Senate to Probe Halsema Project — If Someone Files a Complaint

Aha. We hope someone will bring a formal complaint to the Senate. Maybe the iMPACT group should make this its undertaking as a follow-up of the signature campaign last year? If the Senate does conduct an investigation, the most important thing would be evidence, evidence, and evidence. We hope someone in the know would be willing to spill out what s/he knows.

Senate ready to probe Halsema rehab project
Sunstar Baguio

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Campbell Trial Ends, Verdict Out on June 30


Here’s the latest update on the Campbell tragedy which we started covering last year. According to the this report, the judge is expected to issue her decision about three months from now. Here’s the links to our previous posts on the Campbell tragedy should you want to revisit them: Missing in Ifugao; Video Updates on Julia Campbell; On Juan Dontugan’s Surrender; People vs. Dontugan I; People vs. Dontugan II; Campbell Family to Attend Dontugan Hearing.

Campbell slay trial ends; verdict to be out June 30
Melvin Gascon/Inquirer

BANAUE, Ifugao, Philippines — The trial of the accused in the murder of United States Peace Corps volunteer Julia Campbell ended here Wednesday, a day after her first death anniversary.

Presiding Judge Ester Piscoso-Flor of the Regional Trial Court Branch 34 gave the prosecution and the defense 30 days to file their memorandum or a summary of the evidence presented in the case.

She set the issuance of the court’s decision for June 30.

“We are glad that we are on schedule. We expect to come out with the verdict before the end of June to enable both parties get over with this trial,” Flor said.

Wednesday’s hearing, which lasted only 10 minutes, capped more than 11 months of trial of one of this mountain town’s most celebrated cases — the murder of a foreigner in a village that draws thousands of foreign and local tourists every year.

Campbell, 40, a former journalist and an English teacher then assigned in Albay, disappeared on April 8, 2007, while walking along the mountain trail leading to remote Batad village. Her decomposing body was found 10 days later, buried in a gorge about 20 meters from the trail.
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A Must Read from Maurice

Here’s an article by Maurice Malanes on how we are losing our traditional crop varieties and replacing them with high-yielding ones which require a lot of input such as pesticides and chemical fertilizers.

The result? The farmers become trapped in a cycle of debt and dependency. Biro mo, kailangan nilang bumili ng seeds every time they plant. With these high yielding varieties, you cannot just save your seeds to plant for the next season. You have to buy new seeds every time and, as mentioned above, these varieties require a lot of fertilizer and pesticides.

Who are pushing for this tragedy to happen? Foreign agri-business companies and their local minions a.k.a Gloria and the Department of Agriculture.

By the way, in case you’ve not been visiting Maurice’s blog, he has other must-read articles which are really worth reading.

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Bong Revilla’s Words of Wisdom

Friends, let’s not be too snotty thinking that wisdom does not spring forth from the mouth of artistas. Here’s the words of wisdom from artista/Senator Ramon “Bong” Revilla, Jr. during the recently held Lang-ay Festival where he was the guest speaker: “Lang-ay means oneness. Let us also practice this spirit not only during the festival.”

Oo nga naman. Oneness. Who would go against that, ano?

Bontoc folk urged to value Mt. Province road rehab
Bernadette E. Tamayo/Tempo
SEN. Ramon Revilla, Jr. has called on the people of Mountain Province to show appreciation of the rehabilitation of the multi-billion peso Halsema Highway by actively helping in its maintenance.

Revilla made the appeal during the commemoration of the Lang-ay Festival, the annual cultural event commemorating the charter of the province.
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