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Philippines bishops urge government to revisit anti-terror law
The Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) Monday urged the Filipino government to revisit the controversial 2007 Human Security Act , saying that "many voices are apprehensive" about the anti-terror legislation. Critics s (More) |
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Philippines court dismisses coup plot charges against lawmakers
The Supreme Court of the Philippines ruled Friday that there was insufficient evidence to support charges of rebellion against six leftist congressional representatives alleged to have plotted a coup to oust President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo [off (More) |
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Philippines election commission halts provincial vote count for fraud probe
The Philippines' Commission on Elections (COMELEC) Tuesday stopped the counting of last week's votes for congressional candidates in the southern province of Maguindanao to investigate allegations of fraud. Early reports of voter intimidat (More) |
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Philippines military officers sentenced in mutiny plot
A Philippine military tribunal sentenced 54 military officers to seven years and six months in jail Wednesday in connection with a failed mutiny in July 2003 in which 300 soldiers from elite special forces took over buildings in Manila in an effort (More) |
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UN rights official urges Philippines to revisit anti-terror law
A United Nations human rights expert urged the Philippines Monday to amend or repeal its new anti-terrorism law . Martin Scheinin, Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of human rights while countering terrorism , specifically expresse (More) |
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Philippines president signs controversial anti-terrorism bill into law
Philippines President Gloria Arroyo [official website; BBC profile] on Tuesday signed a rigorous new anti-terror bill into law. Among other provisions, the Human Security Act allows police to detain suspected terrorists for three days without charge (More) |
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Philippines president pledges to investigate extra-judicial killings
The Philippines will investigate and eventually prosecute those responsible for extra-judicial killings, President Gloria Arroyo [official website; BBC profile] said Wednesday, one day after a visiting UN official released a report revealing a high (More) |
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UN probe reveals high number of extra-judicial killings in Philippines
The number of extra-judicial killings in the Philippines is critically high, according to UN Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions Philip Alston , who on Wednesday reported on his 10-day investigation into the surge o (More) |
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Philippines House adopts anti-terrorism bill
The Philippines House of Representatives adopted a new anti-terrorism law on Monday allowing authorities to detain suspected terrorists for up to three days without filing charges. The legislation, known as the Human Security Act of 2007, includes (More) |
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Philippines urged to drop sedition charges against journalists
The Committee to Protect Journalists urged the Philippines government Friday to drop sedition charges against Daily Tribune publisher Ninez Cacho-Olivarez and columnists Ramon Seneres and Herman Tiu-Laurel. The journalists were charged with inci (More) |
Congress recognized Pledge of Allegiance
On December 28, 1945, Congress officially recognized the Pledge of Allegiance and encouraged its recitation in schools.
The Pledge was supposedly written in 1892 by Francis Bellamy, a Baptist minister, to celebrate the 400th anniversary of Columbus Day. The words “under God” were added by Congress in 1954. The revised version of the Pledge was more recently the subject of litigation before the United States Supreme Court originally brought by Michael Newdow, a parent who unsuccessfully objected to his daughter's school district policy requiring daily recitation of the Pledge. The court ruled that Newdow had no standing. The Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life offers more Pledge of Allegiance resources.
