March 22, 2010
The Melo Commission Report...
Posted by DAVAO TODAY in Extrajudicial Killings, Human Rights, Insurgency, Latest Posts, Military on 02 23rd, 2007 | No Comments
After intense public pressure, the Arroyo administration released on Thursday the report of the Melo Commission, which was created to investigate the killings of political activists and journalists in the Philippines. In a nutshell, the report assigns accountability to state security forces for these...
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Melo Commission Report: Introduction...
Posted by DAVAO TODAY in Extrajudicial Killings, Human Rights, Insurgency, Military on 02 23rd, 2007 | No Comments
INDEPENDENT COMMISSION TO ADDRESS MEDIA AND ACTIVIST KILLINGS Created under Administrative Order No. 157 (s. 2006) - 0 R E P O R T - 0 - INTRODUCTION There is no shirking the fact that people, almost all of them activists or militants, have been killed. There is no denying the reality that militant...
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Melo Commission Report: Undisputed Facts...
Posted by DAVAO TODAY in Extrajudicial Killings, Human Rights, Insurgency, Military on 02 23rd, 2007 | No Comments
Back to Table of Contents I. UNDISPUTED FACTS From the proceedings, it became plain that certain matters and facts were well-nigh undisputed. Although not necessarily proven in such a manner that would be binding in a court of law, these facts are nevertheless accepted as such by all concerned and,...
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Melo Commission Report: Presentation of ...
Posted by DAVAO TODAY in Extrajudicial Killings, Human Rights, Insurgency, Military on 02 23rd, 2007 | No Comments
Back to Table of Contents II. PRESENTATION OF WITNESSES/ RESOURCE PERSONS ...
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Melo Commission Report: Case Studies...
Posted by DAVAO TODAY in Extrajudicial Killings, Human Rights, Insurgency, Military on 02 23rd, 2007 | No Comments
Back to Table of Contents III. CASE STUDIES A. Profile of Victims The majority of the victims of the extrajudicial killings were members of the so-called left-wing organizations primarily Bayan Muna, Anakpawis, Bagong Alyansang Makabayan, Karapatan and KPD (Kilusan para sa...
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Melo Commission Report: Findings...
Posted by DAVAO TODAY in Extrajudicial Killings, Human Rights, Insurgency, Military on 02 23rd, 2007 | No Comments
Back to Table of Contents IV. FINDINGS From the evidence and presentations received by the Commission, it became apparent early on that the Commission must differentiate its inquiry into the killings of activists from those of media personnel and agrarian reform movement. It appeared that...
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Melo Commission Report: Recommendations...
Posted by DAVAO TODAY in Extrajudicial Killings, Human Rights, Insurgency, Military on 02 23rd, 2007 | No Comments
Back to Table of Contents V. RECOMMENDATIONS The Commissions recommendations, which mostly fall within the Principles on the Effective Prevention and Investigation of Extra-legal, Arbitrary and Summary Executions, recommended by the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations on...
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Melo Commission Report: Conclusion...
Posted by DAVAO TODAY in Extrajudicial Killings, Human Rights, Insurgency, Military on 02 23rd, 2007 | No Comments
Back to Table of Contents VI. CONCLUSION In ancient Sparta, life was dictated by war. In those turbulent times, city states were almost constantly at war with other neighboring city states and with marauding invaders. Thus, a strong military was absolutely necessary to the survival of the state. ...
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A Bloody Red Carpet for UN Rapporteur...
Posted by DAVAO TODAY in Commentary, Extrajudicial Killings, Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, Human Rights, Mindanao, Terrorism on 02 22nd, 2007 | No Comments
COTABATO CITY — What a bloody red carpet our government had given to Professor Philip Alston! Not only was the United Nations special rapporteur on extrajudicial killings criticized by the head of the Senate Committee on Justice, Senator Juan Ponce Enrile, for his comment on the dismal human-rights...
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Fearful of Landslides, Davao Folk Storm ...
Posted by DAVAO TODAY in Crime & Public Safety, Davao City, Environment, Latest Posts, Politics on 02 22nd, 2007 | No Comments
DAVAO CITY Residents of Carmen, a village in Baguio District, this city, stormed City Hall this week to press for their longtime demand to be relocated to a safer area due to the threat posed by possible landslides. Mothers, their small children in tow, trooped to the office of City Administrator Wendel...
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2007 Polls: Beyond GMA, Beyond Retaking ...
Posted by DAVAO TODAY in Commentary, Latest Posts, Politics on 02 22nd, 2007 | No Comments
It takes convincing the electorate who have long been sickened by elections that mean nothing to their lives and future that this one is more than just a choice between Estrada’s candidates and Arroyo’s candidates and is, therefore, different. The opposition should be able to show that this is...
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UN Prober Raps Military, Gov’t for...
Posted by DAVAO TODAY in Extrajudicial Killings, Human Rights, Latest Posts on 02 21st, 2007 | 2 Comments
In a press statement distributed at a Manila press conference on Wednesday, Philip Alston, the special rapporteur of the United Nations Human Rights Council on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions, outlined his findings during his 10-day investigation in the Philippines. Among his conclusions:...
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Balikatan’s Victim...
Posted by DAVAO TODAY in Human Rights, Latest Posts, Military, Mindanao on 02 21st, 2007 | No Comments
Blasted. Picture shows the back of a Moro woman who was hit by M203 shrapnel during U.S.-Philippine military exercises in Tagbak, Indanan, Sulu, on Sept. 4, 2006. Incidents such as this have prompted progressive organizations to denounce the Balikatan exercises being held this month in Sulu....
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Tales of Atrocities Confront UN Prober i...
Posted by DAVAO TODAY in Davao City, Extrajudicial Killings, Human Rights, Insurgency, Latest Posts, Military on 02 19th, 2007 | No Comments
By Tyrone A. Velez davaotoday.com DAVAO TODAY — They came from as far as Basilan, Agusan del Norte and Misamis Oriental. Some 30 people, who are families and survivors of extrajudicial killings and human-rights abuses presented their cases to the United Nations Commission on Human Rights special...
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UN to Probe Extrajudicial Killings in Da...
Posted by DAVAO TODAY in Crime & Public Safety, Davao City, Davao Region, Extrajudicial Killings, Human Rights, Insurgency, Latest Posts, Military on 02 18th, 2007 | No Comments
Leftist groups and the military are jockeying for position and the opportunity to be heard by the United Nations rapporteur on extrajudicial killings, who is scheduled to arrive today in Davao City. (davaotoday.com photo by Barry Ohaylan) By Germelina A. Lacorte davaotoday.com Related story: Victims...
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A Hope for Mindanao’s Moros...
Posted by DAVAO TODAY in Human Rights, Latest Posts, Mindanao on 02 18th, 2007 | No Comments
Zaynab Ampatuan, 27, hardly looks like one who has experienced being driven from home by bombs and bullets courtesy of the military. But she has and more than twice. Her experiences with the oppression of Muslims in the Philippines led her to become an advocate for the Moro cause. Zaynab’s Cause. ...
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Davao Councilor Decries ‘Threats&#...
Posted by DAVAO TODAY in Davao City, Human Rights, Latest Posts, Politics, Terrorism on 02 13th, 2007 | No Comments
Terrorized. Councilor Angela Librado-Trinidad delivering a privilege speech at the City Council today denouncing the anti-terrorism bill that President Arroyo promised to sign. (davaotoday.com photo by Barry Ohaylan) In a privilege speech at the City Council today, Davao City Councilor Angging Librado...
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Congress: A Hall of Injustice...
Posted by DAVAO TODAY in Commentary, Human Rights, Terrorism on 02 13th, 2007 | No Comments
The senators who voted for the anti-terrorism bill have nothing to say against the constitutional anomaly that while the measure gives the chief executive and the military vast authoritarian powers it is silent on Congress lack of power as a check and balance mechanism to executive abuse. ...
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‘Killing of Bayan Muna Misamis Ori...
Posted by DAVAO TODAY in Extrajudicial Killings, Human Rights on 02 13th, 2007 | No Comments
DAVAO CITY — The extrajudicial killings of Bayan Muna members continue. We condemn the Arroyo administration and highly suspect the Armed Forces of the Philippines as the culprit of the murder of Dalmacio Gandinao, Bayan Muna Misamis Oriental provincial chair. No other entity has the means and motive...
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Sulu Standoff Provoked by Peace Pact Vio...
Posted by DAVAO TODAY in Military, Mindanao, Peace Process on 02 13th, 2007 | No Comments
The detention by Moro rebels of a military group led by Muslim convert Brig. Gen. Benjamin Dolorfino last week stemmed from the repeated postponement of a proposed tripartite meeting with the government and the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC). The proposed tripartite meeting was to tackle issues...
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Davaos Anakpawis Blasts Pro-Landlord ...
Posted by DAVAO TODAY in Latest Posts, Politics, Poverty on 02 13th, 2007 | No Comments
Still Landless After All These Years. A peasant picketing the DAR office in Davao last year. DAVAO CITY — The Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) has been challenged by Anakpawis, the partylist organization, to prove that the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP) is effective. The group also...
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An Invitation to Murder...
Posted by DAVAO TODAY in Crime & Public Safety, Davao Region, Extrajudicial Killings, Human Rights, Latest Posts, Military on 02 12th, 2007 | No Comments
What started as an invitation to lunch by a persistent former colleague in the activist movement turned into an attempt on the life of the secretary-general for Southern Mindanao of the Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas. Related item: ‘Killing of Bayan Muna Misamis Oriental Leader Part of Arroyo...
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Davaos Ilagan to Push Mindanao Womens ...
Posted by DAVAO TODAY in Davao City, Gender Issues, Latest Posts, Mindanao on 02 11th, 2007 | No Comments
Women’s Champion. Ilagan, Gabriela’s second nominee to Congress, at an anti-Arroyo rally last year. (davaotoday.com photo by Barry Ohaylan) DAVAO CITY When she was a councilor of this city, Luz Ilagan championed the causes of women. More than any other women legislator in the city, she was...
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Moros Fearful of Terror Bills Potential...
Posted by DAVAO TODAY in Human Rights, Latest Posts, Military, Mindanao, Terrorism on 02 11th, 2007 | 3 Comments
Terrorized. Members of the Suara Bangsamoro partylist group hold a demonstration on Friday against the anti-terrorism bill. (davaotoday.com photo by Barry Ohaylan) By Grace S. Uddin davaotoday.com DAVAO CITY — Three months ago, Naif Yaken applied for a job in one of the plywood companies here. The...
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Terror Law Undermines Efforts for Justic...
Posted by DAVAO TODAY in Commentary, Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, Human Rights, Military, Mindanao, Peace Process, Terrorism on 02 11th, 2007 | 1 Comment
COTABATO CITY — The Suara Bangsamoro Partylist is one with the rest of the Filipino people in vehemently opposing the passage of the Anti-Terrorism Bill. The Suara Bangsamoro believes that once President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo will sign it into law, it will have a grave effect on the struggle of the...
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