Military – Page 26 – ellen tordesillas

Panggagago sa taumbayan

Published by Ellen on September 3, 2008

Erased na raw ang peace panel na nakikipag-usap sa Moro Islamic Liberation Front, sabi ni Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita.

Ganoon lang ba yun? Paano na lang ang mga namatay at ang mga nawalan ng bahay na umaabot sa 250,000 dahil sa kanilang pinaggagawa sa Mindanao?

Ito ang statement ni Ermita:“President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has directed a new paradigm in the peace process by mandating that peace negotiations be refocused from one centered on dialogue with rebels to one of authentic dialogue.”

Hindi ko ma-translate sa tagalog dahil hindi ko maintindihan ang ibig sabihin. Ang nakukuha ko lang ay mas uunhain daw ang pakikig-usap sa mga taong apektado kaysa mga rebelde. Ngayon lang nila alam yan?

Small blessings

Published by Ellen on September 2, 2008

Maybe I should thank the Commission on Human Rights for saying that the arrest of journalists who covered Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV and Brig. Gen. Danilo Lim at the Manila Pen on Nov. 29, 2007 “constitutes arbitrary arrest/detention in violation of human rights standards.”

It’s definitely better than the dismissal of our class suit by NBI- agent- turned-judge Reynaldo Laigo of the Makati RTC who said that our arrest, handcuffing, and detention was “justified’ and even added that we were “so lucky” that the police didn’t initiate criminal charges against us.

With a leader who has no respect for the Constitution and disdains truth, CHR chair Leila de Lima gives me some hope. Maybe I should thank her for making the Commission say that “there have been violations of the human rights of liberty, security of person and freedom from arbitrary arrest of the complainants in the Manila Peninsula Siege.”

Responsibilidad ni Arroyo

Published by Ellen on August 30, 2008

Kahapon ng umaga, inambus and tropa ng 11th Marine Batallion Landing Team sa Patikul, Sulu. Apat ang namatay at sampu ang nasugatan.

Sabi ni Marine Commandant Ben Dolorfino, mga bandidong Abu Sayyaf daw ang may kagagawan.

Sabi ni Navy Spokesman Edgardo Arevalo, papunta ang mga Marines sa Mt. Bayug sa Talipao ng paputukan sila ng mga armadong grupo. Pagkatapos ng barilan ng mga sampung minuto, umatras na rin ang mga armadong grupo.

Let the trial begin

Published by Ellen on August 26, 2008

Former AFP chief Hermogenes Esperon will be the first to take the witness stand when the court martial of 28 officers accused of mutiny in connection with the February 2006 alleged coup attempt starts.

At the pre-trial conference yesterday, Col. Feliciano Loy, head of the prosecution panel, told the court that he will be presenting 20 witnesses who executed affidavits on the alleged plan of the officers to withdraw support from Gloria Arroyo following the” Hello Garci” expose that showed her masterminding the manipulation of the results of the 2004 election in Mindanao in her favor.

Esperon was then army chief. His affidavit submitted to the panel that investigated the incident related the meeting with then AFP chief Generoso Senga the night of Feb. 23 where the accused officers talked about the restlessness in the military over the loss of confidence on Arroyo.

MILF press con

Published by Ellen on August 25, 2008

Last Saturday, Al Haj Murad Ibrahim,chairman of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front Central Committee, held a press conference in Camp Darapanan, part of what they consider their Bangsamoro homeland. Murad reiterated the MILF’s position that the MOA-AD is a done deal and suggested that Comanders Ombra kato and Bravo are not subject to Philippine laws because they are a revolutionary government.

For the complete MILF report on the presscon, click to:http://www.luwaran.com/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=862
Excerpts:

MILF position is firm

As we had said and manifested in the press and official statement I had earlier read, the MILF position is firm. “As far as we are concerned, the Memorandum of Agreement on Ancestral Domain (MOA – AD) is a final document, a done deal.”

Nobody’s listening to Arroyo

Published by Ellen on August 21, 2008

Gloria Arroyo has lost control. She should re-sign.

She has lost control not only of herself (look up her throwing tantrum video last Monday in YouTube) but also of the government.

She should resign to spare the country further destruction, not only in terms of loss of lives but damage to democratic institutions.

Calls for Arroyo to resign are nothing new ever since the “Hello Garci” tapes surfaced which exposed her to have masterminded cheating in the 2004 elections. But she has effectively placated her political adversaries. This time, however, she has expended her political capital. Derided by majority of Filipinos, Arroyo’s words have no value.

Even MILF spokesman Mohagher Iqbal is not taking her seriously.

Blood in Gloria Arroyo’s hands

Published by Ellen on August 19, 2008

After throwing a tantrum because the teleprompter was not ready, Gloria Arroyo told the Filipino people Monday, “Because of this sneaky and treacherous attack , as your commander-in-chief, I have ordered the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Philippine National Police to defend every inch of Philippine territory against MILF forces, and Immediately restore peace in the affected areas in Lanao de Norte.”

It would have been funny if not for the more than 30 lives that were lost and more than 60,000 people who have been rendered homeless.

It would have been funny because if not for the temporary restraining order by the Supreme Court, Arroyo would have given away more than 700 barangays in addition to Basilan, Lanao del Sur, Maguindanao, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi, and Marawi city that compose the Autonomous Region for Muslim Mindanao to the MILF.

A military officer said Arroyo’s statement on the MILF attacks is a “classic example of the arsonist who acted as fireman at the expense of poor household owners.”

War in Mindanao

Published by Ellen on August 18, 2008

Update from GMANews: Death toll in MILK attacks rises to more than 30.

From: Inquirer.net

At least 21 people have been killed and many others were wounded in attacks carried out in Lanao del Norte and Saranggani provinces by the members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front that have since fled and were being pursued by troops, officials said Monday.

The Moro rebels, under the leadership of Commanders Bravo and Pangalian of the 102nd and 103rd brigade commands respectively, held ambuscades in several towns in these provinces, a week after the military flushed out their comrades under the command of Umbra Kato in North Cotabato province.

Chief Superintendent Nicanor Bartolome, PNP spokesman, said 21 people — seven still unidentified farmers of Barangay (village) Tapu, two civilians identified as Ricardo Gil and Ricky Salidad, and four other unidentified civilians were killed. The rest were soldiers
and militiamen.

The Cha-cha option

Published by Ellen on August 14, 2008

We all knew that Gloria Arroyo has no plans of giving up her stolen presidency but her temerity last Monday pushing for a shift to federal system of government, followed up by her press secretary, Jesus Dureza, left us flabbergasted.

A friend pointed out to us that Arroyo actually announced it last July 29 in her state- of -the -nation address but we were too busy with VAT and the 50 centavos text (which turned out to be a big lie).

MILF told: Pull back in 24 hours or else.

Published by Ellen on August 7, 2008

14 barangays occupied by 800-man rebel band

by Raymond Africa

Interior Secretary Ronaldo Puno yesterday gave the Moro Islamic Liberation Front up to 10 a.m. today to vacate areas it has occupied in North Cotabato, on pain of an all-out offensive.

Puno said reports reaching his office showed some 800 MILF members under one Commander Umbrahato of the MILF’s 105th Base Command have taken over 14 barangays in five towns since July 1.

Category: Military