?Not all solutions to the ongoing conflict in Mindanao can be found in the Constitution,? says Eid Kabalu, an official of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front. A main reason for the deadlock in the negotiations is the Constitution itself, which makes the issue on ancestral domain unlikely to get resolved soon. Alexander Martin Remollino of Bulatlat explains.
With its trade, mining, and economic interests in the Philippines, it is no wonder that Australia is pushing for the signing of military treaties with the Philippine government.? There were reports that even without a treaty, 20 soldiers from the elite Australian Special Air Service (SAS) were involved in combat operations with AFP and U.S. Special Forces troops in Mindanao. Caesar Ben Basan Baro?a of Bulatlat reports.
A man mourns at the Davao Memorial cemetery. As with most Filipinos all over the country, Davaoenos started flocking to the cemeteries as early as Oct. 31 to pay their respects to their dear departed. Click here to view more All Souls’ Day pictures by Davao Today’s Barry Ohaylan and Cheryll D. Fiel.
At 72, Federico Gapuz does not look like a swashbuckling lawyer with a 10-gallon Stetson hat. But make no mistake: he does not seem to have passed his prime either. Gapuz remains among the few, brave men of the legal profession who wouldn?t hesitate to come to the rescue of people prosecuted ? and persecuted — for their political beliefs. Davao Today managing editor Cheryll D. Fiel recently had the chance to chat with this ?people?s lawyer.?
Foreign delegates at a recent gathering of lawyers in Davao City bewailed the continued killings of activists and the harassment and other threats being faced by lawyers who take the cases of the poor and those who suffer from abuses of the state. Davao Today?s Cheryll D. Fiel reports.
