ROXAS LEADS NATION VS. GOV'T MOVES TO BREAK UP THE COUNTRY

Senator Mar Roxas, Liberal President, will stand up for all Filipinos at the Supreme Court tomorrow, to ensure that the GRP-MILF Peace Panel Memorandum of Agreement on Ancestral Domain does not push through.

"Kasama natin ang mga taga-Mindanao, at nagkakaisa ang bayan laban dito sa kataksilan sa ating bansa na pinakita ng gobyerno. Lumalabag sa Konstitusyon itong MoA, at hanggang sa ngayon, hindi pa rin natin alam kung ano ang kabutihan na maidudulot nito," he said.

"Sinasabi ng ating gobyerno na hindi pa 'done deal' itong MoA. Magkakaroon pa raw ng plebisito. Pero makikita natin na hindi dumaan ito sa konsultasyon, at kung anuman ang pinagkasundo ng MILF at ng gobyerno, sisikapin na itong iimplementa na walang konsiderasyon sa interes ng mamamayan sa Mindanao at sa buong Pilipinas," he added.

Roxas has actively met with leaders from Mindanao in the past week. Yesterday, he visited Sultan Kudarat Gov. Teng Mangudadatu, Tacurong City Mayor Lino Montilla and South Cotabato Gov. Daisy Fuentes in their respective districts, to discuss how to best block the executive's attempts at creating a separate Bangsamoro Juridical Entity within Philippine soil.

Last week, the Senator had met and consulted with North Cotabato Vice-Governor Manny Piñol, Iligan City Mayor Lawrence Cruz and Zamboanga City Mayor Celso Lobregat, among others. Piñol and Lobregat have also taken their grievances to the Supreme Court, and had managed to get a temporary restraining order preventing a signing of the MoA to take place last August 5.

He also called on the government to disclose how it plans to bring about peace as a result of the controversy generated by the MoA.

"How does the government plan to address the further imminence of widespread conflict if the TRO is maintained? We don't even know if there was a strategic plan in case the MoA pushed through. What is the plan to address the political dissension that would ensue�which is both certain and severe?" he said.