Two communist rebels and two civilians were killed ina clash between government troops and communist rebels in the eastern Philippines, an army spokesman said Monday. Lieutenant Colonel Ernesto Torres said the fighting erupted late Sunday when patrolling troops encountered communist rebels in Villaba town in Leyte province, 630 kilometres south-east of Manila.
Torres said the civilian fatalities were the wife and 11-year-old son of one of the slain rebels, who were inside the house with the other guerrillas when the fighting erupted.
Torres said there were no casualties on the government side and troops have recovered three assault rifles, a rifle grenade and assorted ammunition left behind by the fleeing rebels.
Communist rebel leaders rejected last week a proposal by the armed forces' chief for a three-year ceasefire as a precondition for the resumption of stalled peace talks.
The peace negotiations have been suspended since August 2004 after the guerrillas demanded that the Philippine government take steps to remove them from terrorist blacklists of the United States, the European Union and other countries.
Communist rebels have been fighting the Philippine government since the late 1960s, making the movement one of the longest-running leftist insurgencies in Asia.
Monday, July 23, 2007
Muslim rebels defy army ultimatum
Muslim guerrillas said they would defy a military ultimatum to surrender rebels who killed 14 Philippine marines, and braced Sunday for war, which both sides acknowledge would imperil already-shaky Malaysian-brokered peace talks.
The military announced on Saturday that it had been authorized by the National Security Council to launch "punitive actions" against Moro Islamic Liberation Front insurgents who attacked a marine convoy searching for a kidnapped Italian priest on July 10 on southern Basilan island.
Ten of the marines were found beheaded - an act condemned as barbaric by President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo and the military.
The military announced on Saturday that it had been authorized by the National Security Council to launch "punitive actions" against Moro Islamic Liberation Front insurgents who attacked a marine convoy searching for a kidnapped Italian priest on July 10 on southern Basilan island.
Ten of the marines were found beheaded - an act condemned as barbaric by President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo and the military.
Philippine president to lay out economic road map in speech to Congress
President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo was expected to focus her annual address to the nation Monday on a strong economy, a bright spot in her six years in office, as police braced for thousands of protesters.
Arroyo has weathered several coup plots since she came to power after her predecessor was ousted on corruption charges in 2001. She was tainted by allegations of cheating in the 2004 presidential polls, but has managed to make the economy the centerpiece of her presidency.
The economy is growing at its fastest pace in 17 years, surging 6.9 percent in the first quarter of 2007. The stock market has hit an all-time high and the peso is at a seven-year high against the U.S. dollar.
Economists have credited Arroyo with crucial fiscal reforms to hike revenues, reduce the budget deficit and tame inflation while inviting more foreign investment to the Philippines. But critics say growth has not alleviated poverty or significantly reduced unemployment.
The World Bank said investments amounted to 15 percent of gross domestic product in the first quarter, while comparable economies were attracting 20 percent or higher.
Nearly half of the country's 87 million people still live on US$2 (€1.45) a day, and 10 percent of the population works abroad, sending home US$12.8 billion (€9.8 billion) last year in remittances.
To maintain the pace of reforms and increase growth, Arroyo has invited foreign companies to participate in huge infrastructure projects worth nearly US$1.7 billion (€1.2 billion). The projects will involve the construction or expansion of roads, bridges, irrigation systems, and power transmission and generation facilities, and existing railway systems.
"For the next three years, President Arroyo intends to lead us on a path of economic growth, political stability and social justice," her spokesman Ignacio Bunye said Sunday.
"One can be certain that among her most important goals during that period would be to ensure more and more of our people will not just see, but more importantly experience, the tangible benefits of our growing economy," he said.
Benito Lim, a political analyst and professor at Ateneo de Manila University, said he expected a lot of skepticism because people "have heard all of her claims before and they have not been fulfilled."
He said the population was growing fast and unless the country achieved an economic growth rate of 8 percent or more, "the people will not feel the benefits."
Left-wing protesters vowed to gather up to 10,000 people outside the House of Representatives, where Arroyo was to address a joint session of Congress.
Arroyo has weathered several coup plots since she came to power after her predecessor was ousted on corruption charges in 2001. She was tainted by allegations of cheating in the 2004 presidential polls, but has managed to make the economy the centerpiece of her presidency.
The economy is growing at its fastest pace in 17 years, surging 6.9 percent in the first quarter of 2007. The stock market has hit an all-time high and the peso is at a seven-year high against the U.S. dollar.
Economists have credited Arroyo with crucial fiscal reforms to hike revenues, reduce the budget deficit and tame inflation while inviting more foreign investment to the Philippines. But critics say growth has not alleviated poverty or significantly reduced unemployment.
The World Bank said investments amounted to 15 percent of gross domestic product in the first quarter, while comparable economies were attracting 20 percent or higher.
Nearly half of the country's 87 million people still live on US$2 (€1.45) a day, and 10 percent of the population works abroad, sending home US$12.8 billion (€9.8 billion) last year in remittances.
To maintain the pace of reforms and increase growth, Arroyo has invited foreign companies to participate in huge infrastructure projects worth nearly US$1.7 billion (€1.2 billion). The projects will involve the construction or expansion of roads, bridges, irrigation systems, and power transmission and generation facilities, and existing railway systems.
"For the next three years, President Arroyo intends to lead us on a path of economic growth, political stability and social justice," her spokesman Ignacio Bunye said Sunday.
"One can be certain that among her most important goals during that period would be to ensure more and more of our people will not just see, but more importantly experience, the tangible benefits of our growing economy," he said.
Benito Lim, a political analyst and professor at Ateneo de Manila University, said he expected a lot of skepticism because people "have heard all of her claims before and they have not been fulfilled."
He said the population was growing fast and unless the country achieved an economic growth rate of 8 percent or more, "the people will not feel the benefits."
Left-wing protesters vowed to gather up to 10,000 people outside the House of Representatives, where Arroyo was to address a joint session of Congress.
Friday, July 20, 2007
Kidnapped Italian priest released in Philippines
Giancarlo Bossi, the Italian priest abducted last month in the Philippines, has been released, Italian Prime Minister Romano Prodi said late Thursday.
"Father Giancarlo Bossi has been freed, a car is bringing him to a Philippines police station," Italy's ANSA news agency reported Prodi as saying.
Bossi had managed to get a message to Italy's ambassador to Manila, Anna Fedele Rubens, saying he was fine, an Italian foreign ministry spokesman said.
Pope Benedict XVI welcomed the news with "great joy," said Vatican spokesman Father Federico Lombardi.
Bossi, 57, is a member of the Pontifical Institute for Foreign Missions (PIME). He was seized on June 10 in Zamboanga Sibugay in the southeast Philippines.
Gian Battista Zanchi, a senior PIME official said that Bossi would be given a medical check once he had arrived at Zamboanga.
Prodi thanked all those who had worked for the liberation, including the foreign ministry crisis team which had remained in constant contact with the Philippines authorities.
Philippines military officers in the region originally blamed the separatist Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) for the abduction.
Last week, Philippines marines searching for Bossi on MILF-held territory on Basilan island were ambushed by the group and 14 of them were killed.
A close adviser to President Gloria Arroyo suggested that Abu Sayyaf, an Islamic extremist group known to have ties with Al-Qaida, might be responsible.
"Father Giancarlo Bossi has been freed, a car is bringing him to a Philippines police station," Italy's ANSA news agency reported Prodi as saying.
Bossi had managed to get a message to Italy's ambassador to Manila, Anna Fedele Rubens, saying he was fine, an Italian foreign ministry spokesman said.
Pope Benedict XVI welcomed the news with "great joy," said Vatican spokesman Father Federico Lombardi.
Bossi, 57, is a member of the Pontifical Institute for Foreign Missions (PIME). He was seized on June 10 in Zamboanga Sibugay in the southeast Philippines.
Gian Battista Zanchi, a senior PIME official said that Bossi would be given a medical check once he had arrived at Zamboanga.
Prodi thanked all those who had worked for the liberation, including the foreign ministry crisis team which had remained in constant contact with the Philippines authorities.
Philippines military officers in the region originally blamed the separatist Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) for the abduction.
Last week, Philippines marines searching for Bossi on MILF-held territory on Basilan island were ambushed by the group and 14 of them were killed.
A close adviser to President Gloria Arroyo suggested that Abu Sayyaf, an Islamic extremist group known to have ties with Al-Qaida, might be responsible.
Monday, July 16, 2007
New anti-terror law takes effect in the Philippines
A landmark anti-terror law went into force in the Philippines yesterday, adding legal muscle to a US-backed war against al-Qaeda-linked militants but ushering in what activists claim is an era of fear.
The Human Security Act will turn the country -- regarded as a breeding ground for Islamic radicals -- into hostile ground for militants and shield the public and the economy from terror attacks, officials said.
"The general population is safely guarded by this law," said Defense Undersecretary Ric Blancaflor, a chief proponent of the law.
"Only terrorists have reasons to be threatened," he said.
However, a prominent left-wing group, Bayan, said the law endangers civil liberties that Filipinos won in 1986, when they ousted dictator Ferdinand Marcos in a nonviolent "people power" revolt.
"This is a new dark age for human rights and civil liberties," Bayan said in a statement.
About 300 left-wing activists rallied near President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo's palace yesterday, carrying posters showing her image with the words, "the real face of terror." Anti-riot squads stood nearby but made no attempt to break up the protest.
Bayan said it would question the law's constitutionality before the Supreme Court within days, arguing its definition of terrorism was too broad and could cover legitimate dissent.
The law allows detention of suspected terrorists without charge for three days and includes "rebellion or insurrection" among crimes considered terrorist.
The Human Security Act will turn the country -- regarded as a breeding ground for Islamic radicals -- into hostile ground for militants and shield the public and the economy from terror attacks, officials said.
"The general population is safely guarded by this law," said Defense Undersecretary Ric Blancaflor, a chief proponent of the law.
"Only terrorists have reasons to be threatened," he said.
However, a prominent left-wing group, Bayan, said the law endangers civil liberties that Filipinos won in 1986, when they ousted dictator Ferdinand Marcos in a nonviolent "people power" revolt.
"This is a new dark age for human rights and civil liberties," Bayan said in a statement.
About 300 left-wing activists rallied near President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo's palace yesterday, carrying posters showing her image with the words, "the real face of terror." Anti-riot squads stood nearby but made no attempt to break up the protest.
Bayan said it would question the law's constitutionality before the Supreme Court within days, arguing its definition of terrorism was too broad and could cover legitimate dissent.
The law allows detention of suspected terrorists without charge for three days and includes "rebellion or insurrection" among crimes considered terrorist.
Friday, July 13, 2007
New anti-terror law raises hackles in Philippines
The Philippine government, already under fire for a poor human rights record, is coming in for more criticism as it implements a new anti-terror law many fear could be used against political opponents.
Hundreds of people held a protest on Friday against the Human Security Act that allows detention of suspects without charge for up to three days and provides for up to 40 years in jail for anyone convicted of terrorism.
The law comes into force on Sunday.
"I pray that the Lord would enlighten the people concerned and Jonas would be found and that the Human Security Act would not be implemented," said Edita Burgos, whose activist son has been missing for over two months.
Jonas Burgos, a member of a left-wing farmers' group in the northern Philippines, is widely believed to have been picked up by a military "black squad" on April 28, and has not been heard of since.
Black squads is the term used for armed men in civilian clothes or masked men on motorcycles who have been seen picking up left-wing activists or firing at them.
The military has denied it has anything to do with the missing 37-year-old Burgos.
"I believe my son is still alive and I pray that I recover him alive," his mother told Reuters.
"The pain is really unbearable. If it were not for our faith, then I guess we would really break down. Thank God for our faith and thank God for you people out there."
A local human rights group has said about 200 students, trade union and peasant leaders have disappeared since President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo came to power in 2001. More than 800 left-wing activists have been killed during the same period.
A U.N. special rapporteur on extrajudicial killings said in February the military was responsible for many of the deaths.
The military has denied the allegations and has blamed Maoist rebels for most of the killings, calling it an internal war.
NOTHING TO FEAR
Arroyo signed the anti-terror legislation into law in March, but postponed its implementation until two months after congressional elections on May 14 to assure the president's political opponents it would not be used against them.
While the legislation was languishing in Congress for 11 years, the Philippines was criticized by the United States and other Western governments as the weak link in the global fight against terrorism.
The country is fighting Islamic militants in the south and communist rebels across the country.
Since 2000, more than 350 Filipinos have died in about 120 bombings blamed on Muslim militants, mostly in the south. The communist rebels do not target civilians but have been known to carry out land mine attacks against security forces.
Besides detention without charges and harsh jail sentences, the law allows security forces to investigate bank accounts of suspected terrorists or organizations used as financial conduits.
Electronic surveillance is also allowed but only after court approval.
"There's nothing to fear if you are not planning anything illegal," said Ricardo Blancaflor, defense undersecretary and the spokesman for the government's anti-terror task force.
He said there were enough safeguards to prevent security forces from abusing the law, adding some law enforcement agencies were complaining it was too restrictive and could work against them.
One safeguard allows anyone wrongfully detained to receive 500,000 pesos ($10,800) compensation for each day in custody.
Nevertheless, the law is coming in for severe criticism.
About 500 left-wing activists marched in Manila on Friday and held a protest rally, demanding lawmakers repeal the act and stop its implementation.
"It's a bill that will trample on the rights of the people," said left-wing leader Carol Araullo. "It will be used by the government against its enemies, its political enemies. It is tantamount to undeclared martial law."
Senator Mar Roxas, a former ally of Arroyo, said: "The government already suffers from highly negative public perceptions in regard to its human rights record.
"To push the limits further would only breed more fear and anger among the people. Better to err on the side of human rights than to breed tyranny."
Hundreds of people held a protest on Friday against the Human Security Act that allows detention of suspects without charge for up to three days and provides for up to 40 years in jail for anyone convicted of terrorism.
The law comes into force on Sunday.
"I pray that the Lord would enlighten the people concerned and Jonas would be found and that the Human Security Act would not be implemented," said Edita Burgos, whose activist son has been missing for over two months.
Jonas Burgos, a member of a left-wing farmers' group in the northern Philippines, is widely believed to have been picked up by a military "black squad" on April 28, and has not been heard of since.
Black squads is the term used for armed men in civilian clothes or masked men on motorcycles who have been seen picking up left-wing activists or firing at them.
The military has denied it has anything to do with the missing 37-year-old Burgos.
"I believe my son is still alive and I pray that I recover him alive," his mother told Reuters.
"The pain is really unbearable. If it were not for our faith, then I guess we would really break down. Thank God for our faith and thank God for you people out there."
A local human rights group has said about 200 students, trade union and peasant leaders have disappeared since President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo came to power in 2001. More than 800 left-wing activists have been killed during the same period.
A U.N. special rapporteur on extrajudicial killings said in February the military was responsible for many of the deaths.
The military has denied the allegations and has blamed Maoist rebels for most of the killings, calling it an internal war.
NOTHING TO FEAR
Arroyo signed the anti-terror legislation into law in March, but postponed its implementation until two months after congressional elections on May 14 to assure the president's political opponents it would not be used against them.
While the legislation was languishing in Congress for 11 years, the Philippines was criticized by the United States and other Western governments as the weak link in the global fight against terrorism.
The country is fighting Islamic militants in the south and communist rebels across the country.
Since 2000, more than 350 Filipinos have died in about 120 bombings blamed on Muslim militants, mostly in the south. The communist rebels do not target civilians but have been known to carry out land mine attacks against security forces.
Besides detention without charges and harsh jail sentences, the law allows security forces to investigate bank accounts of suspected terrorists or organizations used as financial conduits.
Electronic surveillance is also allowed but only after court approval.
"There's nothing to fear if you are not planning anything illegal," said Ricardo Blancaflor, defense undersecretary and the spokesman for the government's anti-terror task force.
He said there were enough safeguards to prevent security forces from abusing the law, adding some law enforcement agencies were complaining it was too restrictive and could work against them.
One safeguard allows anyone wrongfully detained to receive 500,000 pesos ($10,800) compensation for each day in custody.
Nevertheless, the law is coming in for severe criticism.
About 500 left-wing activists marched in Manila on Friday and held a protest rally, demanding lawmakers repeal the act and stop its implementation.
"It's a bill that will trample on the rights of the people," said left-wing leader Carol Araullo. "It will be used by the government against its enemies, its political enemies. It is tantamount to undeclared martial law."
Senator Mar Roxas, a former ally of Arroyo, said: "The government already suffers from highly negative public perceptions in regard to its human rights record.
"To push the limits further would only breed more fear and anger among the people. Better to err on the side of human rights than to breed tyranny."
Death Toll Rises to 15 in Philippines Ferry Sinking
The bodies of a child and two other victims of a Phillipine ferry sinking washed ashore Friday, raising the death toll to 15 as strong waves prevented divers from recovering corpses spotted inside the sunken vessel, officials said.
The inter-island MV Blue Water Princess ferry tilted and sank about 500 yards from San Francisco town in Quezon province during a storm early Thursday.
The army counted at least 129 survivors in San Francisco and nearby San Andres town, 140 miles southeast of Manila, said regional army spokesman Lt. Col. Rhoderick Parayno.
Three bodies washed ashore early Friday taking the tally of recovered bodies to 15, Parayno said, without giving other details.
Divers attempting to search the ferry's interior "saw many dead bodies insides," he said, adding that rain at the site was hindering operations. "They can't start the recovery due to strong waves."
The number of people on board the vessel when it sank was not clear.
Henry Buzar, a disaster relief coordinator in Quezon province, told Radio DZBB that the passenger manifest did not include all the people inside trucks, buses and other vehicles on board the ferry.
President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo ordered the coast guard and the Department of Transportation and Communication to investigate the incident as she expressed her sympathies for the families of those who died.
The coast guard said it will convene a special board of inquiry.
Arroyo also urged authorities to remind sea vessels to heed weather forecasts and assure passenger safety and welfare at all times.
San Francisco Mayor Ernani Tan quoted survivors and crew as saying 14 trucks tilted to one side of the vessel in rough waters spawned by strong monsoon winds.
"The vehicles caused imbalance in the ship," he said.
Two vessels have been placed on standby to deal with a possible oil spill from the ferry, coast guard chief Adm. Damian Carlos said.
The inter-island MV Blue Water Princess ferry tilted and sank about 500 yards from San Francisco town in Quezon province during a storm early Thursday.
The army counted at least 129 survivors in San Francisco and nearby San Andres town, 140 miles southeast of Manila, said regional army spokesman Lt. Col. Rhoderick Parayno.
Three bodies washed ashore early Friday taking the tally of recovered bodies to 15, Parayno said, without giving other details.
Divers attempting to search the ferry's interior "saw many dead bodies insides," he said, adding that rain at the site was hindering operations. "They can't start the recovery due to strong waves."
The number of people on board the vessel when it sank was not clear.
Henry Buzar, a disaster relief coordinator in Quezon province, told Radio DZBB that the passenger manifest did not include all the people inside trucks, buses and other vehicles on board the ferry.
President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo ordered the coast guard and the Department of Transportation and Communication to investigate the incident as she expressed her sympathies for the families of those who died.
The coast guard said it will convene a special board of inquiry.
Arroyo also urged authorities to remind sea vessels to heed weather forecasts and assure passenger safety and welfare at all times.
San Francisco Mayor Ernani Tan quoted survivors and crew as saying 14 trucks tilted to one side of the vessel in rough waters spawned by strong monsoon winds.
"The vehicles caused imbalance in the ship," he said.
Two vessels have been placed on standby to deal with a possible oil spill from the ferry, coast guard chief Adm. Damian Carlos said.
Thursday, July 12, 2007
Arroyo: Anti-terror law is 'defending way of life'
Delivering her strongest pitch yet for the controversial anti-terror law officially named the Human Security Act (HSA), President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo said here that the new measure is not just about crushing terrorists in the country but "about defending our way of life."
Arroyo, speaking at the closing of the Mindanao Peace and Security Summit here, said the HSA was vital in preventing terrorist attacks on vital installations, singling out Mindanao's power infrastructure.
"I am hereby ordering the increased security of vital power and transportation facilities in Mindanao," she said. "Let us begin the implementation of the Human Security Act by using it as a tool to prevent multi-billion-peso hydroelectric dams and power grids from being whacked by terrorists."
She said knocking out these facilities caused more than just inconvenience.
"The deeper reality is when there is no power, there is no work, and therefore, the Human Security Act is about defending our way of life," she said.
At the same time, Arroyo offered assurances that civil and human rights will be guaranteed and that violators of these rights will be dealt with by law.
Arroyo said all those, including government agencies, tasked with implementing the law must ensure that the rights of citizens are respected.
"Hand in hand with the need for economic prosperity is the need to strengthen our institutions of government to ensure that civil rights and social justice are available to all Filipinos, not just a privileged few," she said.
Various groups, including the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines, have expressed concern that the law might be used to quell dissent but Arroyo has said there is no stopping the HSA from taking effect on July 15.
In a declaration, participants of the summit expressed support for the HSA and pledged to help in the information drive on the law.
Arroyo also stressed that the military "must continue on its path to reform."
"They must become even more professional every day at the same time they fight to eliminate the armed terrorist threats to the nation from religious extremists or communist terrorists," she said.
Arroyo condemned anew political killings, including those of members of media.
"The political terrorists who live outside the boundaries of human justice and who have marked the stability of our nation and the rule of law for extinction live by no moral code," Arroyo said. "We must band together as a people and as public servants to stop this violence."
While reiterating her belief that 99 percent of the military and the police are good, she reminded them that "fidelity to the Constitution is a sacred duty."
"These public servants have a moral obligation to uphold the Constitution and to protect the innocent. For this reason, any violent crime that a member of the law enforcement or military community may commit against innocent people is even more wrong and must be stopped. No one is above the law," she said.
"We are entering a new era of civil and human rights. The front line of this effort is built on lifting up the poor and liberating them from poverty," she said.
At the same time, she hinted of what could be in store for communist rebels, saying communities will also be protected from harassment, kidnapping, and plunder "that are so often part of the communist terrorist[s] who flog a failed ideology."
"Our government will protect the political rights of any person who wishes to participate in our democracy, however we might disagree on philosophy and approach," she said.
"We cannot stand idly by, however, and let the purveyors of violence cloak their agenda behind the innocent men and women they hold hostage to their failed ideology. We will wrestle with these failed terrorists to the ground and free the nation to live in peace and harmony," Arroyo said.
She also said "sweeping legislation" will be proposed to Congress to help end the killings, which have earned the administration increasing criticism from the international community, and remove the stain of political violence from the nation.
This legislation, she said, will guarantee "swift justice" through more funding for special courts to prosecute rights violators.
The rights of victims will also be strengthened through more money for law enforcement and tougher penalties will be imposed for anyone committing a crime with a firearm.
Arroyo directed adviser for the peace process Jesus Dureza to make sure the provisions in the declaration of the summit are accomplished. She also instructed Budget Secretary Rolando Andaya Jr. to find a way to meet the 30 percent proposed increase budget for Mindanao.
Arroyo, speaking at the closing of the Mindanao Peace and Security Summit here, said the HSA was vital in preventing terrorist attacks on vital installations, singling out Mindanao's power infrastructure.
"I am hereby ordering the increased security of vital power and transportation facilities in Mindanao," she said. "Let us begin the implementation of the Human Security Act by using it as a tool to prevent multi-billion-peso hydroelectric dams and power grids from being whacked by terrorists."
She said knocking out these facilities caused more than just inconvenience.
"The deeper reality is when there is no power, there is no work, and therefore, the Human Security Act is about defending our way of life," she said.
At the same time, Arroyo offered assurances that civil and human rights will be guaranteed and that violators of these rights will be dealt with by law.
Arroyo said all those, including government agencies, tasked with implementing the law must ensure that the rights of citizens are respected.
"Hand in hand with the need for economic prosperity is the need to strengthen our institutions of government to ensure that civil rights and social justice are available to all Filipinos, not just a privileged few," she said.
Various groups, including the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines, have expressed concern that the law might be used to quell dissent but Arroyo has said there is no stopping the HSA from taking effect on July 15.
In a declaration, participants of the summit expressed support for the HSA and pledged to help in the information drive on the law.
Arroyo also stressed that the military "must continue on its path to reform."
"They must become even more professional every day at the same time they fight to eliminate the armed terrorist threats to the nation from religious extremists or communist terrorists," she said.
Arroyo condemned anew political killings, including those of members of media.
"The political terrorists who live outside the boundaries of human justice and who have marked the stability of our nation and the rule of law for extinction live by no moral code," Arroyo said. "We must band together as a people and as public servants to stop this violence."
While reiterating her belief that 99 percent of the military and the police are good, she reminded them that "fidelity to the Constitution is a sacred duty."
"These public servants have a moral obligation to uphold the Constitution and to protect the innocent. For this reason, any violent crime that a member of the law enforcement or military community may commit against innocent people is even more wrong and must be stopped. No one is above the law," she said.
"We are entering a new era of civil and human rights. The front line of this effort is built on lifting up the poor and liberating them from poverty," she said.
At the same time, she hinted of what could be in store for communist rebels, saying communities will also be protected from harassment, kidnapping, and plunder "that are so often part of the communist terrorist[s] who flog a failed ideology."
"Our government will protect the political rights of any person who wishes to participate in our democracy, however we might disagree on philosophy and approach," she said.
"We cannot stand idly by, however, and let the purveyors of violence cloak their agenda behind the innocent men and women they hold hostage to their failed ideology. We will wrestle with these failed terrorists to the ground and free the nation to live in peace and harmony," Arroyo said.
She also said "sweeping legislation" will be proposed to Congress to help end the killings, which have earned the administration increasing criticism from the international community, and remove the stain of political violence from the nation.
This legislation, she said, will guarantee "swift justice" through more funding for special courts to prosecute rights violators.
The rights of victims will also be strengthened through more money for law enforcement and tougher penalties will be imposed for anyone committing a crime with a firearm.
Arroyo directed adviser for the peace process Jesus Dureza to make sure the provisions in the declaration of the summit are accomplished. She also instructed Budget Secretary Rolando Andaya Jr. to find a way to meet the 30 percent proposed increase budget for Mindanao.
Malacañang assures anti-terror act won't be used vs govt critics
Malacañang on Wednesday allayed fears that the anti-terrorism law will be used against critics of President Arroyo once it is enforced on Sunday amid criticisms that it is meant to quell dissent against her administration.
In a statement, Press Secretary Ignacio Bunye said the Human Security Act is meant to restore peace in provinces "where tourism and commerce are held hostage to the evil designs of terrorists."
"A single strike of a terrorist costs millions of pesos in lost lives, damaged properties, and fear that keep investors, tourists, and other foreign guests away. The cost is simply too high for us to maintain a status quo where deterrence, protection and justice are not strong enough to ensure our people's safety," the press secretary said.
He said criticisms from the opposition and civil society groups are part of the "spirit of democracy," which the administration commits "to nurture and uphold."
"Rather than criticizing government for lapses in a law that has yet to be implemented, let us join hands in fighting terror," he added.
The act was signed by Mrs. Arroyo in March to bring the country in line with its Southeast Asian neighbors in battling Islamic militants, as Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) extremists increasingly forge links with its Filipino counterparts especially the Abu Sayyaf.
Mrs. Arroyo has said the law would give the Philippines "preemptive capability" to check the movement of arms and funds that finance terrorism.
The law is the first in the Philippines specifically to address terrorist offenses, defining terrorism as a criminal act that "causes widespread and extraordinary fear and panic among the populace."
The passage of the law was praised by the United States and Australia, the Philippines' staunchest anti-terror allies.
But rights groups fear the law could be abused by military and police authorities eager to protect Mrs. Arroyo from her political opponents.
The influential Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines led the criticisms as it urged the government to review the controversial anti-terror law. The CBCP, whose comments on issues help shape public opinion in this majority Catholic country, warned that the law could be abused.
Mrs. Arroyo's popularity remains low after she survived two impeachment bids in Congress over allegations of vote fraud.
There have also been widespread street protests in the past year demanding she step down.
Rights groups have raised a number of questions about the law, including a provision that lets police detain someone, on mere suspicion, for up to three days.
The law also gives authorities the green light to use surveillance, wiretapping and seize assets.
In a statement, Press Secretary Ignacio Bunye said the Human Security Act is meant to restore peace in provinces "where tourism and commerce are held hostage to the evil designs of terrorists."
"A single strike of a terrorist costs millions of pesos in lost lives, damaged properties, and fear that keep investors, tourists, and other foreign guests away. The cost is simply too high for us to maintain a status quo where deterrence, protection and justice are not strong enough to ensure our people's safety," the press secretary said.
He said criticisms from the opposition and civil society groups are part of the "spirit of democracy," which the administration commits "to nurture and uphold."
"Rather than criticizing government for lapses in a law that has yet to be implemented, let us join hands in fighting terror," he added.
The act was signed by Mrs. Arroyo in March to bring the country in line with its Southeast Asian neighbors in battling Islamic militants, as Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) extremists increasingly forge links with its Filipino counterparts especially the Abu Sayyaf.
Mrs. Arroyo has said the law would give the Philippines "preemptive capability" to check the movement of arms and funds that finance terrorism.
The law is the first in the Philippines specifically to address terrorist offenses, defining terrorism as a criminal act that "causes widespread and extraordinary fear and panic among the populace."
The passage of the law was praised by the United States and Australia, the Philippines' staunchest anti-terror allies.
But rights groups fear the law could be abused by military and police authorities eager to protect Mrs. Arroyo from her political opponents.
The influential Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines led the criticisms as it urged the government to review the controversial anti-terror law. The CBCP, whose comments on issues help shape public opinion in this majority Catholic country, warned that the law could be abused.
Mrs. Arroyo's popularity remains low after she survived two impeachment bids in Congress over allegations of vote fraud.
There have also been widespread street protests in the past year demanding she step down.
Rights groups have raised a number of questions about the law, including a provision that lets police detain someone, on mere suspicion, for up to three days.
The law also gives authorities the green light to use surveillance, wiretapping and seize assets.
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 say the law defines terrorism too loosely and gives government authorities too much latitude to restrict civil liberties. The law, which was signed by President Gloria Arroyo in March and is scheduled to go into effect on July 15, allows police to detain suspected terrorists for three days without charges, and also allows the house arrest of suspects released on bail.
The CBCP, the official organization of the Catholic episcopacy in the Philippines, is highly influential as nearly 81 percent of the Filipino population is Catholic. In March, a United Nations human rights expert urged the Philippines to amend or repeal the anti-terrorism law because it allows house arrests without strong evidence of guilt and transfers the power to review detentions to the executive branch instead of an independent judicial body.
The CBCP, the official organization of the Catholic episcopacy in the Philippines, is highly influential as nearly 81 percent of the Filipino population is Catholic. In March, a United Nations human rights expert urged the Philippines to amend or repeal the anti-terrorism law because it allows house arrests without strong evidence of guilt and transfers the power to review detentions to the executive branch instead of an independent judicial body.
Troops are killed, some beheaded, in southern Philippines
At least 14 government troops were killed in some of the heaviest fighting with Muslim insurgents in the southern Philippines in recent months, officials said Wednesday.
Military officials said they had recovered the bodies of 14 marines after clashes with suspected Abu Sayyaf militants late Tuesday in Tipo-tipo, a hinterland town on Basilan island, and that at least 10 of them had been beheaded.
A marine spokesman, Lieutenant Colonel Ariel Caculitan, said in Manila that 50 marines had clashed with more than 300 rebels. "We were totally outnumbered," he said.
Major General Ben Mohammad Dolorfino suggested that the marines had been beheaded by Abu Sayyaf in retaliation for the slaying of the son of one of the group's leaders. "They got angry, that's why they decapitated the marines," Dolorfino said.
However, leaders of another group, the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, said it was its own fighters who had fought with the marines and killed 23 of them. But the front's spokesman, Abu Majid, denied the front's fighters had beheaded the marines. He said this was done by "unidentified groups" after the fighting, and that the front planned to investigate. He said four rebels had been killed and seven wounded.
Majid also said the violence could have been avoided had the government troops, who had entered the area in search of a kidnapped Roman Catholic priest from Italy, consulted with the front first. "We have all the mechanism in the cease-fire that allows coordination and to prevent this kind of unfortunate incident," he said.
The military said the marines had been patrolling Tipo-tipo to check out reports that the Reverend Giancarlo Bossi, who was kidnapped last month in Zamboanga Sibugay Province, also in the southern Philippines, had been taken to Basilan.
The Moro Islamic Liberation Front has been fighting for a separate Islamic state for Filipino Muslims in the south for three decades; a cease-fire is in effect, although there have been violations. The agreement requires both sides to coordinate their movements if one side ventures into an area where the other side is present. Majid said he did not understand why the marines did not notify the front of its operations in Tipo-tipo.
Mohaqher Iqbal, the head of the front's negotiating panel, said: "Our troops thought they were under attack. That's why they fought back. It should have not happened."
The Philippine government had said that some elements of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front were also working with Abu Sayyaf and Jemaah Islamiyah, two groups that have been blamed for some of the most horrific terrorist attacks in the country since 2001.
The front has denied any connection with Abu Sayyaf or Jemaah Islamiyah, but promised to purge its ranks of extremists.
Military officials said they had recovered the bodies of 14 marines after clashes with suspected Abu Sayyaf militants late Tuesday in Tipo-tipo, a hinterland town on Basilan island, and that at least 10 of them had been beheaded.
A marine spokesman, Lieutenant Colonel Ariel Caculitan, said in Manila that 50 marines had clashed with more than 300 rebels. "We were totally outnumbered," he said.
Major General Ben Mohammad Dolorfino suggested that the marines had been beheaded by Abu Sayyaf in retaliation for the slaying of the son of one of the group's leaders. "They got angry, that's why they decapitated the marines," Dolorfino said.
However, leaders of another group, the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, said it was its own fighters who had fought with the marines and killed 23 of them. But the front's spokesman, Abu Majid, denied the front's fighters had beheaded the marines. He said this was done by "unidentified groups" after the fighting, and that the front planned to investigate. He said four rebels had been killed and seven wounded.
Majid also said the violence could have been avoided had the government troops, who had entered the area in search of a kidnapped Roman Catholic priest from Italy, consulted with the front first. "We have all the mechanism in the cease-fire that allows coordination and to prevent this kind of unfortunate incident," he said.
The military said the marines had been patrolling Tipo-tipo to check out reports that the Reverend Giancarlo Bossi, who was kidnapped last month in Zamboanga Sibugay Province, also in the southern Philippines, had been taken to Basilan.
The Moro Islamic Liberation Front has been fighting for a separate Islamic state for Filipino Muslims in the south for three decades; a cease-fire is in effect, although there have been violations. The agreement requires both sides to coordinate their movements if one side ventures into an area where the other side is present. Majid said he did not understand why the marines did not notify the front of its operations in Tipo-tipo.
Mohaqher Iqbal, the head of the front's negotiating panel, said: "Our troops thought they were under attack. That's why they fought back. It should have not happened."
The Philippine government had said that some elements of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front were also working with Abu Sayyaf and Jemaah Islamiyah, two groups that have been blamed for some of the most horrific terrorist attacks in the country since 2001.
The front has denied any connection with Abu Sayyaf or Jemaah Islamiyah, but promised to purge its ranks of extremists.
Tuesday, July 03, 2007
Philippines poll official on fraud charge
Philippines police say they have arrested a senior election official at the centre of an alleged massive vote fraud in the south of the country.
The arrest follows a call by the Elections Commission for Lintang Bedol to be arrested after he failed to answer a summons to produce election documents which he claimed had disappeared from his office.
Mr Bedol was supervising provincial elections in the southern province of Maguindanao, where independent poll observers alleged massive cheating took place in mid-term elections on May 14.
Witnesses also said votes were rigged to favour pro-government candidates.
The arrest follows a call by the Elections Commission for Lintang Bedol to be arrested after he failed to answer a summons to produce election documents which he claimed had disappeared from his office.
Mr Bedol was supervising provincial elections in the southern province of Maguindanao, where independent poll observers alleged massive cheating took place in mid-term elections on May 14.
Witnesses also said votes were rigged to favour pro-government candidates.
Philippine military chief says kidnapped Italian priest is alive
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