Press Release
July 16, 2009

ABU SAYYAF AMNESTY A PALACE SMOKESCREEN - ROXAS

Senator Mar Roxas today accused the Palace of setting up the so-called amnesty for Abu Sayyaf members as a smokescreen to distract the public from pressing issues like cheaper medicines and high prices.

"Unless the Palace is totally out of its mind, this talk about amnesty for the Abu Sayyaf is obviously a smokescreen to distract the public with an absurd issue. Halatang nagpalutang na naman sila ng isyu ara mabaling sa iba ang atensyon ng taumbayan (They again floated an issue to distract people)," Roxas said.

Roxas pointed out that the Abu Sayyaf is in the terrorist list of the US, Canada, Australia, the UK and the UN Security Council, President Arroyo has always said the Philippines has zero tolerance for terrorists, and she has allowed US troops to support our troops fighting the Abu Sayyaf.

He asked: "Why is the Palace suddenly entertaining the issue of amnesty? Is the national leadership flip-flopping?"

"Have they forgotten the Sipadan kidnapping, the Dos Palmas kidnapping, the Davao airport bombing, the Superferry bombing and the many more acts of terror that have taken the lives of innocent Filipinos?" he added.

Roxas called on the Arroyo administration to push the attack on the Abu Sayyaf rather than let its guard down by talks of amnesty.

"These people (Abu Sayyaf) have shown absolute lack of capacity for compromise or remorse. Why should we allow their crimes to be forgiven and forgotten?" he asked.

"We should be pushing the fight into their lairs and camps and give them no quarter," the Visayan senator added.

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