No genuflection to the ICC

President said.

THE country celebrates the 37th anniversary of the People Power Revolution on Feb. 25 this year, and the event still remains an important and significant milestone for Philippine society.

It all began with a nonviolent protest in EDSA in 1986 that toppled the 21-year regime of President Ferdinand Marcos Sr. and eventually led to the installation of President Corazon Aquino.

It was a peaceful campaign that shook the foundations of the dictatorial government and allowed the Philippines to experience democracy and freedom after years of suppression and massive corruption.

The four-day bloodless revolution highlighted the power of the Filipino people to reclaim democracy and reassert the supremacy of human rights. Its nonviolent nature has since been a source of inspiration to many across the world.

It is also necessary to honor these accomplishments to better understand the way in which a society has achieved its positive outcomes, and to provide a source of motivation to keep striving toward the same successes in the future

It set the example for similar transformative, people-led protests with varying methods and results, such as the 8888 Uprising in Myanmar in 1988 that started as a student movement; 1989’s Tiananmen Square protest in Beijing, the Velvet Revolution in Czechoslovia, and the fall of the Berlin Wall; and the Arab Spring that took place across much of the Arab world in 2010 to 2012.

Looking back at the People Power Revolution in 2016, San Francisco Chronicle editor Jack Epstein described it as “the revolution that surprised the world.”

“People Power ousted a dictator and ushered in a vibrant democracy that still exists in the Philippines today — in spite of rampant corruption,” he said.

Why is it important to continue commemorating the People Power Revolution, decades later?

Regardless of who is in power, it is important for a nation to commemorate its milestones in democracy to recognize the progress made and to keep relevant lessons in mind to build upon this progress.

It is also necessary to honor these accomplishments to better understand the way in which a society has achieved its positive outcomes, and to provide a source of motivation to keep striving toward the same successes in the future.

The People Power Revolution in particular is a significant event that needs to be continuously renewed in people’s memories because present and future generations need to be vigilant against threats to democracy.

Dictatorships and autocratic governments are threats to freedom, democracy, and human rights.

Such governments oppress their people and deny them rights that they are entitled to.

Freedom of expression is a societal requirement for democracy because it provides the opportunity for the public to engage in critical dialogue on matters of public interest, to hold the government accountable, and to advance public debate.

Without freedom of expression, public discourse would be limited to whatever policy makers dictate, and the people would be stripped of their right to shape their own cultures, lives, and destinies.

In a democracy, the public must be able to dissent, criticize, protest, and assemble. Freedom of expression serves as the foundation of a vibrant democratic society, enabling citizens to express their values and beliefs so that others may hear and understand them, to initiate dialogues and debates, and to create a sense of community and collective power.

Through free expression, the people can communicate their will and collectively hold those in power to account.

Freedom of expression is an essential part of any democratic culture, and it is essential for a healthy, equitable, and prosperous society.

The People Power event was not only a manifestation of the freedom of expression, it also serves to remind us all that it is a duty to resist dictatorships and autocracies because everyone – regardless of their political views – should be able to exercise their basic human rights and freedoms and be assured that these will be respected by others, particularly those in authority.

Because when oppressive systems are normalized, this leads to further rights abuses and a subversion of what is true, right, and just.

By resisting dictatorships, we are standing up for what is right, protecting the freedoms and liberties of our fellow citizens, and ultimately striving for a better future for all.

In the decades since People Power, we have seen the need for constant vigilance as we continually work for political stability, economic prosperity, corruption-free governance, and a more vibrant democracy founded on justice, freedom, and equality.

The 1986 People Power Revolution is a reminder of what the Filipino people can do when they come together to fight against oppression and impunity.

After nearly four decades, it remains one of the most iconic and significant events in the Philippines and the world.

It reminds us of the power of the common man to reclaim power, create change, and inspire others to work for what is right.

* * *

Attention, fellow Gen Xers and music lovers of all ages: quintessential Filipino rock group The Dawn has released a new song – “Earth.”

The song asks the existential questions “Can we go on like this? Is this the way we’re supposed to deal with things? Is there a better way?” said band frontman Jett Pangan.

“We’re all hoping that after all these [adversities such as the pandemic] we become better people,” he said.

What’s interesting also about this song is it was recorded during the pandemic and every member of the group had to record individually and share the files with each other.

It’s also the last song that bassist Mon Legaspi recorded before he passed away.

Listen to The Dawn’s “Earth” on Spotify and YouTube, and tell me if it doesn’t make you miss “Enveloped Ideas” and the other hits of one of the country’s longest-lived rock bands (they were founded in 1985).

WE HAVE nagging notions and question marks on the insistence by the The Hague-based International Criminal Court to proceed with its investigation of former President Rodrigo Duterte for the alleged extrajudicial killings during his term.

The ICC can go at full throttle if the judicial system in the country is not working, but its arm-twisting, applauded by some in the Philippines, can only speak of its brand of blinders and imprudent partiality.

Instance, the country’s judicial system is on a roll, with more than 50 cases involving nearly 160 police officers charged with crimes related to Mr. Duterte’s war on illegal drugs, with two convictions on the bulletin board.

It would have been different if the Philippine judicial system has crashed and been paralyzed—but the situation is at odds with what advocates and the appearingly now partisan ICC are trying to project.

We add our sentiments to the statement made recently by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. the ICC has no jurisdiction while insisting the Philippines has a “good” justice system.

Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the Philippine Military Academy’s alumni homecoming in Baguio City, the President maintained the Philippines would not cooperate with the ICC

The President said he would not allow ‘former imperialists’ such as the ICC to control the Philippines, unless it could be proven the international court has jurisdiction over the country investigation which, he said, would be an “intrusion into our internal matters” and “a threat to our sovereignty.”

“My position has not changed. I have stated it often, even before I took office as president, that there are many questions about (ICC’s) jurisdiction and what we in the Philippines regard as an intrusion into our internal matters and a threat to our sovereignty,” the

Mr. Marcos said he would not allow “former imperialists” such as the ICC to control the Philippines, unless it could be proven the international court has jurisdiction over the country.

“That is not something we consider to be a legitimate judgment. Until those questions of jurisdiction and the effects on the sovereignty of the Republic are sufficiently answered, we cannot cooperate with them,” he said.

We also see the point of Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla in calling ICC’s attempt as a political agenda, underscoring the ICC, while it is called a court, is a “political body in many ways.”

“It is not just a body for justice but it is meant to forward a political agenda for many people. Why do I say this? Because we are a country with a legal system that can function by itself and they want to take over some of our functions just to criticize the way we (had) run our country before,” Remulla said. Accordingly crafted.

Like him, we see nothing wrong with the resolution filed by former president and now Deputy Speaker Gloria Macapagal Arroyo who sought to defend Duterte from ICC’sstick-to-itiveness in running after Duterte. We wonder why drug cartels who have caused addiction, suffering and deaths for years are not being investigated by the ICC.

Hog industry needs vaccines to survive

WITH the recent upward spiral in prices of basic goods, such as rice, sugar, onions, pork and chicken, Filipino consumers are increasingly finding it difficult to put food on the table and keep body and soul together.

The supply of a protein-rich source like pork is under threat, however, because of African Swine Fever or ASF, thus raising the dire prospect of shortages and higher prices for this commodity.

ASF is a viral disease causing hemorrhagic fever among domestic pigs and wild boars with a mortality rate reaching 100 percent, with a devastating impact on pig populations.

The Department of Agriculture reported that as of the start of this month, there were active ASF cases in 75 barangays in 42 municipalities in 12 provinces in seven regions.

The DA’s Bureau of Animal Industry has identified these provinces as Cagayan, Aurora, Bulacan, Nueva Ecija, Tarlac, Camarines Sur, Iloilo, Northern Samar, Zamboanga del Norte, Agusan del Sur, Surigao del Norte and Surigao del Sur.

The number of ASF-affected areas from 2019 to the present has reached 4,308 barangays in 788 municipalities in 59 provinces in 15 regions.

The ASF outbreaks have reduced the country’s hog population from 12 million pigs to nine million. It would take at least five years to repopulate the national inventory, according to estimates. While the government has carried out measures to help piggeries hard-hit by ASF, the possibility of future major outbreaks makes the entire hog industry jittery.

After China reported the first ASF outbreak in August 2018, the disease has since spread across 16 other countries, including the Philippines and Vietnam.

The Philippines reported its first outbreak in September 2019, and by June 2021, our total hog population had already declined by half to 6.6 million pigs from 13 million pre-ASF.

The Philippine Statistics Authority reported that total pork output decreased by almost 24 percent over the June-October 2022 period compared to the same period in 2021.

The ASF outbreaks in the Philippines resulted in loss of livelihoods of hog backyard raisers, the closure of large commercial pig farms, and the loss of revenues of allied industries with a projected economic value of some P100 billion yearly. What is urgently needed now is government assistance to ASF-devastated stakeholders, especially the backyard hog raisers. They are hoping Malacañang would have the same firm resolve in ending the ASF problem the soonest, and one of the effective measures available for the Palace do so is by vaccinating local hogs.

A massive vaccination drive like the one conducted in Vietnam could put an end to ASF in the Philippines

The BAI can actually do this by fasttracking field trials on an available and potent vaccine produced in Vietnam, so that this medicine can be used in a massive inoculation program for hogs in the local swine industry.

The BAI has yet to certify a vaccine, and conduct a vaccination drive.

But it has started tests on this Vietnamese vaccine known as AVAC ASF Live vaccine, and fast-tracking this process could clear the way to a mass vaccination drive for local hog raisers.

Vietnam is poised to begin this month a nationwide distribution of a vaccine whose efficacy rate, when administered to pigs between eight and 10 weeks old, has been proven at 95 percent.

This ASF Live vaccine, developed and produced by AVAC Vietnam Co. Ltd., is the world’s first and only commercially available one proven to safely combat the highly contagious animal disease.

It was approved for circulation last year, and 600,000 doses have since then been administered under clinical trials and field tests in piggeries across Vietnam under the supervision of the Vietnamese government. AVAC is the first veterinary vaccine factory in Vietnam certified under the World Health Organization-Good Manufacturing Practices (WHO-GMP).

Local safety and efficacy trials using this vaccine are already being done locally under the supervision of BAI in four farms in our country. The trials are due to be completed by April 2023.

Reports indicate that AVAC partnered just recently with the Manila-based KPP Powers on the distribution of this vaccine in the Philippines.

To stop the spread of ASF in the country through a nationwide inoculation program for our hogs is an urgent task. This will prevent possible supply shortfalls in the future that could trigger price spirals.

We recall that spikes in pork prices in the past jacked up inflation, with meat accounting for about five percent of overall inflation over the quarter-century from 1995 to 2020. But when meat prices soared in the first quarter of 2021, it contributed nearly 20 percent of overall inflation in the JanuaryMarch period.

A massive vaccination drive like the one conducted in Vietnam could put an end to ASF in the Philippines.

It will be the best government move to assist ASF-hit hog raisers, restore pork production to its previous levels, and ensure adequate and accessible supply of this meat at more affordable prices in Metro Manila and elsewhere.

(Email: errnhil@yahoo.com)

Food for the soul: Caring for elderly left behind in Venezuela exodus

AN OLD radio plays background music as Cira Madrid, 83, prepares coffee for a rare visitor to her small but spotless apartment in Caracas, where she lives alone.

Her face lights up at the arrival of Morella Russian, a volunteer with the Convite NGO whose projects include taking care of Venezuela’s elderly—thousands of them abandoned amid an exodus of younger people seeking better lives elsewhere.

“My good girl!” Russian, 66, greets the older woman with an affectionate hug. “How have you been? Are you sunbathing?”

Over coffee and cookies in the sitting room, Madrid, who walks bent over a cane, tells Russian about her life since the last time they met. She complains about joint pain, but insists she has been diligently doing the mobility exercises prescribed by a doctor.

“Sometimes it’s embarrassing to... call her because I know that she also has many things to do,” Madrid told AFP of her visitor, whom she described as “a light” and “a blessing.”

Her own son, she said with tears in her eyes, emigrated to Costa Rica in 2015, and “for years, he has not sent me a cent.”

Venezuela suffers grinding poverty and a political crisis that has pushed more than seven million of its citizens to flee the country in recent years, according to the United Nations refugee agency UNHCR.

Food, medicine and such basics as soap and toilet paper are often in short supply.

Many risk life and limb on a long, dangerous trek through Central America and Mexico in a bid to reach the United States.

But most—nearly six million—live in other countries in Latin America and the Caribbean in what the UNHCR describes as “one of the largest displacement crises in the world.”

Organizations such as Convite do what they can for those left behind and getting older alone with ever-diminishing purchasing power and a crumbling public health system.

According to the NGO, half a million old people among the country’s five million pensioners live completely alone, abandoned by what it describes as a “precarious” elderly care system.

Many rely entirely on help from family members, donations, informal work or humanitarian assistance.

The South American country’s government launched a social program for the elderly in 2011, but has no figures available on what it has achieved.

Convite launched in Caracas two years ago, and hopes to expand to other cities.

“Our function is not to bring them a plate of food, but food for the soul,” said Maria Carolina Borges, a 58-year-old volunteer. Caregivers like her are trained to help the elderly with practical day-to-day needs, but also to cope with anxiety, sleep problems, loneliness or sadness.

Among Borges’s charges is Maria Dolores Jaimes, 76, who lives with two of her four children, two dogs and a parrot – but lacks enough money for some basics. Jaimes considers Borges as another of her daughters.

“Sometimes I feel important because she calls me almost every day,” Jaimes explained.

“She organized several gynecology consultations for me, and dental appointments too.” Borges, she said, takes care of her “unseen needs.” AFP