GRPundit

I'm a Filipino, baptized Catholic, turned atheist. I was really touched with the #illridewithyou gesture that came out after the hostage crisis in Sydney. A friend of mine who'd migrated to Sydney said that it was pretty much unbelievable when he saw it for himself. A good deal of the population of the Philippines (non-Muslims) do think that all Muslims = terrorists. Only those who'd actually known, and have Muslims around them, say as co-workers, friends and neighbors may have a better opinion of them. What made me say that, a lot may ask. We think badly of Muslims, we crack jokes at them, our best mental image of Muslims is synonymous with DVD, and recently, Bluray. We think they all have a harem at home, we cradle the thought that they are all traitors, subhuman etc. Our Muslim countrymen had long been denied services befitting a good government (heck, we're also in that bucket mostly) which makes it really easy for a bunch of disgruntled dudes with guns ...

The more now I can't buy into two reasons now being forwarded to support the Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL): (a) that we should not allow so much work go to waste, and (b) that we could find ourselves back to the dangerous square one if it is junked. I don't know about the hard work behind BBL simply because the principal proponent, PNoy, comes across as averse to any kind of work ethic. He is in his position by some glitch in history. And, BBL itself comes across as just a rehash of what Gloria was pushing that SC has already rendered as unconstitutional. Talking of hard work, I believe it was former US Amb Kristie Kenny who went back and forth between Manila and Mindanao so many times and who pressured Gloria for that peace agreement. If Gloria was pressured to get behind something unconstitutional, just imagine how much easy it is to prod a spoiled brat who hates the very being of Gloria and yet hired the same people that Gloria had in working that junked agreement. What i...

It should be noted that the muslims are really not the problem here. Although it is true, that most of these problems being described here are done by people who are associated to the religion, you cannot blame a whole group of people based on just what a few people did in the name of that so called religion. The real problem here is that, the mainstream media always stresses out "Muslim" and "Terrorists" and use those two words in the same sentence all of the time. IT IS INDEED UNFORTUNATE that there are people who use religion to instigate violence, to justify the violence, but if you look at recorded history, this happened too in the past. (Remember the word "Crusades?") I'm a Christian (well at least on paper) and I live in a muslim country, and they condemn these kind of acts, and they are a loving and wonderful bunch of people, and all of the educated muslims I know laugh at the thought of what these extreme fanatics believe in. You can...

Let them have their independence. I suspect that once Filipino people live under Sharia Law and Islamic State dictates for a while; they will change their minds. No music, No TV, no representational art; only calligraphy of sacred sources, no bright colors, women covered from head to toe, no alcohol, no fiestas, no Christmas, no literature except for devotional texts, no education for women, education for young males consists of memorizing the Koran in Arabic, strict segregation of men and women, no religious freedom, no freedom of speech. mandatory prayer five times a day, starting at 4:30 in the morning, child brides, laughter and good times are discouraged as being decadent. At the same time cut off ALL support from the Philippines. No resources, no electrical power, no conditional cash transfers for the poorest in the community, no subsidized rice, no road repair, no hospitals, no new school construction, no public housing. All the wealthy in that area will flee; thereby decima...

We're in this mess because of the Jabidah massacre and the Tripoli Agreement - those were FM's doing. FVR treated the insurgents with kid gloves during his tenure. GMA kept the MOA-AD (establishing the Bangsamoro Juridical Entity) under wraps. When the public filed petitions to nullify the it, all hell broke loose. The MILF, under commanders Kato & Bravo, razed non-Muslim communities to the ground, killing villagers one after the other. The SC eventually declared the MOA-AD unconstitutional.This was in 2008. Only Erap had the gumption to declare an 'all-out-war' against the MILF. His war campaign in 2000 rendered the MILF powerless with Camp Abubakar, the insurgents' main stronghold, falling into government hands. Back to present. Under the current administration, stakeholders have been continuously consulted throughout the peace talks, and GRP-MILF negotiations remained transparent. That much the PNoy administration can brag. Yet despite government's best e...

Unlike most of you here, I am a peacenik when it comes to Mindanao, and thus support any peace initiatives that will resolve the ceaseless wars between the government and the rebels. Unlike most of you here, I am prepared to treat the MILF, BIFF, etc. as equals in the negotiating table provided that they disown their Islamist and terrorist affiliations and any and all dastardly doings they have done (alone or in concert with other rebel groups) in the name of Bangsamoro or Allah or whatever. Unlike most of you here, I am prepared to advocate whatever solutions may be arranged to achieve lasting peace and to finally at long last pave the way for the economic and resource development of what has been ironically called "the land of promise" — up to and including a two-state solution, whether or not those solutions are ultimately ruled as unconstitutional. I will even support a constitutional amendment or even a new constitution that would adequately address the situation down so...

GOSHENLAND has vast property in IRISAN called BLUERIDGE MOUNTAINS with thousands of pine trees in danger of giving way for housing development. MOUNT JUMBO TRAIL in LA TRINIDAD used to be our playground in BENGUET until it was bought by Goshenland and burned all the pine seedlings and shrubs in the area. ANYA NGAY AR ARAMIDEN YO NGA ENVIRONMENTALISTS? Where were you when hundreds of pine trees were cut for the construction of MOLDEX RESIDENCES along MARCOS HIGHWAY? ….A new subdivision development has started along BENIN ROAD, IRISAN and many trees fell to give way for road and residential development in the area.. NGANGA PA RIN BA? Another condominium on the rise owned by Manny Villar called OUTLOOK RIDGE RESIDENCES in Mines View cut several trees too…and AGAIN another wooded area in MINES VIEW is on the brink of extinction for the construction of MEGAWORLD's condominium project called 88 GIBRALTAR, a vast complex of exclusive housing towers. GET REAL PEOPLE!!!! BE IN THE K...