Press Release

1 October 2008 Urgent Appeal for International Humanitarian Response in Mindanao

The Mindanao Peoples Caucus calls for an immediate international response to the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Central Mindanao that already displaced more than 500,000 civilians.  Despite government's assurances of its readiness and ability to respond to the crisis, on the ground humanitarian response is undeniably slow, intermittent, limited and haphazard.  Hundreds of thousands of IDPs have not received the much needed relief and giving away three kilos of rice for each head of the family is definitely not enough compliance to say they had already been served. Read Full Article

26 August 2008 More To Worry About 13,000 Shotguns for Civilians in Mindanao

AMID growing insecurity and communal violence in conflict areas in Mindanao , the government is now unleashing another stealth move by allowing Secretary Ronaldo Puno of the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) to  arm conflict-weary civilians with 13,000 shotguns. Read Full Article

11 August 2008 A Call for Discernment and Unity

We speak in behalf of all marginalized sectors of Mindanao that include the Bangsamoro people, the indigenous peoples and migrant settlers particularly the women, children, and the displaced civilian communities who stand to benefit from the successful conclusion of the GRP-MILF peace talks. For many decades now, our lives depict the curse of the so-called "collateral damage" due to a long internecine armed conflict. The conflict and war in Mindanao must end now. We cannot allow this cycle of violence to further victimize our children and the next generation. We beg all the branches of government, the media and civil society groups to help end the Mindanaoans' long years of suffering. Read Full Article

26 July 2008 A Call for the Resumption of Peacetalks

In the light of the renewed collapse of the GRP-MILF talks in Kuala Lumpur yesterday, it is obvious that the opponents of the Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) on Ancestral Domain have once again succeeded in frustrating the efforts of the negotiation. With veiled threats of constitutional challenge, legal battles, communal violence and plain hysteria, we missed to grasp peace just when the Peace Panels have come closest to it.. Read Full Article

26 April 2008 Bantay Ceasefire Calls on IMT to Stay

If we need to kneel down before the principals and members of the International Monitoring Team (IMT), we, all six hundred fifty volunteers of the Bantay Ceasefire will gladly do so if only to convince the IMT to stay.   We speak as the sons, the daughters, the parents, the family and friends of the victims of armed conflict in Mindanao .  We speak on behalf of those who have the most at stake at its peaceful resolution.  We speak as the ones to pick up the pieces should the peace process completely collapse. Read Full Article