Statement of the Coronacion Chiva "Waling-Waling" Command on the abduction and shooting of the Oton 3

Julian Paisano
Tagapagsalita
Coronacion "Waling-Waling" Chiva Command
NPA-Panay
May 05, 2007

Ka Roger, spokesperson of the national leadership of the Communist Party of the Philippines, has condemned the abduction of Maria Luisa Posa-Dominado and Nilo Arado and the shooting of Jose Ely Garachico, or the "Oton Three", a few days of its occurrence. He also sent definite instructions to investigate and punish the perpetrators of such crime.

The Coronacion Chiva "Waling-waling" Command of the New People's Army not only joined the condemnation and expressed our deep sympathy to their family, friends and people's organizations that they led for the pain that they suffer. Following Ka Roger's instructions, the NPA Command in Panay has also initiated and continues to intensify our own investigation of the incident and we promise to mete revolutionary justice on those who will be proven responsible for this dastardly violence on the three legal, un-armed, and upright servants of the people. While it may take some time for revolutionary justice to unfold, it would be definite and precise.

We have initially uncovered a wealth of information from witnesses from three provinces, and even from outside Panay. As initial evidence showed, those who are directly involved include some high-ranking officers of the national intelligence community, some high-ranking officers of the 3rd ID, some officers of the 301st Brigade and its battalions, selected operatives of the RPA-ABB, and some military officers who are only now intervening in politics. Complete findings will be made public in due time.

The scope of the area covered by the operation against the three and some other targets, the length of time used in surveillance, the large number of operatives, weaponry, facilities and funds involved, the swiftness, accuracy, ruthlessness and brutality of the strike, and the immediate, coordinated and programmed cover-up by psy-war experts of the military to the mass media, all point to planning and expertise at the national levels of a machinery built and trained for this purpose – those who operate the death squads of Campaign Plan Bantay Laya II.

No one could benefit from the dastardly violence inflicted on the Oton Three but the desperate Arroyo regime. For all of Captain Marquez's and Col. Mongcal's incredulous bloody intrigue in claiming that the three victims were ambushed and abducted by the top leaders of the revolutionary movement for the purpose of putting the regime and its armed minions in a bad light, the victims are highly regarded by revolutionaries as dedicated advocates of the people's cause.

Maria Luisa Posa Dominado has an untainted record in the revolutionary movement as a courageous, intelligent and sensitive defender of the people's democratic rights against the Marcos dictatorship. She was the longest-held female political detainee in Panay, despite the bourgeois court's dismissal of all cases against her. While driven to the underground for decades, she has never been the NPA Commander Pusa that the reactionary military decked her out to be. Upon her release from prison in the early 90s, she pursued the path of open and legal parliamentary struggle for people's rights and welfare. She continues to be respected and admired by her former comrades and loved by the masses with whom she worked with during Martial Law and up to now.

Nilo Arado and Jose Ely "Leeboy" Garachico were dedicated legal activists for the peasant masses and advocates of human rights. We recognize their invaluable service to the people against the Arroyo regime and we are deeply saddened by what happened to them.

We need not refute the elaborate lie that the AFP's spokesperson Marquez continues to dish out. He is only trying hard to implicate himself as part of the cover-up now in full swing of the crime committed by henchmen of the Arroyo regime. We only have to take seriously, take note of and implement the instructions of Ka Roger, spokesperson of the very maligned revolutionary leadership, to deal punitive justice to those responsible for such atrocities.

The Arroyo Regime's branding of the three party-list groups as fronts of the NPA served to set up the legal and unarmed activists for liquidation or terrorize their ranks. Having established their legal credentials as mass leaders of a broadening legal movement to oust the Arroyo regime, the latter sought to smash her most effective legal opposition to its oppressive rule.

The Arroyo regime has long been isolated from the people because of its own corruption, cheating and thirst for power that drives it to rely on militarist policies, the poverty and discontent that continues to spread among the people.

The defeat of senatorial candidates closest to her in the coming elections is certain. It is as certain as the growth of the strength of the opposition, the open, democratic mass movement and the revolutionary forces. Facing the intimations of her impending downfall, Arroyo can only cling to Campaign Plan Bantay Laya II as her last straw in the raging flood of the people's anger to ensure her stay in power. Her fate could be sealed by a broad popular uprising of the people and her political rivals or by the final armed offensive of a people's war.

Campaign Plan Bantay Laya I failed to crush the revolutionary movement and so will Campaign Plan Bantay Laya II. Only these last few months, successful tactical offensives have resounded throughout the country including Panay, even as the 79th IB and 47th IB have tried hard to hide their casualties and their embarrassment. The revolutionary movement continues to expand in various municipalities in the island and to set up the revolutionary government in the countryside. Because of these, more people subscribe to or become part of revolutionary rule.

It has become traditional for most politicians during elections in Panay to recognize the political strength of the revolutionary movement and try to establish tactical or long-term alliances with it. The failure of the reactionary military and PNP to crush the revolutionary movement has driven them to simply cry "extortion" and deny the decades-long existence of dual political power all over the country which even bourgeois candidates have long recognized.

We demand to those who are holding captive the two victims to release them unharmed while it is not yet too late. For the revolutionary masses do not sleep and revolutionary justice ultimately will punish those who incur blood debts as has been proven in the 38 years of existence of the revolutionary movement. The people are now conscious that they could not get justice from a regime that victimizes them and cowardly hides its crime by blaming the victim's own comrades.

For you, Maria Luisa, Nilo, and Leeboy, wherever you are, if you read or hear this statement, we call on you to be strong and stand for your convictions. For, just as you have served the masses well, the masses and their true army will continue to fight for the cause of national democracy and true justice for you even if it could not guarantee your safety.

We call on the people, to unite and stand for their rights in these dangerous times, and not be cowed by the Arroyo regime's death squads. We will join hands and stop them and fight so that genuine democracy and peace will finally reign.

The NPA stands ready to accept the growing sector of the oppressed masses who would now take up the option of bearing arms or support the armed struggle against their oppressor that tries to shut the people out from even the narrow confines of the legal arena.

Julian Paisano
Spokesperson
Coronacion "Waling-Waling" Chiva Operational Command
NPA-Panay
May 5, 2007