POLITICS   By the Center for People Empowerment in Governance (CenPEG)  |  Comelec’s technology creates the danger of placing the fate of the elections in the hands of a profit-oriented multinational company – the winning bidder – and on the Comelec which remains ill-prepared to run an election technology let alone in checking fraud.

HUMAN RIGHTS   By Ronalyn Olea / Bulatlat.com  |  “The killings are picking up again at an alarming rate of one victim per week. This is almost the same scenario in 2006, if not worse.”

HUMAN RIGHTS   By Rorie R. Fajardo / Philippine Human Rights Reporting Project |  The Congress’ decision to close the coffers from CHR came at one of the most distressing times for human rights in the Philippines.

HUMAN RIGHTS   By Marilou Guieb / Philippine Human Rights Reporting Project  |  Balao’s family and friends have accused the Philippine National Police (PNP) and military intelligence units of being behind his disappearance – a charge rejected by the authorities.

POLITICS   Majority of respondents of the latest IBON nationwide survey said that they were aware of current moves to change the Charter. Of these respondents, 67% believes that term extension is behind the proposals to amend the Constitution.

POLITICS   A sizeable majority of Filipinos (64 percent) believe that it is not appropriate to have charter change at the present time according to latest findings of Pulse Asia in its February 2009 Nationwide Survey on Charter Change.

POLITICS   According to SWS, the decline in the President’s overall satisfaction rating was due to the worsening dissatisfaction in the Visayas and Mindanao.

POLITICS  
Most Filipinos are convinced that the May 2010 elections will push through as scheduled while a majority believe that its postponement or cancellation will cause trouble in the country, a Pulse Asia survey indicated.

POLITICS   House Deputy Minority Leader and Bayan Muna Rep. Satur C. Ocampo on Monday revealed that he and his progressive party-lst colleagues are open in supporting the proposed tandem of Pampanga Governor Ed Panlilio and Isabela Governor Grace Padaca for the 2010 presidential elections.

HUMAN RIGHTS   One hundred cases including 180 human rights violations on peasants, fisherfolk, peasant women and agri-workers from 2001 to 2009 were filed at the National Democratic Front of the Philippines–Joint Monitoring Committee (NDFP-JMC) on Monday by progressive groups.

TOURISM   By Jennifer Guste  |  The reclassification of lands for tourism means only one thing for rural families: the large-scale physical and economic displacement of farmers and fisherfolk communities.

ALAN DAVIS   Philippine Human Rights Reporting Project  |  Has the military made itself an obvious suspect in Rebelyn Pitao’s killing because of its activity in so-called “white (urban) areas?”