PRESS RELEASE
Information Bureau
Communist Party of the Philippines

CPP scores Arroyo regime for pushing National ID system
February 20, 2005

The Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) deplored the Arroyo regime's renewed call for the enactment of a National ID system, calling the latter a "fascist tool that will be used to suppress the people and curtail their civil rights."

CPP spokesman Gregorio "Ka Roger" Rosal said that "the militarist Arroyo regime will use the proposed National ID system to suppress opposition to the regime and stifle resistance to its antipeople and pro-imperialist policies."

Rosal compared the proposed National ID system to the "cedula" during the Spanish colonial period, which was used to control people's movements and suppress their resistance to colonialism.

"This is an instrument of a martial law regime," Rosal said.

Rosal condemned the Arroyo regime for using the February 14 bombings as pretext for pushing fascist policies. Rosal noted that there is widespread belief that the bombings that rocked Davao, General Santos and Makati were perpetrated by "dirty-job agents of the US and AFP and were carried out in line with instructions from US spies and military advisers."

Rosal said that countries like Malaysia and Singapore that implement a system of national identification were "police states where the people do not enjoy democratic rights and their every movement is monitored and controlled by state authorities."

"In asserting the need for a National ID system, Malaca�ang has extolled these dictatorships where people do not enjoy democratic rights," Rosal added.

The CPP spokesman said that if enacted, the National ID system, along with other measures proposed in the Anti-Terrorism Bill such as wiretapping, warrantless arrests and prolonged detention without charges can be used by the Arroyo regime to crush its perceived enemies in order to perpetuate itself in power.

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



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