Dateline: May 19, Marawi City

The appointment of newly retired General Hermogenes Esperon, Jr. to the position of Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process shows that Mrs. Arroyo is either controlled by the military or is completely insincere about the peace process (or both). General Esperon, as the head of the Armed Forces of the Philippines until recently, was adamant about crushing the communist and Moro insurgencies as well as terrorism. Today, we are asked to believe that the general has had a change of heart with the change in his position.

Paul Bibby and Alex Tibbitts (April 16, 2008)

IT was a debate over one of the most vexed issues of our times - one that pitted not only ideas and opinions against each other, but entire civilisations.

Thirty five ulama and Balik-Islam participants unanimously endorsed the draft by-laws containing provisions for the establishment of a national umbrella organization for the Ulama in the Philippines. The endorsement was made during a consultative forum for Luzon/National Capital Region organized by the Philippine Council for Islam and Democracy (PCID) last April 17, 2008 at Bulwagang Sala'am, University of the Philippines-Institute of Islamic Studies. The forum is the first of a series of consultations that will be organized under the "Empowering the Ulama" project to allow the Ulama from the different regions to discuss the by-laws.

http://www.bbc.co.uk
Friday, 28 March 2008

Hundreds of US troops have been working in the southern Philippines since 2002. Their role is to help train local soldiers in the battle against insurgents, and their presence divides local opinion. The BBC's Vaudine England reports from Manila.