MANILA, Philippines (AKI / Mar. 6, 2009) – The outlawed Communist Party of the Philippines said on Friday it deplored the murder on southern Mindanao island of the daughter of a commander of its armed wing, saying her slaying was part of Manila’s dirty war.
Rebelyn Pitao, daughter of the New People’s Army commander Leoncio Pitao, was found dead on Thursday night, a day after she was abducted by armed men while on her way home in the outskirts of Davao City, the largest city on Mindanao.
“The army has no justification at all for abducting, molesting and murdering Ka Parago's (Leoncio Pitao)'s daughter Rebelyn.
"By killing Rebelyn, the army has committed a grave violation of international humanitarian law and the rules of war, which gives foremost protection to those not taking part in the armed conflict,” the CPP said in a statement on Friday.
“Rebelyn's murder and the barbarities committed against her are undoubtedly part of the dirty war being carried out by the Army under Oplan Bantay Laya 2."
Oplan Bantay Laya 2 is the operation launched in 2002 against Al-Qaeda-linked militant group Abu Sayyaf and other rebels Muslim-majority south. It began to target the CPP and the NPA in 2003.
The victim had recently passed the national teacher's examination and was set to teach at the St. Peter's School in Toril, Davao City.
Her body, clad only in underwear, bore several stab wounds. Her hands were tied and her mouth was bound with masking tape, fueling speculation she was tortured and sexually assaulted.
In June last year, Pitao's brother, Danilo, was also abducted and killed.
Major General Raymundo Ferrer, a regional military commander of the Philippines army, denied its soldiers were involved in the kidnapping and killing of Pitao's daughter.
“It is not the policy of the military to involve the family or children of the rebels into our fight,' he said, adding that the army was open to investigation of alleged crimes.
Since 2001, hundreds of members of left-wing political parties, human rights activists, journalists, and outspoken clergy have been killed in the Philippines. The number increased sharply after President Arroyo's June 2006 declaration of an "all-out war" against the NPA.
The latest peace talks between Manila and the CPP were suspended in 2004, after Manila refused to pressure the United States and the European Union to remove the NPA from their lists of foreign terrorist organizations.
The aim of the CPP and the NAP, both founded in the late 1960s, is to turn the Philippines into a Maoist State. (adnkronosinternational)
Showing posts with label AKI. Show all posts
Showing posts with label AKI. Show all posts
Friday, March 06, 2009
Friday, October 03, 2008
Row continues over alleged US military bases in South RP
Manila, Philippines (AKI / Oct. 3, 2008) – The alleged presence of US military bases on the conflict-ridden island of Mindanao is continuing to spark heated debate, with left-wing activists accusing the government of covering up the truth.
The Philippines constitution bars foreign military bases, troops, or facilities unless the Senate ratifies a special treaty.
The latest round of allegations followed a fact-finding mission to Zamboanga City by Senate defence committee chairman Rodolfo Biazon on Thursday.
After the visit, Biazon claimed that “there are no US bases in the South.”
A broad anti-war coalition of over 60 organisations reacted by calling Biazon's comments "lame" and the group of senators "biased" or "ignorant."
"This is clearly a case of feigned ignorance at best or a deliberate cover-up at worst," Mitzi Chan, a spokesperson for the Stop the War Coalition-Philippines said on Friday.
"The senators are either blinded by their ideological preference for US bases or by the Philippine military's dependence on US military aid," said Chan.
"Or they are deliberately attempting to cover-up the US bases in order to perpetuate their stay," she added.
Herbert Docena of the international think-tank Focus on the Global South said that Washington has been attempting to transform its global network of military presence to become more agile and less visible.
“If Biazon did not find US bases is because he was looking for the wrong kind,” Docena continued.
“What the US now has in Zamboanga City are military bases of the new, more sophisticated kind. Unlike in the past, these bases hide within local military bases, they don't fly the American flag, they have more austere facilities but are no less of a 'base' in their functions,” he added.
Docena, author of a number of reports on the issue, has been monitoring and researching the US military presence in the Philippines and in the region for the last six years.
Biazon’s mission was prompted by an uproar after that emerged the US government has approved the allocation of a 202 million dollar contract in Mindanao to a private firm that builds and operates US military bases.
The US Defence Department announced on its website on Monday that Texas-based DynCorp International would provide "support services" for the Joint Special Operations Task Force-Philippines (JSOTP), a special unit under the US Navy operating in Mindanao.
Another Texas-based contractor, Global Contingency Services, constructed facilities for US troops within the Philippine army's Camp Navarro in Zamboanga, Mindanao, last year at a cost of 14.4 million million dollars.
DynCorp, according to its website, builds facilities "in some of the world's most challenging places, including base camps in Iraq" and is also involved "in the operation of complex facilities, including military bases."
After the Philippines Senate voted to boot out US military bases in the country more than a decade ago, the prolonged deployment of American forces has become a contentious issue especially among militant groups.
They are regulated by the Mutual Defence Treaty, which is tied with a Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) between the two countries.
The VFA grants permit of stay to the JSOTP, that officials describe as a "rotating, semi-continuous, semi-permanent presence" of US soldiers in the country.
There are reportedly less than a thousand US troops spread out in Mindanao, Sulu and Basilan. But they have built their own facilities at Camp Navarro, headquarters of the Western Mindanao Command of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, and the Philippine Marines headquarters at Camp Bautista in Jolo, Sulu.
The Philippines Constitution bars the troops from engaging in direct combat and their official role is to train Filipino soldiers and provide them with intelligence to fight the Abu Sayyaf terrorist group.However, reports indicate they do move as a unit or in the company of Filipino troops in conflict area.
US officials have always denied the existence of military bases in the Philippines or that marines take part in combat operations.
The Philippines constitution bars foreign military bases, troops, or facilities unless the Senate ratifies a special treaty.
The latest round of allegations followed a fact-finding mission to Zamboanga City by Senate defence committee chairman Rodolfo Biazon on Thursday.
After the visit, Biazon claimed that “there are no US bases in the South.”
A broad anti-war coalition of over 60 organisations reacted by calling Biazon's comments "lame" and the group of senators "biased" or "ignorant."
"This is clearly a case of feigned ignorance at best or a deliberate cover-up at worst," Mitzi Chan, a spokesperson for the Stop the War Coalition-Philippines said on Friday.
"The senators are either blinded by their ideological preference for US bases or by the Philippine military's dependence on US military aid," said Chan.
"Or they are deliberately attempting to cover-up the US bases in order to perpetuate their stay," she added.
Herbert Docena of the international think-tank Focus on the Global South said that Washington has been attempting to transform its global network of military presence to become more agile and less visible.
“If Biazon did not find US bases is because he was looking for the wrong kind,” Docena continued.
“What the US now has in Zamboanga City are military bases of the new, more sophisticated kind. Unlike in the past, these bases hide within local military bases, they don't fly the American flag, they have more austere facilities but are no less of a 'base' in their functions,” he added.
Docena, author of a number of reports on the issue, has been monitoring and researching the US military presence in the Philippines and in the region for the last six years.
Biazon’s mission was prompted by an uproar after that emerged the US government has approved the allocation of a 202 million dollar contract in Mindanao to a private firm that builds and operates US military bases.
The US Defence Department announced on its website on Monday that Texas-based DynCorp International would provide "support services" for the Joint Special Operations Task Force-Philippines (JSOTP), a special unit under the US Navy operating in Mindanao.
Another Texas-based contractor, Global Contingency Services, constructed facilities for US troops within the Philippine army's Camp Navarro in Zamboanga, Mindanao, last year at a cost of 14.4 million million dollars.
DynCorp, according to its website, builds facilities "in some of the world's most challenging places, including base camps in Iraq" and is also involved "in the operation of complex facilities, including military bases."
After the Philippines Senate voted to boot out US military bases in the country more than a decade ago, the prolonged deployment of American forces has become a contentious issue especially among militant groups.
They are regulated by the Mutual Defence Treaty, which is tied with a Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) between the two countries.
The VFA grants permit of stay to the JSOTP, that officials describe as a "rotating, semi-continuous, semi-permanent presence" of US soldiers in the country.
There are reportedly less than a thousand US troops spread out in Mindanao, Sulu and Basilan. But they have built their own facilities at Camp Navarro, headquarters of the Western Mindanao Command of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, and the Philippine Marines headquarters at Camp Bautista in Jolo, Sulu.
The Philippines Constitution bars the troops from engaging in direct combat and their official role is to train Filipino soldiers and provide them with intelligence to fight the Abu Sayyaf terrorist group.However, reports indicate they do move as a unit or in the company of Filipino troops in conflict area.
US officials have always denied the existence of military bases in the Philippines or that marines take part in combat operations.
Labels:
Abu Sayyaf,
AKI,
Herbert Docena,
Sen. Rodolfo Biazon,
US Forces
Thursday, May 10, 2007
Violence And Cheating Expected In RP Polls
COTABATO CITY - With only a few days to go to the crucial middle-term elections, the spectre of gunfire and massive fraud hovers threateningly over the Philippines.
On May 14, about 45.5 million Filipinos will be called to choose among 87,000 candidates vying for 17,000 national and local positions, which include the 250 House of Representatives seats and half of the 24 Senate.
Despite the country’s massive problems – corruption, widespread poverty, internal wars, and extrajudicial killings – the electoral campaign has been limited to a virtual referendum on President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, accused of cheating at the 2004 elections and tainted by allegation of corruption and abuse of power.
In short, the opposition, gathered around the Genuine Opposition (GO) coalition, wants to win enough seats in the Lower House to impeach her.
Two previous attempts failed due to Arroyo’s supporters being the majority in the House.
The government coalition, Team Unity, wants to maintain this majority so to stave off any new attempts.
In addition to the barren political debate, the run-up to the vote has been tarnished by accusation of frauds and widespread politically-motivated violence - pretty much routine occurrences in the country during elections.
Police said almost 100 people have already been killed in politically-motivated incidents since the election campaign started in January.
Nowhere is the fear greater than in the southern island of Mindanao, where the Muslim minority has been fighting for independence since 1976.
Here, politics is bathed in a trigger-happy culture and is marked by violent episodes involving rivalries among political clans.
Police said a significant proportion of militias known to be active in the Philippines operate in Mindanao. They are believed to be linked to warlords-cum-politicians. There are 91 such groups nationwide.
Muslimin Sema, rebel leader turned politician, wants Manila to strictly implement the policy that only police and military can carry firearms. "Maintaining a private army is against the political exercise.
You know politicians who maintain armed groups and yet they are not disarmed," Sema, a concurrent secretary general of the Moro National liberation Front, once the largest Muslim rebel organisation in the country, told Adnkronos International (AKI).
Sema, the current mayor of Cotabato City, lost his cousin Arnel Datukon last November, in which authorities considered an election-related incident.
Yet he is undeterred as he seeks re-election. "I am needed by the people. I think other politicians too are driven by their desire to serve. But others might see financial gains in running for office," he said.
And money must be the drive behind those who forced the then 14-year old Arlene Sedig to lie about her age, and vote in 2004.
"They threatened to hurt my parents. They were in control of the polling precincts, it was that easy for them," she told AKI, mentioning some private armies linked to politicians in Pagalungan, her hometown.
"Politics is really dirty in this country. It's always marked by violence and I am afraid that someday I will lose one of my loved ones,” she added without showing any hope for an improvement in the forthcoming ballot.
However, despite it all, Omar Sumail, a 45-year old farmer in the same town, said that he has not given up hope. "I am hoping for a zero incident of violence on the day of election. We are tired of always having ‘bloody’ elections," said Sumail. “Hope is all we have left, at the end of the day,” he added.
The Commission on Elections has granted accreditation to 219 foreigners from 12 countries, including those from Europe to monitor the vote. Arroyo has mobilized the military to work alongside the police and ensure safety for the ballots.
On May 14, about 45.5 million Filipinos will be called to choose among 87,000 candidates vying for 17,000 national and local positions, which include the 250 House of Representatives seats and half of the 24 Senate.
Despite the country’s massive problems – corruption, widespread poverty, internal wars, and extrajudicial killings – the electoral campaign has been limited to a virtual referendum on President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, accused of cheating at the 2004 elections and tainted by allegation of corruption and abuse of power.
In short, the opposition, gathered around the Genuine Opposition (GO) coalition, wants to win enough seats in the Lower House to impeach her.
Two previous attempts failed due to Arroyo’s supporters being the majority in the House.
The government coalition, Team Unity, wants to maintain this majority so to stave off any new attempts.
In addition to the barren political debate, the run-up to the vote has been tarnished by accusation of frauds and widespread politically-motivated violence - pretty much routine occurrences in the country during elections.
Police said almost 100 people have already been killed in politically-motivated incidents since the election campaign started in January.
Nowhere is the fear greater than in the southern island of Mindanao, where the Muslim minority has been fighting for independence since 1976.
Here, politics is bathed in a trigger-happy culture and is marked by violent episodes involving rivalries among political clans.
Police said a significant proportion of militias known to be active in the Philippines operate in Mindanao. They are believed to be linked to warlords-cum-politicians. There are 91 such groups nationwide.
Muslimin Sema, rebel leader turned politician, wants Manila to strictly implement the policy that only police and military can carry firearms. "Maintaining a private army is against the political exercise.
You know politicians who maintain armed groups and yet they are not disarmed," Sema, a concurrent secretary general of the Moro National liberation Front, once the largest Muslim rebel organisation in the country, told Adnkronos International (AKI).
Sema, the current mayor of Cotabato City, lost his cousin Arnel Datukon last November, in which authorities considered an election-related incident.
Yet he is undeterred as he seeks re-election. "I am needed by the people. I think other politicians too are driven by their desire to serve. But others might see financial gains in running for office," he said.
And money must be the drive behind those who forced the then 14-year old Arlene Sedig to lie about her age, and vote in 2004.
"They threatened to hurt my parents. They were in control of the polling precincts, it was that easy for them," she told AKI, mentioning some private armies linked to politicians in Pagalungan, her hometown.
"Politics is really dirty in this country. It's always marked by violence and I am afraid that someday I will lose one of my loved ones,” she added without showing any hope for an improvement in the forthcoming ballot.
However, despite it all, Omar Sumail, a 45-year old farmer in the same town, said that he has not given up hope. "I am hoping for a zero incident of violence on the day of election. We are tired of always having ‘bloody’ elections," said Sumail. “Hope is all we have left, at the end of the day,” he added.
The Commission on Elections has granted accreditation to 219 foreigners from 12 countries, including those from Europe to monitor the vote. Arroyo has mobilized the military to work alongside the police and ensure safety for the ballots.
Labels:
AKI,
Poll Violence
Saturday, February 24, 2007
RP Troops, Muslim Rebels Join Forces For Peace
COTABATO CITY – Filipino soldiers and Muslim rebels waging a decades-old separatist war in the southern Philippines are taking up a peace and development course at a Catholic-run university, in a bid to find a lasting solution to conflict that has claimed over 120 thousands lives in the Philippines' southern island of Mindanao, the Adnkronos International (AKI) reported Saturday.
An influential peace advocate, Catholic priest Roberto Layson, told AKI that among those attending the course at Notre Dame University in Cotabato City are members of the military and of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) cease-fire committee.
"It's really a good venue where they can discuss and find a solution to the problem," Layson said.
Army Major Joselito Tocaldo, a member of the Manila cease-fire committee and one of those attending the class, said the advantages of the safe environment provided by the course.
"The exchange of ideas during the class is perfect because we understand each other's view, like the reason they [the rebels] are fighting for. On the academic side, we are talking about how we could resolve the problem in Mindanao. All of us are happy that there is a peace negotiation although it hit a snag on the issue of territory," Tocaldo said.
"This kind of set-up helps a lot in our confidence-building measures with them. At the same time, people like me, who are not natives of Mindanao, can gain knowledge about the real history of the region," Tocaldo added.
Von Al Haq, member of the MILF cease-fire committee chief, told AKI the course is helpful as it is a preparation for when Manila and the MILF will sign a peace agreement. "We need people who have skills in peace and development. We are learning some skills here," Al Haj said.
Aside from members from Manila and MILF, peace advocates from non-governmental organizations are also attending the weekend course that began in December and will end in April.
The MILF, which is engaged in peace talks with government, signed a cease-fire agreement with Filipino government on July 19, 2003. In September last year, the peace talks stalled after both parties failed to agree on the issue of ancestral domain.
The MILF, estimated to have 13,000 members, wants at least 1,000 villages included in the proposed Muslim homeland but Manila said it could only allow the inclusion of about 600 villages. The government also insists that the formation of the future Bangsamoro entity would have to be decided in a plebiscite.
The Mindanao conflict first flared in the 1970s when the Muslim minority, known as the Moros, launched an armed struggle for their ancestral homeland in the south. But over the years, the Moro campaign for self-rule has become only one of several sources of bloodshed on Mindanao that include communist insurgency, violence linked to militant Islamist groups, bloody ethnic vendettas, clan wars and banditry.
An influential peace advocate, Catholic priest Roberto Layson, told AKI that among those attending the course at Notre Dame University in Cotabato City are members of the military and of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) cease-fire committee.
"It's really a good venue where they can discuss and find a solution to the problem," Layson said.
Army Major Joselito Tocaldo, a member of the Manila cease-fire committee and one of those attending the class, said the advantages of the safe environment provided by the course.
"The exchange of ideas during the class is perfect because we understand each other's view, like the reason they [the rebels] are fighting for. On the academic side, we are talking about how we could resolve the problem in Mindanao. All of us are happy that there is a peace negotiation although it hit a snag on the issue of territory," Tocaldo said.
"This kind of set-up helps a lot in our confidence-building measures with them. At the same time, people like me, who are not natives of Mindanao, can gain knowledge about the real history of the region," Tocaldo added.
Von Al Haq, member of the MILF cease-fire committee chief, told AKI the course is helpful as it is a preparation for when Manila and the MILF will sign a peace agreement. "We need people who have skills in peace and development. We are learning some skills here," Al Haj said.
Aside from members from Manila and MILF, peace advocates from non-governmental organizations are also attending the weekend course that began in December and will end in April.
The MILF, which is engaged in peace talks with government, signed a cease-fire agreement with Filipino government on July 19, 2003. In September last year, the peace talks stalled after both parties failed to agree on the issue of ancestral domain.
The MILF, estimated to have 13,000 members, wants at least 1,000 villages included in the proposed Muslim homeland but Manila said it could only allow the inclusion of about 600 villages. The government also insists that the formation of the future Bangsamoro entity would have to be decided in a plebiscite.
The Mindanao conflict first flared in the 1970s when the Muslim minority, known as the Moros, launched an armed struggle for their ancestral homeland in the south. But over the years, the Moro campaign for self-rule has become only one of several sources of bloodshed on Mindanao that include communist insurgency, violence linked to militant Islamist groups, bloody ethnic vendettas, clan wars and banditry.
Labels:
AFP,
AKI,
MILF,
Peace advocates
Tuesday, December 12, 2006
Thousands Of Peace Advocates, Rightists Troop To Basilan For Summit: AKI
BASILAN ISLAND - Thousands of human rights activists, justice fighters and peace advocates from conflict-ridden Mindanao will gather for a weeklong peace summit in the former terrorist heartland of Basilan.
The event, which started Tuesday, will aim to firm up plans to build enduring peace in Mindanao through the involvement of Muslims, Christians and indigenous groups, collectively known as 'tri-people' in the country’s south.
"It is our foremost belief that the key to lasting peace in Mindanao is through the realization of the right to self-determination of all people living in this island," summit organizers, the Mindanao People’s Peace Movement (MPPM) secretary general, Amabella Carumba told Adnkronos International (AKI).
"We want to live on this island in perfect harmony and that could be possible if the tri-people here are united and have their common understanding," she added.
Dubbed as the 4th Mindanao People’s Peace Summit, the theme for this year’s biennial peace meeting is also centered on the rights of Muslims, Christians and indigenous groups.The venue for the six-day gathering is the town of Lamitan, scene of the infamous 2001 'Lamitan siege' on Mindanao between the Filipino Army and the al-Qaeda linked Abu Sayyaf local terror group.
Two Americans and one Filipino hostage as well as four Abu Sayyaf guerillas were killed in June 2002 during a botched attempt by the Philippines army to rescue the hostages seized one year earlier by Abu Sayyaf. Seven soldiers were also wounded.
"We chose Lamitan because we would like to tell the whole world that every place in Mindanao is now safe. We want also to prove that any threats posed by the Abu Sayyaf have already evaporated,” Carumba explained.
She said the summit will also bring leaders and individuals with expertise on Muslims, Christians and indigenous groups in the area. "They will expect to give the participants some achievable inputs on tri-people issues and policy," she said, adding that past discussions of key issues concerning Mindanao have not covered or included all the three groups of people in the island.
"If we want to see a real peace, we suggest that all the stakeholders here should be informed and consulted," Carumba stated.
According to her, crucial issues affecting the region's Muslims, Christians and indigenous groups - e.g. the ongoing peace negotiations between Manila and the country’s largest Muslim separatist group, the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) - should also be raised at the summit.
"We hope to arrive at some meaningful proposals that echo the general voice of the tri-people,” said Carumba.The Basilan summit follows the recently held Mindanao-wide peace week, she added.
This organized rallies and concerts to promote the "tri-people's entitlement to self-determination, human rights and peace," in various cities and provinces in Mindanao. Besides the MPPM, participants from the Muslim provinces of Sulu, Basilan and Tawi-tawi are due to attend the summit, as well as delegates from the island of Palawan in the western Philippines.
Foreign observers including civil society organizations and government agencies are expected to broaden attendance at the summit.The MPPM has been in close coordination with Basilan officials to ensure security and smooth organization at the summit, Carumba said.
An armed struggle for independence in Mindanao waged by Islamist and Communist rebels has been ongoing for some forty years, causing over 120,000 victims. Sporadic violence has continued despite a 2003 ceasefire and peace talks.
Some 85 percent of the population of the Philippines is Christian, while Muslims, who make up around 4 percent, are concentrated on Mindanao and the neighboring Sulu Archipelago. (AKI)
The event, which started Tuesday, will aim to firm up plans to build enduring peace in Mindanao through the involvement of Muslims, Christians and indigenous groups, collectively known as 'tri-people' in the country’s south.
"It is our foremost belief that the key to lasting peace in Mindanao is through the realization of the right to self-determination of all people living in this island," summit organizers, the Mindanao People’s Peace Movement (MPPM) secretary general, Amabella Carumba told Adnkronos International (AKI).
"We want to live on this island in perfect harmony and that could be possible if the tri-people here are united and have their common understanding," she added.
Dubbed as the 4th Mindanao People’s Peace Summit, the theme for this year’s biennial peace meeting is also centered on the rights of Muslims, Christians and indigenous groups.The venue for the six-day gathering is the town of Lamitan, scene of the infamous 2001 'Lamitan siege' on Mindanao between the Filipino Army and the al-Qaeda linked Abu Sayyaf local terror group.
Two Americans and one Filipino hostage as well as four Abu Sayyaf guerillas were killed in June 2002 during a botched attempt by the Philippines army to rescue the hostages seized one year earlier by Abu Sayyaf. Seven soldiers were also wounded.
"We chose Lamitan because we would like to tell the whole world that every place in Mindanao is now safe. We want also to prove that any threats posed by the Abu Sayyaf have already evaporated,” Carumba explained.
She said the summit will also bring leaders and individuals with expertise on Muslims, Christians and indigenous groups in the area. "They will expect to give the participants some achievable inputs on tri-people issues and policy," she said, adding that past discussions of key issues concerning Mindanao have not covered or included all the three groups of people in the island.
"If we want to see a real peace, we suggest that all the stakeholders here should be informed and consulted," Carumba stated.
According to her, crucial issues affecting the region's Muslims, Christians and indigenous groups - e.g. the ongoing peace negotiations between Manila and the country’s largest Muslim separatist group, the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) - should also be raised at the summit.
"We hope to arrive at some meaningful proposals that echo the general voice of the tri-people,” said Carumba.The Basilan summit follows the recently held Mindanao-wide peace week, she added.
This organized rallies and concerts to promote the "tri-people's entitlement to self-determination, human rights and peace," in various cities and provinces in Mindanao. Besides the MPPM, participants from the Muslim provinces of Sulu, Basilan and Tawi-tawi are due to attend the summit, as well as delegates from the island of Palawan in the western Philippines.
Foreign observers including civil society organizations and government agencies are expected to broaden attendance at the summit.The MPPM has been in close coordination with Basilan officials to ensure security and smooth organization at the summit, Carumba said.
An armed struggle for independence in Mindanao waged by Islamist and Communist rebels has been ongoing for some forty years, causing over 120,000 victims. Sporadic violence has continued despite a 2003 ceasefire and peace talks.
Some 85 percent of the population of the Philippines is Christian, while Muslims, who make up around 4 percent, are concentrated on Mindanao and the neighboring Sulu Archipelago. (AKI)
Labels:
AKI,
Peace advocates
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