News
BAYAN condemns relentless killings in Davao City
The Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (BAYAN) in Southern Mindanao strongly condemned relentless summary killings in Davao City that have claimed 22 victims in 15 days.
The most recent victims were Anakbayan members Alberto Canedo and Jun Rey Reducto, who were killed by bicycle-riding vigilantes. The two youths did not have criminal records in their community.
BAYAN said the murders are an attempt to condition the people�s minds to accept the extrajudicial killing of drug pushers and petty criminals. BAYAN also expressed concern that with the killing of Canedo and Reducto, summary executions would become the means of eliminating leaders and members of progressive organizations.
BAYAN also assailed the Philippine National Police (PNP), Task Force Davao (TFD) and the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) for their failure to apprehend the perpetrators.
Abbas sworn in
Newly elected Palestinian Authority president Mahmoud �Abu Mazen� Abbas was sworn in on January 15 in the West Bank. The ceremony was held immediately after Abbas won an election on January 9 held to choose a successor to the late Yasser Arafat.
Abbas, who also replaced Arafat as chairman of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), garnered 62% of the vote.
One day before Abbas� inauguration, Israeli prime minister Ariel Sharon cut off links with Abbas and the Palestinian Authority supposedly due to attacks by Palestinian groups. This, despite Abbas� call for continued talks between the two countries to resolve their conflicts.
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