Villagers carry the body of a dead person, killed by Muslims, the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) during their attack in Bantar town, Lanao del Norte, southern Philippines August 18, 2008.
A Philippine trooper stands beside houses burned by Muslims, the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, rebels in the province of Lanao del Norte, southern Philippines.
"Critics said the deal was unconstitutional since it would have granted the Moro Islamic Liberation Front nearly all the elements of a separate state"
The other day I reported on Muslim rebels attack southern Philippine villages. Once again, the media, in its active role to suppress the news on the adancing global jihad, is ignoring it. Blackout. Muslims on a murderous rampage in the Philippines. Muslim rebels attacked several southern coastal townships Monday, killing a local official and burning houses in a sharp escalation of fighting amid uncertainty over a fragile peace process, officials said.
The Arroyo government "negotiating with Islam is a fatal move. The jihad must be crushed.
Forty-two Muslim spiritual leaders, or locally known as ulama, yesterday issued a statement calling on the Supreme Court (SC) to lift the TRO on the signing of the ancestral homeland agreement. It was a result of a two-day consultative meeting on August 18 and 19 in Sarangani organized by the Philippine Council for Islam and Democracy (PCID). (more here)
No big media. Thomas wrote me, "ABS-CBN only carried one article on how an "Ancestral Homeland Agreement" was turned down by the local state Philippine government. From what I could gather, the Muslims wanted an agreement that certain provinces were ancestral homes of certain Islamic groups. The Muslims didn't get their way and raided villages and towns in three provinces.
Mindinao was not raided but was on lockdown for two days. People were evacuated from their homes and such.
I have an unconfirmed report that at least 5,000 rebels were involved.
Nothing in the lamestream media about it except the Financial Times has this:
The Philippine government has abandoned efforts to sign a peace deal with the separatist Moro Islamic Liberation Front, dashing hopes for a pact already stalled by a court challenge and strained by fresh fighting.
There is now little prospect of a swift resolution to the crisis, in which more than 200,000 people have been displaced by fighting between MILF and government forces since the Supreme Court postponed the signing of the pact on August 4 pending a review of its legality.
The MILF is not the vacuous American MILF we've come to love.
Residents look at the body of dead person, killed by Muslims, the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF)
MORO HOME DEAL HAS FLAWS, PALACE SAYS hat tip Thomas
Malacañang admitted Wednesday that there are flaws in the Memorandum of Agreement on Ancestral Domain (MOA-AD) between the Philippine government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and that these should be addressed properly.
This came as Palace officials confirmed earlier that the government will not sign the MOA-AD anymore.
"It goes without saying, when they say there will be further review, it indicates flaws that had been observed in the MOA will be reviewed in light of things that came out in light of the petition of SC (Supreme Court)," Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita said. He did not elaborate.
However, Ermita told Palace reporters the government will not push for a "renegotiation". He said that the government would rather seek a "review."
Mistake!
Ermita said the MOA-AD review is needed as MILF (Moro Islamic Liberation Front) forces continue to bring violence to Mindanao after the Office of the Solicitor General informed the high court that the government will no longer push for the accord because of critical views and atrocities done by the rebels in several Mindanao provinces.
Press Secretary Jesus Dureza's announcement followed a petition filed by Solicitor General Agnes Devanadera before the SC seeking to dismiss an earlier bid to junk the case that questioned the legality of the MOA-AD.
Dureza said the government will instead seek to renegotiate the agreement with the MILF.
Bad move. Do not negotiate with Islam. Suicide move.
With this policy decision, he said the executive branch hopes that the Supreme Court will decide to dismiss the petitions on the MOA-AD filed by various politicians and other oppositors.
abs-cbnNEWS.com/Newsbreak reported as early as Friday that the Arroyo government will no longer sign the MOA-AD.
The MOA-AD would have expanded the autonomous region for Muslims in Mindanao, subject to a law and voters' approval in a plebiscite. It would also have granted Muslims wider economic and political powers, including 75:25 sharing of wealth from exploitation of natural resources.
Critics said the deal was unconstitutional since it would have granted the MILF nearly all the elements of a separate state. They also complained about not being consulted on the agreement.
A Filipino boy looks at his bicycle that was burned along with his house by Muslims, the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF)
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