Politics

Philippines: Checkpoints Another Move to Condition Public with Massive Military Presence on Election Day

MANILA — Anakpawis Representative and political detainee Crispin Beltran today slammed anew the Armed Forces of the Philippines’ establishment of more checkpoints all over the country as the countdown to the May 14 elections begins. He said that the military checkpoints were being put up not so much to deter criminals but to intimidate and frighten supporters of the opposition senatorial slate as well as of the progressive party-lists.

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Philippines: Pimentel Seeks Prosecution of Grecil’s Killers

MANILA — Senate Minority Leader Aquilino Q. Pimentel, Jr.
(PDP-Laban) today urged the Armed Forces of the
Philippines to conduct a no-nonsense investigation
into the ?accidental? killing of a nine-year old
village girl during an encounter between government
troops and communist guerillas in Compostela Valley
and to identify the soldiers responsible for the
tragedy.
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Philippines: International Probe on Grecil’s Death Urged

DAVAO CITY — ?Exactly one month after the death of 9-year old Grecil Buya Galacio, an independent investigation has yet to commence,? lamented Alphonse Rivera, Spokesperson of SALINLAHI Alliance for Children?s Concerns. Grecil was killed by members of the 28th and 67th IB in New Bataan, Compostella Valley last March 31, 2007. She was initially branded as a ?child soldier? by the military which was later forced to retract their statement after the family and Salinlahi presented evidences proving otherwise.
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Philippines: Children’s Group Lauds Cayetano for Backing Grecil Autopsy

DAVAO CITY — KABIBA Alliance of Children?s Concerns in Mindanao, a coalition of 51 child-focused and child-friendly groups, commended today Sen. Pia Cayetano for supporting the clamor on the conduct of an impartial autopsy on the remains of Grecil Buya whom the military misrepresented as NPA ?child combatant?
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2007 Philippine Elections: What’s at Stake (2)

In this second installment in Davao Today’s Q&A series on the 2007 elections, newspaper columnist and political analyst Luis V. Teodoro argues that the May 14 elections will be a “turning point in whether the march to authoritarianism will continue or if the political crisis that began in 2004 — the crisis of legitimacy of the Arroyo regime — can begin to be resolved.”

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