No way. Sen. Richard Gordon, chairman of the Senate electoral committee, says there is no compelling reason to postpone ARMM elections at yesterday's Senate hearing on a bill seeking the postponement. At the back is Sen. Rodolfo Biazon.
***
SC stops pact
signing Palace confident MILF talks on
track
BY EVANGELINE DE VERA
THE Supreme Court yesterday issued a
temporary restraining order on the signing of a memorandum of
agreement between peace negotiators from the government and the
Moro Islamic Liberation Front scheduled today in Kuala Lumpur.
"There is need to maintain the status quo,
kasi kapag nagkapirmahan na, there might be rights that might be
violated," said court spokesman Jose Midas Marquez.
"To prevent violation of certain rights of
the people, the Court decided to issue a TRO. Again, this is not
a decision on the merits; this is just a TRO to maintain the
status quo," he added.
ELECTIONS chair Jose Melo yesterday shrugged
off warnings from the secessionist Moro Islamic Liberation Front
that trouble might erupt if the Autonomous Region in Muslim
Mindanao elections pushes through on Aug. 11.
"We will not be bullied by anybody. We will
just continue our preparations with the elections until there is
a law (postponing it)," Melo said
On Sunday, rebel spokesman Eid Kabalu warned
that the MILF leadership might not be able to stop its people
from causing tension or trouble in Mindanao if the polls would
be held.
GOVERNMENT forces are authorized to initiate
combat actions against Moro Islamic Liberation Front rebels if
an attack is imminent on the soldiers and on government
positions, Army chief Lt. Gen. Victor Ibrado said yesterday.
Ibrado made the remarks amidst successive
attacks perpetrated by the rebels in Central Mindanao for the
past weeks, the latest of which was against troops of the 40th
Infantry Battalion in Baliki village, Midsayap, North Cotabato
on Sunday afternoon.
Reports reaching Ibrado's office said at
least 20 rebels under Commander Amirel Umbra Kato attacked the
soldiers led by one 1Lt. Sumbalo using high-powered firearms,
including a cal. 50 machinegun. No casualty was reported in the
35-minute firefight.
