PRESS RELEASE
Information Bureau
Communist Party of the Philippines

CPP to Guingona, Legarda: persist in major policy opposition to GMA regime, join the people's struggle
October 4, 2003

The Communist Party of the Philippines urged Vice President Teofisto Guingona and Sen. Loren Legarda to "link up with progressive and democratic forces in the forefront of principled struggles on substantive issues against the ruling reactionary regime and system." The CPP's call came in the wake of Guingona and Legarda's resignation from the ruling Lakas party over what they said were major policy differences with President Arroyo and her ruling party.

In a statement, CPP spokesman Gregorio "Ka Roger" Rosal moreover described the resignations as "a positive development in the general indictment of the Arroyo regime."

Rosal further said that "Based on their positive pronouncements on these issues, it would be inadvisable for both Guingona and Legarda to join a political party of the opposition that is as rotten, as opportunist and as antipeople as the one they are leaving behind."

Rosal said that the CPP hopes to see "more members of Lakas emulate the example of Guingona and Legarda in speaking out and exposing the cases of corruption, puppetry, militarism and other antipeople acts of Malaca�ang."

Rosal noted that the CPP has been in agreement with Guingona's strong opposition to Arroyo's utter puppetry to the US, manifested among others by the regime's all-out support to imperialist "globalization"; the series of Balikatan operations in Mindanao; the signing of the Mutual Logistics and Support Agreement; the signing of a secret treaty providing immunity to US forces from prosecution by the International Criminal Court; moves to amend the constitution to enchance US economic, political and military intervention in the country; gung-ho support of the US war against and occupation of Afghanistan and Iraq; and the scuttling of peace talks with the National Democratic Front and the all-out war against the New People's Army, among others.

Rosal also cited Legarda for persistently being at the forefront of efforts to promote peace talks between the NDF and the government. She has several times spearheaded negotiations to effect the release of government military ang police forces held as Prisoners of War by the NPA.

Rosal said protest resignations from Lakas-CMD are leaving the ruling party in shambles and all the more isolated. "This serves as an ominous backdrop for Arroyo's formal withdrawal today of her pledge not to run in the 2004 elections. It turns out that she was lying all along," Rosal added.

Guingona and Legarda had anticipated that Arroyo would renege on her pledge and likewise cited this as one of their reasons for bolting the ruling party.

Reference:
Anne Buenaventura
Media Officer
Cellphone Number: +63910-240-3553



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