President Arroyo Blamed For Bungled Deal With MILF Rebels

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / August 30, 2008) - Philippine opposition on Saturday blamed President Gloria Arroyo for the bungled homeland deal with the country’s largest Muslim rebel group, the Moro Islamic Liberation Front.

“President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo must answer for the mess created by this 'memorandum of disagreement.' Her lack of transparency, her unwillingness to do broad consultation with all stakeholders and failure to deal with Moros in good faith are the root causes of the tension and war now plaguing Mindanao,” Adel Tamano, a spokesman for the United Opposition (UNO), said in Zamboanga City.

Tamano said he will speak with law students of the state-run Western Mindanao State University (WMSU) here later today.

“I have decided to come to Zamboanga City to attend a function at the Western Mindanao State University despite threats to my person due to my opposition to the MOA-AD,” Tamano said.

Tamano revealed that he has been receiving a number of death threats apparently for his opposition to the Memorandum of Agreement on Ancestral Domain (MOA-AD) that the government peace panel was supposed to have forged with the MILF.

Tamano said the way forward for Mindanao is not separation of Muslim and Christians, but rather through inter-faith dialogue and integration with justice.

“It is an advocacy squarely at odds with the MOA. While the MOA sees to create a separate state for Moros, I cannot help but ask why is it that in other progressive countries, peoples of different creeds, religion and races can come together as one nation yet GMA's (Gloria Macapagal Arroyo) administration answer to the peace problem is to separate Muslims and Christian Filipinos by creating a separate state called Bangsamoro Juridical Entity (BJE),” Tamano said.

Militant Labor Group Fears More Human Rights Violations In RP

ON THE FIRST ANNIVERSARY OF THE PROCLAMATION 1017, the militant labor organization, Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU), said Friday that the Armed Forces of the Philippines could take harsher measures against civilians and progressive groups after AFP chief General Hermogenes Esperon's open vilification campaign against legal groups.

"With the way the AFP and Malacanang countered the findings of United Nations Rapporteur Philip Alston on the human rights situation in the country, it is evident that the government is not keen on stopping the spate of attacks against unarmed civilians and organizations which they suspect as supporters of the CPP-NPA-NDF and unjustly label as 'communist fronts," KMU Secretary General and Anakpawis Party List nominee Joel Maglunsod said in a statement.

Among the possible scenarios cited by KMU includes raiding of legal offices of progressive organizations, planting of evidences including subversive documents and firearms and arrests of leaders and members of the groups maliciously referred by the AFP Chief.

"AFP is arrogantly standing by their militarization campaign that primarily targets unarmed civilians. The killings and harassments continue, much worse, the AFP refuses to arrest (retired) Gen. Jovito Palparan and all those who are involved in the killings."

"It's been a year since PP1017 was declared and supposedly lifted, but the blanket authority it provided to Malacanang and the AFP was even reinforced. Cong. Crispin Beltran's continued illegal detention is a concrete proof of the government's excessive abuse of power. The approval of the Anti-Terror Act worsens the situation."

The labor group said they will hold protests on Monday outside the Philippine Heart Center to demand the release of Rep. Beltran who is the first victim of Arroyo's PP1017.

Maglunsod said Anakpawis Party List is petitioning for Ka Bel to be allowed to campaign as the first nominee of Anakpawis.

"Workers are demanding that Ka Bel and I campaign side by side to various factories, industrial enclaves and urban poor communities nationwide. His rights as a legitimate candidate must be recognized by the PNP and the COMELEC," Maglunsod said.

President Arroyo issued Proclamation Number 1017 on February 24, 2006 after an alleged coup attempt was foiled in the morning of the same day, thus, placing the country under a "State of National Emergency". This was later revoked by Proclamation 1021.