Maria Joshua Samantha C.

De Villa Reading in Philippine History

BSMT – 2C Semi-Final Requirement

A. Justice System
Who would be afraid of the law when they know that even if they are caught, they can
stay out of prison for decades during which time they can continue doing what they have
been doing and prospering from them? Crime and corruption can never be eliminated, or
even slowed down, unless there is quick justice.

One reason given for the slow wheels of justice is the “clogged court dockets”—too
many cases being tried by too few courts and judges. This gets worse every year, as new
cases pile up as fewer and fewer cases get to be decided by the courts.

Two other reasons: the dilatory tactics by the defense and the lackadaisical attitude of the
judges. A motion for postponement is almost always granted by the judges who feel no
urgency to finish a case quickly. The legal principle that “justice delayed is justice
denied” no longer has any meaning for judges and lawyers.

Source: Philippine Daily Inquirer ( Secondary Source )

B. Corruption
“Corruption continues and emasculates the courage we need to sustain our moral
recovery initiatives”

“No amount of euphemism can trivialize or normalize betrayal of public trust or any
other criminal offense. It is an injury laced with insult. It is both a national
embarrassment and a national shame”

“The recent uncovering of the massive fraud perpetrated against the public health
insurance system proves that corruption is pervasive. Huge amounts of medical funds
were released to cover padded medical claims and imaginary treatment of ghost patients.
I am grossly disappointed”

Source: Philippine National Agency ( said by President Rodrigo Duterte during 4th State
of the Nation Address ) Secondary Source

C. Extrajudicial Killings
Extrajudicial killings have been the chief human rights concern in the Philippines for
many years and, after a sharp rise with the onset of the anti-drug campaign in 2016, these
continued in 2018 with an average of six persons killed daily in operations against illegal
drugs, according to the latest annual United States Department of State Country Reports
on Human Rights Practices.

“There were numerous reports that government security agencies and their informal allies
committed arbitrary or unlawful killings in connection with the government-directed
campaign against illegal drugs,” the 2018 report released yesterday said.

It added that “killings of activists, judicial officials, local government leaders and
journalists by anti-government insurgents and unknown assailants also continued.”
 Source: PhilStar Global ( Secondary Source )

D. State of Prison
This was revealed during the joint Senate probe into the good conduct time allowance
(GCTA) law on Thursday, October 3.

According to caterer Angelina Bautista, they have been providing food for NBP prisoners
as early as July 1, 2018. They won a P21-million contract to serve until December 2018,
and has been using the same contract after the BuCor allegedly failed to hold new
biddings after the contract had lapsed.

"P39 per PDL (person deprived of liberty) po. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner," Bautista
said, triggering a chorus of gasps in the Senate chamber.

She made the statement after the Commission on Audit (COA) representative, Director
IV Irma Besas, said the BuCor has not been compliant with safety regulations in catering
services it availed.

Asked by senators, Besas said the P21-balance per prisoner was returned to the treasury.

Angelina lamented that they now want to spend higher for the prisoners because of
inflation, but because no new biddings were done, they have been forced to make do.

Source: Rappler ( Secondary Source )

E. Police and Security

A week before the celebration of All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day, the Philippine
National Police (PNP) has begun security preparations for the annual commemoration.
PNP spokesperson, Brig. Gen. Bernard Banac, said Friday the PNP will field a total of
35,618 police personnel from its 17 police regional offices and national support units
nationwide.
He said policemen will be augmented by barangay security officers, volunteers and
personnel from other government agencies, estimated at 99,716, to help secure the annual
holiday.
Banac said these individuals will assist PNP personnel in law enforcement and public
safety operations in cemeteries and memorial parks; bus terminals; seaports and airports;
major tourist destinations; vital installations; places of worship; and travel routes.
A full alert status across the country will be declared on Monday. Expected to remain on
their posts are policemen manning the Police Assistance Desks in ports and terminals and
assistance centers along the major thoroughfares, especially along the main entry points
of Metro Manila and other key urban areas in the country.

Source: Philippine National Agency

F. Internal Displacement caused by Conflict

Apart from natural disasters and hazards, frequent conflicts in the Philippines,
particularly in Mindanao, force residents to seek refuge in evacuation centers.

Though the Philippine population in 2016 hit more than 102 million, the United Nations
High Commissioner on Refugees (UNHCR) reported 348,370 persons of concern in the
Philippines by the end of 2016. More than 87,000 of these are internally displaced
 persons (IDPs) who fled home because of armed clashes, internal wars, and other forms
of violence.

According to the Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC), “displacement

caused by conflict tends to affect the same deprived communities repeatedly, gradually
undermining their resilience and pushing them further into poverty."

Source: Rappler

G. Indigenous People’s Right

The Philippines is a culturally diverse country with an estimated 14- 17 million
Indigenous Peoples (IPs) belonging to 110 ethno-linguistic groups. They are mainly
concentrated in Northern Luzon (Cordillera Administrative Region, 33%) and Mindanao
(61%), with some groups in the Visayas area. The Philippine Constitution, in recognition
of this diversity and under the framework of national unity and development, mandates
state recognition, protection, promotion, and fulfillment of the rights of Indigenous
Peoples. Further, Republic Act 8371, also known as the “Indigenous Peoples Rights Act”
(1997, IPRA), recognized the right of IPs to manage their ancestral domains; it has
become the cornerstone of current national policy on IPs.

Source: UNDP ( Primary Sources )

H. Violence against woman

VAW is deemed to be closely linked with the unequal power relationship between
women and men otherwise known as “gender-based violence. ”Societal norms and
traditions dictate people to think men are the leaders, pursuers, providers, and take on
dominant roles in society while women are nurturers, men’s companions and supporters,
and take on subordinate roles in society. This perception leads to men gaining more
power over women. With power comes the need to control to retain that power. And
VAW is a form of men’s expression of controlling women to retain power.

Source: Philippine Commission on Women ( Primary Sources )

I. Child Labor, Prostitution and Mendicancy

Republic Act No. 7610, known as the Special Protection of Children Against Abuse,
Exploitation, and Discrimination Act, gives the followings definitions pertinent to
understanding the Child Labor situation in the Philippines:
 Child Labor - refers to the illegal employment of children below the age of
fifteen (15), where they are not directly under the sole responsibility of their
parents or legal guardian, or the latter employs other workers apart from their
children, who are not members of their families, or their work endangers their life,
safety, health and morals or impairs their normal development including
schooling. This also extends to the situation of children below the age of eighteen
(18) who are employed in hazardous occupations. (Section 12)

Source: Wikipedia

J. Labor and Employment

 Employment law in the Philippines is governed by the Labor Code of the Philippines and
covers the following key aspects:


o labor standards (prescribes the conditions of employment that both employers
and employees have to abide by, such as types of employment, working hours,
minimum wage, mandatory benefits, holidays, rest days, and employment rights)
o human resources development (stipulates provisions on local and overseas
employment as well as employment of foreign nationals)
o labor relations (concerned with employer-employee relationship on termination
of employment and the rights and duties of both parties in union formation,
collective bargaining, and labor strikes)

K. Equal Access for persons with disabilities

The International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) refers to
disability as “an umbrella term covering impairments, activity limitations, and
participation restrictions. An impairment is a problem in body function or structure; an
activity limitation is a difficulty encountered by an individual in executing a task or
action; while a participation restriction is a problem experienced by an individual in
involvement in life situations”. The ICF’s definition of disability denotes a negative
interaction between a person (with a health condition) and his or her contextual factors
(environmental and personal factors). A comprehensive approach in interventions is then
necessary for persons with disabilities (PWDs) as it entails actions beyond the context of
health, but more on helping them to overcome difficulties by removing environmental
and social barriers (WHO, 2013).

Source: Department of Health ( Primary Source )

L. Rapid Urbanization
Increasingly rapid urbanization of the Philippines poses a great challenge to the country
in terms of achieving sustainable urban development through informed planning and
efficient implementation of strategic policies and programmes.

This growth is expected to happen not only in the capital Metro Manila but mainly in
small and intermediate cities.

Without a strategic and holistic approach to increasingly complex urban issues, cities will
fail to create economic opportunities and protect themselves from environmental risks.

Source: UN Habitat ( Primary Sources )

M. Labor Migration
Labour migration is a national thrust for economic growth and other countries see the
Philippines as a model in regulating migration. On the other hand, some migrant workers
are forced into work against their will. They are deceived about the nature of work and
receive wages that are less than what is promised. Migrant workers can be victims of
forced labour and human trafficking.

Source: International Labour Organization ( Primary Sources )