“Unless the root causes of this conflict are addressed, Palestinians and Israelis cannot even begin to hope for a brighter future built on rights, equality and justice. Israel must dismantle the brutal system of apartheid it imposes to dominate and oppress Palestinians and end its unlawful occupation of the Occupied Palestinian Territory once and for all.”
Mary Jane Veloso’s accounts reveal the realities of Filipino migrant workers who are victimized by human traffickers. Mary Jane’s family and supporters call for President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to grant her clemency, a conditional release of a person deprived of liberty (PDL), mitigating the consequences of criminal liability.
“We hope that our government will put Mary Jane in a safe place, and that she will be granted clemency by our government,” said Celia Veloso, Mary Jane’s mother, during the program commemorating the birth of Andres Bonifacio last November 30 (Saturday).
Veloso’s case was brought to international attention after she was sentenced to die in Indonesia. Prior to this, her family spent more than five years seeking government assistance to prove that she was a victim of human trafficking.
Raymundo said that as of early October, Israeli forces launched over 4,000 attacks in northern Lebanon, using white phosphorus and fuel bombs, destroying more than 1,000 hectares of land and displacing around 9,400 people.
“Despite the government’s claims, Copeland did not participate in any protests during the International Observers Mission.”
MSF recorded that only 17 out of 36 hospitals in Gaza are partially functional. Six of their staff have also been killed and since October 2023, their team and patients have had to leave 14 health infrastructure due to attacks.
October 7 marks the Al-Aqsa Flood, an operation led by Hamas and Palestinian nationalist groups to resist the illegal occupation of Israel in Gaza.
Around 17,000 children have been killed and almost 26,000 children live without one or both parents in Israel’s ongoing genocidal war on Gaza.
“The youth will never be ‘too young’ to speak their minds and truths. Student encampments have shown the capacity of the youth to lead communities on the basis of justice and peace.”
From 2018 to 2024, research group Ibon Foundation has seen the most number of participating countries through the Balikatan Exercises. In this year’s Balikatan, 17 countries participated — a large number compared to the 2018 Balikatan which only involved four countries.