Arroyo's Plan to Consolidate Power (tags)
We condemn the US-Arroyo regime's devious declaration to dismantle "private armies" in the country when in truth this only aims to strengthen loyal private armies which it can benefit from and to dismantle those of the opposition's, thus consolidating its hold on power and giving itself greater leverage in the coming national elections. The most notorious of private armies in Mindanao are those which delivered, through terrorism, the much needed votes in the last two national elections, which won Arroyo a six-year term. The biggest of which is that of the Ampatuan warlord.