ASSALAM Party List Gains Foothold In Mindanao

ASSALAM party list candidates Bai Sittie Zohora Montañer-Mindalano, Datu Pendatun "Penny" Disimbaa and Jolly Lais during a huge political rally in Davao City at the weekend. (Mindanao Examiner Photo/Mark Navales)

DAVAO CITY (Mindanao Examiner / 27 Mar) – Thousands of Muslims and Christian and indigenous people have pledged their support to the ASSALAM party list, which represents marginalized grassroots communities in Mindanao in the southern Philippines.

The group, which has membership across the Philippines, on Tuesday said it will continue to advocate peace, unity and development in the country, particularly in Mindanao.

ASSALAM’s Bai Sittie Zohora Montañer-Mindalano said the party list group, founded in 2002, cuts across various tribes and religious affiliation in the southern Philippines.

“This has been our legacy since the ASSALAM Party is founded in 2002 by dynamic and young Mindanao youth leaders. The birth of ASSALAM party list marks a new beginning in Mindanao’s political history,” she said.

“The ASSALAM party list vision is to build bridges of friendship; understanding to espouse on the importance of peace and unity and love and not war. In war there is no victors, but only losers,” Mindalano told the Mindanao Examiner.

Mindalano said more and more people are now supporting ASSALAM party list and that a win for the group is a win of the people.

“Let us, instead, work hard for our basic needs to attain peace and progress; let’s work hard to address problems on education, infrastructures, poverty, land reform, agriculture and many other social problems which probably will include the rights of every woman against violence and discrimination.”

“With this vision, we will surely achieve victory; the victory of the people is the victory of Mindanao and ASSALAM. Let us restore genuine peace in Mindanao because a peace in this promise land means peace for the whole country,” she said.

Mindalano led other ASSALAM party list members Datu Pendatun "Penny" Disimbaa and Jolly Lais in a huge rally recently in southern Mindanao, including Davao City, where supporters welcomed them. More than 500 motorcycle riders from various civic groups also joined ASSALAM’s motorcade and caravan in the region. (Mark Navales)

Fund To Lure Lawmakers To Approve Anti-Terrorism Bill

DAVAO CITY (Mindanao Examiner / 18 Feb) - The Anakpawis Party list expressed alarm Sunday over the holding of a special session in Congress to lure lawmakers to approve the controversial anti-terror bill in exchange for political funds.

It said the special session set on Monday would also coincide with the release of the Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) for members of the Congress, particularly politicians allied with President Gloria Arroyo.

It feared the fund would be used in the May elections.

"Malacañang will move heaven and earth just to ratify the anti-terrorism bill only to have legal basis for its repressive policies and other forms of attacks against its vocal critics," Editha Duterte, the party’s spokesperson for Southern Mindanao, said in a statement sent to the Mindanao Examiner.

Unable to muster a quorum before the Congress recessed two weeks ago, Duterte said Malacañang is bribing lawmakers to approve and ratify so-called pending important bills, including the anti-terrorism bill also called the Human Security Act of 2007.

Duterte said that Malacañang promised to give the lawmakers their PDAF during Monday’s special session.

PDAF is the appropriation of funds by Congress for the lawmakers' various projects around, but many party list and opposition members said Malacañang is withholding the release of their own funds.

"Mrs. Arroyo and her cohorts in Congress like De Venecia, Prospero Pichay and Prospero Nograles will rather buy the legislators principles and trample the people's democratic rights just to succumb to the United States government's relentless prodding of ratifying the anti-terrorism bill," Duterte said.

Anakpawis maintains that the bill is designed to terrorize legitimate dissenters and is Draconian in nature as it violates the Philippine Constitution. “It is a blueprint of the US Patriot Act, allegedly designed to counter terrorism and defend its citizens, but has been widely opposed by the US citizens for its repressive measures,” she said.

According to the Counsels for the Defense of Liberties (CODAL), the Senate version of anti-terrorism bill, which was adapted by the Lower House during the Bicameral Committee, 'contains more repressive provisions on surveillance, opening and freezing of accounts, and other threats on civil liberties which may be used by the executive to persecute dissenters,' she said.

“Most of the provisions are not only constitutionally infirm but also violates the international human rights law and the principles of international criminal law, which makes the Senate version worse than the House bill, or any other law in Philippine legal history,” Duterte said.

Aside from Anakpawis, the party list groups Bayan Muna and Gabriela, have been consistent in opposing the anti-terrorism bill.

"We are urging the people to challenge their district representatives to vote NO for the ratification of the anti-terrorism bill as the Filipino people's democratic rights are at stake here. We must reject this bill, both in the halls of Congress and in the streets," Duterte urged. (Mindanao Examiner)

Photo: ASSALAM Party List Kicks Off Campaign In Mindanao

PEACE BE UNTO ALL. The ASSALAM party list has kicked off a series of peace caravan and political rallies in Cotabato City in the central Mindanao province of Maguindanao. Hundreds of Christians and Muslims supporters of the ASSALAM party list have joined the rallies, led by ASSALAM party list candidates Bai Sittie Zohora Montañer-Mindalano, left, and Penny Disimban, right. The ASSALAM party list is one of the biggest and most popular in Mindanao because of its political platform. (Mindanao Examiner Photo/Mark Navales)