The Ol’ Tobacco Warehouse

“The Ol’ Tobacco Warehouse” – Originally built by the Lorillard family, sits on the upland of Empire-Fulton Ferry Park, just north of the Brooklyn Bridge, and just south of the Empire Stores. Together, these landmark 19th century warehouses are vivid reminders of the shipping activity that once defined the downtown Brooklyn waterfront.Constructed in the 1870s as a tobacco customs inspection center, and saved from demolition in 1998, the roofless rooms of the Tobacco Warehouse provide one of the most compelling public spaces in Brooklyn Bridge Park. The New York State Office of Parks, Recreation & Historic Preservation repaired and stabilized the Warehouse in 2002.

The total size of the Warehouse is approximately 25,000 square feet, offering an 18,000 square-foot, column-free footprint.

 — at http://www.brooklynbridgepark.org

Filed under: Arts, Photography, tobacco warehouse

Philippines Strong Wind

A Filipino resident braves strong winds blowing trash at a community in Manila, Philippines, 13 January 2011. The Philippines is one of the countries that suffer the most from extreme weather events, which exact a high death toll and economic losses, a study by an international think tank said. Germanwatch, a climate and development organization, said the Philippines ranked 10th among countries when it came to exposure and responding to severe weather caused by climate change. The Philippines, a country of about 94 million, sits on the earthquake-prone Ring of Fire. It is also on the path of typhoons that form in the western Pacific. The country is visited by about 20 storms every year. – Photoville International

Filed under: News, Photojournalism, climate change, economic losses, extreme weather events, manila philippines, Philippines, severe weather, typhoon, wind

GUARIN’S KILLING IS A STARK REMINDER OF IMPUNITY

by NUJP

2012, a new year but little changed than years past in the murder of media workers in the Philippines.

The gunmen who attacked Christopher Guarin, publisher of the General Santos City-based Tatak News, Wednesday night made sure he was dead. They shot him at least five times in the body and once in the head, ambushing him as he drove home with his wife and nine-year old daughter, and then chasing him down as he tried to flee.

Guarin was the first journalist murdered in the Philippines this year, less than a week into the New Year.

He joins the long list of murdered Filipino journalists – 150 since 1986, 10 of them under the Aquino administration – all of whom continue to cry out for genuine justice. For, in the 10 cases that have seen convictions, only those who pulled the trigger were punished. No one who ever gave the order to kill a journalist has been convicted.

His death is a stark reminder that impunity in the country remains very much alive, fostered by the glaring lack of inaction, even apathy, by government, belying President Benigno Aquino III’s pledge of justice and respect for rights in his quest for “tuwid na daan.”

We demand that Mr. Aquino unequivocally order all concerned agencies not just to arrest and ensure the conviction of Guarin’s killers, including the masterminds, but also to – on pain of sanctions – end all extrajudicial killings and ensure justice to the victims.

Unless you do, Mr. President, the blood of Guarin and everyone else, past, present and future, for whom justice is denied will ever stain your hands.

Reference:

Nestor P. Burgos Jr.
NUJP Chairperson

 ———–

JOINT STATEMENT OF GENERAL SANTOS CITY MEDIA

We, members of the press in General Santos City, condemn in the strongest possible terms the senseless and defenseless assassination of colleague Christopher Guarin who was murdered in the presence of his wife and daughter Thursday evening.

We are alarmed and appalled over the brazenness of the attack that further reinforced the prevailing culture of impunity.

We urged police authorities to immediately pursue, apprehend and prosecute the assailants and identify the masterminds behind the killing.

We want police authorities to extend their investigation to cover all the other killings in the city.

We are saddened by the growing reputation of General Santos City as the most dangerous place for journalist in the country today with over 20 members of the press already killed since 1986, including 14 who perished in the Ampatuan massacre.

We do not want to believe there is an ongoing campaign to eliminate us from our profession but until these heinous crimes are solved, we cannot help but be outraged.

Let the killings stop.

Stop killing journalists.

NATIONAL UNION OF JOURNALIST IN THE PHILIPPINES – Socgen Chapter

KAPISANAN NG MGA BRODKASTER SA PILIPINAS – Sargen Chapter

PUBLISHERS ASSOCIATION OF GENERAL SANTOS CITY

TRI-MEDIA ASSOCIATION OF GENERAL SANTOS AND CENTRAL MINDANAO

SOCSKSARGEN PRESS CLUB

Filed under: News, Opinion, Political, extrajudicial killings, journalist, media, mindanao, NUJP

Mindanao Deluge

[Warning: This post contains some graphic images.  Viewers discretion is advised.]

 

 

Filipino soldiers patrol against looters at a village that was devastated by rampaging flood waters in Iligan City, southern Mindanao, Philippines, 23 December 2011.  More than 1,000 people are still missing in devastating floods that already killed at least 1,080 in the Philippines, the Office of Civil Defence said.  Rescuers continued to recover bodies from the seaside villages of the worst-hit cities of Cagayan de Oro and Iligan, said Benito Ramos, the agency‘s administrator.

 

 

 

A Filipino flood victim’s baby rests on top of relief clothes inside an evacuation center in a village that was devastated by rampaging flood waters in Iligan City, southern Mindanao, Philippines, 23 December 2011.

 

A Filipino villager walks past a ruined house in the village that was devastated by rampaging flood waters in Cagayan De Oro City, southern Mindanao, Philippines, 21 December 2011.

 

UNTV-37 conducts feeding program outside a temporary evacuation center in a village that was devastated by rampaging flood waters, in Cagayan De Oro City, southern Mindanao, Philippines, 20 December 2011.

 

 

An aerial view of areas affected by flashfloods in Cagayan de Oro City, southern Mindanao, Philippines, 19 December 2011.  Authorities rushed drinking water and body bags to two southern Philippine cities devastated by floods caused by a tropical storm that killed more than 650 people.  Coffins were in short supply and funeral parlours unable to keep up with the mounting death toll in the cities of Cagayan de Oro and Iligan, where 552 people died, according to the national Red Cross.

 

Filipinos view bodies of flood victims at a village that was devastated by rampaging flood waters, in the town of Jassaan, Misamis Oriental province, southern Mindanao, Philippines, 19 December 2011.

 

 

 

Filipino flood victims walk on top of logs washed ashore at a village that was devastated by rampaging flood waters in Iligan City, southern Mindanao, Philippines, 22 December 2011.

 

Filipino flood victims sleep under an elevated road at a village that was devastated by rampaging flood waters in Cagayan de Oro City, southern Mindanao, Philippines, 24 December 2011.

 

 

 

 

Filipino flood victims reach for goods during a relief distribution inside a temporary evacuation center in a village that was devastated by rampaging flood waters, in Cagayan De Oro City, southern Mindanao, Philippines, 20 December 2011. Nearly 43,000 of the displaced population are staying in cramped evacuation centres that lack facilities, while some have been forced to beg for food on the streets.

 

 

Filipino soldiers and the MMDA (Metropolitan Manila Development Authority) work together in the rescue operation.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

UNTV-37 News And Rescue conducts feeding program outside a temporary evacuation center in a village that was devastated by rampaging flood waters, in Cagayan De Oro City, southern Mindanao, Philippines, 20 December 2011.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Filed under: News, Photojournalism, cagayan de oro city, de oro city, flood victim, mindanao philippines, misamis oriental province, southern mindanao

Maguindanao Massacre 2nd Anniversary – “Addressing the culture of impunity”

by UNTV

READ…

November 23, 2011 would be the 2nd Anniversary of the infamous Maguindanao Massacre, the senseless shooting to death of 58 innocent civilians made even worst by the outrageous desecration or mangling of their bodies dumped in mass grave. Sad to say, the most gruesome murder case of this century is now languishing in a protracted court trial for two years already without clear end in sight. The Maguindanao Massacre which claimed the lives of 34 journalists among the hapless and helpless victims was the single deadliest event for journalists in history making the Philippines the second most dangerous country for journalists, next only to Iraq.

READ…

Filed under: News, Opinion

Thanksgiving Parade – New York City

 

November 24, 2011 – Over 30,000 people went to witness the yearly Thanksgiving Parade in New York City.  These kids used their initiative and climb on scaffoldings just to take a glimpse of the Parade and Giant Floats. – Jay-R Fernandez/Photoville International

 

Filed under: News, Photojournalism

A Pakistani Game

 

Traditional na libangan ng mga Pakistani kapag nsa tabing dagat sila sa kanilang bansa.  May hawig sa larong patintero sa Pilipinas ang laro nila, kung saan kelangan mong malampasan ang nagbabantay sayo ng hindi ka nahahawakan.  Patinterong mata-mataya.  - Rucilfull Kuroro / Photoville International

Filed under: Photojournalism, laro, pakistan game, palaro, patintero

Supreme Court Prosecution on Former President Arroyo

 

 

 

 

Philippine’s Justices led by Chief Justice Renato Corona (top-C) during a hearing to nullify the electoral sabotage case against former President Gloria Arroyo inside the Supreme Court in Manila, Philippines, 22 November 2011.  A petition submitted to the Court by the Arroyos that the case should be declared null and void since it was based on the findings of the joint Department of Justice-Commission on Elections panel, the creation of which her camp claims was unconstitutional.  Arroyo was arrested at a private hospital in Manila on 18 November just hours after the Commission on Elections filed the case against her.  The charge is non-bailable and punishable by life imprisonment. – Photoville International

 

 

Chief Justice Renato Corona during a hearing to nullify the electoral sabotage case against former President Gloria Arroyo inside the Supreme Court in Manila, Philippines, 22 November 2011. – Photoville International

 

 

 

 

Filipino activists hold combo pictures of Supreme Court chief justice Renato Corona and former President Gloria Arroyo as they call for the prosecution of the former president during a rally outside the Supreme Court where a hearing to nullify the electoral sabotage case is on-going in Manila, Philippines, 22 November 2011. – Photoville International

 

 

 

Filed under: News, Photojournalism, Political, arroyo prosecution, electoral fraud, justice corona, photoville, supreme court

TWO YEARS AND STILL NO JUSTICE: A call to bloggers, Twitter users and social media activists

 

PROTESTBROADCAST – A reenactment of what transpired in Maguindanao province in southern Philippines before the national election. The reenactment was held at the Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City on May 17, 2010. – Jun Rapanan / Photoville International

 

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

 

Filed under: News, Opinion, Political, ampatuan, journalist, massacre, NUJP, untv 37

Arroyo’s Warrant of Arrest

Filipino Police Officer Joel Coronel displays a warrant of arrest served to Former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo at a hospital in Taguig city, south of Manila, Philippines, 18 November 2011.  Philippine police arrested Former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo on charges of electoral fraud, which could see her imprisoned for life.  But police allowed Arroyo to stay in the hospital for health reasons and instead assigned a guard outside her room, said Senior Superintendent James Bucayu, a police deputy district commander.  -Photoville International

Filed under: News, Political, Arrest, Arroyo, electoral fraud, Photoville International, Warrant