Philippine President Duterte's State of the Nation Address (Sona) (tags)
DUTERTE’S SONA – MORE SWEARING THAN ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Philippines: The fate of peace in Mindanao hangs in the balance (tags)
Akbayan statement on the video of killing of injured SAF trooper
Mindanao, Philippines: An Appeal for All-out Justice; All-out Peace (tags)
Today, we reiterate the collective call to give justice to all who have perished in this tragedy and to ask that we recommit ourselves to a lasting peace in Mindanao.
Akbayan welcomes Philippines-MILF deal with hopes for inclusive peace (tags)
Akbayan Party today said it welcomes with high hopes the signing of the last annex to the Framework Agreement on the Bangsamoro between the Aquino government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).
MILF to CPP: Judge not by your way (tags)
Mindanao, Philippines: The Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) has been mum on the criticisms hurled against it by the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP). We know it is not beneficial to both organizations if they are dragged into the verbal tussle. However, it is not good either if the MILF allows the one-way verbal assault continues. There must be a brake to it by way of this explanation.
On the Peace Framework Signing between the Philippine Government and the MILF (tags)
Official Statement of the Rebolusyonaryong Partido ng Manggagawa - Mindanao (RPM-M) on the Peace Framework Signing between the Government of the Philippines (GPH) and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF)
PHILIPPINES: On the Bangsamoro Framework Agreement (tags)
The Alliance of Progressive Labor (APL) joins the Filipino people, especially the Bangsamoros in Mindanao, in welcoming, although guardedly, the historic signing today of the Framework Agreement on the Bangsamoro between the Philippine government (GPH) and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).
NDF PRAISES MILF FOR STAND VS USARIII SHAM PEACE TALKS (tags)
The Alliance News today learned that o March 29, 2012: During the 43rd Anniversary of the New People’s Army (NPA), the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) had praised the leadership of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and its peace panel for their steadfastness in asserting the right to self-determination of the Moros in the face of consistent plot of the Philippine government to hoodwink them to capitulating.
NDF-MINDANAO REAFFIRM COMMITMENT TO NDF-MILF ALLIANCE (tags)
The EPCC NEWS based in Los Angeles reported today that the NDF-Mindanao thru its spokesperson Jorge Madlos reaffirmed the rebel alliance with the MILF in the island of Mindanao. Madlos said that: ? The breaking of diplomatic protocol by the respective principals of the Government of the Philippines (GPH) and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), for the sake of achieving a final peace settlement is admirable if only the outcome of their talks truly serve the best interest of the Moro and non-Moro peoples alike.? The NDF also said; ? Such an agreement must be based on the Moro people?s genuine right to self-determination, sovereignty, patrimony, and basic economic and political reforms that shall mainly benefit the long-suffering Bangsamoro.
AQUINO III, MURAD OF MILF HELD TALKS IN TOKYO FOR TWO HOURS (tags)
The Alliance News (AN) learned today through media reports from Manila that President Benigno Aquino III left the country unannounced on Thursday night to hold unprecedented talks with a Muslim rebel leader in Japan. According to AN, Mr. Aquino met for two hours with Murad Ebrahim, chair of the secessionist Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), in a hotel near the Narita airport in Tokyo on Thursday evening, the first time a Philippine president has met face-to-face with a leader of the rebel group since on-and-off peace talks started 14 years ago. The MILF called Mr. Aquino?s effort a ?grand gesture? that gave ?a tremendous boost to the peace process.? Ghadzali Jaafar, the MILF political affairs chief, said it was ?a fruitful meeting.?
Philippine peace process gaining headway (tags)
Upon assuming office a year ago, President Benigno S. Aquino III declared that the government was ready to resume peace talks with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and the Communist National Democratic Front (NDF) without pre-condition and repeated it in his first State-of-the-Nation Address (SONA).
MILF PLEDGES BANGSAMORO SUBSTATE WILL BE JUST FOR ALL (tags)
The Alliance Philippines (AJLPP) welcomes the pronoucement of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) that pledges that the Bangsamoro self-governance setup it seeks to be established in Mindanao will not be unjust to non-Moros. ?A just undertaking, pursuing legitimate and civilized methods will always result in just outcome,? MILF chief peace negotiator Mohagher Iqbal told civil society leaders during a recent dialogue here in Cagayan De Oro City, Mindanao last June 13, 2011 The AJLPP appreciates that the Monday?s dialogue with civil society was held by the MILF. This is the 14th was since March. The government panel also held its 31st consultation last week in Tawi-tawi.In Iligan City, chancellor Sukarno Tanggol of the Mindanao State University-Iligan Institute of Technology (MSU-IIT) expressed hope that such dialogues will spell success for the Mindanao peace process.
ON MILF-GPH PEACE TALKS: AJLPP SUPPORTS MILF DEMAND (tags)
The Alliance-Philippines or the AJLPP supports the demand of the largest Muslim revolutionary group in the Philippines that urged the Philippines government to end a decades-long armed struggle by the 11,000-strong Moro Islamic Liberation Front for Muslim self-rule in the southern Philippines, the homeland of minority Muslims in the mostly Roman Catholic country. The Alliance noted that in the speech of MILF chief negotiator Mohagher Iqbal pointed out that peace talks has been "too long a process." The exploratory talks was held yesterday April 26-27, 2011 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The Alliance noted that the Philippine government and the Muslim groups have been negotiating with the government since 1976. The peace talks had been off and one since then in a classic “ talk, talk, fight, fight “ mood. Iqbal urged the Philippine government to submit a draft of a comprehensive accord when both sides hold their next meeting in Kuala Lumpur. Upcoming talks are expected in June.
MILF Hits Stalled Peace Talks with GRP (tags)
The US based EPCC NEWS learned today from Cotabato City that a senior official of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front has expressed his doubt about the resumption of peace talks with the government by January in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, even as he has called for the release of all MILF members in prison. In in a statement issued Sunday to media sources in the Philippines said that MILF chief negotiator Mohagher Iqbal doubted whether that would happen. “Without a facilitator, how would the talks resume? The government's continued character assassination of the Malaysian facilitator is not doing any good to the peace process,” he said.
The NDF reaffirms its commitment to the MILF and the Bangsamoro struggle for genuine self- (tags)
The PESANTE NEWS learned today through news sources from Mindanao that the National Democratic Front - Mindanao (NDF-Mindanao) shares with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) in raising concern with regard to the capability and sincerity of the Government of the Republic of the Philippines (GRP), presently under Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino III, in undertaking peace negotiations as a venue to address the just demands of the Bangsamoro. The NDF spokesperson Jorge Madlos said " GRP would have the Moro as well as the Filipino people believe that credible talks under a favorable atmosphere for peace with the MILF would promptly resume after the Holy Ramadan, but all indicators point otherwise.
US-Aquino Regime Dismisses MILF Threats as “Posturings” (tags)
The Alliance News of the AJLPP noted today that in apparent bid to dismiss or ignore the warnings of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) warning that it is preparing for war in case the peace talks do not resume soon, the US-Aquino spokesman called the warnings “posturing.” “I guess it’s just posturing on their part,” said presidential spokesperson Edwin Lacierda. “We get positive information from them that they are also eager to pursue the peace process. “Maybe they are worried that the peace process wouldn’t push through,” Lacierda said of the remarks attributed to MILF chair Ebrahim Murad.
NDF/MILF READY FOR THE TALKS WITH GRP IN THE PHILIPPINES (tags)
The EPCC NEWS based in Los Angeles learned today from media source in Manila Philippines that the main Philippines rebel groups said on Tuesday they were willing to resume peace talks after an offer from President Benigno Aquino III, but ending insurgencies that have hobbled development remains far from certain.
MILF, AFP clash in Lanao del Norte today (tags)
The LA based PESANTE NEWS learned today April 17, 2010 - MILF forces and government forces locked up in bloody fighting early today in Payong, Sultan Naga Dimaporo in Lanao del Norte. Sketchy report reaching www.luwaran.com said the government forces entered the said village in full battle gear and started firing indiscriminately that eventually resulted in a clash with MILF forces under Commander Latif.
Estrada an ‘enemy of Islam,’ declares MILF in ‘fatwa’ (tags)
Estrada an ‘enemy of Islam,’ declares MILF in ‘fatwa’ "After studying the actions and policies of Mr. Estrada before and after his election as president until this present time, we found out that he is really an enemy of Islam," MILF quoted the Bangsamoro Supreme Council of Ulama as saying. Ex-movie star Estrada, who publicly opposes peace talks, is polling in third place in the opinion polls, nine years after he was ousted in a bloodless military coup that followed his impeachment for corruption.
MILF vows neutrality in May polls in Mindanao (tags)
The EPCC NEWS gathered from news sources from Cotabato City that the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) has reiterated its apolitical stand in the May 10 elections, warning that violators will be dealt with under its own judicial system. “So far, there is no report of violation from the MILF hierarchy and its armed forces regarding the directive,” MILF peace negotiator Ali “Jun” Mantawil told the Inquirer in a roundtable discussion with Inquirer Mindanao on Saturday.
WHOSE COUNTRY IS IT ANYWAY? (tags)
After 11 years of peace negotiations between the Philippine government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, the two sides were close to a deal known as the Memorandum of Agreement on Ancestral Domain. This was essentially an agreement that would have granted points of autonomy to the Moro people in Mindanao and the Southern Philippines. Just before the signing, the government stopped the negotiations on Sept. 3 and plunged into attack mode. They launched joint police-military offensives against the MILF and civilians. Since then, more than 500,000 people, mostly women and children, have been forced to abandon homes and thrown into refugee camps. Now, one-third of the Philippines is on the verge of erupting into open warfare. I'm not talking about your garden variety guerilla skirmishes here and there. The Moro Islamic Liberation Front and their allies have proven capable of launching conventional maneuvers into the theater in the past. Add to that milieu the very vibrant Communist led New People's Army Southern Command and of course the reactionary group Abu Sayyaf - then you have a situation that could explode into a conflict that could rival the Balkans in the 90's.
MILF, SUARA BANGSA MORO SCOFFED AT AMPATUAN CLAIMS (tags)
The AJLPP NEWS sources learned today that The Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and the Suara Bangsamoro,scoffed at the claim of Datu Unsay Mayor Andal Ampatuan Jr. that MILF rebels were behind the Nov. 23 mass murder in Maguindanao. MILF vice chair for political affairs Ghadzali Jaafar said Ampatuan’s claim was “absurd” and that “even a small kid would not believe it.” MILF spokesperson Eid Kabalu said it was “a mediocre attempt to divert the issue.” “Who would believe that?” Kabalu said.
Absurd,’ says MILF on Ampatuan claim that MILF behind the Maguindanao massacre (tags)
The Alliance-Philippines or the AJLPP learned today from news sources that the Moro Islamic Liberation Front branded as “absurd” claims by the prime suspect in the massacre in Maguindanao province that the Muslim rebel group was behind the killings. "This is absurd, even a small kid would not believe it," said MILF vice chairman for political affairs Ghadzali Jaafar.
The War in Afghanistan and its Implications in the Philippines (tags)
For the Alliance-Philippines, the escalating US-War in Afghanistan has a very special implication to the revolutionary movement in the Philippines. It is not only because there are 5 million Muslims in the Philippines, but also because there is an existing civil war in the Philippines centered in the 2nd largest island of Mindanao. It also indirectly affects the Filipino community abroad as in North America specially here in the United States. The existing civil war between the MILF with the Philippine government and the NPA has dragged on for more than 37 years. It just intensifies in varying degrees in between negotiations; ceasefires and changes in the US supported regimes. The civil war that started when President Ferdinand Marcos declared martial law in 1972 has claimed more than 30,000 lives, and at present affected more than 2 million people and 650,000 refugees in Mindanao.
Peace now, Resume the Peace Talks, Now! (tags)
The Alliance for Just and Lasting Peace in the Philippines (AJLPP) with the five million strong Filipino American community in the United States wrote to you in the interest of true justice and lasting peace in the Philippines. The Alliance-Philippines (AJLPP) expresses its alarm and consternation on the recent developments on the peace talks between the Philippine government and the National Democratic Front (NDF) and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF). We are greatly troubled that the Philippines have never known a period of relative peace since 1972 when the US-Marcos dictatorship waged war against the New People’s Army (NPA and the National Democratic Front (NDF) and the Moro people represented by the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) until it surrendered in 1996 and then by the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF). Up to now Mindanao is a battle ground with more 2.6 million people affected by the war and more or less 750,000 war refugees in Central Mindanao and elsewhere.
More clashes erupts in Basilan; MILF says it will resist government attacks (tags)
AJLPP news sources in Manila reported that another clash erupted between government security forces and the terrorist Abu Sayyaf Group in Basilan province yesterday afternoon as a top leader of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) in the province said elements of the MILF are ready to fight all-out when attacked by government forces. Yesterday’s encounter resulted in the wounding of one Marine soldier while an undetermined number of bandits were believed to have either been killed or wounded, according to the military.
BAKBAKAN NG AFP AT MILF, TUMITINDI (tags)
Tumitindi ang bakbakan ng MILF laban sa AFP ganoon din ang iba’t ibang pwersang military tulad ng NPA na lumalaban sa rehimeng US-Arroyo. Ayon sa mga balitaan na nakuha ng PESANTE NEWS, mahigit 15 tropa ng AFP ang napatay at mahigit 38 ang nasugatan sa matinding labanan sa probinsya ng Maguindanao ng maglaban ang mga tropa ng MILF sa ilalim nila Commander Umbra Kato at Bravo laban sa 10th Army division.
DDR REJECTED IN A PEACE FORUM (tags)
AJLPP learned though media souces that in a peace dialogue dubbed “Conversation on Peace”, DDR (demilitarization, demobilization and Reintegration) was one of the hotly examined issues. It was severely critized and rejected in the forum. The dialogue was facilitated by the Philippine Council of Evangelical Churches (PCEC) at the Asian Institute of Management, Makati City on February 5-8, 2009,
ARROYO SNUBBED AGAIN BY OBAMA (tags)
US President Barack Obama is proving to be a very elusive prey for a Philippine President supposedly dogging him for a meeting. Instead Arroyo met withUS State Secretary Clinton. Ms Arroyo briefed Clinton on the government’s refocusing the campaign for peace in Mindanao from the armed groups to dialogues with communities, and that engagement with insurgent groups like the secessionist Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) would be about “disarmament, demobilization and rehabilitation”.
MILF SETS CONDITIONS FOR PEACE TALKS (tags)
The Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) has set its conditions for the resumption of the GRP-MILF Peace talks in the coming new year-2009. The AJLPP sources learned that based on the an earlier decision by the MILF Central Committee and Chairman Al Haj Murad Ebrahim, issued the statement on December 26, 2008. Murad said the MILF is “open to resume the ‘collapsed’ or stalled” peace negotiations with the Philippine government.
MILF OFFICIAL STAND ON PEACE TALKS WITH GRP (tags)
The Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) has announced its official stand on the resumption of the GRP-MILF Peace. The AJLPP sources learned that based on the an earlier decision promulgated by the its Central Committee, Chairman Al Haj Murad Ebrahim, issued the statement on December 26, 2008. Murad said the MILF is “open to resume the ‘collapsed’ or stalled” peace negotiations with the Philippine government. This in deference to the call of both the local and international communities to resume the talks and stop the fighting and to the standing policy of the MILF that the track of peace and negotiation is the “most practical and civilized way of solving the age-old Moro Problem and armed conflict in Mindanao.”
PHILIPPINE POLITICS HEATS UP FOR MAY 2010 ELECTIONS (tags)
MILF CONDEMNS ILAGAN CITY BLASTS (tags)
The Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) on Friday condemned the recent Iligan twin blasts as evil acts and vehemently denied to being the perpetrator of the atrocity that claimed the lives of not only the Christian residents of Iligan City but even the Muslims as well. Eid Kabalu, MILF spokesman and civil-military affairs chief, told The Manila Times that the MILF as an organization has nothing to do with the bombing that killed three persons and injuring 47 others.
BISHOPS-ULAMA CONFERENCE CALLS FOR PEACE TALKS IN THE PHILIPPINES (tags)
The Bishops-Ulama Conference (BUC), yesterday called on the government and the MILF to immediately resume the stalled peace talks. The BUC made the call in a joint statement it issued during the three-day 35th General Assembly in Jolo, Sulu, which ended Nov. 21. The joint statement was signed by Davao Archbishop Fernando Capalla; Hilario Gomez Jr., bishop emeritus of the United Church of Christ in the Philippines (UCCP); and Dr. Hamid Barra of the Ulama League of the Philippines. “We appeal to let the peace talks between the GRP and the MILF continue, in whatever level or means possible, and let peace panels be convened as soon as the situation allows it,” the BUC said.
GYERA SA MINDANAO-LUMALALA (tags)
Ayon sa pinakahuling ulat ng grupong Pesante-USA, parami nang parami ang bilang ng mga sibilyang Morong binibiktima ng mababangis na operasyong militar ng Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) sa ilang bahagi ng Mindanao. Ayon sa ulat ng International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) na nahalaw ng Pesante, noong Oktubre 29, sa mga evacuation center sa Datu Piang, Maguindanao pa lamang ay mayroon nang 55,000 indibidwal na nagsilikas sa kani-kanilang mga tahanan, mula sa 35,000 katao noong Agosto. Mula Agosto hanggang ikatlong linggo ng Oktubre, umaabot na sa 127,164 pamilya o 611,753 indibidwal ang naaapektuhan ng mga sagupaan sa pagitan ng MILF at AFP sa mga prubinsya ng Lanao del Norte, Lanao del Sur, Sultan Kudarat at Maguindanao.
Very few people know that the US military is directly involved in the fierce fighting going on in the Philippines between the Moro insurgents and the corrupt and brutal Arroyo regime supported by the Bush neocons and the warmongering Pentagon planners. Will you continue to allow US tax dollars to be wasted in this barbaric genocidal war against indigenous peoples? Over a thousand extrajudicial killings and "forced disappearances" under Arroyo's tenure, plus a few hundred Muslims dead as "collateral damage," may be the signs of US "benevolent hegemony" (Robert Kagan) and US "magnanimous imperial power" (Dinesh D'Souza). McKinley's "Benevolent Assimilation" lives on!
Philippine Government Launches New War on Muslim Groups (tags)
War officially came to southern Philippines again as the government of Gloria Macapagal Arroyo unilaterally put an end to eleven years of negotiations with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) September 3. A month early the government abruptly broke off talks with the MILF on the eve of signing an autonomy pact. There are numerous reports of U.S. Special Forces accompanying Philippines Army units on their deadly sweeps in the Bangsamoro (land of the Moro people) region. More than 100 people have been killed so far and half a million refugees have fled from the fighting. Bourgeois liberals and the petty-bourgeois left lamely call on the government to resume the “peace process,” which in any case was only intended to wear down the insurgents. Revolutionaries instead seek to mobilize Philippine workers to drive out all U.S. forces, whatever their legal status; to force the withdrawal of the AFP from the contested southern areas; and to defend the Bangsamoro people and their right to self-determination.
US BLAMED FOR MINDANAO WAR (tags)
With more than 500,000 people in Northern and Central Mindanao as war refugees due to the AFP and MILF fighting, the Alliance Philippines (AJLPP) placed the blame on the United States for intervening in the Mindanao Conflict. As of the press time, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) based in Geneva, Switzerland have confirmed that more than 500,000 war refugees were affected by the current fighting in the two Lanao provinces, Cotabato and Davao provinces, Maguindanao and Saranggani due to the escalation of the conflict The AJLPP pointed out; “ If the United States did not advised President Arroyo to negotiate and affirm the Memorandum of Agreement on Ancestral Domain without transparent consultations with all concerned parties, the situation will not turn from bad to worse.
AJLPP CONDEMNS US INTERVENTION IN MINDANAO (tags)
With more than 500,000 people in Northern and Central Mindanao due to the AFP and MILF fighting, the Alliance Philippines (AJLPP) placed the blame on the United States for intervening in the Mindanao Conflict. As of the press time, another the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) based in Geneva, Switzerland have confirmed that more than 500,000 war refugees were affected by the current fighting in the two Lanao provinces, Cotabato and Davao provinces, Maguindanao and Saranggani due to the escalation of the conflict The AJLPP pointed out; “ that if the United States did not advised President Arroyo to negotiate and affirm the Memorandum of Agreement on Ancestral Domain without transparent consultations with all concerned parties, the situation will not turn from bad to worse.
US FORCES HELPING IN OFFENSIVES VS MILF (tags)
Moro group on Tuesday said US forces have been helping in the offensives against Moro Islamic Liberation front rebels in Maguindanao. But the military denied it even in the wake of photos taken by the Philippine Daily Inquirer which showed US forces holding an unmanned aerial vehicle during the early days of the offensive against the forces of MILF Commanders Ameril Ombra Kato and Wahid Tundok.
The National Democratic Front (NDF) in Southern Mindanao hits the Arroyo regime for feigning innocence and doublespeak while covertly sponsoring the resurgence of vigilante groups like the notorious Ilaga, now called the Reform Ilaga Movement. Mike Santiago, spokesperson of the Reform Ilaga Movement, recently announced they will heed the call of North Cotabato Vice Governor Emmanuel Piñol of "restraining themselves from intervening in the already worse situation in Mindanao but would immediately take action once civilians are attacked by members of Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF)." Ilaga, civilian volunteers' organization and police auxiliaries will be trained as fanatic fascist frontliners of the Arroyo regime. These groups will be used to wreak havoc not only against members of the MILF and the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People's Army-NDF (CPP-NPA-NDF), but more against the Bangsamoro people, indigenous peoples and settlers in Mindanao.
Panawagan sa Mamamayang Moro: Ipagpatuloy ang Diwang Mapanlaban, Biguin ang Atake ng USAR (tags)
Ngayon sa panahon ng Ramadan, hinihimok ng Moro Resistance and Liberation Organization ang mamamayang Moro na isabuhay ang ispiritu at panawagan ng Qur'an sa pagpapatupad ng tunay na kapayapaan at hustisya at paglaban sa pag-aapi at tiranya sa pamamagitan ng pag-igting ng pakikibaka para sa sariling pagpapasya at pagbigo sa atake ng rehimeng US-Arroyo.
The US-Arroyo regime is responsible for the death and damages caused by the war in Mindana (tags)
-The people must concentrate their anger and condemnation on the US-Arroyo regime as directly responsible on the deaths and damages of the people in Mindanao caused by the escalation of the armed clashes between the AFP and the MILF. The problem can be rooted to the US-dictated two pronged militarist policy of the regime which is the all-out war against the revolutionary movement led by the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) while neutralizing the Moro seccessionist movement of the MILF thru a deceptive and bogus peace process to finish the revolutionary movement in 2010. The militarist clique in the Arroyo regime never expected that the Memorandum of Agreement on the Ancestral Domain (MOA-AD) will ignite the chaos and war in Mindanao. This secret and hasty deal resulted to violent reaction and opposition from the pro and anti-Arroyo reactionary camp and the fake president will even face impeachment because of violations of the constitution. Arroyo got the worst fear of losing her warlord allies in Mindanao that helped her cheat the 2004 elections. Her ulterior motive of using the MOA-AD as a stepping stone for charter change (cha-cha) to remain in Malacanang was also exposed. The MILF's disgust and anger have basis when it was proven that the Arroyo regime is not sincere in the peace talks and on the agreement on ancestral domain and instead used these as a trap to demobilized and surrender of MILF.
US-Arroyo Regime Policy of "All Out Peace" Means "All Out War". (tags)
With profound sadness and most serious concern, the Alliance-Philippines (AJLPP through its West Coast Coordinator Arturo P. Garcia expresses dismay over the fate of the peace process with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and the Philippine Government. The AJLPP views President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo recent orders of a "thorough review" of all government peace initiatives after dissolving the panel negotiating with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), as bad faith, lacking in political will and a traditional display of political opportunism The AJLPP is alarmed by the growing number of people affected by the conflict. AJLPP sources have confirmed that more than 487,000 people have been dislocated by the ongoing military offensives in Northern and Central Mindanao. More than 200 soldiers and MILF fighters as well as civilians have been killed in the month old conflict.
STOP THE MILITARY OFFENSIVES, RESUME PEACE TALKS NOW! (tags)
The Alliance Philippines (AJLPP) expresses serious concern on the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) warned of a full-blown war with the peace process “in purgatory” after the government told the Supreme Court on Friday that a Moro homeland deal had been scrapped. The AJLPP also are very wary about reports that more than 400,000 people in Mindanao have been affected or dislocated by the heavy fighting as Ramadan sets in. MILF chief negotiator Mohaqher Iqbal told Reuters news agency that the MILF was no longer confident it could strike a final peace agreement under President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s administration. “We might as well wait for the next president after the 2010 elections,” Iqbal said. “She is just trying to save her own neck. That’s why she was not willing to defend the peace agreement and was also willing to sacrifice everything just to stay in power.”
FIGHTING CONTINUES AS RAMADAN BEGINS (tags)
The Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) Sunday warned of a full-blown war with the peace process “in purgatory” after the government told the Supreme Court on Friday that a Moro homeland deal had been scrapped. MILF chief negotiator Mohaqher Iqbal told Reuters news agency that the MILF was no longer confident it could strike a final peace agreement under President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s administration.
OPPOSITION BET MAYOR BINAY BLASTS GMA IN LA VISIT (tags)
Presumptive presidential candidate for the President of the Philippines. Makati Ciy mayor Jejomar Binay held a press conference at Bahay Kubo restaurant in Historic Filipinotown Los Angeles, yesterday, August 27,2008. Addressing a jam packed hall with Filipino community leaders from all over California, Mayor Jojo Binay lambasted the failed policies of current Philippine President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo in his capacity as the PDP-Laban president and the United Opposition (UNO), He is reportedly supported by former President Joseph “Erap”Estrada.
On the Ancestral Land MOA of the MILF and GRP and the Escalation of Hostilities (tags)
The Cordillera Peoples' Democratic Front (CPDF) expresses deep concern and condemns the war of aggression being waged by the US-backed reactionary Armed Forces of the Philippines that has caused the evacuation of hundreds of thousands of both Christian and Moro people in Mindanao. It likewise condemns US direct intervention in the war-torn south.
AFP OFFENSIVES AS RAMADAN SETS IN (tags)
The AJLPP and the media sources including Luwaran.com of the MILF confirmed that the AFP offensive in Mindanao grounds into a halt as Ramadan, the holy month of the Muslim world sets in. More than 300,000 people have been dislocated by the fighting between the AFP and the MILF. The campaign by the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) to encircle and finally finish off MILF Commander Bravo Macapaar and his 102nd BIAF Base Command has been terribly foiled by the heavy losses in men and materiel on the part of the invading force. This was reported by the Luwaran.com This is notwithstanding the far superior manpower being utilized by the AFP in the campaign and the sheer air and ground firepower to back up the assaulting troops on the ground. According to ground information an initial of four infantry battalions have been thrown into the fray against Commander Bravo.
Frustrate Arroyo's Cha-cha and All out War (tags)
By declaring all-out military offensive against the Moro Islamic Liberation Front days after unravelling moves to amend the GRP Constitution, Gloria Arroyo has thoroughly exposed her shameless ambition to perpetuate herself in power. Militarization and federalism will not solve the problems of Mindanao and the Moro people; they will only aggravate them. Arroyo and her minions attempt to play their cards well. They try to up the sagging morale of AFP troops after losing to many tactical offensives by the New People's Army by now chest-beating against the MILF and its commanders.
AJLPP CONDEMNS US INTERVENTION IN MINDANAO (tags)
“We want peace now, stop the Philippine military offensives in Mindanao.” The Alliance-Philippines strongly demanded that the US-Arroyo regime stop all military offensives in Mindanao and return to negotiations. The AJLPP also condemned the US armed intervention in Mindanao. This as the number of war refugees swelled up to 300,000 from 210,000 in two weeks as the conflict escalates. The AJLPP also supports the stand of Manila Auxiliary Bishop Broderick Pabillo that “arming civilians would not help the government’s efforts to restore peace in southern Philippines. He said, “We are against it, because violence can never be a solution. It will not solve the problem,”
AJLPP Calls for The Resumption of Peace Talks, Warns of US Intervention (tags)
The Alliance-Philippines (AJLPP) reiterates its call for the US-Arroyo regime and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) to resume peace talks and go back to the negotiations in the light of heavy fighting in the south that displaced almost 170,000 people. The AJLPP also views with deep concern the unseen hand of US intervention. News about US military forces helping AFP troops in their operations against the MILF is disconcerting. The prouncements of US Ambassador Kristie Kenney that feigns innocence over US involvement is also unsettling.
AFP orders Military Offensive Vs MILF, Fighting Escalates in Mindanao (tags)
The Alliance-Philippines (AJLPP) reiterates its call for the US-Arroyo regime and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) to resume peace talks and go back to the negotiations in the light of heavy fighting in the south. The AJLPP expressed concern about the escalation of violence and fighting in the South as the President ordered the military to “defend every inch of the Philippine territory and condemns the treacherous and sneaky attacks by the MILF” in Mindanao.
Mindanao Bishops, MILF: pursue peace process, call for ceasefire (tags)
The Mindanao Bishops and Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) reiterated their commitment to pursue the realm of peace, justice, solidarity and development as well as the peaceful resolution of the Mindanao conflict and Bangsamoro problem through the ongoing peace process between the government and MILF. “The MILF and the Bishops reiterate unwavering moral commitment to pursue the path to peace, solidarity, justice and development in Mindanao, and resolve and support to the continuation of the peace process between the MILF and the government until its successful conclusion is achieved,” stated in their Joint Communique’ issued after their peace dialogue held at the Archbishop’s Residence in Davao City on August 14, 2008.
STOP THE MILITARY OFFENSIVES, RESUME PEACE TALKS NOW! (tags)
he Alliance-Philippines (AJLPP) based in the United States calls on the US-Arroyo Regime to stop its military offensives against the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) armed forces in the Central Mindanao areas and resume peace talks now. According to media sources from the Philippines, more than 160,000 people were affected by the fighting between the AFP and the MILF in six towns of central Mindanao. At least 60 AFP troops have been killed since the week-old fighting erupted.
STOP THE MILITARY OFFENSIVES, RESUME PEACE TALKS NOW! (tags)
The Alliance-Philippines (AJLPP) based in the United States calls on the US-Arroyo Regime to stop its military offensives against the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) armed forces in the Central Mindanao areas and resume peace talks now. According to media sources from the Philippines, more than 160,000 people were affected by the fighting between the AFP and the MILF in six towns of central Mindanao. At least 60 AFP troops have been killed since the week-old fighting erupted.
STOP THE MILITARY OFFENSIVES IN MINDANAO! (tags)
The Alliance-Philippines (AJLPP) based in the United States calls on the US-Arroyo Regime to stop its military offensives against the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) armed forces in the Central Mindanao areas and resume peace talks now. The US-Arroyo regime has no to blame and is responsible for all the troubles when it went into the motions of signing an aborted MOA on ancestral domain and tried to delayed the ARMM elections. The “grand scheme” of the US-Arroyo regime to change the constitution, federalize Mindanao by using the ARMM provision to effect change and perpetuate Arroyo’s illegitimate rule. The AJLPP vehemently condemns some elements among the opposition, the ruling class and the Catholic Church for whipping up anti-Muslim sentiments and a crusade for vigilantism against the unsigned MOA accord. More than 160,000 people have been affected by the fighting between the AFP and the MILF in six towns of central Mindanao.
Usapang pangkapayapaan sa MILF (tags)
Panloloko, pagtatraydor at pananabotahe ang ginagawa ng rehimeng Arroyo sa usapang pangkapayapaan nito sa Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF). Kunwa'y nakikipagnegosasyon ito sa MILF pero ang tunay na pakay ng rehimeng Arroyo ay gamitin ang prosesong pangkapayapaan para muling itulak ang pakana nitong charter change o pagbabago ng konstitusyon. Sakaling bumalik sa puspusang paglulunsad ng armadong pakikibaka ang MILF, gagamitin din itong sangkalan ni Arroyo para makapaglunsad ng todo-todong opensibang militar at magpataw ng emergency rule kundiman batas militar.
Gov’t-MILF clashes go on in Cotabato (tags)
Skirmishes between government security forces and a group of Moro rebels in Libungan town in North Cotabato continued Monday, spilling over into the next town. “The fighting involving soldiers and MILF rebels had been ongoing since Sunday and now it escalated into Pigcawayan. The rebels are led by Commander Umbra Kato. The rebels are harvesting the crops of Christian settlers,” North Cotabato Gov. Jesus Sacdalan said. But Eid Kabalu, MILF’s civil military affairs chief, told the Inquirer that they had not received reports that the fighting had escalated into the neighboring town.
MILF asks gov’t to postpone ARMM election (tags)
Before the peace talks ended yesterday, July 17, the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) peace panel had asked the Philippine government through its chief peace negotiator, Secretary Rodolfo Garcia, to postpone the forthcoming election in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) in August 11 in deference to the ongoing GRP-MILF Peace Talks. The request was relayed by the MILF chief peace negotiator, Mohagher Iqbal, in tandem with their decision to forego with the word “freedom” that finally sealed the marathon talks on ancestral domain. The talks protracted for three years and seven months, which had been interrupted not only by impasses but also by intermittent skirmishes on the ground.
MILF attacks meant to push peace talks’ revival — AFP (tags)
A senior military official said the Muslim separatist Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) is stepping up attacks in Mindanao in a bid to pressure the government into restarting its stalled peace talks with the rebel group. Meanwhile, the MILF blames the AFP for the attacks. According to Regional Army chief Maj. Gen. Reymundo Ferrer, elements within the MILF want to put pressure on the government to resume the talks by launching the attacks.
Tensions in Mindanao seen to rise as peacekeepers pull out (tags)
Malaysian peacekeepers began a phased withdrawal from the Philippines' troubled south on Saturday, raising worries that decades of Muslim rebellion in the mainly Catholic nation may resume. Twenty-eight of 41 Malaysian soldiers and police officers were picked up by two army transport planes at three points on the southern island of Mindanao and flown to a base in the Malaysian province of Sabah. The remnants of the 60-member International Monitoring Team (IMT), including 10 soldiers from Brunei, eight from Libya and a Japanese development worker, were expected to pack their bags and go home by the end of August.
Gov’t faces blank wall on KL role in peace talks (tags)
The Government of the Philippines based in Manila has failed to get an assurance from Malaysia that it will continue to broker the peace process between the Philippine government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF). Malaysia’s role in the peace talks became uncertain as its Foreign Minister Rais Yatim, who met with Philippine officials led by President Arroyo, yesterday in Manila, was non-committal on the request of the Philippine government to continue facilitating the peace negotiations.
RP ‘surprised’ at Malaysia monitors’ pullout (tags)
he Philippines on Tuesday said it was surprised at Malaysia’s decision to end its monitoring mission to the troubled southern Mindanao island this year. The government’s chief peace adviser Jesus Dureza said he had just finished a trip to Kuala Lumpur and officials there had given “no indication of any announcement of total withdrawal.” “I feel that we, as neighbors, should be working very closely for peace,” Dureza said. “I am confident that Malaysia will be with us all the way.”
MILF doubts gov't can keep vow to UN rights body (tags)
An official of the Muslim secessionist group Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) has expressed doubts that the government would be able to keep its promise to a United Nations body to put a stop to the string of killings of local journalists and activists as well as to protect the rights of all Filipinos, even those who express dissent against the state. Khaled Musa, deputy chairman of the MILF committee on information, doubted the government vow, saying the head of the Philippine delegation to the recent conference by United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) in Geneva, Switzerland, Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita, �has blood in his hands� with the deaths of a number of members of activist groups in the Philippines. Musa hinted that Ermita may not be serious in making the vow as he has been a key government official during the country�s most darkest periods for those who spoke against the state. He noted that Ermita not only is one of the most influential officials in the present administration, being President Arroyo�s alter-ego, but also had held various key roles during the martial law times under the leadership of the late strongman Ferdinand Marcos.
Delay in peace talks deliberate, says MILF (tags)
The Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), the largest Muslim separatist rebel group in the country, accused Manila on Wednesday of delaying the peace talks. Manila is negotiating peace with the MILF, an army of about 12,000 rebels with millions of Muslim supporters. Peace talks were stalled after both sides failed to sign an agreement on the Muslim ancestral domain.
Moro group hits GMA’s ‘timeline’ to end rebellion in Mindanao (tags)
A ranking official of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front-Central Committee has criticized President Arroyo for her recent speech at the local Peace and Security Assembly in Mindanao where she reiterated her 2010 “timeline to end armed rebellion” in the region without specifically stating the current government-MILF peace process as the main component.
On the Stalled MILF-GRP Peace Talks (tags)
The Alliance for Just and lasting Peace in the Philippines (AJLPP) through its National Coordinator Mario Santos expressed dismay over the break-off of peace talks between the Moro Islamic Front (MILF) and the Government of the Philippines (GRP ) last December 16,2007. The AJLPP’s Santos saidthat the news is bad for the cause of peace, learned through media sources that the scheduled exploratory talks between the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on Saturday did not push through after the MILF backed out of the meeting due to a dispute over a draft agreement on territorial boundaries. The MILF rejected the inclusion by government negotiators of the phrase “constitutional process” in the proposed draft Memorandum of Agreement on ancestral domain as the mode for implementation of the agreement.
Ermita, 2 Cabinet men ‘spoilers’ of talks — MILF (tags)
he Moro Islamic Libe-ration Front (MILF) has accused the Arroyo administration of being a “spoiler” of the peace negotiations, noting that three Cabinet officials are “steering the talks to an unknown direction,” saying like before the MILF is being tricked. MILF secretariat chair-man Muhammad Ameen, in a statement posted on the group’s Web site, yesterday also doubted President Arroyo’s sincerity in signing a peace agreement before she steps down in 2010. “There are many spoilers of the peace process espe-cially in Mindanao, but all those are secondary, and the main or worst spoilers are those in the govern-ment itself,” he noted.
AJLLP CALLS FOR A JUST AND LASTING PEACE IN MINDANAO (tags)
The Alliance for A Just and Lasting Peace in the Philippines (AJLPP) –USA reiterates its call for a stop on the ongoing war in Mindanao. The AJLPP through its National Coordinator Mario Santos today vehemently condemns the lack of sincerity on the part of the US-Arroyo regime in pursuing the peace negotiations with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and the National Democratic Front (NDF).
GRP-MILF TALKS CANCELLED (tags)
he resumption of peace talks between the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) will not push through today in Malaysia as earlier announced, but a Palace official said the raging armed hostilities in Mindanao have nothing to do with the development. Press Secretary Ignacio Bunye earlier said the peace talks would resume as scheduled despite the offensive against the Abu Sayyaf in Basilan, saying the MILF was not the target of the military operation.
US-Arroyo’s Double Talk: Talking Peace, Waging War (tags)
The Alliance for A Just and Lasting Peace in the Philippines (AJLPP) –USA express its serious and deep concern over the ongoing war in Mindanao the Philippine armed forces in Basilan and Sulu is waging that have claimed more than 100 lives in three separate clashes since the second week of July.
MILF UNFAZED BY ARREST WARRANTS, MILITARY OFFENSIVE (tags)
The Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) is unfazed by the threat of “punitive action” from the government and urged it to review first the provisions of the ceasefire agreement before serving the warrants of arrest on those allegedly involved in the July 10 ambush of Marines in Basilan. MILF chief negotiator Muhaquer Iqbal said they are unfazed by the military’s threat to arrest those behind the ambush.
State raises concession in ultimatum to MILF (tags)
Making it more apparent that it is walking on eggshells on the matter, the government yesterday said while its set deadline for it had lapsed last Sunday, its doors are still open to the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) to surrender its members who were responsible for killing 14 Marines soldiers after an encounter in the island province of Basilan in the South two weeks ago. Government peace panel chief Rodolfo Garcia told reporters in an interview that even after its ultimatum had passed with the Muslim secessionist group ignoring its call, the government still hopes the MNLF’s leadership would be honorable enough to yield its members who killed 14 Marines soldiers, and even beheaded and mutilated the bodies of 10 of them, in an accidental clash in Tipo-Tipo, Basilan last July 10.
AFP chief gives green light for Basilan offensive (tags)
Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief Gen. Hermogenes Esperon Jr. issued an order yesterday to the troops currently on standby in Basilan to commence military operations in the island province. “It’s all systems go. The units can now start punitive actions against the perpetrators. The orders have been given,” said AFP Public Information Office (PIO) chief Lt. Col. Bartolome Bacarro, referring to military actions against those behind the beheading of the 10 Marines during the July 10 ambush in Tipo-Tipo. Brig. Gen. Juancho Sabban, deputy chief of the Western Mindanao Command (Wesmincom), was designated to head the newly formed Task Force Meteor aimed at capturing the group responsible for the ambush.
Response to Philippine President Arroyo’s State of the Nation Address (SONA) on July 23 (tags)
The Alliance for a Just and Lasting Peace in the Philippines (AJLPP) or Alliance-Philippines, , strongly denounce Bush “ally” Philippine president Gloria Arroyo for going forward with the implementation of an Anti-Terror Law (ATL), euphemistically called the Human Security Act, in the Philippines. Arroyo’s Puppet Hypocrisy and US Intervention AJLPP strongly denounce the hypocrisy of the US- Arroyo regime for painting a rosy picture of the Philippines while poverty, corruption and repression grips the land. The Arroyo regime pretends to be interested in resuming peace talks with both the Philippine revolutionary movement represented by the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) while it ordered an attack against the MILF. The fascist regime continues its alarming spree of extra-judicial killings (now more than 870 since Arroyo took office in 2001) against political opponents and critics, and unleashes legalized fascism against the entire Filipino people through the implementation of the Anti-Terror Law.
MILF given one week to surrender ambushers (tags)
---THE Armed Forces on Wednesday gave the Moro Islamic Liberation Front seven days to surrender its fighters that took part in a bloody battle with Marines in Basilan last week. Another Marine battalion will be deployed to the island province, which is also a stronghold of the Abu Sayyaf. The Armed Forces Public Information chief, Lt. Col. Bartolome Bacarro, said the additional battalion will beef up troops going after Moro rebels who ambushed a group of Marines in Tipo-Tipo town.
ANOTHER BATALLION SENT TO BASILAN (tags)
-The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) is deploying another Marine battalion in Basilan to augment government forces massing up in the province in preparation for the hunt for the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) rebels behind the June 10 ambush. “We will be deploying another Marine battalion to the area, on top of the earlier deployment of a Marine battalion from Sulu to Basilan,” AFP Public Information Office chief Lt. Col. Bartolome Bacarro said. He said the deployment of additional troops is in anticipation of a bigger force against military operations following “punitive actions against the suspects.”
MILF: We know General Garcia well (tags)
Commenting on the appointment of retired General Rodolfo Garcia as the new government chief peace negotiator, Muhammad Ameen, chairperson of the MILF Secretariat, said: “We know him very well from his stint as Army officer in Central Mindanao up to his becoming a member of the government peace panel.
Gov’t downgrades peace talks, MILF says (tags)
Manila-- The Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) has described the replacement of Secretary Silvestre Afable as government chief negotiator with a non-cabinet member as a deliberate downgrading of the peace process by the government following Afable’s alleged resignation the other day. Jun Mantawil, head of the MILF peace panel secretariat, told Luwaran that while the MILF leadership has the highest respect for Father Eliseo Mercado Jr. as “a person, friend and as a priest” but he does not possess the authority that a cabinet member possesses.
AJLPP Express Deep Concern Over MILF-GRP Talks:Gov’t chief peace negotiator for MILF quits (tags)
The Alliance for Just and Lasting Peace (AJLPP) today expressed apprehensions over the sudden and unexplained resignation of Silvestre Afable Jr. , government negotiator for peace process for the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) MILF equally expressed fears that negotiations for a peace agreement with the government would have to start from scratch again as a result of the resignation of the chief of the government’s peace panel, Silvestre Afable. AJLPP is deeply concerned that Afable’s resignation came at a time when the government and the MILF were close to restarting talks on a proposed ancestral homeland for 3 million Muslims in Mindanao. AJLPP knows that Afable who was a former staffer of DND Secretary Juan Ponce Enrile,has served since the two sides agreed to return to negotiations after hostilities erupted in February 2003.
US spy plane could join search for Italian priest In Mindanao (tags)
Manila-- Government troops are hard on the heels of the group who seized an Italian priest from a remote village in Zamboanga Sibugay Sunday. Fr. John Carlo Bossi was seized by armed men in Barangay Bulawan in the town of Payao.
Talks with MILF to resume after elections (tags)
Stalled peace talks between the government and Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) are to resume after the May 14 elections. Both sides have agreed to work toward a resumption of the talks, Presidential Spokesman Ignacio Bunye said in a statement Thursday. ---BACKED by howitzer and mortar fire, elite Army troops on Thursday seized a makeshift camp of the Moro National Liberation Front in Sulu where nearly 100 Abu Sayyaf extremists were believed to be hiding.
MILF-GRP Peace Talks Update ; MILF wants entire Kudarat- GRP (tags)
The Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) is demanding the inclusion of the entire Sultan Kudarat province as part of a new autonomous region in Mindanao as a condition for a final peace agreement with the government, a ranking Malacañang official revealed yesterday.
Make Peace, Not War : Gary V, Bamboo ‘join’ MILF (tags)
Popular singer Gary Valenciano and rock band Bamboo have joined forces with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) to deliver essential services to children in communities affected by conflict areas in Mindanao. Dubbed as the "Days of Peace" campaign, the two musical icons joined forces with the MILF in an effort to bring basic health services "to children affected by the "conflict with government forces. The program, which started last Monday, brought the MILF and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) to allow government health workers to deliver health care services to some 707 barangays in Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM). The MILF and UNICEF have designated three rounds of Days of Peace to immunize 30,000 infants, de-worming "of some 100,000 children, "Vitamin-A supplementation for some 240,000 children, and birth registration services in areas previously inaccessible to health workers due to armed conflict.
MILF: AFP hawks ruining peace deal (tags)
Muslim MILF leader Hadji Murad on Thursday accused “hawkish” Philippine officials of trying to sabotage peace talks. Moro Islamic Liberation Front Chairman Murad Ebrahim welcomed President Arroyo’s move this week to rein in military units operating in rebel-held areas in Mindanao to salvage the talks but said some officials were undermining these efforts.
MILF to respond to Arroyo’s statement (tags)
Chairman Al Haj Murad Ebrahim of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) will soon issue an official policy statement on the peace process, in response to the March 12 statement of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. This was learned from the office of the MILF chairman by Luwaran today. However, no hints have been given as to how the press statement would be worded or what specific issues would be given emphasis.
Sweden, Canada To Work for Peace talks with MILF (tags)
Sweden has joined a bloc of nations backing peace talks aimed at settling a bloody Muslim rebellion in the southern Philippines, while Canada has expressed interest in following suit, officials said Thursday.
MILF fighter killed in Taytay raid (tags)
A suspected Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) rebel was killed in a shootout with Marines and police on an island in Laguna de Bay near Metro Manila yesterday. Following the pre-dawn raid, government forces also captured three other suspected MILF fighters in a hideout in Barangay Sta. Ana in Taytay, Rizal near the cities of Pasig and Taguig in Metro Manila. Meanwhile, MILF spokesman, Eid Kabalu, said Mohammad and Sanjali Utto are bandits, not members of the secessionist group. "They are not MILF," he said. "Police are linking them to our organization. We have no members active in Rizal." Kabalu said the police action of linking the captured suspects with the MILF could further delay the resumption of peace talks with the government. "It appears there are certain sectors out to sabotage the talks," he said.
Clashes continue between AFP militias and MILF; 6 killed in Mindanao (tags)
Reports from the militart Camp Siongco reported that three progovernment militias and three Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) rebels were killed in continuing military operations in remote villages of Midsayap, North Cotabato. Meanwhile, MILF spokesman Eid Kabalu denied the military’s account, citing it was the soldiers who harassed their forces stationed near Barangay Rangaban on January 25. “The military shelled our position and followed up by continuing ground operation until Saturday afternoon,” he said.
AFP: Peace pact with MILF by April (tags)
A peace agreement with the separatist Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) is expected early this year, Armed Forces chief Gen. Hermogenes Esperon Jr. disclosed yesterday. "A final peace agreement with the MILF would be signed by March or April," Esperon told a press conference held at the AFP Eastern Mindanao Command headquarters here. The contentious issues affecting the peace negotiations, particularly disputes over ancestral domain, are now being discussed by both panels, said Esperon, who arrived here as part of a series of camp visits to implement the second phase of President Arroyo’s campaign against insurgency.
Canada, Sweden offer to help monitor RP-MILF ceasefire (tags)
US northern neighbor, Canada has offered to help monitor the implementation of the ceasefire agreement between the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).
10 MILF guerrillas slain in clash with Army (tags)
News reports said government security forces and Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) guerrillas clashed in a remote village of a Maguindanao town Friday, leaving 10 rebels dead and a soldier wounded, a military spokesman said on Sunday.
MILF denies agreeing to plebiscite (tags)
A senior leader of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) has denied having said the Front agreed to holding of a plebiscite in new areas to be added to the present territory of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM). Ghazali Jaafar, MILF deputy chairman for political affairs, was reacting to a news article published in the Philippine Daily Inquirer (PDI) today, bylined by Jeffrey Maitum and Charlie Seòase, quoting him as saying, “We are for the constitutional process, if that’s what they (meaning, the government) want…."
GRP sGRP Seeks new deadline in talks with MILF (tags)
News sources in Mindanao reported today that the Philippine government failed twice to meet a self-imposed deadline to submit a new proposal to break a deadlock in peace talks with the Moro islamic Liberation Front (MILF) over territory, increasing anxiety over when the talks would resume.
Usapang pangkapayapaan sa pagitan ng MILF at GRP nais ibagsak ng rehimeng Arroyo (tags)
Lubos na kaisa ang Pesante-USA sa pahayag ng pamunuan ng Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) na ”Ang rehimeng Arroyo ang responsable sa pagbagsak ng usapang pangkapayapaan.” Naninidigan ang Pesante-USA bilang isang grupong nagtataguyod ng karapatang-pantao at kapayapaan sa Pilipinas na dapat maging seryoso ang GRP sa pakikipagnegosasyon sa MILF at manghinayang sa mangyayari kung babalik sila sa pang-uupat ng digmaan na kumitil na ng maraming buhay sa nakaraan.
Rehimeng US-Arroyo, nanguupat at naghahanda ng Gyera sa Mindanao. (tags)
Patuloy na ipinakikita ng reaksyunaryong gubyerno, laluna ng rehimeng Arroyo, na hindi ito interesadong kamtin ang tunay na kapayapaan para sa mamamayang Moro. Ang tanging interes ng rehimen ay sumuko at magbaba ng armas ang MILF. Sa ngayon todo ang propaganda ng gobyerno kapwa laban sa NPA at sa MILF na ang diumano may sabwatan ang MILF sa Abu Sayaff at sa Jemmayah Islamiya. Anuman ang kahihinatnan ng paghahanda sa gyera ng gobyerno, gumagawa lamang ito ng gulo at sa huli magbabagsak ng mabigat na bato sa sariling paa nito kapag itinodo nito ang gyera laban sa mamamayan ng Mindanao.
Peace Talks ng MILF at GRP Nais ibagsak ng rehimeng Arroyo (tags)
”Ang rehimeng Arroyo ang responsable sa pagbagsak ng usapang pangkapayapaan.” Ito ang pahayag ng pamunuan ng Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) matapos mabigo noong Setyembre 7 ang ika-13 exploratory talks (mga usapan para makapaghanap ng kalutasan sa di pagkakasundo) sa pagitan ng mga kinatawan nito at ng Gubyerno ng Republika ng Pilipinas (GRP).
MILF: Raps vs Murad imperil peace talks (tags)
The Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) protested yesterday the inclusion of its chieftain, Al Haj Murad, in a criminal complaint filed in connection with the recent bomb attack in Makilala, North Cotabato, warning it could endanger the already stalled peace talks. Police filed a murder complaint the other day against Murad and several suspected MILF commanders with the Kidapawan City prosecutor’s office for allegedly plotting the Oct. 10 bombing that killed six people and wounded 29 in Makilala town, government prosecutor Al Calica said.
RP Govt moves to revive peace talks with MILF (tags)
--The Philippine government is determined to break a deadlock in talks with Muslim separatist rebels to prevent an outbreak of violence, an adviser to President Arroyo said Monday.
PHILIPPINE GOVERNMENT REJECTS MILF DEMANDS (tags)
The Philippine government (GRP) on Wednesday rejected demands by Muslim rebels for control over vast swaths of land as peace talks remained at a standstill. Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita conceded that the talks with the Muslim separatist Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) “are at a stalemate right now on the issue of territory.”
MILF: WE ARE FOR NEW WAR (tags)
Media sources reported that the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) said yesterday that it was prepared to return to war should negotiations on territory, the thorniest of issues in ongoing peace talks with the government, lead to results not to its liking. Negotiations on territory, which documents on the peace talks describe as issues of ancestral domain, bogged down in Kuala Lumpur. More than 50,000 people died at the height of the Mindanao War just after Marcos declared martial law in 1972. In 2000, more than a million people were displaced when then President Joseph Estrada declared an “all-out war” policy aimed at dismantling MILF camps in Mindanao.
MILF CALLS FOR DEFENSE OF THE HOMELAND (tags)
Moro Islamic Liberation Front chairman Murad Ebrahim has called on his fellow Muslims and members of the indigenous communities to stand up together and defend their "homeland." Murad issued the call following last week's stalemate in the peace negotiations
Maguindanao gov withdraws militiamen from 5 town (tags)
Maguindanao Gov. Andal Ampatuan has ordered militiamen involved in clashes with Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) rebels to stand down and pull out, a Malacañang official said yesterday. Jesus Dureza, national security adviser, said the order has brought back calm to Shariff Aguak and four other towns affected by the clashes that started on June 28. More than 20,000 people were displaced because of the skirmishes, which civilian officials said killed at least seven members of the Civilian Volunteers’ Organization (CVO) and three MILF rebels.
Atrocities creep into Maguindanao fighting (tags)
Pesante-USA/AJLPP prints new reports of atrocities that have begun to surface in Maguindanao as fighting between militia and rebels of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) continued to escalate. A lone gunman killed the wife of a senior MILF leader implicated in a failed attempt to kill the provincial governor, the military said Thursday.
Stop the war, Maguindanao folk cry (tags)
Pesante-USA/AJLPP joins the people of Mindanao in their urgent call to stop the US-Arroyo Regime's war against the people. “They are suffering and they want the fighting stopped,” Ruby Sahali, social welfare secretary of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, said of the more than 4,000 families displaced by fighting between militiamen and Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) rebels in Maguindanao.The evacuees came from the towns of Shariff Aguak, where the hostilities started last week, and from Mamasapano, Datu Piang, Datu Unsay, Datu Saudi, Ampatuan, Sultan sa Barongis and SK Pendatun towns, where it spread.
AFP war widens into two fronts as Maguindanao battle goes on (tags)
Pesante-USA reprinted the news about the increased fighting in Mindanao. The counter-insurgecnyw ar being waged by the Arroyo goverment is escalating not only against the NPA but also against the Moro people in Maguindanao. THE Armed Forces’ war against rebels has widened into two fronts as fighting between government and Moro Islamic Liberation Front forces continued on Monday in Maguindanao province despite efforts of peace negotiators to end the clashes that have left dozens of people dead and wounded and displaced 3,000 families.