Filipino Christians rally against Muslim accord

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"Zamboanga city Mayor Celso Lobregat led about 3,000 people in Monday's protest outside City Hall. Many shops in the predominantly Christian southern city, which has been a frequent target of bomb attacks blamed on Muslim militants, closed for the day.

"The protesters held placards reading,'Gloria, Don't Sell Us,' appealing to President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo not to allow the agreement to be signed."

Just look at Pakastan and Afganastan. I would send them all to a muslim country and make PH all Christuan just like the Sadia Arabia. Or give then one island just large enough for thier 5%.

I hope this is not one of the ticking bomb that Ex. Pres. Ramos mentioned.

John Lee wrote:

I hope this is not one of the ticking bomb that Ex. Pres. Ramos mentioned.

This and the Sabah issue are potentially the most explosive concerns that seriously threaten the peace in the country today. I don’t think that the GMA camp has the capability to handle these issues, as recent developments show that things are going from bad to worse. With the current political and economic crisis, the last thing that this country needs is wasting money and lives to resolve conflicts.

Wake up Filipinos, you are sitting on a time bomb. Islam is not a religion, it is a dangerous social system.

To give you an update, the MILF, despite the TRO issued by the Supreme Court against the agreement, insists that the agreement is a done deal and binding on the government, and that the court have no jurisdiction over the issue. The government, probably realizing they made a mistake and that things will unlikely turn out as they want them to be, counters MILF claim saying nothing was signed yet.

Retired army chief, Esperon, now the presidential appointee on the government side of the peace panel, is coercing local executives to just accept the agreement, threatening them that the Philippine military will not lift a finger to help their towns should the MILF start attacking them.

In the meantime, Atty. Oliver Lozano beats the opposition again in the filing of impeachment complaint against GMA using the MILF issue as ground. If history will repeat itself, the opposition’s version of the impeachment complaint will once again be junked by congress in favor of Lozano’s poorly prepared questionable impeachment complaint due to certain technicalities, but the Lozano impeachment complaint will eventually be dismissed by the same congress for lack of substance. Thereafter, no other impeachment complaint can be accepted anymore until next year.

The MILF occupies a number of barangays. Government gives MILF 24-hour ultimatum to leave.

The Philippine Gov't gave Muslim rebels 24 hours to pull out of nine Catholic farming villages they have occupied or face a combined military and police offensive, in a ratcheting up of tension in the volatile south.

The MILF attack and occupation forced more than 6,500 people to abandon their homes and farms. The rebels also burned nearly 100 houses, looted farms and stole cattle and other livestock. Their actions forced hundreds of Catholic farmers from nearby areas to arm themselves.

The national police was instruced to move in three battalions of combat-trained officers to disarm the civilians and hold local officials accountable. Four army battalions were on standby to help the police restore law and order and to allow displaced farmers to resume their normal lives.

The proposed Bangsamoro state expands the ARMM from the current five provinces to include 712 more villages in central Mindanao. Among the areas that the MILF demands inclusion in the expanded territory are portions of Palawan.

Board members from southern Palawan said they would file a resolution in the provincial legislature questioning the inclusion of Palawan territories in the peace deal, as other local officials expressed strong objections to it.

North Cotabato’s SP also passed a resolution urging and authorizing Gov. Jesus Sacdalan to seek legal redress against the inclusion of the province of North Cotabato to the plebiscite to determine the areas to be included in the proposed expanded ARMM.

Meanwhile people in Barangay San Mateo in Aleosan which is a Christian barangay said that they do not want their land being included in the expanded ARMM nor in the Bangsamoro juridical entity as was demanded by the MILF. They insisted that they have their own right, they have their land titles and they do not want to disrupt their way of living.

Even muslim farmers in Aleosan town said they do not want their lands to be included in the expanded ARMM. They said it is better for the Mindanaon's if the rebels just cultivate their own land and strive for a clean living - instead of fighting for their demanded territory.

Amidst the increasing tension, the civilian stakeholders are arming themselves as they feel the government has abandoned them and sold them to the rebels. They resent the threat of Gov't peace panel's Esperon that the army will not lift a finger to help them once the MILF attack their towns for not giving in to the rebels' demand.

Meanwhile in Manila, from the comforts of their airconditioned offices, the administration and their allies in congress call for calm and sobriety. They say, anger and obfuscation won’t solve the peace (problem) in Mindanao now. The government and the MILF have gone too far in the peace process to turn their backs on this path, so why dont everybody give peace a chance by accepting the demand of the MILF.

Take note that the national police was instructed to move in three battalions TO DISARM THE CIVILIANS AND HOLD LOCAL OFFICIALS ACCOUNTABLE.

Nur Misuari was recently released by the government and is now allowed to roam around organizing his MNLF forces (arch rival of MILF), and had issued strong statements against the MILF.

Private armies of local politicians and prominent figures, civilian groups like those belonging to the Ilongo group, farmers, etc. are arming themselves to the teeth in response to the very damaging move of ESPERON threatening them that the army is not going to help them.

Because of some technical errors by the administration in dealing with the rebels, the MILF is now claiming belligerency status and is seeking international recognition.

Is the government of GMA really capable solving the Mindanao crisis or not? Her favorite move against conflicts is to give in, that is why she had been accused of treachery.

All the problem happening right now, Because of Government stupidity. They don't know what the hell they're doing. Why on earth they're going to give part of mindanao to the muslin when there is lots of christian people living in mindanao too. Gloria Arroyo, Must be really out of ther rocker. What make she think the muslin is not going to attack the christion once the peace talk is sign. Its more like she don't care if all the christian people in mindanao die because of her stupidity as long as she will get plenty of money from other country, Especially from U.S.GOV 'T. Gloria Arroyo, Et al. Are useless! kick their ass out because they're the problem.

The rebels occupied several towns and robbed the townsfolk of their food supply and livestock, and burned houses, then left apparently to avoid a premature battle against the military. It's clear that the purpose of the rebels is to intimidate people into submission with a show of force and collect as much food supply as they can in preparation for a possible protracted war.

Why are they allowed to go scot-free? Do they enjoy immunity from criminal prosecution for serious crimes like robbery and arson? What about the rights of the citizens there, including women and children, who have been abandoned to deal with the bandits? When will the government start protecting the people? How much is the government willing to compromise for the sake of “peace”?

The government is now accusing senators, congressmen, and local politicians of politicking for criticizing the rebels. The government claims that these politicians, including local governors, mayors, municipal and city counselors, are ignorant of the true situation in Mindanao, they should just shut up. In the meantime, the government says they cannot go after the rebels because a cease is in effect. Safe conduct passes are granted to the rebels to go back to their territories with their loots. The government continues to woo the rebels to return to the negotiating table.

If the MILF succeed in establishing a stronghold in Mindanao and Palawan, expand as much territory as it can, and gain autonomy, what is our guarantee that the GMA government, with its pattern for giving away its territories through secret deals, will stop the Bangsa Moro territories from being integrated to the Federation of Malaysia like Sabah?

The government is not only abandoning our Sabah caim, but is going back farther away from Sabah, weakening its sovereignty over its territories in the south.

GMA must realize that being president is more than just cheating elections, fooling people, and secret deals. Doon lang siya magaling, patay na ang Pilipinas!

GMA must realize that being president is more than just cheating elections, fooling people, and secret deals. Nawala na siya sa diskarte, patay na ang Pilipinas!