FFS Weekly Currents: Dec 10, 2023

Every week, the Filipinx Freedom School shares a collection of pressing news about the Philippines and the Filipinx diaspora rippling out from around the world.

On December 9, Rappler released an investigative report on former Philippine President, Rodrigo Duterte. Duterte registered 358 firearms two weeks before the end of his term. The gun law, which allows gunowners with a Type-5 license to own over 15 firearms, was backed by Duterte in 2022.

Duterte got licenses for over 300 guns 2 weeks before his term ended

Among the expensive rifles that Duterte owns is one priced at P350,000, while another costs about P163,000. Former lawmaker Carlos Zarate asks him: ‘As a former president, you already have PSG, what will prevent other people from asking the same kind of privilege?’

RAPPLERLian Buan

ANAKBAYAN reports that Anakbayan Switzerland Chairperson Edna Becher was illegally detained and deported by the Philippine Government on December 7. The Government has accused Becher of "anti-government activities" as the basis of detention and deportation.

On December 7, there was a solidarity night for Palestine held at UP Diliman. The event involved multiple organizations, artists, and stores.

Walden Bello, on December 5, filed a petition asking the Supreme Court to decriminalize libel in the Philippines. Libel has been increasingly punitive due to the recent Duterte instituted Cyberlibel law. Bello is currently confronting two cyberlibel cases in Davao City.

Walden Bello asks SC to decriminalize libel

In a 26-page filed before the SC on Tuesday, Bello asked to void Articles 353 to 355 of the Revised Penal Code (RPC) on libel and section 4(c)(4) of Republic Act 10175 or the Cybercrime Prevention Act on cyber libel.

Philstar.comIan Laqui

Sundance announced that Ramona S. Diaz's film And So It Begins, a documentary film on former vice president Leni Robredo's presidential campaign will premiere at the January Sundance Film Festival. Diaz had previously made Imelda.

A Leni Robredo Documentary Will Premiere at Sundance Film Festival 2024

It will also be available for online release.

SPOT.phMicah Avry Guiao

On December 6 Lorraine Badoy, the former NTF-ELCAC spokesperson and notorious red-tagger (along with Jeffrey Celiz), was held in contempt by the House of Representatives. Badoy is currently under investigation for fabricating a story about House Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez's expenses. Romualdez is Ferdinand Marcos Jr.'s first cousin.

Badoy also cited in contempt for lying during House inquiry

Manila 6th District Representative Bienvenido Abante cites Lorraine Badoy of SMNI in contempt for ‘acting in a disrespectful manner’ after she ‘was found lying’

RAPPLERKaycee Valmonte - CMS

It was announced that Lumad chieftan Bai Bibiyaon Lingkayan Bigkay has passed on. She died on November 20. The following is an excerpt from press release from Liyang Network

WHO IS BAI BIBYAON LIGKAYAN BIGKAY? Bai was a Matigsalug-Manobo leader born in the Pantaron Mountain Range in Natulinan, Talaingod, Mindanao sometime in the 1930s. She is the first and only woman chieftain of her tribe, the Talaingod Manobo of Mindanao. She is most well-known for uniting Lumad tribes across Pantaron Mountain Range, to wage ‘pangayaw’ (traditional tribal warfare for self-defense) which successfully drove out the illegal operations of big logging firm Alcantara and Sons from Lumad ancestral lands in 1994.

This victorious act of defense was just one milestone in her lifelong commitment to liberation and unity with all sectors in the Philippines who experience interrelated oppression. She was part of the assembly which in 1986 established ‘Lumad’ as the collective identity term of the 18 Indigenous tribes of Mindanao, in the face of attempted ethnocide by the Marcos dictatorship. Bai went on to help found the Salugpungan Ta Tanu Igkanugon council, helping establish 50 Lumad schools which provided a new generation of Lumad with formal education. The curriculum better enabled them to defend their lands and serve their communities. In 2003, she founded Sabokahan To Mo Kamalitan, an organization for Lumad women, to better develop their capacity to combat feudal-patriarchal practices and displacement of their communities and continue their fight for self-determination.

Bai Bibiyaon Ligkayan Bigkay, warrior, chieftain, defender of Talaingod, dies

Woman Lumad chieftain Bai Bibiyaon Ligkayan Bigkay from Talaingod, Davao del Norte has died, the Indigenous group Sabokahan IP Women announced December 6.

MindaNewsTyrone A. Velez

On December 5, House of Representatives party leaders publicly support ongoing peace talks with Communist Party of the Philippines.

House party leaders pledge ‘unwavering support’ for Marcos’ peace initiative

Under the Philippine constitution, the chief executive can grant amnesty ‘with the concurrence of a majority of all the Members of the Congress’

RAPPLERKaycee Valmonte - CMS

The Bureau of Corrections released a report on December 4 that New Bilibid Prison is currently operating at 358%. The prison currently is overcrowded with over 29,000 people. The capacity for the prison is 6,435.

Overcrowding in Bilibid stands at 358 percent, says BuCor

https://youtu.be/3XYqqcckQx4 MANILA, Philippines — Despite the decongestion efforts at the national penitentiary, the rate of overcrowding in the facility is still at 358 percent. This

INQUIRER.netTetch Torres-Tupas

On December 1, Karapatan demanded that detained consultants of the National Democratic Front of the Philippines must be released before peace talks between the Communist Party of the Philippines and the Philippine government can be restarted.

Karapatan wants NDFP consultants released before peace talks

Human rights group Karapatan said the release of detained consultants of the National Democratic Front of the Philippines must be a requisite before moving forward with the plans to revive the peace talks with the government.

cnnGerg Cahiles, CNN Philippines

If you have any pressing and resonant news you'd like to have shared in FFS Weekly Currents, please email at filipinxfreedomschool_at_gmail.com