Sympathy on the death of Atty. Dacut and condemnation of Arroyo's reign of terror

Fr. Santiago "Sanny" Salas
Spokesperson in Eastern Visayas
National Democratic Front of the Philippines
March 19, 2005

For confirmation, please contact:
Roy Santos, NDF-EV Media Liaison Officer
Cellphone No. 0918-3112138

The NDF-Eastern Visayas condoles with the bereaved family, colleagues and friends of human rights lawyer and Bayan Muna regional chairperson Atty. Felidito Dacut. We strongly condemn the brutal murder of Atty. Dacut last March 14 in Tacloban City. The people mourn the loss of a courageous lawyer and patriot. Atty. Dacut dedicated his life and profession toward helping the peasants, workers, urban poor and others of the poverty-stricken and downtrodden. As a patriot and defender of the people's rights, his own colleagues and the masses esteemed and wished him well. We can thus say that the enemy that could hate and kill Atty. Dacut could only be the enemy of the people, and that is the reactionary state.

This new level of violence against legal activists in Eastern Visayas signifies the Arroyo regime's escalating fascism and state terrorism. In particular, the vicious assaults on progressive activists in the region are the cowardly, degenerate and desperate actions of the fascist butcher Gen. Jovito Palparan and 8th Infantry Division. Last Feb. 18, an attempt was made in Abuyog, Leyte on the lives of a priest of the Iglesia Filipina Independiente, Fr. Allan Caparro, and his wife. Fr. Caparro is a well-known anti-mining activist in Samar and the vice chair of the Promotion of Church People's Response-Eastern Visayas. This March 6, the offices of progressive groups Bayan Muna and Katungod in Catarman, Northern Samar were openly harassed and barricaded by an armored personnel carrier and troops of the 63rd IB.

The Arroyo regime has no scruples in attacking the legal democratic movement, as well as civilians in the countryside perceived as supporting the New People's Army. It is in vain that the regime hopes in this reign of terror to silence the people's protests and ultimately weaken the revolutionary movement. In fact, the revolutionary movement will become even stronger because of the regime's extreme cruelty and injustice to the people. The killings of activists and other atrocities are only hastening the process of awakening the people to the repressiveness of the reactionary state and the necessity for waging armed struggle to overthrow it. Arroyo and the "war on terror" today will show the way to thousands of recruits into the New People's Army, in the same way that Marcos and martial law did in the past. It becomes even clearer in the eyes of the people that the NPA is the real army and friend of the people, and that intensifying guerrilla offensives serve to punish the mercenary and hated Armed Forces of the Philippines.

Let us turn our grief and outrage over Atty. Dacut's death into the courage and strength to advance the nationalist and democratic movement of the people. The desire for justice and redress for Atty. Dacut and the martyrs of the people invigorates the anti-fascist mass movement in exposing and opposing the fascist beast. In fighting repression, the people are also encouraged to fight against worsening hardships under the Arroyo regime through the antifeudal and anti-imperialist mass movements. It is through the democratic struggles of the people, whom he stood for and defended so well, that justice for Atty. Dacut and for all can be realized. While the people can utilize various forms of peaceful struggle, it is their revolutionary armed struggle that will make sure of the overthrow of the reactionary state that causes so much suffering, and usher in justice, freedom, democracy, and lasting peace. #

Back to top