source: luwaran

ILIGAN CITY,  In an impressive show of solidarity, more than 7,000 demonstrators, Muslim and Christian, held a protest march-rally in Iligan City today to express their grave concern over the aborted peace negotiation between the MILF and the GRP and their indignation at some officials of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo’s cabinet for their opposition to a negotiated peace settlement of the Mindanao conflict with the MILF. The demonstrators also lambasted US President George Bush for sending American combat troops for the Balikatan exercises which be held in Lanao del Sur, Lanao del Norte, Sulu, Cagayan de Oro, Bukidnon and other parts of Northwestern and Northeastern Mindanao beginning February 18, 2008.

The demonstrators kicked off their protest action with a parade in the city’s main thoroughfares that started at 9:00 am and ended at the Iligan plaza where they held a rally that lasted until 12 noon. As in the Marawi City rally about a week ago, the plaza of Iligan was all covered with red banners and buntings.
 
The protest marchers carried placards, streamers and banners as well as the effigies of President Bush and DILG Secretary Ronaldo Puno, who is identified as one of the war hawks in Arroyo’s cabinet after recently making a statement to the media openly proposing that the government should prepare for war against the MILF.  The rally was followed by a press conference by the leaders of the protest rally. They called on both the GRP and the MILF to resume negotiations and on Bush to stop sending US troops to Mindanao and Sulu.
 
At the plaza rally, the speakers took turns venting their anger at the war hawks in the Arroyo regime with Puno taking much of the verbal tirades along with Bush whose effigy carried the tag “King of Terrorists”. Puno’s effigy wore the tag “War-like Mammal”. Both Bush and Puno - or rather, their effigies - were symbolically ‘executed’ on stage by the protesters.
 
The Iligan City mass action was organized and led by the Muslim Multisectoral Movement for Peace and Development headed by Lacs Dalidig, Pilandok Radio Forum, Saksi Radio Forum and the Consortium of Bangsamoro Civil Societies. They were supported by NGOs in Iligan City and Lanao del Norte. Even the chief executive of Iligan City, Mayor Lawrence Cruz, lent support to the mass action by sending an official representative to the rally.
 
Among the rally speakers were Lacs Dalidig, Atty. Umpa, sultan of Iligan, Prof. Ibrahim Camama, Executive Director of RDRRAC Inc., Adona Orquillas of Sanlakas, Jun Tenorio of Partido Manggagawa, Ronald Lara of AKMK, Chacha Labandero, Alim Hamid Potawan from the ulama, and Fr. Chito Suganob,  parish priest of St. Mary. There were also speakers from the ranks of the indigenous peoples, women, media, students and youth.

	1. Written by redheat on 26-01-2008 10:22 - Guest
	miphagariya so riya ago bdung ow.. apya pn aki gumuraok tano sa rugo, taman sa gya mata tano na mabubus ka dadn a lo a ba kiguraok na diran rktano dn ibgay so kapakamaradika.. so lalan a pagokitan na iniguris o Islam, myakataralo so kapasang tano na myasowa iyan na myalepas so titho a pagokitan.. kay aya siyongkad tano so okit-okit o mga kuffar.. isa tano ko mga kyabethuwan sa muslim a mga taw sa dunya ogaid na tonganay a maito a tanda a khaylay ko kamumuslimi.. sabar ko ALLAH, Makalimoon ago Masalinggagaw, ka so mga muslim sa mindanao na kadaklan da mambiat ko tithu a okit o Islam.. mamamikiran tano ago knalen tano antonae e ilmo a mapapadalem ko Islam a knaba matag agama ka okit-okit a kapagintaw.. Salam ko mga pagariyakn a mga muslim a pinggasto iran so omor iran sa lalan ko ALLAH.. Allahu Akbar!