Hugo Chavez dies

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has died of cancer aged 58, his vice-president Nicolas Maduro has announced.
'We have received the hardest and most tragic news that... comandante President Hugo Chavez died today at 4.25pm,' Maduro said on state television.
The once omnipresent face of the Latin American had been breathing with the aid of a tracheal tube, and had not been seen in public in almost three months.
The government had announced late on Monday (Venezuelan time) Chavez had a 'new and severe infection' and a 'worsening of respiratory function.'
Hours after the sombre medical bulletin, Maduro held a meeting with the cabinet, military officers and state governors at the presidential palace to 'define strategies regarding various projects for the development of our country,' according to state-run television.
Chavez's prolonged absence - which prevented him from being sworn in to a new six-year term earlier this year - had angered the opposition, which accused the government of lying about his condition.
Vice President Nicolas Maduro earlier warned that Venezuela was living its 'most difficult hours' since Chavez underwent cancer surgery on December 11.
'The enemies of his nation looked for how to harm the health of our commander,' he told a news conference on Tuesday.
The government then announced it was expelling two US Air Force attaches, accusing them of contacting Venezuelan military official to get information about the armed forces and to foment 'destabilisation projects'.
A US military spokesman said it was aware of the allegations and that the air attache, Colonel David Delmonico, was 'en route back to the United States'.
At a military hospital in Caracas, dozens of supporters prayed, held photos of Chavez and wept in a chapel that was built for the 58-year-old leader

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DFA denies del Rosario labeled Kiram's followers 'terrorists'

The Department of Foreign Affairs on Wednesday denied DFA Secretary Albert del Rosario joined with the Malaysian government in labeling the followers of Sulu Sultan Jamalul Kiram III terrorists.

In a statement, the DFA contested a report by Malaysia's state-run Bernama news agency claiming del Rosario agreed to the terrorist label. “According to (Philippine ambassador to Malaysia Jose Eduardo III) Malaya who was present during the meeting, the report is out of context and the Secretary did not label the Filipino group as ‘terrorists,’" it said.

The DFA said Bernama may have misquoted the secretary over an alleged “terroristic act” in Semporna, where an ambush took place last Saturday. Citing a report by the Malaysian Foreign Minister, the DFA said police units were allegedly lured to the ambush and killed, with their bodies were brutally mutilated and desecrated.

"If indeed the atrocities were committed as reported to him, the Secretary and the Foreign minister both agreed that these were, at the very least, terroristic acts,” the DFA said.

Also, the DFA posted a "Q and A" on its website, saying the Bernama report was "out of context," and that del Rosario did not label Kiram's followers terrorists.

Instead, it said del Rosario was referring to "alleged acts of terrorism" in Semporna.

Shared position

A post on Malaysia's Bernama news agency's Twitter account Tuesday night had said del Rosario "shared" the position of Malaysia that the group should be considered terrorists.

"Malaysia considers the armed Sulu intruders as terrorists, and this was shared by Philippine Foreign Secretary Albert F. Del Rosario," it said.

In a later tweet, Bernama quoted Malaysian Foreign Minister Anifah Aman as saying del Rosario had agreed to such a position.

Kiram's followers had engaged Malaysian authorities in a three-week standoff before bloody clashes broke out on March 1 and 2.

Last Tuesday, Malaysian security forces assaulted the area where Kiram's followers were believed to have holed up.

Meanwhile, del Rosario met Monday midnight with two Malaysian ministers to discuss “peaceful” solutions to the situation.

A news release from the Department of Foreign Affairs said del Rosario met with ministers Dato Sri’ Anifah Aman (Foreign Minister) and Dato’ Seri Dr. Ahmad Zamid Hamidi (Defense Minister).

The meeting took place midnight Monday.

Close cooperation

The DFA reiterated that Kiram's followers who may be charged with murder will be provided the "necessary assistance" by the Philippine government.

For now, the Philippine Embassy in Kuala Lumpur appealed to Filipinos in Sabah to remain calm and abide by the guidelines issued by local authorities.

It also reiterated the relationship between the Philippines and Malaysia remains strong and both countries continue to exert efforts to enhance their bilateral relations.

"The Secretary believes that close cooperation between the two countries is necessary for dealing with the challenges presented by the current issue," it said.

The DFA also said Tuesday's assault will not affect the peace process with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front. — DVM, GMA News

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Only Vatican can order removal of RH posters, says Bacolod diocese

BACOLOD CITY , Philippines   – Only the Vatican can order the Diocese of Bacolod to remove its controversial tarpaulin on the façade of San Sebastian Cathedral with the list of senatorial candidates dubbed as Team Buhay (Life) and Team Patay (Patay).

The lawyer of the diocese told The STAR yesterday that “since the tarpaulin is on Church grounds, only the bishop will say when they shall be removed.”

Ralph Sarmiento, one of three legal counsels of Bishop Vicente Navarra and the Diocese of Bacolod, in a text message explained that “since the tarpaulin is connected to the Church’s moral teachings touching on social issues, the Bishop will only receive orders from the Vatican, not from the Comelec (Commission on Elections).”

Sarmiento’s statement was a reply to a report that the Comelec is filing charges against Bishop Navarra and the diocese this week for the church’s refusal to take down the oversized tarpaulin on the Reproductive Health (RH) Law posted on the façade of San Sebastian Cathedral.

“We will commence the proceedings next week for the filing of election offense cases to whoever is behind this, unless restrained by the Supreme Court (SC),” Comelec Chairman Sixto Brillantes Jr. posted on his Twitter account Saturday.

Sarmiento said that the Diocese has no intention to comply with a Comelec rule that infringes on its constitutional rights.
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“Constitutional rights take precedence and prevail over mere Comelec resolution,” he said.

The Diocese of Bacolod has sought a temporary restraining order (TRO) from the SC to stop the Comelec from implementing its order to remove the controversial billboard for being “unconstitutional and void.”

Navarra filed last Friday an “urgent petition for certiorari and prohibition with application for preliminary injunction and TRO” against the Comelec and Bacolod election registrar Mavil Majarucon-Sia.

“If the SC does not issue a TRO, the diocese and the bishop are ready to face whatever cases the Comelec intends to file because we believe that it actually has no legal basis for any of its threat,” Sarmiento said.

Brillantes said the Comelec welcomes the petition but maintained “the tarpaulin is an election propaganda and thus covered by the size restriction imposed by law.”

He said that contrary to earlier reports, the estimated size of the tarpaulin is 10 feet by 20 feet, not 6 feet by 10 feet (as reported by Comelec-Bacolod), thus even if it is cut in half, it would still be oversized.

Comelec Resolution 9615 specifies that campaign posters should not exceed 2 x 3 feet.

Brillantes also posted on his Twitter account a photo of the tarpaulin in question, with a comment: I want you to judge. Tell me if this is not oversized? If this is not meant to influence voters?

Mitchelle Abella, another legal counsel of the diocese, earlier explained that the “6 feet by 10 feet size” of the tarpaulin reflects the message that the diocese wanted to convey to its flock: “six feet below the ground” as a symbol of death, and “ten feet standing tall” as the symbol of life.

“The election period is only incidental to this fight. With or without national or local elections, the diocese will oppose the RH law until it is repealed or adequately amended or modified,” Abella said.

The tarpaulin listed the lawmakers who voted in favor of the RH bill as “Team Patay,” and those who voted against the law as “Team Buhay.”

 The Catholic Church has opposed the enactment of the RH Law on the ground that it would promote abortion, hence those who voted in favor of it are called Team Patay, while those who voted against it are Team Buhay.

Brillantes said last week that the Diocese “should take down the posters or they will be charged.”

“The Comelec order is unconstitutional, a violation of the principle of separation of Church and State, and a violation of the freedom of expression of the Church,” Navarra said in his petition with the SC.

Navarra argued that the billboard is covered by the broader constitutional guaranty of freedom of expression, not by election laws or rules and regulations.

He said the Comelec has no jurisdiction over the Church, aside from the fact that the tarpaulin is inside church premises.

Brillantes recognized that the Church is privately owned but maintained that the tarpaulin is still covered by the size restriction under Comelec rules.

“I maintain that election laws including those governing campaign apply to all citizens regardless of faith or persuasion, even the Church,” Brillantes tweeted.

“Freedom of speech and expression must be exercised within the bounds of law. Existing laws set the maximum size allowed for posters,” he added.

Navarra said the billboard would remain in the façade of the cathedral until election day. He said more Church leaders across the country are set to follow his example and will put up similar billboards.

“I’m saddened by the defiance of the local diocese as the Catholic Church is a trusted and long-time partner in securing orderly elections,” Brillantes said.

“We are not being unreasonable - we quietly met and pleaded with the Diocese for its removal, sent them two notices which were both disregarded,” he added.

A question of jurisdiction

Meanwhile, election lawyer Romulo Macalintal said the Church could seek other legal measures other than directly seeking the High Court’s intervention.

“The Diocese should first exhaust all available legal remedies before it could go to the Supreme Court like filing with the Comelec Law Department,” he explained, noting that the High Court may not take action on the petition of the Bacolod diocese for lack of jurisdiction.

Under the Constitution and existing jurisprudence, Macalintal said, the Supreme Court’s power to review Comelec cases is limited to decisions or orders or ruling of the full commission.

“The court does not even have power to review decisions of a division of the Comelec, more so, any order of a mere department of the poll body,” he pointed out.

However, Macalintal said, the diocese may insist on not removing the controversial tarpaulin since the Comelec resolution does not contain provision prohibiting any private person from posting election propaganda materials of whatever size on his own private property.

“For sure there is no issue that the church property is a private property,” Macalintal said, noting that the size requirement for propaganda only applies to materials displayed in public places by “political parties and candidates.”

He explained that “prohibited forms of election propaganda” refer only to propaganda that does not bear the information on the person who paid for the ad.

He said the Comelec resolution does not define “unlawful propaganda materials” insofar as private persons are concerned precisely because they have the right to use or abuse their own properties.

“The petition cannot be filed by the Law Department of the Comelec as it cannot be the complainant, prosecutor or judge rolled into one. It appears that there is no such petition filed against the Diocese of Bacolod,” Macalintal explained.

According to Macalintal, the tarpaulin cannot be considered as election propaganda but merely an expression of the Church’s continuing position against the RH Law.

– Mayen Jaymalin

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MNLF urges OIC, UN to intervene in Sabah

MANILA, Philippines - As violence spread in Sabah, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and the United Nations were urged yesterday to intervene and initiate negotiations between Malaysia and the Sultanate of Sulu.

The Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF), which issued the call, however, said the Philippine government should be excluded from the negotiations.

MNLF chieftain Nur Misuari also urged Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak to stop sending more troops to Sabah and “tone down your voice.”

Misuari said he and his clan are the true owners of Sabah and the Malaysian state of Sarawak. He said history would bear out that Sabah and Sarawak were the original properties of his great, great grandfather.

Habib Mujahab Hashim, chairman of the MNLF’S Islamic Command Council, said their group could serve as mediator between the Sulu sultanate’s army and Malaysian forces.

Hashim said OIC members Brunei or Indonesia could mediate in behalf of the organization of Islamic states.
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He urged the UN, through its committee on human rights and the International Committee of the Red Cross, to send representatives to Sabah to see the measures being carried out by Malaysian forces against Filipinos.

The sultanate of Sulu claims much of Sabah, once called North Borneo, as ancestral land, and receives an annual payment of about P70,000 from Malaysia. The sultanate wants the payment increased.

President Aquino has described the Philippine claim over Sabah, which is based on the Sulu sultanate’s claim, as “dormant.”

Misuari arrived in Davao City Saturday night with his wife Tarhata for a meeting with Vice Mayor Rodrigo Duterte.

“The blood of our brothers in Sabah is sacred,” Misuari said. “I hope Najib will not persecute our civilians in Sabah as it will trigger bigger trouble and it will drag us into war, and I don’t like that. I am calling on Najib to please tone down your voice. All of us want peace. We do not want war.”

He said the Sabah conflict could be resolved in a “brotherly way... to the best interest of everybody.”

Misuari said his grandnephew is a relative of the Malaysian prime minister, whom he considered a friend.

The MNLF chief, who celebrated his birthday yesterday, admitted that some of the people who went to Lahad Datu were his relatives and members of his group. But he denied instigating the trip to Sabah.

“How can that be? I was in Africa for more than a month with my wife and I have nothing to do with the move of the sultan,” Misuari said.

He emphasized that sending “only 200” men to Sabah “is not my style.”

President Aquino was reportedly furious and suspected that certain quarters instigated the Lahad Datu incident to sabotage the peace process with the MNLF’s breakaway group, the Moro Islamic Liberation Front.

“I pity the President. He does not know what he is talking about,” Misuari said. “He will become a laughingstock in the whole world.”

Misuari noted reports that he would be arrested for the Sabah incident.

“They blame me for it. Why am I being blamed for this? They said I financed it. But where would I get the money to finance a takeover?” he said.

Duterte said there was no evidence linking Misuari to the incident in Sabah.

“I’m very sure that Nur Misuari would not do that,” Duterte said.

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MANILA, Philippines - As violence spread in Sabah, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and the United Nations were urged yesterday to intervene and initiate negotiations between Malaysia and the Sultanate of Sulu.
The Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF), which issued the call, however, said the Philippine government should be excluded from the negotiations.
MNLF chieftain Nur Misuari also urged Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak to stop sending more troops to Sabah and “tone down your voice.”
Misuari said he and his clan are the true owners of Sabah and the Malaysian state of Sarawak. He said history would bear out that Sabah and Sarawak were the original properties of his great, great grandfather.
Habib Mujahab Hashim, chairman of the MNLF’S Islamic Command Council, said their group could serve as mediator between the Sulu sultanate’s army and Malaysian forces.
Hashim said OIC members Brunei or Indonesia could mediate in behalf of the organization of Islamic states.
- See more at: http://www.philstar.com/headlines/2013/03/04/915534/mnlf-urges-oic-un-intervene-sabah#sthash.rvxfoXjX.dpuf

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