The Arroyo regime must pay dearly for its allout war in Mindanao

Fr. Santiago "Sanny" Salas
Spokesperson in Eastern Visayas
National Democratic Front of the Philippines
March 15, 2003

The statements of Defense Secretary Angelo Reyes in his visit to the region on March 14 display the government's militarist solution to the question of peace in Mindanao. Speaking for the Arroyo regime, Reyes is reversing reality when he implies it is the MILF that is for allout war, that the government is for peace, and that the AFP's offensives are merely in "defense" against the "terrorist acts" of the MILF. The truth is in the Reyes assertion that "we are just doing our job" �� the massive destruction of lives and property and the dislocation of tens of thousands in Mindanao.

The assertion of Reyes that the AFP is on active defense actually shows that the military will not swerve from the warpath against the MILF. It is saying that the military will not budge from its offensive position and that it can move anytime against the MILF to preempt the latter. As of now, the AFP is still pursuing the MILF and will continue to do so to annihilate it or force the acceptance of a politically-negotiated surrender. This demonstrates the irreconcilability of the Arroyo regime's allout war policy with any serious peace negotiations, whether with the MILF or with the NDFP. There is also the looming reality of foreign military intervention because of the presence of US troops in Mindanao for Balikatan 03-1.

Moreover, Reyes represents the government's callous attitude to the sufferings caused by the berserk military attacks whose brunt has been borne mainly by the civilian populace. Over 50,000 people in Central Mindanao have fled their homes in fear of the government offensives that grossly violate the international laws of war. They are now cramped into evacuation centers, subject to hunger and disease and the whims and caprices of government service. On the Arroyo government being held to account for its conduct of war, Reyes arrogantly says that it is the terrorists who must answer and not the military. It obfuscates the historic grievances of the Moro people against the national government that has led to their taking up of arms against the state. For so long, Muslim areas in Mindanao have been at the bottom of social progress indicators because of government neglect as well as decades of the government's genocidal war. Thus the militarist regime not only puts itself above reproach in brutally attempting to crush the legitimate struggle for self-determination of the MILF. It also puts itself above reproach for neglecting, discriminating and persecuting the Moro people.

The Moro people deserve the support of the people of Eastern Visayas because both suffer from the same government neglect and oppression of the people's rights and interests. The NDFP recognizes the justness and supports the armed struggle of the Moro people against the Arroyo regime. The NDFP calls on the people to condemn and to make the Arroyo regime pay dearly for its allout war in Mindanao. For being anti-people and imposing state fascism and terrorism, the Arroyo regime deserves to be brought down by the Filipino people. The NDFP calls on the Filipino people to struggle for their basic rights and interests hand in hand with the Moro people.

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