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NEWS RELEASE
29 July 2008
Bangsamoro people do own version of SONA; renew calls for GMA’s ouster
COTABATO CITY – Several Moro groups here lambast Gloria Macapagal-
Arroyo’s another round of bluffs and treacheries capitalize on Bangsamoro
people’s aspiration of a just and lasting peace, in time of her 8th State
of the Nation Address (SONA) yesterday.
In a mass protest rally here, Kawagib, Suara Bangsamoro and Liga ng
Kabataang Moro enumerate and depict the real state of the nation that
hunts the Bangsamoro and Filipino people since GMA stole presidential post
in 2001.
“We anticipate the renewed lies and propaganda of GMA. There’s nothing new
at all – same old treacherous lines. In her 57-minute baloney address, she
neglects issues inherent to the Bangsamoro and the Filipino people –
socio-economic services, insurgences in Mindanao , ancestral domain and
human rights,” Kawagib spokesperson, Bai Ali Indayla said.
The groups also deride ‘Katas ng VAT’ program which GMA boastfully sells
as saviour to global crisis and boosted foreign investors’ confidence. In
her July 22 visit to Central Mindanao, she arrogantly pronounced that the
upgrading of Dinaig Hospital at Datu Odin Sinsuat in Shariff Kabunsuan is
a result of government’s massive VAT collection.
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“How would she vend that idea
to the poor Bangsamoro and Filipino people who had long bore the economic
crisis? Value Added Tax is the basic reason why prices of oil, rice and
other basic commodities continue to multiply,” Indayla stressed.
Further, the groups dispute GMA’s illogical declaration that armed
conflicts bar developments thus, cause poverty as well as government’s
fresh betrayal to the agreed and signed Memorandum of Agreement on
Ancestral Domain (MoA-AD) with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).
“It is the other way around. Government’s abandonment in extending
socio-economic services pushes the people to take up arms and revolt. Same
with the MoA-AD issue where GMA bragged as ‘breakthrough’ to peace where
in fact, she just cooked it for her own interest. Government’s sincerity
is still a big question mark,” Indayla said.
Lastly, Kawagib denounce GMA’s negligence in addressing the mounting
victims of extra-judicial killings and other human rights violations
instead intensifies her US-patterned anti-terror campaign which
indiscriminately arrests poor and innocent civilians.
“This is the real and actual state of the nation which GMA wanted to hide
through her lies. But these same lies are the same reasons of people to
struggle and be free from the chain of poverty and injustices. The
Bangsamoro and Filipino people were long sucked to GMA’s relentless
promises. We want her out! We will throw her out,” Indayla concluded. #
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PRESS STATEMENT
28 July 2008
8 YEARS OF BRUTALITY AND VIOLATIONS OF BANGSAMORO PEOPLE’S RIGHTS UNDER
US-ARROYO REGIME
Today, on the 8th State of the Nation Address (SONA) of Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo,
programs such as ‘Ramdam ang Kaunlaran’ and ‘Katas ng VAT’ as well as the
mushrooming of foreign capitalists in the country, will again be the
frontage of her rhetoric in the pretext of helping the Bangsamoro and
Filipino people.
But the truth continues to hunt the poor people. In a survey of Social
Weather Station (SWS), 50% of the 88.9 million Filipinos are ‘self-rated
poor’ and 14.9 million experiences hunger everyday while prices of oil and
basic commodities continue to skyrocket. Cases of human rights violations
are also continuing while the Bangsamoro people’s right to
self-determination is not recognized.
Since GMA supported United States of America’s counter-terrorism campaign,
militarization and war wreck the Bangsamoro people in Mindanao. In her
entire eights years in Malacanang, the people experience nothing but
brutality and destitution. War is her primary priority.
The bombing of Buliok Complex in February 2004, the first official
declaration of GMA’s All-out War, bore pain to the people of Pikit, North
Cotabato. The government troops showed no respect to Muslims and the Islam
religion when they bombed the Mosque during prayer time in observance of
Ed’l Adha.
GMA also executed selective wars in the provinces of Lanao, Sulu and
Basilan. After she pronounced ‘state of lawlessness’ in Basilan on 2001,
500 innocent civilians were picked up without warrant of arrest.
Seventy-three (73) of them were detained at Camp Bagong Diwa in Taguig
where 11 are mercilessly killed by policemen during the Bicutan Seige in
2005 and six (6) died while in detention. To this day, they were in jail
even no evidences would prove that they are Abu Sayyaf members.
In 2007, GMA declared another war in Basilan to pursue elements who
beheaded 10 Marines in Al-Barka. One hundred twenty-seven (127) civilians
including 10 Ustadzes were included in the warrant of arrest. Some of them
are killed while a woman was hit during a military operation.
GMA’s cruelty did not end there. On February 4, 2008, eight (8) civilians
including Pfc. Ibnul Wahid, who’s on vacation, were massacred. Casualties
include a pregnant woman and two (2) children. A village councilor’s
finger was cut and eyes mutilated while around 30 houses was burned.
According to Sandrawina Wahid, Pfc. Ibnul’s wife and the lone survivor,
she saw four (4) US troops during the military operation.
While the Government of the Republic of the Philippines (GRP) and the Moro
Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) is on ceasefire agreement, the government
continue to deploy troops in the Moro communities which caused skirmishes
thereby victimized innocent and poor Moro people. Recent clashes were in
Maitum, Sarangani and Aleosan, North Cotabato.
In Kawagib’s documentation, there are 199 Moro victims of killings since
GMA took post in 2001, 147 were illegally arrested and detained and
446,400 had evacuated forcibly due to continuous militarization and war.
Karapatan has also recorded 903 extra-judicial killings. This is
record-breaking! There was no declaration of Martial Law but GMA beats
Marcos as the highest record holder on victims of human rights violations.
Hope surfaces in the spirits of Bangsamoro people when GRP-MILF resumes
talk on July 24 in the aspiration that conflict ends through peace
agreement. But, once again, the Moro people were failed to achieve peace
in Mindanao. GMA and her butcher, Hermogenes Esperon are no bringer of
peace!
Under the US-Arroyo regime, not a bit it showed sincerity in giving
justice and respect on Bangsamoro people’s rights. Instead, the government
continuously deceives and gives false hopes to Moro people through her
lies and propaganda.
Today, the Moro people will no longer trust the candy-coated lies of
Gloria. The Moro people will no longer allow US-Arroyo regime to continue
their ruthlessness and terrorization. They should be held accountable for
the lies and human rights violations they committed to the people. Eight
(8) dreadful years is enough! Oust US-Arroyo regime! Oust Gloria now!
For Reference:
BAI ALI INDAYLA
Spokesperson, KAWAGIB
0921.9064.699 / (064)421-5680
Email Ad: kawagib@yahoo.com
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▲ A uniformed element of the
Philippine Army listened to the Bangsamoro SONA program of Suara
Bangsamoro and Liga ng Kabataang Moro and watched their relief
distribution to the victims of fire incident at the Arena Blanco,
Zamboanga City on July 28 at Arena Blanco, Zamboanga City.
Residents said hat two days before the scheduled relief distribution, a
team of the Philippine Army set up a detachment meters away from the
Baranggay Hall.
Some residents in Zamboanga City reported to Suara Bangsamoro that in the
military’s Oplan Bantay Laya forums held in different villages in the
city, Suara Bangsamoro was listed as one of the organizations close to the
Moro Islamic Front and the Moro National Liberation Front. |
