End Impunity: NUJP's Countdown to Ampatuan Massacre's Second Anniversary

Two years and still no justice: A call to bloggers, Twitter users and social media activists

by End Impunity: NUJP's Countdown to Ampatuan Massacre's Second Anniversary

On November 21, the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines, in cooperation with other media groups, is launching a Blog Action Day in connection with our commemoration of the second anniversary of the November 23, 2009 Ampatuan massacre and the first International Day to End Impunity.

As today, only two Ampatuans have been arraigned. Only 93 of the 196 accused have been arrested. Prosecution and defense lawyers have listed 300 and 320 witnesses, respectively, which, according to Senator Joker Arroyo, a veteran human rights lawyer and courtroom litigator, may take 200 years to present.

Meanwhile, the families of the 58 victims continue to suffer from the loss of their loved ones, most of whom were family breadwinners. Some of the children continue to innocently wait in vain for their murdered parents to come home.

On this day, we would like to invite all of you to use the power of communication and the Internet to speak out for justice and against the continued impunity with which those who wish to suppress freedom of expression impose the ultimate censorship – death – and how the apathy and inaction of government has made this so.

Let this be the start of a meaningful partnership as we forge onward together to realize the full expression of our rights and freedoms as communicators and as citizens of our country.

Below are some links that provide background information on the Ampatuan massacre and current status of the 57 counts of murder filed against the 196 accused:

“End Impunity: NUJP’s countdown to the Ampatuan Massacre’s second Anniversary” on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/pages/End-Impunity-NUJPs-Countdown-to-Ampatuan-Massacres-Second-Anniversary/199834376758733)

NUJP (@nujp) on Twitter (http://twitter.com/nujp)

NUJP on Tumblr  which features artworks of children of the victims of the massacre and other media killings. These artworks express how they are coping with the death of their slain parents (http://nujp.tumblr.com/).

Let’s do our share in not forgetting the fallen victims of the Ampatuan Massacre.


References:

Rowena C. Paraan

Secretary General
0910.495.0095

Nestor Burgos
Chairperson
0917.725.6333

How to Switch Back to the Old Facebook Chat

So you logged in to Facebook, saw a pop-up window, clicked on it and voila, your Facebook chat box has turned to a sidebar. Most Facebook users are not liking it. But you can get your old chat box back by simply following these two simple steps (only works for Mozilla):

1. Download this addons from https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/greasemonkey/
2. Install userscripts from http://userscripts.org/scripts/show/107159

Once installed, log out then log back in to your Facebook account. You can complete this in 3 minutes!

Did Facebook kill your blog?

One blog post a month. How scarce is that? These days, that's better than no post at all.

Blogging was such a hit 3-5 years ago. Before I discovered WordPress and Blogger, there was Friendster - Friendster blog that is. At least Friendster promoted blogging. Facebook isn’t. It's killing blogs.

Talk about the latest gadgets, food, travels, love life, dates, crushes, job interview, your annoying boss, your slow internet connection - anyone’s everyday experiences. Before, you can only read these in blogs. Now, it’s all over your Facebook wall.

Are you giving up blogging too? Have you?

***

Uso pa ba ang FarmVille?!?

I just realized, I don't play Farmville anymore. If I remember it right, the last time I visited my farm was December of last year. I just lost interest with farming after working so hard on it for about four months.

Today, I decided to check my farm again.

I'm glad to see everything is still there. But I just don't have the energy and time to plant and harvest crops anymore. Nonetheless, I did enjoy my farming days. Thanks FarmVille!!!

***

UFOs visited our farm!!!

Like as if work is not enough to keep me busy, I still find time to put my farming skills to good use.

I've once again learned how to plow land, get may hands dirty, plant and grow crops and harvest them! Sounds like fun!

In fact I carefully laid a masterplan for my farm and proudly showed it to everyone. Look, even the UFOs were impressed they actually paid me a visit.

They left crop circles!

Well, how I wish the real thing could be as easy and fun as this.

But being a farm boy myself, I tell you, the time and energy that one spend in planting, growing and harvesting crops virtually is not even a light years close to reality.

***

Jacqueline Bermejo Facebook comments towards Ondoy victims

Jacqueline Bermejo - is she for real?!?


While a lot of our kababayans abroad are trying to reach out to their countrymen here in the Philippines, here's one OFW in Dubai who's up into something really really unbelievable.


"buti n lng am hir in dubai! maybe so many sinners bak der! so yeah deserving wat hapend!"- Jacqueline Bermejo AKA Jacque Bermejo referring to what happened during Typhoon Ondoy's attack.

Seriously? I feel really sorry for this girl. Ganun na lang kaya kasama at kasakit ang pinagdaanan niya sa Pilipinas at ganito siya kung magsalita?

Hundreds of netizens are flooding her Facebook and Multiply sites with comments (both already closed):

http://starfishbuang.multiply.com/

http://www.facebook.com/starfishbuang?ref=search&sid=670637327.3254476159..1

What a hater! What can I say? She is beyond maloufernandez!

***

Who is Jacque Bermejo?

Jacqueline Bermejo - Marketing and PR Officer

Jacqueline is an experienced PR associate who has been active in the Middle East for over four years. Currently working with a number of luxury property developers. she has extensive knowledge of the market, media and what makes an excellent success story....

Tel: +971 4 4329633
Fax: +971 4 4329632
Mob: +971 50 3416640

***

For those who are looking for the list of affected areas, click here or follow this link:

http://www.gmanews.tv/story/173283/new-map-of-most-urgent-cases-needing-rescue

***
Ondoy missing or "found" persons helpful links:

• Ondoy Missing Persons Database
• File a report or inquiry about a missing or found person

Thanks to Barriosiete for the links. For more info you may visit www.GMAnews.tv

****


And here's Jacque's statement forwarded to me by someone named betchay101:

"This is my real account please help disseminate.

I am issuing this statement to clear my name in the current controversy in which I allegedly posted a highly insensitive and offensive message on the social networking website, Facebook, in relation to the victims of typhoon Ondoy that recently struck parts of the Philippines.

About two years ago, an anonymous source created these accounts using my identity, posting my personal details, my real pictures captioned roughly and attacking other people. Because of these incidents, I reported such abuses and sent my credentials to the administrators of such sites, particularly Facebook. I have been abused and am still being abused online in social networking websites such as Facebook, Friendster, Multiply etc.

In the early stages, I was advised by close friends to ignore the situation, saying this would simply go away. Unfortunately, it has not stopped. Hence, I filed a complaint with the Dubai Police about eight months ago hoping they could help me with my problem. Should anyone wish to check my statement, my case is still under investigation with said authorities.

Time passed and these sites continued to generate malicious, obscene and cruel messages that are widely exposed and relayed to the public under my name.

Yesterday, September 27th 2009, I received phone calls from my close friends regarding very alarming posts in the above mentioned websites that directly offended flood victims as a result of typhoon Ondoy..

These malicious statement(s) which are posted under account names Jacque or Jackie are not of my doing. It is unfortunate that such statements were maliciously attributed to me and I do sympathize and understand the adverse and somehow verbally violent reaction that has been elicited by such insensitive statements or posts. Rest assured, I have taken every legal step that can be done in this regard.

I too, have become a victim as much as those who may have lost their lives and properties to such a devastating natural calamity. This recent controversy has greatly affected my reputation, my family, and my friends. I am devastated and shocked at the extent my character, my personal information and private space have been violated.

I have a deep respect and regard for my country. I am proud to be a Filipino and would never say or do anything to harm the interest of my country or countrymen. I have also had the privilege of participating in civic-oriented activities in Dubai, particularly in trying to help my fellow countrymen seek employment during the height of mass layoffs brought about by the ongoing global financial crisis, as well as those seeking employment for the first time. Making a mockery of any unfortunate incidents befalling any of my fellow Filipinos is simply contrary to my character. I condemn the person or persons behind these malicious acts to impute damage on my integrity and I hope that you can dig deep into your hearts and minds to truly find the truth in all these."

Real? You be the judge.

***

My friends and office mates hate me

My friends are starting to hate me. And my office mates too.

Bat ko pa daw sila tinanggap na friend, kung i-ignore ko lang din daw pala sila.



Mga request nila, hindi ko man lang daw pinapansin.





Mali na naman ba ako?

Eh sumasama lang ako sa kainan pag libre...

At sawang-sawa na rin ako sa buhay bukid... ba't ako pilit na ibinabalik?

Reregaluhan ba naman ako ng mais?

Nang kamote, sayote, kalabasa at kung ano pa. Eh napurga na din ako sa mga ganyan.

Ayoko din ng nakikipag-away.

Waaaaaaaahh!!! Ako na lang ba ang hindi interesado sa Facebook?