NGOs, Groups Deliver Aid To Mindanao

MANILA, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / September 11, 2008) - Responding to the humanitarian crisis brought about by armed conflict in Mindanao, the non-government organization Asia America Initiative and other stakeholders delivered medical and other humanitarian supplies worth over P22 million to Christian and Muslim refugees in the trtoubled region.

AAI President Albert Santoli and his Philippine director Rohaniza Sumndad led the mission to Mindanao and at the same time emphasized solidarity and peace-building among Muslim and Christian communities in the areas.

Sumndad, whose family hails from Marawi City in Lanao province, is also organizing peace advocacy among people representing all Filipino cultures.

In the support for the AAI mission, student organizations and various businesses, private organizations local governments have contributed supplies, logistic and manpower to assist the refugees.

“In our interaction with the victims of violence in Iligan City, Lanao del Sur and North Cotabato we learned that this is not a battle between neighbors of different religions, who in some cases, are living together in temporary outdoor shelters and share what little necessities of life are available. They strongly expressed that living in inter-cultural communities, they do not want a religious war,” Sumndad said.

The AAI team said the impacted communities had no basic shelter, medical care and food supplies and not even sanitation or clean water which has now become a desperate priority. Refugees are camped at public schools and multi-purpose centers used as temporary shelters many in muddy rice fields and abandoned lands.

“In every group of refugees we encountered they had little more than clothes on their backs and with the largest population being infants and small children. In some cases, we had to purchase forks and spoons because they do not even have basic tools for survival. They fear going back to their homes because of the growing threat of on-going armed conflict and terror attacks,” Santoli said.

Sumndad said: “Officials and doctors in every refugee centers requested trauma counseling and the need for healing children who were exposed to extreme violence even the murder of family members. Social workers in the camps recommended that healing activities could take the form of simple children’s games. AAI donated stuffed animals and infant toys to help comfort the children in the camps.”

In Lanao del Sur, AAI also inaugurated “Gardens of Peace” (vegetable and flower gardening) project for public schools in partnership with the World Food Programme (WFP), the Department of Education and the Provincial Government.

Medical supplies were donated by private companies such as Unilever and MedPharm, and charitable institutions like Franciscan Sisters of the Poor, from student groups at the University of the Philippines and Ateneo de Manila University.

Packing and mobilizing in Iligan City was conducted by volunteer students from St. Michael College, Mindanao State University – College of Medicine and an Ayala Young Leader Chapter called AYLA-MILAN. Transportation was provided by NorthWest Airlines and the Philippine Air Lines Foundation.

UP Student Group To Talk About Bangasamoro And MILF Peace Talks

MANILA, Philippines (August 8, 2008) - The UP Muslim Students Association and the Alliance of Muslim Advocates of Law (AMAL), in cooperation with the UP Portia Sorority, invite everyone to the first session of Moro Talks: "The Narrative of the Bangsamoro - Putting the 2008 GRP-MILF Peace Talks in Perspective", on August 8, 2008 Friday, 1 to 4PM at the Malcolm Theatre, UP College of Law.

Topics cover: 1) a brief historical account of the Bangsamoro struggle in relation to the origins of the 2 major liberation fronts, 2) review of the highlights of the GRP-MNLF negotiations and assessment of the 1996 peace agreement & lessons learned, 3) terms of agreement and key expectations in the present GRP-MILF peace talks (from both sides of the negotiating table) and 4) mechanisms in place to address human rights issues of the Bangsamoro and other segments of the Mindanao population.

Speakers will include: Atty. Zen Malang of the Bangsamoro Lawyers' Network (BLN), Atty. Firdausi Abbas, MILF Negotiating Panel member and former Congressman Michael Mastura. Reacting speakers are also expected and an open forum for the audience will be held.

For questions and confirmations of attendance, you may contact Jhoe at 09177215463

GMA-JDV Clash "a feud of the kontratistas" In Gov't -- UP Group

MANILA, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / Oct. 20, 2007) A 45-year-old institution at the University of the Philippines has defended one of its former heads, erstwhile Magdalo group counsel Roberto Rafael Pulido, the lawyer who filed the controversial third impeachment complaint against President Macapagal-Arroyo in as many years.

"We wholly support Attorney Pulido's initiative, and regard his filing of the impeachment complaint as a perfectly legitimate action," the UP Alpha Sigma Fraternity Alumni Association Inc. said in a statement sent to the Mindanao Examiner.

"We are absolutely convinced that public interest drove Attorney Pulido to independently file the complaint," it said.

The group rejected insinuations that Pulido, whom it called a "maverick," was induced into filing the complaint to supposedly to "immunize" the President for another year against a potentially stronger complaint.

"The strongest impeachment complaint can be reduced into the flimsiest charge once the House opposition is unable to gather the required signatures," the group pointed out.

"Conversely, the weakest complaint can become the most potent charge once the House opposition is forceful enough to muster the 80 signatures needed for the case to be sent to the Senate for trial," it said.

The group urged the opposition to get their act together, and "to stop using Pulido as the excuse for their inadequacies."

It also branded the escalating "power struggle" between the President and Speaker Jose De Venecia Jr. as "the fight of the "kontratistas" in the government.

"This is obviously a naked power feud between two equally morally bankrupt and rotten factions of the ruling elite," the group said.
Pulido, 42, is a protege of slain former UP Student Council chairman Lean Alejandro, and once headed the Alpha Sigma at the Diliman campus.

The leading members of the UP fraternity include Sen. Gregorio Honasan; Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) chairman Benito Tiamzon; former CPP central committee secretary Jose Luneta; former CPP Mindanao commission chief Benjamin de Vera; and former Kabataang Makabayan chairman Nilo Tayag.

Two fraternity members -- Antonio Tagamolila and William Begg -- were killed as New People's Army (NPA) combatants during martial law. A Philippine Military Academy cadet when he defected to the NPA, Tagamolila was also editor-in-chief of the UP student paper, The Philippine Collegian.

Other prominent members of the UP fraternity include Mediaquest Holdings Inc. president Orlando Vea; One Asia Development Corp. president Victor Manarang; Actuarial Advisers Inc. president Mabini Juan; Newspaper columnist and former UP College of Law dean Raul Pangalangan; columnist and UP professor Randy David; newspaper columnist, creative writer and former UP vice president Jose Dalisay Jr.; newspaper editor Joy de los Reyes.

Former Marikina City Rep. Romeo Candazo; retired public works undersecretary Mabini Pablo; former education undersecretary Victor Manhit; former National Telecommunications Commission chief Ponciano Cruz; and former BayanTel Inc. chief finance officer and erstwhile student leader Gary Olivar.