Moro group commemorates EDSA 1, calls for GMA’s ouster

COTABATO CITY – The Suara Bangsamoro (Voice of the Bangsamoro) organization here will commemorate the 22nd anniversary of the EDSA 1 People Power uprising that toppled the Marcos dictatorship on Monday, February 25.

The group will participate in the nationally-coordinated protest lead by Bagong Alyansa Makabayan amid fresh allegations of corruption and calls for ouster facing the Arroyo administration.

Bai Ali Indayla, the group’s national secretary-general, said that the NBN-ZTE scandal is just one of the numerous anomalies scourging President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s administration. Most recent is the massacre of eight innocent civilians in Maimbung, Sulu ‘where as commander-in-chief, she was held responsible.’

“GMA has no heart for the Bangsamoro people. In the guise of chasing after Abu Sayyaf elements, the Moro people are often times the victims. Among cases of killings, not even one was resolved,” Indayla exclaimed.

The group said that their action on Monday will be a build-up towards a bigger mobilization to a “new brand of people power” that was announced by Catholic bishops last Tuesday (February 19).

“Now is the time for the Moro people to be united in kicking out a corrupt and callous president. Under GMA’s tenure, the rate of poor Moro families has continue to increase as well as cases of rights violations and extra-judicial killings,” Indayla stressed.

According to Ibon Foundation, an independent research institute, seven out of 10 Filipinos are poor and jobless. Pulse Asia, on the other hand, reported GMA as the most corrupt president in the Philippine history.

Moreover, Indayla also lambasted the “unity walk” of GMA with her dummies as “a hysterical effort to project an untouchable façade in coping the enraged Filipino people.”

“Their effort shows that their days are counted as the day passes by. Their number continues to decrease every day. Whatever their efforts are, the Filipino people are certain in saying ‘Enough of GMA!’ The Bangsamoro people could no longer endure this corrupt, fascist and illegitimate government,” Indayla ended.

Youth groups heighten call for GMA’s ouster

COTABATO CITY – Youth groups here intensify calls for the ouster of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo amidst anomalies and scandals plaguing the present regime, vehemently stress, “Enough of Corruption, Oust Gloria Now.”

The Alyansa ng Kabataan Laban sa Panghihimasok ng Amerikanong Sundalo (AKLAS) enumerates Hello Garci, National Broadband Network project with China ’s ZTE Corporation deal scam and Balikatan 2008 as major reasons among others to overthrow GMA from her post.

Yousri Usop, spokesperson of AKLAS, is heated over the deepening intervention of United States in the affairs of the Philippines ; most recent are the conduct of Balikatan 2008 all over Central Mindanao and the cover-up of Malacañang on the corruption of ZTE-NBN deal in Senate.

“GMA administration has no political will to set restrictions on the intervention of US despite the unified stand of the people and sound sentiments regarding human rights violations committed especially to Bangsamoro people. Added to this is the limbo investigation on ZTE-NBN deal in the Senate and Department of Justice (DOJ),” Usop detailed.

Liga ng Kabataang Moro spokesperson, Michael Dumamba, also an AKLAS convenor said that the recent anomalies in the ZTE-NBN deal has again proves that GMA and her cohorts has no moral ascendancy to lead the country.

“Aside from enriching themselves with public funds with immunity, GMA is continuously covering the truth to the people. The $130 million-“kickback” (or P5.2 billion in current exchange rate) from the $329-million NBN-ZTE project could have been paid for additional textbooks, classrooms, school seats and new teachers. This government is so inutile to protect our welfare and preserve our country’s patrimony and sovereignty,” Dumamba said.

The AKLAS, comprise of fraternities, student councils, student publications and youth mass organizations, will be conducting series of symposia, fora and film showings in different schools and communities all over Greater Cotabato to intensify the calls for GMA’s ouster.

“We will broaden our ranks to further heighten our call for GMA to step down. We will start in an all-youth leaders’ forum on the 23^rd of February and will participate in a picket-rally lead by GMA Step Down Movement on the 25^th. We will untiringly conduct education and protest actions until GMA will collapse from power,” Usop concluded.

Moro group lauds ARMM Assembly’s strong defiance on Balikatan

PRESS STATEMENT

February 13, 2008

Moro group lauds ARMM Assembly’s strong defiance on Balikatan

COTABATO CITY – A Moro group here commended the strong objection of the Regional Legislative Assembly of the autonomous region (RLA-ARMM) on the conduct of Balikatan exercises on its provinces.

Bai Ali Indayla, national secretary-general of Suara Bangsamoro (Voice of the Bangsamoro) lauded the RLA-ARMM for coming up with a resolution that manifests the strong opposition of the people of Lanao del Sur and Islamic city of Marawi on the forthcoming Balikatan exercises.

“We greatly appreciate the effort of the legislative assembly of ARMM to stand in this dubious endeavor of US to Mindanao. The another round of Balikatan exercises is a big insult to the Bangsamoro people who have experienced rights violations committed by the US troops in their past exercises especially in the provinces of Sulu and Basilan,” Indayla stressed.

She pointed out the case of an MNLF integree, Army Sgt. Ibnul Wahid of Maimbung, Sulu who was killed by the military on February 4 in the guise of pursuing the Abu Sayyaf. Ibnul’s wife, Sandrawina Wahid, said that she saw four US soldiers during the incident prior the military blindfolded her.

Indayla also underlined that the US humanitarian mission is a mere façade to pacify the Bangsamoro people’s unrest and preparation for a grander plan in Mindanao.

“US troops are not here just for military deployment and permanent basing, but are preparing for another war – war to amass all resources in our rich land. That is their long-standing hidden agenda,” Indayla revealed.

Moreover, the Suara Bangsamoro suggests to RLA-ARMM to conduct a separate and thorough investigation on human rights violations committed by US troops in the course of their military exercises. The result would be passed to the Congress to further study the ill-effects of Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) to the Bangsamoro and the Filipino people.

“Our officials in the RLA represent the majority number of Moro people in the autonomous region. By doing so, VFA would be junked and the elusive justice will be savored at last by our Muslim brothers and sisters who became victims of US ruthless intervention in Mindanao,” Indayla concluded.

The Joint RP-US Balikatan Exercises 2008 will be conducted simultaneously in the provinces of Lanao del Sur, Lanao del Norte, Basilan, Sulu, Tawi-Tawi, Maguindanao, Cagayan de Oro and North Cotabato on February 18. #

Commemmoration on the 59th anniversary of Universal Declaration on Human Rights

Suara Bangsamoro, Kawagib and Liga ng Kabataang Moro hold a March-Rally on December 10, 2007 in Cotabato City in observance of the 59th anniversary of International Human Rights Day.

‘Arroyo is bringer of death, not peace, to Moro people’

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Moro groups call for the respect of Bangsamoro’s democratic rights on HR Day

Press Release

December 10, 2007

COTABATO CITY – The Suara Bangsamoro organization here stages a march-rally today and calls for the respect of democratic rights of the Bangsamoro people in observance of the 59^th Universal Declaration of Human Rights adopted and proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly on December 10, 1948.

Bai Ali Indayla, the group’s national secretary-general said, “Despite various agreements and declarations on human rights around the world, violations continue to persist and the Bangsamoro people were not spared to such abuses.”

“Under Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s administration, the Bangsamoro people suffer almost all forms of human rights violations. Men, women and children are victims of terrorist tagging, bombing suspects, massive evacuations, strafing, abduction, torture and many other human rights violations,” Indayla enumerated.

According to KAWAGIB, a Moro human rights organization, 21cases of human rights violations committed by the Philippine military, police and intelligence agents against the Moro people from January to November 2007 alone. These include violation of civil and political rights, violation of right to life and violation against property.

On the same period, more than 75,000 Moro civilians have been displaced in Basilan, Sulu and Midsayap, North Cotabato. Sulu was the hardest hit by a combination of ground troops commandos and indiscriminate aerial bombardment, with a total of 58,500 persons displaced due to three military operations conducted by Task Force Comet (a combined units from the Philippine Marines, Army, Airforce and CAFGUs) against the forces of MNLF Sulu State Chairman Khaid Ajibun and MNLF leader Ustadz Habier Malik on the pretext that they are colluding with Abu Sayyaf Group and JI militants or they are coddling them in their territories. The military operations have affected nine (9) municipalities in Sulu this year.

Basilan was hit on July because of a false report that kidnapped victim Fr. Giancarlo Bossi was seen in an MILF territory in Basilan. Elements of the Philippine Marines under the Task Force Thunder of Brig. Gen. Juancho Sabban, entered the camps of Basilan MILF chair Ustadz Hamsa Sapanton without informing the local committee on the cessation of hostilities, hence the MILF forces engaged the Marines in a firefight. The encounter ended in a controversial incident where 10 elements of the Marines were found decapitated in Albarka municipality, prompting reprisal by the military. That operation and the Marines reprisal have forced almost 15,000 individuals to evacuate from three municipalities in Basilan.

Karapatan, an alliance of human rights organizations around the country, also recorded 887 victims of extrajudicial killings and 185 victims of enforced disappearances since Arroyo’s seat on January 21, 2001. Figures exclude victims of abduction, illegal arrests, torture and arbitrary detention.

Meanwhile, Indayla slams President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo for squandering millions of pesos in her travels around the world. The Commission on Audit (CoA) shows that Arroyo is an extravagant spender on her multiple travels abroad.

“It’s just so easy for Arroyo to spend some P482 million for her travel expenses alone while giving little budget for the poor people in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao. She has the nerve to splurge such exaggerated amount together with his family or much loved lawmakers while neglecting the needs of the impoverished Bangsamoro people especially in the remote areas of the autonomous region,” Indayla exclaimed.

Suara Bangsamoro also criticizes President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s human rights award from Alcala de Henares University in Spain recently. The group deems the award as “disrespect” to Bangsamoro martyrs who shed blood in upholding their democratic rights and right to self-determination.

“That is a mockery to all human rights advocates, both Muslims and Christians, who persistently struggles for human rights and to all martyrs who died fighting for their rights,” Indayla stressed.

In commemoration to Human Rights day, Suara Bangsamoro pays tribute to all martyrs and human rights champion who relentlessly fights for the advancement of human rights.

Along with KAWAGIB and Liga ng Kabataang Moro, the group with a crowd of about a thousand, march from Cotabato City State Polytechnic College to Cotabato City Plaza. A short rally and cultural presentation follow showcasing the plights and experiences of the Bangsamoro people under Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s bogus presidency. #

RICH-POOR GAP REMAINS HIGH –IBON

The National Statistical Coordination Board (NSCB) this week claimed that the country's rich-poor gap was narrowing, citing the thinning ratio between the incomes of the top 30% and the bottom 30% of Filipino families. But independent think-tank IBON Foundation says that this does not mean that the Philippines ' broad income inequalities are improving.

Data from the government’s 2006 Family Income and Expenditure Survey show that the bottom 30% of families had 8.6% of total family income in 2006 while the top 30% Filipino families accounted for 64.7 percent. This barely changed from 2003, when the bottom 30% had an 8.5% share and the top 30%, 64.7 percent.

In fact, the data used by the NSCB itself indicates that the top 30% Filipino families earned P7.53 for every P1 earned by the bottom 30 percent.

Thus, the gap between rich and poor in the country remains wide, and in fact, may even grow further as the Arroyo government continues to pursue its globalization policies. Such policies have resulted in an unparalleled decline in the people's welfare and the further escalation of widespread poverty in the Philippines. #

IBON Foundation, Inc. is an independent development institution established in 1978 that provides research, education, publications, information work and advocacy support on socioeconomic issues.