Sad Christmas: How Muslims Murdered & Behead family -Christian Elders in Mindanao

Muslim Rebels killing Christian Elders and family in Mindanao and beheading some, a process of ousting Christian Settlers in Mindanao for the "Bangsamoro Semi-autonomous Region" . Reported December 24, 2012

How Filipino Rebels Murdered Church Elder's Family

It's disheartening to note how Filipino Christians in Muslim rebels dominated area of the island Mindanao of the Philippines are being persecuted daily, with the recent murder of a church elder's family and burning of homes.

This indication is contained in a news report by the Release International (www.releaseinternational.org) a United Kingdom based Christian charity adding that one bishop related how he had evacuated his village when news came of an imminent raid by rebels.

Quoting Manila Standard Today, it noted that villagers hid behind rocks by the coast as they watched 300 rebels invade by boat from other islands. On their return to the village, however, they found that a family of five, that of a church elder, had not managed to escape and had been brutally murdered, including their baby. Homes and other property had been burned.

"This is happening against a backdrop of political negotiations between the Filipino Government and rebels about the creation of a new semi-autonomous region "the Bangsamoro". A preliminary peace accord was signed in October to agree the formation of the Bangsamoro region in 2016 – and Filipino media report that a final accord could be signed by the end of the year," the report added.

It continued: "Christians fear this will only cause persecution to intensify. Rebels are operating as if Islamic law is already in force. Christians fear they will be driven out of the area altogether."

According to the report, attacks on their property are common and several churches have been stoned or burned down and that there have even been reports of Christians being beheaded. ( read more here http://is.gd/ElJmvP)

Ground Report 

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CPP-NPA Rebels Call for Peace & Unity with Philippine Government - for a Cabinet post

Philippine rebels call for Aquino 'alliance'

Communist rebels said Thursday they have called for an "alliance" with Philippine President Benigno Aquino to undertake programmes aimed at ending a long insurgency that has killed tens of thousands.

There was no immediate official reaction to the reported offer, which chief rebel negotiator Luis Jalandoni said was made during "special track" talks in the Dutch city of The Hague on Monday and Tuesday.

"The 'special track' means the offer of alliance and truce offered by the National Democratic Front of the Philippines to the government of the Philippines," the exiled rebel told reporters in a statement.

Both sides would form a "Committee of National Unity, Peace and Development" to implement agrarian reform, rural development and national industrialization, he added.

"On the basis of the above-mentioned points, a truce would be declared and implemented," Jalandoni said.

The National Democratic Front is a communist-led rebel coalition.

Teresita Deles, who advises Aquino on peace talks, told AFP she could not immediately comment on the supposed offer. Chief government negotiator Alexander Padilla was unavailable for comment.

Padilla had told AFP last year that the Philippine government had rejected the rebels' offer in 2005 of a "coalition" government.

Last year Manila also denied local press reports it was considering offering cabinet posts to rebel leaders including their exiled founder, Jose Maria Sison.

Jalandoni and Sison met Padilla in The Hague this week and agreed to a 26-day nationwide truce from December 21 and another meeting early next year, said a statement by Norway, which mediated the meeting.

Both the military and the communist party's guerrilla arm, the New People's Army, have declared a separate shorter ceasefire over Christmas.

The communists have been waging a rebellion since 1969 and more than 30,000 people have died in the conflict, according to the government. (http://is.gd/jqz6rD)

MSN News

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