BOOK REVIEW: Unmasking the Myths of the CPP and its leader Joma Sison by Maya Butalid and Carlo Butalid Cebu City, Philippines: 8Letters Bookstore and Publishing, 2025 NAGA CITY (MindaNews / 29 March) — Brave, reliable, timely, readable. This book by Left progressive spouses
[Remarks at the “EDSA@40: Stewarding People Power, from Memory to Mission” Talk-Conversation at the Ateneo de Naga University, 25 February 2026] First of all, congratulations to the Ateneo de Naga University community for this meaningful commemoration of the 40th anniversary
NAGA CITY (MindaNews / 13 November) — Republic Act No. 9851, the Philippine Act on Crimes Against International Humanitarian Law, Genocide, and Other Crimes Against Humanity, does not need an Implementing Rules and Regulations — contrary to the contention of
NAGA CITY (MindaNews / 12 Nov) — President Marcos declared last November 6 a state of national calamity following the deadly Typhoon “Tino” in the Visayas and anticipating Supertyphoon “Uwan” in Luzon but with a practically nationwide range. Warranted indeed.
NAGA CITY (MindaNews / 6 May) — Because of the Duterte “Defense Challenge with Respect to Jurisdiction” of the International Criminal Court (ICC) over the Duterte drug war Crime Against Humanity of Murder, anchored on the Rome Statute of the ICC’s
Last of five parts The “Pivotal Issue” of Jurisdiction Amid the overwhelming din of lawyer and non-lawyer opinions on the legality of the Duterte arrest and surrender to the ICC, it is CJ Panganiban who has called attention to “the
Read the third part Fourth of five parts The Issue of RP-ICC Cooperation and RS Application It would seem that this is no longer an issue, given the afore-quoted DOJ Certification indicating RP cooperation with the ICC in the
Read the 2nd Part Male trado That is, “wrongly surrendered,” as distinguished from male captus (“wrongly arrested”).We go by Justice Azcuna’s view that basically Duterte’s arrest (not just the ICC WOA) was legal, but his surrender to the ICC
Second of five parts Read the first part NAGA CITY (MindaNews / 29 April) – Bene Ad Judicium Teneo That is, “properly held for trial” and, if we may add, for judgment and justice. Note no longer just bene
First of five parts NAGA CITY (MindaNews / 28 April) – [In memoriam Pope Francis, the People’s Pope, gratias et requiescat in pace. In these most troubled and uncertain times, we have lost the only world leader who was a
NAGA CITY (MindaNews / 21 April) – My article “The Jolo Siege of 1974, Half a Century Hence: Notes on History, War, Peace, Law and Justice” arose from my participation as a panelist in its 50th anniversary commemoration by way
NAGA CITY (MindaNews / 18 March) – Two Philippine Air Force (PAF) pilots, Maj. Jude Salang-oy and 1st Lt. April John (AJ) Dadulla, died from the still unexplained crash of their FA-50 fighter jet on the slopes of Mt. Kalatungan
Read Part 7 Fast-forward to the present. Three weeks after the release of Deduro in 2024, came this Inquirer news item “ACT slams distribution of ‘Red-tagging’ leaflets”: The Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) has said it plans to make full
Read the 6th part [9] Presidential Proclamation No. 404 dated 22 November 2023 Granting Amnesty to Former Members of the CPP-NPA-NDF or Their Front Organizations The grant of amnesty for political offenses is among the executive clemency powers of the
Read the 5th part [7] Excerpts from the Supreme Court Decision in Lansang vs. Garcia, 42 SCRA 448 (1971), which upheld the August 21, 1971 Presidential Proclamation No. 889 announced August 23, 1971 on the suspension of the privilege of the writ
Read the 3rd part [4] Table on Major Leftist Parties [of Communist/National Democratic (ND) Tradition] in the Philippines in Figure 2.2 at p. 64 of Nathan Gilbert Quimpo, Contested Democracy and the Left in the Philippines After Marcos (Quezon City:
Read the 2nd part [3] Excerpt from the Resolution dated 21 September 2022 by RTC Manila Branch 19 Judge Marlo A. Magdoza-Malagar in Civil Case No. R-MNL-18-00925-CV (Department of Justice vs. CPP and NPA) which dismissed the DOJ Petition to proscribe or
Read the 1st part [2] The Manila Times (MT) 2016-2022 opinion column pieces of veteran journalist (and admitted former CPP Manila-Rizal Regional Committee secretary) Rigoberto D. Tiglao on front organizations and personalities of the CPP-NPA-NDFP, to name 15 of many
This preliminary sampling of what is not red-tagging is guided by our study of the two 2024-uploaded 2023 Supreme Court (SC) Decisions in Deduro vs. Vinoya[1] and in two consolidated Badoy-Partosacases[2] in so far as these, especially the former, characterize
NAGA CITY (MindaNews / 25 January) – On the 10th anniversary of the Mamasapano Incident of 25-26 January 2015, I am “declassifying” my attached Unsolicited Legal Memo dated 15 May 2015 to the Department of Justice (DOJ) Secretary Leila M.
NAGA CITY (MindaNews / 02 December) – The two recent Supreme Court (SC) decisions in Deduro vs. Vinoya[1] and in two consolidated Badoy-Partosa cases[2] have broken good jurisprudential ground in defining red-tagging as an actionable wrong (in Deduro) as well
NAGA CITY (MindaNews / 25 November) – The principle of complementarity in the Rome Statute (RS) of the International Criminal Court (ICC) provides “that the ICC… shall be complementary to national criminal jurisdiction” (RS, Preamble & Art. 1). It does
[Some dance to remember, some dance to forget: Empirical insights from working on books on activism, insurgency and martial law in the Philippines is a short presentation version of a paper prepared for a panel discussion on “Not Forgetting: Memory
NAGA CITY (MindaNews / 28 October) – “Chinese-Tausug native” lawyer Ancheta K. Tan proposes two Bangsamoro autonomous regions, one of which would be anchored on Sulu province and the Tausug tribe. He thus concurs with the Supreme Court Decision in
NAGA CITY (MindaNews / 06 October) — Your Honors: Greetings of Peace and Justice! This is to humbly implore the aid of “Divine (‘gods of Padre Faura’) Providence” in giving a good second look, through the Motions for Reconsideration (MRs)
2nd of 2 Parts NAGA CITY (MindaNews / 17 September) — It must perhaps be first pointed out that the BOL and its creation of BARMM by plebiscite does not at all contemplate or imply the abolition of the Province
1st of 2 parts NAGA CITY (MindaNews / 16 September) — With due respect, the September 9, 2024 Supreme Court (SC) unanimous Decision in Province of Sulu, et al. vs. Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdia, et al.takes away, with one hand, Sulu
Last of five parts NAGA CITY (MindaNews / 15 Sept) — On the occasion this time of the 11th anniversary of the Zamboanga Siege of September 9-28, 2013, we discuss the most significant legal developments since the last tenth anniversary with
4th of 5 parts NAGA CITY (MindaNews / 14 September) – Fast forward to 2022, whatever Zamboanga Siege-causing grievances of Misuari and the MNLF appear to have also been overtaken, addressed and resolved with the negotiated composition of the second
3rd of 5 parts Transitional Justice and Peace NAGA CITY (MindaNews / 13 September) — Considering the Mindanao peace process context of the Zamboanga Siege and the Misuari Cases, rightly recognized in Judge San Pedro’s 27 October 2016 Resolution, a
2nd of 5 parts NAGA CITY (MindaNews / 12 Sept)—By 2014, the so-called Misuari Cases before the RTC of Zamboanga City were transferred to the RTC of Pasig City for security purposes and also for the convenience of a designated
1st of 5 parts NAGA CITY (MindaNews / 11 Sept)—Ten years hence the September 9 to 28, 2013 Zamboanga Siege, the questions of justice and peace arising from and around it continue without both aspirations being fully or even satisfactorily
NAGA CITY (MindaNews / 8 Sept)—Overdue more than nine months after the breakthrough Oslo Joint Statement of 23 November 2023 between the Government of the Republic of the Philippines (GRP) and the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) [led
Last of four parts Questions on Revolutionary Justice Apart from leaning “the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth” about the Masbate landmining incident of 6 June 2021 that might have been helped by “a full and complete
Third of four parts Later in the same day of the Masbate landmining incident of 6 June 2021, government forces launched hot pursuit operations against the ambushing NPA unit of Eddie Rosero @ Ka Star and briefly encountered part of
Second of four parts The Philippine criminal justice system for the investigation, prosecution and trial of criminal offenses and which processes involve mainly the police, the prosecution service and the courts. There are two general levels of investigation: police investigation,
First of four parts NAGA CITY (MindaNews / 03 June) Three years after the 6 June 2021 Masbate landmining incident, the questions are not so much about the identity of the perpetrators as they are about holding them accountable and
Last of 5 parts NAGA CITY (MindaNews / 20 April) – We round out this discussion of the four new rebel amnesty Proclamations by looking at the case of “political detainees and prisoners.” Some members and former members of the
4th of 5 parts NAGA CITY (MindaNews / 19 April) – Proclamation No. 404 granting amnesty to “former members” of the CPP-NPA-NDF or “their front organizations” does not define or name the latter. “Front organizations” may be defined as those
3rd of 5 parts | 2nd part NAGA CITY (MindaNews / 18 April)—Under Section 2 on Who May File For Amnesty of the new rebel amnesty Proclamations, “the crime for which amnesty may be granted must have been committed prior
2nd of 5 parts | 1st part NAGA CITY (MindaNews / 17 April)—All four rebel amnesty Proclamations, under the uniform terms of their respective Section 1 on Grant of Amnesty, cover “crimes in pursuit of their political beliefs, whether punishable
1st of 5 parts NAGA CITY (MindaNews / 16 April) – Four presidential amnesty Proclamations Nos. 403 (for the Rebolusyonaryong Partido ng Manggagawa ng Pilipinas-Revolutionary Proletarian Army-Alex Boncayao Brigade), 404 (for the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army-National Democratic
NAGA CITY (MindaNews / 01 March) – It is with particular sadness to note that a young lady lawyer, a compañera, Atty. Hannah Jay Cesista, who just passed the “best bar ever” in 2022, was among those killed in hostilities
(Last of two parts) Watersheds in Philippine and Bangsamoro History: War and Peace NAGA CITY (MindaNews / 21 February) – In Philippine national history of the contemporary period of the past five or six decades, there are two clear key
(First of two parts) NAGA CITY (MindaNews /20 February) – On the occasion of the 50th anniversary commemoration of “The Siege of Jolo 1974: A Forum and Webinar with Survivors and Victims” was held on 12 February 2024 at Bocobo Hall, Law Center,
NAGA CITY (MindaNews / 9 January) – As we enter the New Year, it has been noted by Satur C. Ocampo that “by all indications, the coming year will see the continuation and even intensification of devastating wars in the
NAGA CITY (MindaNews / 4 December) – This is an initial hopeful critical paragraph-by-paragraph annotation of, including some questions on, the breakthrough four-paragraph Joint Statement signed by the Government of the Republic of the Philippines (GRP) and the National Democratic
NAGA CITY (MindaNews / 9 September) – The Department of Justice (DOJ) can conduct a Philippine investigation and prosecution of a crime against humanity of willful killing against those most responsible for the extra-judicial killings (EJKs) occasioned by the “war
NAGA CITY (MindaNews/ 20 March) –Every advent of a new presidential administration in the Philippines, including for its election campaign prelude period, it has become fashionable to call for the resumption of peace talks between the Government of the Republic
