Terror Law Undermines Efforts for Justice and Peace in Mindanao
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 Bangsamoro people in Mindanao and will sow more dissent among a people whose constitutional rights have always been violated by the military and police authorities.
A government peace negotiator, a Marine general and 11 other people have been held since Friday by a faction of the Moro National Liberation Front. Undersecretary Ramon G. Santos of the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPAPP), Marine Major General Benjamin Dolorfino, of the military’s National Capital Region Command and the others were prevented from leaving an MNLF camp on Friday afternoon. The MNLF said they did not take Santos and company as hostages and that they were merely asked to remain in the MNLF camp in Panamao, Sulu, “for more inquiries” by the rebel group.