URGENT ACTION: Pakistani Jirga Orders Murder of Couple

[Forwarded from the Asian Human Rights Commission]

The Asian Human Rights Commission received information that a tribal leader of Sindh province has held three women and two children in his private jail and one woman has been continuously raped for more than three years. She has had two children whilst in custody. The Sindh High Court and the provincial police have been unable to recover the five persons from his jail. The tribal leader, in the meanwhile, held a Jirga, a parallel judicial system of feudal society, and announced the murder of a man. He and his wife were declared as Karo (black male) and Kari (black women). The Kari woman is currently under his illegal detention and might be murdered at any time. The feudal lord is so powerful that on one occasion when a police party went to recover the Kari woman the henchmen of the tribal chief detained the policemen for several hours and only released them after they gave assurances that they would not attempt to rescue the woman again.

CASE DETAILS:

According to the information received from the husband of the alleged Kari woman and the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, an NGO, Mukhtar Bibi alias Begum, 26, was married to one Ghulam Mustafa Mugheri, a resident of Korangi Industrial area, Karachi, in the year 2005, as his second wife. Ms. Mukhtar Bibi was divorced by her first husband for not being able to bear children, the mother and maternal uncles persuaded Mr. Mugheri to marry her according to the instructions of Islam. Ms. Bibi’s father, Haji Mashooq Chandio, was in those days in jail in Saudi Arabia on charges of smuggling drugs. However, he was released on Sept 17, 2005 and returned to Pakistan. At that time he was totally broke and started black mailing his son-in-law. Mr. Mugheri somehow managed to pay the initial financial demands but being a worker at a tea company he could not continue to pay the huge amounts of money.

Mr. Haji Mashooq Chandio, enlisted the help of his tribal chief, Mr. Sardar Ahmed Chandio, and with the connivance of his henchmen on January 7, 2006, abducted Mr. Mugheri’s first wife,Mst. Gul Khatoon, 32years, his 60 years old mother, Mst. Hameeda allies Subhana Umri, his 9 year-old niece Ms. Zameera Umri and his 8 years old son, from his first wife, Master Menthar.

They have since been in the private custody of Sardar Chandio and police have been powerless to recover them from this powerful person. It is alleged in a police report filed by Mr. Mugheri that Haji Mashooq sold Ms. Gul Khatoon, Mr. Mugheri’s first wife to the tribal leader of the Chandio tribe, Mr. Sardar Ahmed Chandio. Whilst in detention Ms. Khatoon has been continuously raped and has born two children as a result.

Finding no way out of his financial problems, on August 23, 2009,Mashooq Chandio, the father-in-law, went to Mr. Mugheri’s house in Mehran Town, Korangi along with six persons, and kidnapped his second wife, Ms. Mukhtar Bibi, at gun point. They were riding in a black-coloured Alto car and a yellow cab. After some days, Mugheri went to his father-in-law’s house in Jamshoro district, along with a copy of the Holy Quran and his 9-day-old son, and requested his father-in-law to hand over his wife but he refused. On Sept 27, 2009, Mugheri filed a petition in the Sindh High Court (SHC) for the recovery of his wife, following which the honorable court ordered police to raid his father-in-law’s house and recover his wife. On October 5, 2009, the High Court ordered the Nazir, the court search officer, to recover Mukhtar Bibi and search the places of tribal chief of Chandio tribe. Before the court and police officials reach the place the Mukhtar Bibi was shifted to another location. The police learned that the victim, Mukhtar Bibi is alive and with Sardar Ahmed Chandio, the tribal chief, who was currently in Saudi Arabia. After that court did not take action.

Then on October 14, the tribal chief, Sardar Chandio, held a Jirga, an illegal court and declared that both, Mr. Mugheri and his second wife, Ms. Mukhtar Bibi, should be murdered in the name of honour as they are Karo and Kari. Before the holding of the Jirga, his father-in-law, Mr. Mashooq Chandio and the henchmen of Sardar Chandio on October 12, tried to abduct Mr. Mugheri from the premises of Sindh High Court Karachi, but the police saved him and gave him shelter in one of the rooms of the court.

Mr. Mugheri tried several times to take help from the police and the court and at last was successful in getting the attention of the Deputy Inspector of Police (DIG), Karo-Kari cell and recorded his statement under section 154 CrPc. The DIG sent a team under Ms. Soobia, the head of the Karo Kai cell, recently made by Sindh government. The team went to recover Ms. Mukhtar Bibi but came under attack by the henchmen of the tribal chief and two police officials were abducted and made hostages. After several hours the police officials were released on the assurance that they will make another attempt to rescue Bibi.

Subsequently the police have arrested two of the alleged abductors out of 12 persons but have not been able to recover the three women and two minors.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

The Sindh high court is the highest judicial institution of the province of Sindh but because of its weakness to implement the rule of law the powerful groups, particularly feudal and tribal leaders enjoy impunity through their use of power. In 2004, the former chief justice of the Sindh high court has declared Jirga judicial system as illegal, ultra virus and unconstitutional but feudal and tribal lords know the writ of the high court. With regard to this of abduction and illegal detention the High Court has proved itself the weakest institution for the recovery of the five persons being held.

SUGGESTED ACTION:

Please write letters to the authorities urging them to recover three women and two minors from the private custody of the tribal chief of Chandio tribe and punish all the perpetrators keeping them in illegal detention at private jail and holding illegal court for murder of innocent people. Please also demand from the government to save the couple particularly Ms. Mukhat Bibi from murder on the pretext of honour killings.

The AHRC writes letters to the UN special rapporteur on the question of arbitrary arrest, violence against women and torture calling for their intervention in to this case.
*********************************************************
SAMPLE LETTER:

Dear __________,

RE: PAKISTAN: A tribal court announces murder of a couple and High court has proved impotent before a feudal society

Name of victims:

1. Mukhtar Bibi alias Begum, 26 years, wife of Ghulam Mustafa Mugheri, missing since August 2009, Near Madressa Umer Farooqi, Korangi industrial area, Karachi, Sindh province
2. Mr. Ghulam Mustafa Mugheri son of Ali Mugheri, near Madressa Umer Farooqi, Korangi industrial area, Karachi, Sindh province
3. Mst. Gul Khatoon, 32years, first wife of Ghulam Mustafa Mugheri, kept in private jail since January 7, 2006, at Larkana road, Shahdad Kot, Qamber sub district, Larkana district, Sindh province
4. Ms. Hameeda alies Subhana, Mother of Ghulam Mustafa Mugheri and kept in private jail since 2006, at Larkana road, Shahdad Kot, Qamber sub district, Larkana district, Sindh province
5. Ms. Zameera Umri, age 9 years, nephew of Ghulam Mustafa Mugheri, kept in private jail since January 7, 2006, at Larkana road, Shahdad Kot, Qamber sub district, Larkana district, Sindh province
6. Master Menthar age 8years, son of Ghulam Mustafa Mugheri, kept in private jail since January 7, 2006, at Larkana road, Shahdad Kot, Qamber sub district, Larkana district, Sindh province

Name of alleged perpetrators:

1. Haji Mashooq Chandio, resident of Sandoz Road, Jam Shoro Phatak, Jam Shoro district , Sindh province
2. Sardar Ahmed Chandio, son of Shabbir Ahmed Chandio, Larkana Road, Shahdad Kot, Qamber district, Sindh province
3. Khadim Hussain s/o Muhammad Laiq, Larkana Road, Shahdad Kot,Qamber district, Sindh province
4. Ghulam Umer s/o Muhammad Laiq Larkana Road, Shahdad Kot,Qamber district, Sindh province
5. Hajji Hamid s/o Peyaro Khan chandio, Larkana Road, Shahdad Kot,Qamber district, Sindh province
6. Hajji Muhammad Saleh s/o Muhammad Azeem chandio, Larkana Road, Shahdad Kot, Qamber district, Sindh province
7. Hajji Mumtaz s/o Haji Ahmed Budhani chandio, Larkana Road, Shahdad Kot, Qamber district, Sindh province
8. Mukhtair s/o Ghulam Qadir chandio, Larkana Road, Shahdad Kot,Qamber district, Sindh province
9. Haji Sikander Chandio, Larkana Road, Shahdad Kot,Qamber district, Sindh province
10. Muhammad Ramzan Mugheri, Larkana Road, Shahdad Kot,Qamber district, Sindh province
11. Aijaz Chandio, Larkana Road, Shahdad Kot,Qamber district, Sindh province
12. Hub-e-dar Chandio, Larkana Road, Shahdad Kot,Qamber district, Sindh province

Date of incident: January 7, 2006 and August 23, 2009

Place of incident: Korangi Industrial Area, Karachi, Sindh province

I am writing to voice my deep concern regarding the alleged illegal detention of three women and two minors in the private jail of a tribal leader, Mr. Sardar Ahmed Chandio. The two women, Ms. Gul Khatoon and Ms.Hameeda, 60 years and two minors have been detained in a private jail since January 7, 2006.

During the period of continuous illegal detention Ms.Gul Khatoon was raped and has born two children as a result. Another woman, Ms. Mukhar Bibi was also abducted on August 23, 2009 and is being held in the same private jail.

I am shocked to know that the courts and police have done nothing to obtain the release of the women and minor and the powerful people are allowed to run private jails without any legal basis. It shows that the rule of law is totally broken in a country where the judiciary claims itself as an independent judiciary.

According to the information received from the husband of the alleged Kari woman and the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, an NGO, Mukhtar Bibi alias Begum, 26, was married to one Ghulam Mustafa Mugheri, a resident of Korangi Industrial area, Karachi, in the year 2005, as his second wife. Ms. Mukhtar Bibi was divorced by her first husband for not being able to bear children, the mother and maternal uncles persuaded Mr. Mugheri to marry her according to the instructions of Islam. Ms. Bibi’s father, Haji Mashooq Chandio, was in those days in jail in Saudi Arabia on charges of smuggling drugs. However, he was released on Sept 17, 2005 and returned to Pakistan. At that time he was totally brok and started black mailing his son-in-law. Mr. Mugheri somehow managed to pay the initial financial demands but being a worker at a tea company he could not continue to pay the huge amounts of money.

Mr. Haji Mashooq Chandio, enlisted the help of his tribal chief, Mr. Sardar Ahmed Chandio, and with the connivance of his henchmen on January 7, 2006, abducted Mr. Mugheri’s first wife,Mst. Gul Khatoon, 32years, his 60 years old mother, Mst. Hameeda allies Subhana Umri, his 9 year-old neice Ms. Zameera Umri and his 8 years old son, from his first wife, Master Menthar.

They have since been in the private custody of Sardar Chandio and police have been powerless to recover them from this powerful person. It is alleged in a police report filed by Mr. Mugheri that Haji Mashooq sold Ms. Gul Khatoon, Mr. Mugheri’s first wife to the tribal leader of the Chandio tribe, Mr. Sardar Ahmed Chandio. Whilst in detention Ms. Khatoon has been continuously raped and has born two children as a result.

Finding no way out of his financial problems, on August 23, 2009,Mashooq Chandio, the father-in-law, went to Mr. Mugheri’s house in Mehran Town, Korangi along with six persons, and kidnapped his second wife, Ms. Mukhtar Bibi, at gun point. They were riding in a black-coloured Alto car and a yellow cab. After some days, Mugheri went to his father-in-law’s house in Jamshoro district, along with a copy of the Holy Quran and his 9-day-old son, and requested his father-in-law to hand over his wife but he refused. On Sept 27, 2009, Mugheri filed a petition in the Sindh High Court (SHC) for the recovery of his wife, following which the honorable court ordered police to raid his father-in-law’s house and recover his wife. On October 5, 2009, the High Court ordered the Nazir, the court search officer, to recover Mukhtar Bibi and search the places of tribal chief of Chandio tribe. Before the court and police officials reach the place the Mukhtar Bibi was shifted to another location. The police learned that the victim, Mukhtar Bibi is alive and with Sardar Ahmed Chandio, the tribal chief, who was currently in Saudi Arabia. After that court did not take action.

Then on October 14, the tribal chief, Sardar Chandio, held a Jirga, an illegal court and declared that both, Mr. Mugheri and his second wife, Ms. Mukhtar Bibi, should be murdered in the name of honour as they are Karo and Kari. Before the holding of the Jirga, his father-in-law, Mr. Mashooq Chandio and the henchmen of Sardar Chandio on October 12, tried to abduct Mr. Mugheri from the premises of Sindh High Court Karachi, but the police saved him and gave him shelter in one of the rooms of the court.

Mr. Mugheri tried several times to take help from the police and the court and at last was successful in getting the attention of the Deputy Inspector of Police (DIG), Karo-Kari cell and recorded his statement under section 154 CrPc. The DIG sent a team under Ms. Soobia, the head of the Karo Kai cell, recently made by Sindh government. The team went to recover Ms. Mukhtar Bibi but came under attack by the henchmen of the tribal chief and two police officials were abducted and made hostages. After several hours the police officials were released on the assurance that they will make another attempt to rescue Bibi.

Subsequently the police have arrested two of the alleged abductors out of 12 persons but have not been able to recover the three women and two minors. This is the situation of the rule of law in rural areas of the country where writ of the state is minimized and powerful people enjoy the fragile situation of the writ of the state. The High Court of the province has proved itself a subordinate of tribal leaders.

I urge you to recover the three women and two children from the custody of tribal leaders and their henchmen and prosecute the perpetrators including the police officials of the Qamber district, Sindh. An inquiry into the affairs of holding private jails in Sindh province must be conducted. The case of rape during illegal detention be lodged against the perpetrators.

Yours sincerely,

*********************************************************************************

PLEASE SEND YOUR LETTERS TO:

1. Prime Minister
Prime Minister House
Islamabad
PAKISTAN
Fax: +92 51 922 1596
Tel: +92 51 920 6111
E-mail

2. Dr. Ishrat-ul-Ebad Khan
Governor of Sindh province
Karachi, Sindh Province
PAKISTAN
Fax: +92 21 920 5043
Tel: +92 21 920 1201
E-mail

3. Syed Qaim Ali Shah
Chief Minister
Karachi, Sindh Province
PAKISTAN
Fax: +92 21 920 2000
Email

4. Mr.Syed Mumtaz Alam Gillani
Federal Minister for Human Rights
Ministry of Human Rights
Old US Aid building
Ata Turk Avenue
G-5, Islamabad
PAKISTAN
Fax: +9251-9204108
Email

5. Ms. Tauqir Fatima Bhutto
Minister of women development
7th Floor, New Sindh Secretariat, Karachi, Sindh province
Fax: 92-21-99213886
Email

6. Chief Justice of Sindh High Court
High Court Building
Saddar, Karachi
Sindh Province
PAKISTAN
Fax: +92 21 9213220
E-mail

7. Ms. Nadia Gabol
Minister for Human Rights
Government of Sindh,
Pakistan secretariat, Barrack 92,
Karachi, Sindh Province
PAKISTAN
Fax: +92 21 9207044
Tel: +92 21 9207043
E-mail

8. Dr. Faqir Hussain
Registrar
Supreme Court of Pakistan
Constitution Avenue, Islamabad
PAKISTAN
Fax: + 92 51 9213452
E-mail

Thank you.

Urgent Appeals Programme Asian Human Rights Commission
--------------------------------------------

For other ways to make a difference please also see recent blog about the funding problems besetting our mother organization, IKWRO particularly if you are based in the UK.

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Human Rights Social Issues Filipinos Filipino-Americans

Is it Possible for Philippine Politicians to have an Outbreak of Honesty?

What happens when a store is closed for Christmas holiday is left unlocked due to lock malfunction and therefore unmanned? An outbreak of honesty ensues and a display of Christmas spirit prevails over at two Safeway stores located in Pleasant Grove at Roseville Parkway and Sunrise and Kirby streets in the city of Roseville just north of Sacramento, California with a total population of 112,343.

You would think that it will be looted especially during these hard times but not in the city of Roseville when concerned residents noticed that no employee was around minding the store and there were a lot of shoppers doing their last minute shopping called Roseville police to check on the incident. The police arrived and to their surprise found the store full of shoppers leaving money at the counter in the absence of a cashier paying for what they bought.

Awesome is an understatement, imagine one of the stores was left unlocked for almost four hours during Christmas Eve and almost half an hour on Christmas day at the other store, a testament to the innate goodness of man.

What if a Philippine Congressman happens to be at the scene? The first thing they will do according to Lu Tong Mancau is rush to the frozen section and grab as much pork as they can and stuff them in a barrel and cart them away leaving a note but not money at the cashier’s table saying that it was their pork barrel allocation.

Looks like Lu Tong Mancau is on a roll so I ask him what if it was the people at the Comelec. Well, the Comelec people says Lu Tong Mancau will probably pretend to be the cashier using their dagdag/bawas (add/subtract) wizardry to collect the money, pocket it and shortchange the store saying the amount collected went to the manufacturers. They will also prohibit gays to enter the store citing the Koran and the bible they gathered online not realizing they were using Al Querida errr Qaeda and fanatical Christian sect websites.

The Arroyo’s according to Lu Tong Mancau especially Mikey will probably take all the money to move up from his Foster City home to a more upscale neighborhood in San Francisco. While Gloria Arroyo will declare martial law to takeover the store and cart away everything to use in her campaign sortie in Pampanga but not without leaving a billing statement for shipping off the goods and instructions to the Comelec to give her additional million votes. She will of course stash for her own consumption expensive wines, prime steaks and lobsters she can get hold off for her gluttonous spree.

Seriously, will it ever happen again in other cities? Perhaps, it is the Christmas spirit thus we see an outbreak of goodness but then again when you live in a society where honesty is the rule this is to be expected. Will we ever see the Philippine politicians start to clean up their act and harvest the fruits of goodness towards a true strong republic?

Happy New Year to one and all and may the year 2010 be the start of a new beginning in our nation building towards good governance with honest, accountable, and responsible political leadership.

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SatireFilipinos Philippine Politics Politics

Ano ang aking pamasko?

ni: Among Ed Panlilio

Sadyang napakalaki ng gastos ng mga trapo sa Paskong ito bilang paghahanda nila sa dara­ting na halalan sa Mayo 2010. Pinapatawag nila ang mga kapitan, barangay tanod, barangay health workers, senior citizens, konsehal at mga mayor at binibigyan nila ng pera, bigas o hamon.
Tuwang tuwa naman ang ating mga kababayan sa kanilang tinanggap na pamasko. Kahit papaano mayroon silang pang noche buena o pantustos sa marami nilang gastusin.?Nakakatakot nga lang ang sitwasyon na kung maupo ang mga trapong ito pagkatapos ng eleksiyon. Mas tiyak pa sa pagsikat ng araw kinaumagahan, ang lahat ng mga ito ay babawiin sa yaman ng bayan.?Mayroon pa nga silang dahilan na maging tiwali sapagkat ganyan naman daw talaga ang kalakaran sa ating bansa sa larangan ng pulitika.

Nagkakaroon ako tuloy ng pag-iisip. Sabi nga nila, kaya mo lang ibigay kung ano ang nasasaiyo. Hindi ka nga naman makapagbibigay ng isang bagay na wala ka. Bilang lingkod po ng aming probinsiya at sapagkat hindi naman ako mayaman, wala akong pamaskong pera, bigas at hamon para sa aming mga kababayan. Kaya, ano naman ang aking pamasko sa Pampanga?

Ang aking handog sa mga Kapampangan sa Paskong ito ay ang halos dalawa at kalahating taong paninilbihan sa probinsiya. Ito po ay paninilbihan ng buong katapatan, na may kaayusan, kahusayan at kalinisan. Ibinalik natin sa kapitolyo ang marangal na panunungkulan. Inalis natin ang katiwalian sa pangongolekta ng kita sa quarry, tinanggal ang komisyon sa paggawa ng mga inprastraktura at bi nura natin ang SOP sa pambili o procurement sa mga iba’t ibang kagamitan.

Sa pamamagitan nito, mas dumami ang serbisyo na ating naipaaabot sa ating mga kababayan tulad ng mga kalsadang napagawa, napaganda ang sampung ospital ng probinsiya, napagara natin ang Arnedo Park sa tapat ng kapitolyo, mas malimit at marami ang mga maralitang kababayan ang napaabutan ng tulong galing sa liblib na barangay, mas napahusay natin ang suporta sa marami nating maliliit na negosyante. Nabigyan ng pansin at pagkalinga ang ating mga kababayan na katutubo, mga taong may kapansanan, mga batang nagdurusa sa malnutrisyon, senior citizens, kababaihan at kabataan.

Sa isang salita, ang aking naging pamasko ay hindi isahan o panandalian.

Naging tuluy-tuloy at mas makahulugan pala ito. Ito rin po ay naging sama-samang pagkilos. Sa pamamagitan ng aming, pinagkaisang sipag at direksiyon ng paglilingkod, mas naging epektibo at mabunga ang aming ginawa. Mas higit pa sa mga materyal na pinagkaloob, nakapag-alay kami ng pag lilingkod na galing sa puso at sa kalooban.

Ito pong nagampanan namin sa kapitolyo ng Pampanga ay malapit sa naging pamasko ng ating Panginoon na si Hesus. Wala po siyang kayamanang pinagkaloob. Ngunit ang handog niya ay ang kanyang sarili na punung-puno ng pagmamahal.

Siya nawa ang inyong pagpapala sa Paskong ito.

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Filipinos Philippine Politics Politics

The Philippine Political Scene on Christmas*

(* copied from an email sent to me)

Guess who’ll be the busiest senator this Christmas! Who else but Loren Legarda. She’ll be hopping from party to party.

The Senate plans to recreate the Nativity Scene. Noynoy Aquino has been tapped to play the role of the Virgin!

Sen. Manny Villar won’t play any part in the Nativity Scene but he volunteered to donate the house, the lot, and the manger.

For some reason, Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile has rejected suggestions to let Senators Jamby Madrigal, Bong Revilla, and Lito Lapid to play the role of the Three Wise Men.

Sen. Mar Roxas has repeatedly expressed interest to play the role of Joseph. But getting no support from his colleagues, he withdrew.

Eighty-two year old senator Joker Arroyo refused to take part in the activity. But that was understandable since Methuselah was never a part of the Nativity Scene.

Not to be outdone, Malacañang is also recreating its own Nativity Scene. Virgilio Garcillano, Hermogenes Esperon, and Ronaldo Puno will portray the three kings. However, they are not expected to bring incense, gold, or myrrh. Instead, they will deliver… VOTES!

When Andal Ampatuan Jr. of Maguindanao heard Malacañang’s plan, he sent a note to President Arroyo and volunteered his talent. He wanted to play the role of Herod so he could slaughter innocents!

The characters in the palace’s Nativity Scene were already complete when Mikey Arroyo angrily protested his exclusion. To pacify the presidential son, Malacañang people offered him a special but undemanding role. He’ll be the shit of a camel!

At the Lower House, congressmen couldn’t complete their own Nativity Scene. Nobody dared to play Jesus but everyone was qualified to play the role of an ASS!

In Times Street, Sen. Noynoy Aquino has recreated his own Nativity Scene. His three wise men look dazed though because they’re following not just one but several stars.

Just as confused are the Three Kings in Sen. Richard Gordon’s Bagumbayan Party’s Nativity Scene. The kings are having a hard time following the star because of several street signs that say: “Walang tawiran, nakamamatay.”

Back to Times Street, Noynoy Aquino had a difficult time finishing his Nativity Scene because Kris Aquino insisted on playing the role of the star.

In Polk Street , chaos marred the recreation of the Estradas’ Nativity Scene. Erap played the role of Joseph but everyday a different woman plays the role of Mary!

The Nativity Scene in Gilbert Teodoro’s house was reportedly one of the most intricate, beautiful, and well-crafted recreations. Unfortunately, only 2 percent of his friends have seen it.

You can find all kinds of Christmas decors at the residence of environmentalist Nicanor Perlas except for the Nativity Scene. According to the Comelec, he doesn’t have the capability and the resources to create one.

The Villars’ Laurel mansion in Shaw Blvd. boasts of the most expensive decors. There are two six-foot Christmas trees, two giant Santa Clauses, and two life-size Nativity Scenes. A recent survey showed that Villar has narrowed the gap between him and Noynoy, so expect a double celebration this Christmas!

Bro. Eddie Villanueva’s own Nativity Scene tops them all. Surrounding the infant Jesus are 5 million sheeps!

The Communist Party of the Philippines produced perhaps the oddest of all Nativity Scene re-creations. Their wise men are in Congress, the shepherds are in the Sierra Madre mountains, and their God is in the Netherlands !

Finally, the Commission on Elections, particularly 2nd Division members Nicodemo Ferrer, Elias Yusop and Lucenito Tagle have junked the proposal of 1st Division commissioners to put colorful Christmas decors in their office. Yusoph, Tagle, and Ferrer described the proposal as “so gay.”

With all these personalities and given our political scene, it will trully be

a MERRY X'MAS AND A RIOTOUS YEAR!

But just the same, a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to All.


Fidel Umaga

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Charice & David Archuleta Duet - Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas

A tandem in the making, indeed let us have a merry Christmas. There is hope in this world while there are times when man's inhumanity to man like the Ampatuan, Maguindanao massacre shock us beyond belief, we can still make this place a better world we live in.

It is the season for reflection and in the spirit of giving perhaps it is time to look within ourselves what kind society and environment we are leaving behind for the next generation to come.

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Human Rights violation of Datu Unsay Mayor Andal Ampatuan, Jr. Pure Hogwash

Watching TV Patrol as the principal suspect in the cold blooded Ampatuan, Maguindanao massacre Datu Unsay Mayor Andal Ampatuan, Jr. being brought for preliminary investigation was quite a revelation. There he is acting like a frightened little girl desperately holding the hands of his lawyer as if he was his sugar daddy errrr his physical presence on his side will protect him from the wrath of angry journalist and people. Here is a “tough” heir apparent to a warlord fiefdom showing the whole world what he is made of without his fully armed thugs of private army looking more like a lost little girl horrified at being alone pleading for his lawyer not to leave him by his side.

Witnesses portraying a merciless cold blooded mass murderer whose puny brain fell off his trigger finger enjoying the murder spree typical of a sociopath inflicting the most gruesome pain imaginable and death to hapless unarmed defenseless victims but whose threshold for imagined pain was worse than a 6 six year old little girl. The overlord in the making feared by his constituents full of bravado roaming the streets of Maguindanao armed with his baby armalite and coterie of armed to the teeth thugs courtesy of their patron Gloria Arroyo’s war of terror and yet could not stand the “pain” of a handcuff hurting his “delicate” wrist. Of course he will bitch like a prostitute street walker, a deranged monster that he is who treats his firearm like a security blanket suddenly finds himself alone without his thugs and constricted by a handcuff suddenly came to the realization that alone without his guns and thugs he is nothing but a vulnerable coward.

The sociopath can really act like a drama queen that he is on his imagined pain as the video coverage of the preliminary trial shows how it was loosened, so loose he can even slide not just his wrist but his head containing his puny brain if one can even find it in his skull full of hot air. His demeanor at the preliminary hearing makes you wonder what brings about the arrogance showing his contempt at the proceedings yawning as if he has a free jail pass up his sleeves or does he thus he is acting this way? Was it arrogance or simply because he is a moron who lacks the ability to comprehend the implication of the hearing? .

To think that he was elected as a mayor and being groomed by his warlord father as his heir apparent to be the governor of Maguindanao they lord over like it was their fiefdom losing his composure or was it just his natural demeanor acting like a scared little girl is disgusting to say the least. With the likes of the Ampatuans it is sadly a reflection on the kind of people that treats elected government position like it is their birthright and we wonder why we have a corrupt and inept government?

What is odd in that preliminary investigation is the presence of the policeman involved in or was at the vicinity of the massacre as respondents or accused in the case who were not handcuffed. The number of accused easily outnumbers the prosecution lawyers and not to restrain the accused with handcuffs is a mistake and courting security breach and mayhem considering the nature and gravity of the case. Some of these accused are instrumental in carrying out the dastardly act that according to a witness claims stopped the caravan of the Mangudadatu at the check point and coordinated said to Ampatuan Jr. They are not exactly innocent harmless little meek girls that Andal Jr. thinks he is, they are respondents to the crime and others actually participated and may have done the shooting and they decided not to restrain them?

As if we have not have enough oddity in this case we now have Leila de Lima the chairwoman of the Commission on Human Rights stating that the irate journalist who allegedly hit Ampatuan with his camera went “overboard” to express his outrage and thus violated the rights of Ampatuan, Jr. If indeed it was deliberate she was right that the journalist went overboard but to say that it was in violation of Ampatuan’s human rights is pure hogwash and she herself went overboard in saying the incident was a human rights issue.

I used to be a camera buff and was in a similar situation where you have to fight for space in a tight crowd of cameramen wanting to do the same all at the same time to snap the picture of a subject. Thanks to digital video I was able to go back to the incident repeatedly and from the way I look at it, it was definitely not a deliberate act of inflicting harm on the subject but the cameraman’s instinct to act swiftly to catch the subject in a split second thus what appears to be a forceful camera swing.

Assuming it was deliberate to say that it was leading to vigilantism is a stretch and if there was any who was violated it was not Ampatuan Jr. (if found guilty committing a heinous dastardly massacre is a monster and thus not worthy of being treated as a human being) but the camera. The camera has more value and an instrument for creativity and the subject who was on the way of the camera swing is an inhumane worthless character, a mistake and a curse to be born in our midst. If a picture is worth a thousand words, a camera definitely is more valuable than the shallow forehead of a moron. If indeed it was deliberate, will we lose sleep over the incident? Yes he maybe innocent until proven otherwise in the eyes of the law but the evidence, circumstance and the threat is so glaring that for anyone to even think the Ampatuans are not guilty should seek a psychiatrist for professional help.

Ok, seriously speaking the journalist who were present are after all human beings, they have feelings too and the outrage is clearly justified anger, for who would not feel the way they do when your colleagues who are supposed to be independent in any conflict and protected are violated and murdered. If people who are not journalist are seething with anger and outrage what more with journalist? I sympathize and support the journalist present at the incident especially those who brought along the images of the massacre victims shoving them on the face of Ampatuan Jr. Enough of the silly notion that the journalist violated Andal Ampatuan Jr’s, human rights, it was the journalist who are the victims of human rights and not the other way around.

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Lorelei Fajardo Sacked as Gloria Arroyo’s Comical Ali errrr Spokeswoman

Arroyo spokesperson a ‘casualty’ of Maguindanao massacre screams the Inquirer article:

The long list of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s spokespersons is down to four.

She has let go of Lorelei Fajardo, the lone woman among her six spokespersons, and tasked the latter to concentrate on serving as her assistant for Central Luzon.

Fajardo’s departure as press undersecretary followed that of Anthony Golez, who quit the same job (with the same title) to join the congressional race in Bacolod City next year.

The President is now left with Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita, Press Secretary Cerge Remonde, and deputies Gary Olivar and Rolly Tungpalan to speak for her.

Although Lorelei “Gloria-LIE” Fajardo was booted out of her post and given a choice to be a running dog errrr assistant position to help the President in Central Luzon Affairs, just like the Ampatuans she remains a loyal friend to her boss. I just don’t know if Arroyo feels the same way especially when she knows she is so clueless and dense blurting out her private sentiments not intended for the public.

Dense and spaced out emboldened by lack of accountability on their excesses that will of course give rise to insensitiveness and worse arrogance, thinking they can get away with absurd statement finally cost her the spokesperson job. Equally amazing is the time it took for her to get sacked for spilling the beans two days after the Ampatuan, Maguindanao massacre as shown in Lorelei Fajardo's statement below:

I don’t think the President’s friendship with the Ampatuans will be severed

Not content with her distorted concept of friendship which she confuses with the Mafiosi kind follows it up with an even more repulsive idiocy:

Just because they’re in this situation doesn’t mean we will already turn our backs on them.

What is surprising is while she was relieved of her post as Glroa Arroyo;s Comical Ali errr spokeswoman instead of being given the walking papers she was still given a choice of serving as full-time undersecretary of the Office of the Press Secretary and presidential assistant for Central Luzon. It is not like she was exemplary in her job performance so why is she still with the president? I suspect Gloria Arroyo enjoys being surrounded by mediocre people like speech challenge Cerge Remonde as we have stated before, it makes her feel like a giant among midgets.

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