Modern Day Slavery, It Still Happens.

Domestic locked in room!

I am sure that most people have heard of the terrible cruelty bestowed upon captive peoples all over the world in the past. Such horrific practices started as soon as man appeared upon the earth and still continues up until today. Many millions of Africans were rounded up by their own people and sold to foreign slavers for just a few trinkets. This kind of mass slavery was finished a long time ago but even today, there is still a lot of slavery going on in the world and unfortunately the Philippines has its share also. Because there is a large quantity of the population who live well below the poverty line, its easy for people to be able … [Read more...]

Live Blogging: Election Updates

election

This post will be updated throughout the day, May 10, Election Day in the Philippines.  This will not be for updating who is leading or anything like that, but rather to just update any election news, balloting problems, etc.  I will update this post as news warrants throughout the day.  Updates will be listed at the top of the post, not at the bottom. 5:00pm Update Failure of elections declared in 4 towns in Lanao del Sur Province.  Apparently, they never received ballots in these areas. 2 dead in Cavite Election Violence Various groups are asking the Comelec to extend voting hours.  Originally voting was to close at 6pm.  This … [Read more...]

Who’s Corrupt? – ME?

corruption

The answer to that question in a little while; first a little discussion. With the election season heading into the final weeks, talk about corruption is rampant.  Bets (candidates) are denouncing it, vowing to fight it wherever they’d find it regardless of where it appears.  Campaigns seem focused on a strange marriage of systemic corruption and private morality. Not a single speaker admits participation in the centuries old practice – admission = political suicide.  Yet most, if not all, bets address this “vile behavior” as an activity widespread throughout some nebulous entity or entities they allude to but never name.  “Generous” … [Read more...]

Typing . . . In . . . Stereo

stereo VU Meter

Currently, there is a vast array of article topics in The Philippines.  Each one is worthy of a few hundred words.  To try and address them all would be impossible in volumes, let alone just one blog post.  Yet, each one has a specific uniqueness to it that does merit mention. Many topics may have appeared elsewhere under the heading, “Only in The Philippines.”  It’s a category often applied to a weird or uncommon event or practice “discovered” here in the islands. These tales, so told, never seem to mention similar, if not identical, occurrences elsewhere.  Doing so would probably take any element thought humorous out of … [Read more...]

My neighborhood is under lockdown

soldiers

Right now, as I type this, nobody can enter or leave the neighborhood where I live in Davao City.  There is an Armored Personnel Carrier parked in my driveway.  The street is blocked by Military and Police on either end.  The street is lined with military troops, with guns of course. Why? I have not mentioned too openly on this site (although I think I may have alluded to this in the comments, but Maguindanao Governor Andal Ampatuan Sr. owns the house across the street from my house. Right now, starting about an hour ago, the military, Davao City Police and National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) is conducting a raid of the house.  … [Read more...]

Governor Ampatuan hospitalized in Davao

A Task Force Davao Soldier walks patrol in front of Davao Doctor's Hospital

Security is important for Davao City, and Task Force Davao, the military unit that has the task of protecting Davao City, is now securing Davao Doctor's Hospital as well as other locations around the city which are connected to both the Ampatuan family as well as the Mangudadatu family. Both of these families have residences in Davao City, and much of the families live in the City.  Task Force Davao is now trying to keep the two families from coming into contact with each other in the City, to avoid any possible flare ups of residual violence following the Maguindanao Massacre last week. After the arrest of Governor Andal Ampatuan Sr. and … [Read more...]

American arrested in Surigao City

November 18, 2009 by: striker_jem (Published with permission) Butuan –Authorities arrested an American National for estafa and large scale illegal recruitment on November 15 at 12:35 afternoon at Gateway Hotel, Kilometer 2, Brgy Luna, Surigao City. PNP elements of Surigao City Police Station apprehended the suspect Michael David Hollomon, 46 yrs old, married of Indiana, U.S.A. and his wife identified as Armin Degrano Hollomon, alias Fe Lipao, 30 years old, both residing in Bantayan Island, Cebu. Surigao police apprehended the couple after receiving complaints from several victims who claimed they were lured with their illegal activities. Police … [Read more...]

Now you can read me in the SunStar!

Just a quick announcement, everybody.  Effective today, I have a weekly column in the SunStar Davao Newspaper.  SunStar, I believe, is Davao's largest circulation newspaper, and I am happy to be featured there. My column is called "Mindanao Bob's Journal" and will appear every Friday in the SunStar Davao edition.  For this week's column, it is basically just an introduction of who I am and how I got here.  We'll get down to more serious issues next week. Unfortunately, this first column is not included in the Online edition of  SunStar, but perhaps future columns will be. … [Read more...]

Are you a Philippine News Junkie?

Are you a Philippine News Junkie like me? Always have to know what is going on in the Philippines? Well, if you are, Feyma and I have three new sites that might interest you! First, we have a new site called the "Luzon Magazine" which features news and current events on the Island of Luzon!  We started this site a couple of weeks ago, and it is starting to build up a nice list of current news and events on the Island of Luzon.  Give it a visit and see what you think! Secondly, we have another new site called "Visayas Magazine" which is much like the Luzon Magazine, but this one covers the Visayas Region of the Philippines!  This site has … [Read more...]

Philippine Transportation Strike

Protesters persuade drivers to join picket line during the nationwide transport strike in Davao City on Monday, July 13, 2009. However, the supposed transport strike failed to paralyze the transportation in the city as only few drivers joined the strike. Transport groups in the country have been calling for the rollback of fuel prices as well as the scrapping of the Oil Deregulation Law. Keith Bacongco / AKP Images … [Read more...]