Thursday, November 15, 2007 Arroyo forms body v. political violence
PRESIDENT Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo on Wednesday issued an order creating a task force on political violence headed by Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro.
Arroyo made the announcement following the bombing at the South Wing of the House of Representatives Tuesday night, which resulted in the death of Basilan Representative Wahab Akbar and three others.
She said the members of the task force were the justice, local government and social welfare departments, the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process, Armed Forces of the Philippines, Philippine National Police, National Bureau of Investigation and the Philippine Information Agency.
Arroyo said the task force would coordinate with the judiciary, Presidential Council on Values Formation, Union of Local Authorities of the Philippines (Ulap) and non-governmental organizations (NGOs).
She said the task force will “harness and mobilize government agencies and political, religious, civil society and sectoral organizations and the public for the prevention, investigation, prosecution, and punishment of political violence, the care and protection of people and communities victimized and threatened by violence and the promotion of a culture opposed to violence and for the advancement of reconciliation of peace.”
“The rule of law must prevail. No person is above the law. Justice must be served and the law upheld,” she also said.
She expressed her sympathy to the families of those who died and to those who were hurt during the blast in Batasan.
The President urged the public not to engage in speculations or spread rumors that would result in more confusion, fear and conflict and would adversely affect the business environment.
Arroyo said no words could express her condemnation for the political violence that took place at the Batasan complex Tuesday night.
In her public address hours after the explosion, Arroyo ordered the police to investigate the explosion and government doctors to treat the victims of the blast.
She assured Filipinos and the international community that government will not rest until it “gets to the bottom of this tragedy and hunt down and punish the perpetrators.
Arroyo visited the Far Eastern University Hospital in Fairview, Quezon City at 1 a.m., Wednesday. Akbar died in the hospital. (JMR/Sunnex)
