzon Command chief Lieutenant General Antonio Parlade Jr. as liars, adding that the Philippine military was supposedly the reason for the bankruptcy of the government. "Parlade and the other military psywar experts up to the level of Esperon are all liars. You know they get a lot of public money. As a matter of fact this military overspending is a major cause of the bankruptcy of the Philippine government," Sison said.

He said government forces are utilizing the money for fake surrenders, witnesses, encounters and projects. Sison added that the military is engaged in extortion activities by "intimidating" the public.

Sison also denied the allegation of confessed former communist rebel Jeffrey "Ka Eric" Celiz that he is benefi ting from the alleged extortion activities of the movement. He noted that he has been dependent on the assistance of his relatives and friends. "I don't have to depend on funds that belong to the revolutionary government," Sison said. (MNS)

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Sotto welcomes possible extended suspension of VFA abrogation

MANILA (Mabuhay) — The possible six-month further suspension of the decision to terminate the country's Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) with the United States is a welcome development, Senate President Vicente Sotto III said on Thursday. "It's a good move while the executive department is reviewing the pros and cons of the agreement, especially our defense relationship," Sotto said in a message.

The VFA governs the conduct of visiting US personnel holding military exercises in the country.

President Rodrigo Duterte may suspend the abrogation of this military accord with the United States anew, according to presidential spokesperson Harry Roque on Wednesday, fi ve months after the Philippine government fi rst declared a six-month suspension.

Last March, Sotto and several other lawmakers in the upper chamber sought the Supreme Court's ruling on the Senate's role in treaty withdrawals after Duterte unilaterally decided to terminate the VFA in February.

Duterte's decision to end the VFA came on the heels of Senator Ronald "Bato" Dela Rosa's US visa cancellation, reportedly over the former national police chief’s involvement in the controversial war on drugs of the administration.

Moving forward, Sotto said he does not see the need to draft a new military agreement containing better terms to replace the VFA.

Amendments may be introduced to the existing agreement, such as "a provision on automatic US defense posture on any aggression against the Philippines," he said. (MNS)

Senate red-tagging hearing sans security sector reps? Lacson says it would be unfair

MANILA (Mabuhay) — Senate committee on national defense and security chairperson Panfi lo Lacson is not keen on holding a hearing on red-tagging that would be exclusive for militant groups and personalities, as supposedly suggested by Bayan Muna chairperson Neri Colmenares. "Ang public hearing ng Senado ay para dinggin ang bawat panig ng issue. It is unfair for the committee to shut out either party to prevent them from confronting any issue that may need an immediate response," Lacson said in a message.

The senator mentioned on Tuesday that Colmenares sent him a letter expressing that he may not make it to the fi rst hearing, in light of his personal schedule for Undas. Colmenares, nevertheless, suggested to have a separate hearing for the subjects of red-tagging. "I would like to respectfully suggest another hearing, this time with those who are the subject of red tagging including the celebrities, separate from the fi rst hearing on Gen. Antonio Parlade's allegations," Colmenares' letter read. "One of the reasons for this proposal is my view that during these 'public confrontations,' Gen. Parlade or his witnesses will take the opportunity to use the forum to red tag us further even if they have no evidence," he added.

The lawmakers belonging to the Makabayan bloc were also invited but they skipped the hearing. The legal counsel who attended on their behalf said they were on respective relief missions for disaster victims.

A former Philippine National Police chief, Lacson has repeatedly expressed during the hearing that it was unfortunate that the militant leaders are not present to immediately rebut the claims of the resource persons from the security sector and the alleged rebel returnees.

In the spirit of fairness, the senator said his committee will call for another hearing on the issue "depending on the availability or willingness of the party-list groups and/or their organizations to participate."

One of the resource persons who appeared at Tuesday's hearing was a self-confessed former New People's Army member, Jeff rey Celiz.

Celiz was included in the narco list of President Rodrigo Duterte in 2016 but he said this was part of a "government project" to dismantle a drug syndicate in Iloilo City. He added that it does not diminish the truthfulness of his testimonies about the Communist Party of the Philippines before the panel.

Asked if he fi nds Celiz credible, Lacson said: "Without rebuttal from those whom he implicated in the recruitment of minors based on what he claims his personal knowledge, not to mention the corroborative testimonies of the other rebel returnees, so far they may have sounded credible." (MNS)