Sunday, December 6, 2009

More areas may also be placed under martial law

MORE AREAS IN RP MAYBE PLACED UNDER MARTIAL LAW DUE TO MAGUINDANAO MASSACRE: The declaration of martial law by President Arroyo Saturday, December 5, 2009, through Proclamation 1959, confirms that the November 23, 2009 Maguindanao massacre poses a national threat that in reality endangers the whole Philippines, not just Mindanao.

It would indicate that, contrary to earlier belief, the killing of 57 people in the province in broad daylight, carried out principally to prevent a political foe of the Ampatuans from submitting his certificate of candidacy for the governorship of Maguindanao, now has serious and urgent repercussions on national security.

I will not therefore be surprised if, in the next several days, more and more areas not just in Mindanao but in the entire Philippines as well will be placed, first, under a state of emergency, and, later, under martial law or some other emergency rule, invoking the same gruesome murder.

Indeed, the Maguindanao massacre could even escalate as an international problem involving other Muslim nations and their supporters, unless authorities of the Arroyo government manage to solve this problem real soon, which, unfortunately, it is not perceived to achieve.

-ooo-

OFW TO BE BEHEADED APPEALS FOR HELP FROM PRESIDENTIABLES AND SENATORIABLES: Rodelio “Dondon” Lanuza, the overseas Filipino worker who is seeking help from Philippine authorities so he can avoid being beheaded after he was found guilty of having murdered an Arab national, wrote to presidentiables and senatoriables running in the May 2010 elections to see what they can do for him.

His letter, in the Filipino language, follows: “For Presidentiables and Senatoriables: Ako po ay si Rodelio 'Don2' Celestino Lanuza na nasa tamang edad at kasalukuyang nakapiit sa Dammam Central Jail ng Bansang Saudia Arabia simula pa po noong Agosto taong 2000.

“Ako po ay nagkasala sa krimeng pagpatay sa isang Arabo at hinatulan pong parusang kamatayan noong Hunyo taong 2002. Ako po ay umapila na ire-kunsiderasyon ang Hatol ngunit magpa-hanggang ngayon ay wala pa pong resulta ang aking Apila sa Court ofCassation.

“May anim na taon pa po simula ngayon ang aking ilalabi bago ipataw ang aking hatol (ito po ang base sa edad ng Anak na dapat ay 18 taon gulang siya at siya po ang huling desisyon).

May naghintay po ng 17 taon dito ngunit di pinalad patawarin ng Anakng napatay niya at siya po ay napugutan na nuong nakaraang buwan.

-ooo-

OFW ASKS HELP FOR HIS CHILDREN AND FAMILY: “Sa loob po ng 9 na taon na pinalagi ko dito sa kulungan ay madami na po akong nilapitan ngunit hindi po pinapansin ang aking kaso.

"Napakahirap po ng aking kinalalagyan at nararamdaman at napaka-sakit sa kalooban at wala pong oras na ako ay matahimik. Pamilyado po ako at may 2 anak at patuloy po ang aking pamamalimos na kahit kanino o sino para lamang po mabuhay, makakain at mapag-aral ko po ang aking 2 anak.

“Isa po akong OFW na tinaguriang Bagong Bayani ng ating Bansa na masakit sa damdamin ang mahiwalay sa mga mahal sa buhay para mangibang-bayan, isang sakripisyong dapat gawin upang mabigyan ng magandang kinabukasan ang aking pamilya ngunit sinawing palad...

“Ako po ay umaapila at humihingi ng inyong tulong na bigyang pansin po ang aking hinaing ang aking Kaso, na mapalaya po ako na makapiling po ang mga mahal sa buhay at ang tulong pang-edukasyon at pang-kalusugan ng aking pamilya...

“Ako po ay nagpapa-salamat din sa lahat ng may mabuting puso na nakaka-unawa po akin at umaasa po sa inyo na bigyang atensyon ang aking panawagan... Maraming salamat po... Pagpalain nawa po kayo ng Poong Maykapal. Lubos na gumagalang, Rodelio 'Don2' LanuzaOFW sa Deathrow 'KSA'.

-ooo-

CHRISTMAS IS FOR CELEBRATING JESUS: In 2005, I wrote a series of articles about Christmas which, when read again fourt years later in 2009, appears as timely as ever. For whatever it is worth, I wish to share some parts of one of the articles with our readers here:

“Now that Christmas is just around the corner, I certainly hope that Filipino families will not avoid celebrating this festive season by saying times are hard and there is really no reason to be joyous about.

“While I may concede that, yes, times are hard and we may really be missing the goodies that we have been accustomed to be having during this time of the year, there is no justification for being gloomy.

“Times maybe gloomy and life maybe harsher than usual, but Christmas is not all about material joy or financial happiness. God intended Christmas to be much more than that, and that maybe the reason why many of us are being deprived of the usual Christmas frills we have enjoyed through the years: to remind one and all that the real reason we are celebrating Christmas is Jesus Christ Himself.

“As the highest embodiment of God’s love, Jesus Christ should be the center of all our celebrations, for He came to us to prove that God so loved the world He gave us His only Son, so what whoever believes in Him shall not perish but shall have eternal life (John 3:16 of the Bible).

“Christ came, 2,000 years ago, not to give us a new car, a new house and lot, or even more money. He was born of Mary to offer the most important gift of all---eternal life. Had He not come and dwelt among us, many would perish, because there would be no forgiveness for our sins.

“Had He not been born of Mary, we will all be in hell, suffering eternal damnation. That Jesus Christ came is a testament to God’s desire to bring us all to Heaven, in His own house, to be with Him forever, engulfed in His unending mercy and love.” Merry Christmas to everyone.

-30-

No comments:

Post a Comment