Three bombings in major cities in Mindanao the past two weeks have baffled police and local officials as to who could be behind the incident and what could be the motive. But peace advocates say its 2003 all over again.
A day before the Cotabato City bombing, Sittie Rajabia and her husband, Elson, were joking after hearing a United States government advisory of an Al Qaeda threat.
By EARL O. CONDEZA Davao Today Two barangay captains from Paquibato told councilors that the MGB tricked them to sign a memorandum of agreement to allow mining operations in their areas. They also said they were given 10,000 to 15,000 pesos each from mining firms.
JOHN RIZLE L. SALIGUMBA Davao Today The Agusanons endured a grueling two-day travel circuiting two provinces. Starting Thursday, they walked four hours from their evacuation center in Barangay Kauswagan, Loreto, Agusan del Sur, crossed a river to reach the neighboring Laak, Compostela Valley. Then they took a bus that brought them to Tagum City in Davao del Norte at night. Friday morning they traveled to Prosperidad and held a camp-in until provincial officials responded.The Agusanons took this circuitous route to steer clear of the military.
TYRONE A. VELEZ Davao Today Bernard Mondragon, spokesperson of Child Alert Mindanao, asked “What did ‘Tokhang’ accomplish?” He said government’s view of ‘gangsterism’ as a peace and order concern shows government failure “to look at why poverty pushes them towards it.”