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Monday, May 01, 2006
Davao mayor sees peace on Labor Day
DAVAO CITY -- Mayor Rodrigo Duterte expects a peaceful Labor Day rally Monday in Davao City, but militant group Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU) foresees a crackdown on their members and fellow militants.
The group based their fear on the statement released by Press Secretary Ignacio Bunye warning those intending to overthrow the National Government anew that they will be dealt with equal force.
KMU Southern Mindanao secretary general Omar Bantayan said with the warning, there is a possibility of a crackdown of members of militant groups, based also in past experience that some national militant leaders such as Representative Joel Virador and Crispin Beltran were arrested after joining protest activities.
Bantayan said they have already instructed their members to tighten security when arrest happens.
"In case there's a crackdown, then they already know what to do," he said.
However, Duterte said that for as long as protest actions will not violate any existing laws then anyone is free to stage protests.
Existing laws include the traffic ordinance and so the mayor advised rallyists to coordinate with police authorities to avoid traffic congestion.
Duterte said he explicitly ordered the Davao City Police Office to keep their distance from the thousands of rallyists who are expected join Monday's rally.
The city mayor offered labor leaders to sit as guests in his television program "Gikan sa Masa, Para sa Masa" Sunday.
But the invitation was scrapped when he was told that the militants refuse to heed his condition that nothing should be said against President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo or should they call for her resignation or ouster.
"They (militants) said they could not discuss on the ills of labor without hitting the President," Duterte said.
"If only it is my personal money and not the government that is being used here, then it would have been okay for me. It is difficult because the money used for this program is from the government," he said.
The militants are apparently bent on demanding for Arroyo's ouster even urging those in uniform to defy orders from their superiors. (Ben O. Tesiorna/Barbara Carla Quiero/Sun.Star Davao)
(May 1, 2006 issue)
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Mindanao security on alert for possible terror strike