MANILA — Philippine Ambassador to Brunei Darussalam Virginia H. Benavidez reported to the Department of Foreign Affairs that two Filipinos won prizes at the 4th Southeast Asian Youth Al-Quran Reading Competition on 11-13 April 2007 at Brunei Darussalam.
Ms. Monaifah Amen Alawi and Mr. Javier Minalang were declared 1st Runner-Up and 3rd Runner-Up respectively.
MANILA — “There is a grand scheme to prevent our party list from winning and/or adding more seats in Congress and Malaca?ang’s dirty hands are behind it. This is the biggest travesty of the partylist system.”
This was the statement of Rep. Liza Maza of Gabriela Women’s Party during a press conference this morning exposing an alleged campaign plan against Gabriela, Bayan Muna, Anakpawis, Kabataan, Suara Bangsamoro and other partylists.
Press Statement
April 20, 2007
CONVENE THE TRIPARTITE COMMITTEE NOW!
The Initiatives for International Dialogue together with its allied
networks in Mindanao and Sulu welcomes the timely call of the
Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC) for an immediate ceasefire
between the AFP and MNLF in Sulu. Indeed, the ceasefire is a rational
step if only to save thousands of innocent civilian lives who might
again have to pay a high price for this pointless war. Sadly, this is
happening amidst what the OIC, the Philippine Government and the MNLF
proudly claim “the feat of peace” in the 1996 peace agreement.
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MANILA — Senate Minority Leader Aquilino ?Nene? Q. Pimentel,
Jr. (PDP-Laban) today castigated Justice Secretary
Raul Gonzalez for using uncouth language during his
conversation with three visiting officials from the
Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) who are conducting an
inquiry into allegations of political persecution of
leftist party-list lawmakers and other human rights
violations.
(more…)
MANILA — Philippine President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo ordered today government troops to work on neutralizing the Abu Sayyaf Group terrorists as she condemned the beheading of the group?s seven captives in Sulu this week.
In a statement, the President said the “Abu Sayyaf?s acts of terror will not go unpunished” and that the government would deal with it as an internal security matter.