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.
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.
Hundreds flee Army, NPA war in remote areas nationwide (tags)
The ceasefire declared by the military isn’t holding as hundreds of villagers fled remote communities in Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao that have turned into battlegrounds between communist guerrillas and government soldiers. The flight of residents afraid of getting caught in the crossfire has created temporary communities in shelters where the civilians were brought for safety.
Philadelphia Inquirer Editor Gushes over Bush, Columnist Panders to Anti-Immigration Crowd (tags)
War and Immigration: Is the Commentary page of the Philadelphia Inquirer edited by and overstaffed with right-wing morons?
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.
MILITARIZATION IN THE PHILIPPINES:Troops sent to C. Luzon urban areas (tags)
Pesante-USA reprinted the news from the Inquirer on intesifying militarization now in the ruban areas of Central Luzon. As the news indicted : Army Maj. Gen. Jovito Palparan Jr. has repositioned his troops in key cities and towns in Pampanga and Bulacan, a counterinsurgency move never before done in Central Luzon in post-martial law years. Palparan, commander of the 7th Infantry Division, on Tuesday confirmed to the Inquirer the shifting of about 500 of his forces in the City of San Fernando, Angeles City and Mabalacat town in Pampanga and in Malolos City, Bulacan, Obando, Hagonoy, Pandi and Sta. Maria towns in Bulacan since last week.
2 leftists killed in wake (tags)
The blood of leftist militants just won’t stop flowing. A week after men on a motorcycle gunned down former New People’s Army leader Sotero Llamas in Albay province, a lone assassin wearing a bonnet over his head shot dead a Bayan Muna member and a leader of a farmers’ group during a wake on Sunday night here. Bayan Muna’s David Costuna, 48, and Arcadio Macale, 60, president of the local Barangay Agrarian Reform Council, were the 19th and 20th militants murdered around the country in the past two months. Their deaths brought to 228 the total number of activists assassinated since President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo assumed office in 2001, according to an Inquirer tally.
Sinking News Ships: But it's not the Rats Who Will be Leaving (tags)
Three big metro dailies are cutting back on staffing, in another cycle of less reporting, less news, fewer readers and lower profits. At this point, it almost doesn’t matter though—they’ve gotten so bad already.
Saving Schiavo While Burying the Real News (tags)
The corporate media were too busy covering a demonstration by 30 fundamentalists trying to keep Shiavo from meeting her maker to bother cover ing the global and nationwide demonstrations against the U.S. Iraq War.