It’s time for their disruption and violation of human rights to be put to rest so that the nation can move ahead. They impede the progress and development of a number of rural areas. They’re responsible for a wide range of human rights abuses.

I did not include the first and last sentence in the paragraph above. Kind of confusing, di ba? I guess you didn’t know that it’s Arroyo who’s talking, you’d have a hard time guessing if she’s referring to the military or the rebels.

And I’m very happy to hear the report that the insurgents’ strength has been brought down to about 6,000 from 12,000 in 2001 and 7,000 a year ago. In other words, you have brought down their strength to one-half of what they used to be. And I am very happy to hear that from a high of a 107 NPA guerrilla fronts in 2005, continuing dismantling of their structures in barangay has eliminated 20 fronts. At the rate we are going, I feel we are on track to put an end to the insurgency by 2010. Congratulations!

Familiar words. I heard these years before, except that at that time, her subject was the Abu Sayyaf Group. Her exact words then were: “I’ve given the military a deadline for the ASG, 90 days.”

However, recent news reports say the Marines are still fighting ASG in Mindanao.

It must be just one of Gloria’s deadlines.

The media announcements must be bola lang. Why should Lakas Pala members be invited to a Liberal Party meeting? They should just join Lakas and Kampi and form a new party called “Lakas Pala Kampi Kay Gloria”.