A friend sent these photos. These pictures show victims of the alleged bombing of a village in Maguindanao last September 7. The official Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) statement is: these are collateral damages. They were caught in a crossfire between the Bangsamoro rebels and soldiers.  Just look at these photos and see for yourself. [...]

As the Supreme Court reviews the Memorandum of Agreement, fighting between Moro Islamic Liberation Front forces and Philippine troops continue. Philippine Air Force Chief Lt. General Pedrito Cadugdog said they are ready for an escalation of the war. For its part, rebel forces also declared that they are ready for war. Recently, the National Democratic [...]

” If you have it, flaunt it.”–Anne Curtis, Philippine actress, when interviewed by TV Patrol after having been nominated as the Sexiest in this part of the world. The Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) did exactly that yesterday. They have arms, and lots of it, and they flaunted it by attacking barangays in North Cotabato. Former [...]

I take particular exception to the statement yesterday of former AFP Chief of Staff Hermogenes Esperon. During his verbal tussle with North Cotabato Vice Governor and war hawk Manny Pinol, he told ABS-CBN DZMM anchors Ted Failon and Korina Sanchez that he’ll be the last person to “give up Mindanao that easily”. That’s a slip [...]

If you notice the main issue opposing the GRP-MILF deal, you’ll notice one oft-repeating word: “dismemberment”. Most analysts, unfortunately including United Opposition Spokesman Atty. Adel Tamano (a born Muslim by the way), say they oppose the deal because it would cause the division of the country, which, they say, contradicts the Constitution. I dare say, what [...]

On Tuesday, members of the government peace panel and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) will sign a historic deal. This deal will lead to the establishment of a Bangsamoro Juridical Entity (BJE), an entity which would grant sovereign rights to the MILF on “ancestral domain”. The ancestral domain, in this case, covers parts of [...]