Martial Law survivors say the past is still in their midst

He could hear the sound of his footsteps as he ran to escape his captors. His heart beat very fast. He went to their underground house, where they used to hold secret meetings against the Marcos government, to warn other activists to abandon the place. But men in uniforms captured him instead. "It was just like in the movies," recalls Bienvenido Lumbera, the National Artist for Literature, who was once a Martial Law survivor.

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Photo Essay: A call for a stop to human rights violations in Compostela Valley

According to Karapatan, human-rights violations in Southern Mindanao have increased as Oplan Bantay Laya, aimed at crushing the communist rebellion, is nearing its deadline in 2010. Click here for more pictures


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Women and children in conflict areas tell their stories in Ibon book

Funded by the United Nations children's fund (Unicef), the Ibon book delves into the lives of women and children living in areas under the influence of the New People's Army (NPA) and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), hence, the subject of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) operations.

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MILF calls for an independent body to look into civilian casualties

"The government will not implement what it has committed. So when it was not signed, our two commanders concluded that the government of the Philippines did not really want the peaceful process. So, they decided by themselves without the sanction of the high leaders of the MILF. That's when the problem came."

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More violence feared after GMA scraps peace panel

Gabriela representative Liza Maza said the Bangsamoro people can't help but interpret Arroyo's move as a declaration of an all-out war against them. "The Arroyo government's obstinacy, all the while ignoring the legitimate demands of the Bangsamoro, does not bring the conflict anywhere near resolution," she said.

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