Biazon, Legarda, Roxas, et al: Anti-peace pact politicians

ARMM ELECTIONS, PEACE TALKS
In Mindanao at this time, they’re holding an election to choose the ARMM Regional Governor. The winner will get to be the implementor of the final GRP-MILF peace agreement and virtual head-of-state. But that latter role is being protested by some.  Senators even say RP selling sovereignty. Read the article in Philippine Star below by Christina Mendez dated today, August 11, 2008.
	Pursue peace talks but don’t sacrifice nation’s sovereignty, gov’t urged
	Monday, August 11, 2008 The government must pursue the peace talks without sacrificing the country’s sovereignty, senators said yesterday.
	Now that violence has erupted in North Cotabato, Sen. Rodolfo Biazon said the more government should reconsider his recommendation to reconstitute the peace panel, “if only to give peace a chance.”
	Sen. Loren Legarda said the Mindanao peace initiatives must be pursued vigorously, but not at the expense of the country’s sovereignty as protected by the Constitution.
	Legarda stressed that the rights and preferences of the majority of the people of Mindanao must always be considered, thus they should be consulted on any peace accord to be forged by the government.
	Biazon warned the government on the possibility that the violence in Mindanao arising from the conflict in the postponement of the signing of the memorandum of agreement (MOA) on ancestral domain might cause religious wars between Muslims and Christians, a repeat of history, which happened in the 1970s.
	Biazon explained that he was not calling for the termination of the memorandum of agreement provided that the negotiators will adhere to constitutional processes.
	Biazon stressed the need for members of both the Government of the Philippines (GRP) and the MILF to fully explain details of the MOA to avoid further misunderstanding that leads to violent confrontations.
	Legarda maintained that giving away parts of Mindanao is “unthinkable as our Filipino ancestors shed blood against foreign subjugators for a free and united Philippines.”
	“Besides, it should be the subject of a referendum to be participated not only by the people of Mindanao but by all Filipinos,” she added.
	Legarda pointed out that the Philippine Constitution might have to be amended before the present Mindanao peace proposal can be adopted.
	She said the road to peace is paved by continuing dialogue, good intentions, minus the saber rattling of those who want to take shortcuts.
	On the other hand, Biazon said he is concerned that some groups may derail the ARMM elections to create further confusion and violence in the region.
	Biazon said the success or failure of the ARMM elections would have an impact on the electoral process in 2010.
	The senator will go to Lanao del Sur today to observe the conduct of the implementation of the two systems of voting there, which is direct recording electronic (DRE) and the optical mark reader (OMR).
	The DRE system is fully automated from the voting, result transmission to the counting centers, and the final canvassing of results at the municipal, provincial and regional centers while OMR requires voters to fill up paper ballots which is scanned in an especially designed machines at pre-identified counting centers.
	“We want to know which of the two systems is better for the 2010 elections,” Biazon said.
	Sen. Manuel Roxas II, meanwhile, lashed back at critics who resorted to name calling when he led the Liberal Party in seeking for the sacking of presidential peace adviser Hermogenes Esperon for “selling out” the Philippines in the MOA.
	Defending himself from criticisms, Roxas said he never made a stand on ethnic or religious views, but on the basis of the common welfare.
	“And there is no point in trying to refute the malicious loose talk about my motivations or ambitions. What I care about is sustainable peace in a united Philippines. We cannot have peace under a partitioned republic. We cannot have peace without transparent consultation with our people,” Roxas said. – With Cecille Suerte Felipe
In comparison to bloggers of The Archangel Blog, Strengtheners Headquarters and Girbaudz’s Universe, the two are way, way out of their league. I wonder if these stupid fools are aware of or really, really understand what they are saying? You be the judge.