Today’s Views

Suara Bangsamoro Salutes Philippines’s Chief Justice

By Zaynab Ampatuan
First Nominee, Suara Bangsamoro Partylist

Suara Bangsamoro Partylist salutes Chief Justice Reynato Puno for standing up for human rights vis-?-vis the senseless war on terror.

To CJ Puno, we say: May your tribe increase!

The Bangsamoro people are solidly behind CJ Puno in his critique of the anti-human rights and repressive war on terror that is mimicked by the Arroyo administration in near lethal doses. The Filipino Muslims are made the usual suspects by insensitive people in the current administration and military leadership in this mindless war. We are only too happy that we have a CJ Puno who rushes to our defense.

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Philippines: Surveys Are Not Just a Matter of Voters’ Bets

By the Policy Study, Publication and Advocacy (PSPA) Program
Center for People Empowerment in Governance (CenPEG)

MANILA — The pre-election surveys (PES) conducted by the country’s leading pollsters show the voting preferences of the country’s electorate in the May 14 mid-term elections. Conducted regularly since October last year, the surveys done by the Social Weather Stations (SWS), Pulse Asia and, to some extent, the non-profit IBON, showed opposition candidates for the senatorial race under the Genuine Opposition (GO) pulling away from the administration ticket, Team Unity (TU). Indeed, the latest surveys reveal that between seven to eight opposition candidates, led by Loren Legarda, are the choice of the respondents, with only about two to three administration bets making it. Two independent candidates, Francis Pangilinan and Gregorio Honasan, fill up the rest of the “Magic 12” seats that are up for grabs in the elections.

The surveys also show quite similar trends for the House and local government elections.

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Analysis: A Curse to Democracy

Extrajudicial executions, forced disappearances, political persecution, baseless accusations, and arbitrary arrest and detention have no place in a democracy. These are contradictory to it. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, Norberto Gonzales, Raul Gonzalez, and the AFP cannot claim to be defending democracy, for they are a curse to it.

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