PRESS RELEASE
Information Bureau
Communist Party of the Philippines

CPP acknowledges Roco's stand against US terror list
February 25, 2004

The Communist Party of the Philippines today acknowledged the stand of presidential candidate Raul Roco asking the US government to desist from condemning the CPP, NPA and Sison as "terrorists."

CPP spokesperson Gregorio "Ka Roger" Rosal, CPP spokesman, noted that among the presidential candidates, only Roco so far has openly recognized the CPP as a principled revolutionary force and not a terrorist organization, and made a definitive stand for national sovereignty and against foreign meddling in Philippine internal affairs in regard to the peace talks and the US "terrorist" listing.

Rosal said that Roco's statement is in stark contrast to the Arroyo regime's obsequiousness and collusion with the US to use the "terrorist" listing as a instrument to blacken the image of the CPP-NPA as a "terrorist" and to blackmail it into surrendering.

In his statement, Roco said that "The CPP-NPA, in many people's view, does not represent the terrorism of mindless attacks on innocent people," adding that the Philippine government had long repealed the anti-subversion law. He said further that "it is good for our American friends not to condemn any part of the political opposition in the country as terrorists."

The CPP spokesperson said Roco's definitive position would definitely be a favorable factor in the GRP-NDF negotiations should he win the presidential elections.

Rosal called on other presidential candidates, particularly Fernando Poe Jr. and Eddie Villanueva to also make their respective categorical stand against the US meddling in Philippine affairs, including the intrusion of its "terrorist" listing into the peace talks between the Philippine government and the National Democratic Front.

Rosal also asked Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to clarify her equivocal stand on the listing as "Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process Teresita Deles and Defense Secretary Eduardo Ermita have been acting as her apologists of the US listing in sheer violation of the just-concluded February 14 GRP-NDF Joint Accord in Oslo, Norway."

"While Arroyo hypocritically keeps saying that she is satisfied with the GRP-NDF peace talks, she uses Deles and Ermita as mouthpieces to justify the listing. Deles uses it to justify US intervention in the peace process and Ermita to justify its campaign to wipe out the CPP-NPA and launch more relentless attacks against the revolutionary forces and mass base," said Rosal.

Rosal clarified that while the CPP-NPA-NDF does not participate in the reactionary elections, it takes special note of the attitude of presidential aspirants and other aspirants for national office in the reactionary government towards the revolutionary movement and their definitive position regarding peace talks, national sovereignty and related fundamental social questions. He said that the CPP-NPA-NDF considers these as important practical matters in determining its policy towards these aspirants.

The CPP-NPA-NDF conservatively estimates its influenced mass base as more than 10 million strong.

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



Back to top