Increasingly brutal and desperate Arroyo regime inflames the people further with crescendo fascist repression

October 7, 2005

The National Democratic Front-Eastern Visayas (NDF-EV) today denounced the Arroyo government for the "crescendo of fascist repression that shows an increasingly brutal and desperate regime." The NDF-EV cited the continuing violence by government forces here and elsewhere against those calling for the ouster of Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, especially the militant activists as well as the perceived supporters of the revolutionary movement.

Fr. Santiago Salas, NDF-EV spokesperson, says that the Arroyo government is so deranged it seeks to harm the NDFP peace negotiators and consultants, in being "a backstabber for its arrogant and ignorant unilateral 'suspension' of the Joint Agreement on Safety and Immunity Guarantees (JASIG), with the feigned reason that the NDFP is not interested in the peace talks. But the NDFP keeps the interests of the people at heart and has never withdrawn from negotiating peace, keeping the door open even to such a regime of unruly viciousness. Moreover, the JASIG is not a safe-conduct privilege granted by the Arroyo government but a formal agreement between the two parties and cannot be suspended by one party without informing its counterpart and should only take effect after 30 days when the formal notice is recognized."

The NDF-EV spokesperson explained that the "intensified fascist state terrorism" in the region will become even worse with government steps such as a National ID System, the policy of "calibrated preemptive response" that restricts rallies, Executive Order 464 that imposes a gag rule on government officials, and the railroading of the Anti-Terrorism Bill at the committee level in Congress last October 4. The Anti-Terrorism Bill propounds martial-law-type measures against so-called "terrorists", such as warrantless arrest and detention for three days, imposing the penalties of death or life imprisonment, and the curtailment of press freedom with regards to interviewing "terrorists."

"But the terrorism at work here in Eastern Visayas is the intensified fascist state terrorism by no less than Arroyo regime and its 8th Infantry Division," Fr. Salas said. "The more than 500 documented cases of human rights violations by the military in the region this year show how much the people are already suffering. Abductions, torture, murder, forced evacuations, and other atrocities continue to accumulate, and not a single one of the torturers and murderers in the 8th Infantry Division has been tried and punished. Beyond turning a blind eye to the grim reality of human rights abuses in the region, the Arroyo regime would now like to openly sanction such brutalities. If the Anti-Terrorism Bill will be passed, Arroyo will be licensing the human rights violators in the 8th Infantry Division to escalate their atrocities with impunity in the name of fighting terrorism."

Fr. Salas added that invoking the terrorist bogey right now is the Arroyo regime's desperate move to keep its loosening grip on power and to strike out at the democratic movement to oust Arroyo for corruption, puppetry and fascist brutality: "Cynically, the Arroyo regime wishes to create a climate of fear and to rule by virtual martial rule by branding and hounding anyone who opposes the government as a 'terrorist'. But more and more people are convinced that it is not 'terroristic' but patriotic and democratic to take a stand against Arroyo, even those from the military like Gen. Francisco Gudani and Col. Alexander Balutan who defied EO 464."

The NDF-EV spokesperson said that, "Arroyo's days are numbered and worsening attacks on the people's rights only fuel the people's armed and unarmed resistance, no matter how long it will take to oust the regime. Even within the military and police, I am sure that there are those who are fed up and would like to take the patriotic and democratic stand against Arroyo. I invite them to do so and to refrain from harming the people, in ways such as disobeying and denouncing the illegal orders to violate the rights of civilians and non-combatants, and preventing the murderers and torturers in their midst from committing their crimes. Those who have already seen the military institution for what it really is�mercenary and anti-people�should in fact leave their service. The revolutionary movement in Eastern Visayas is willing to accommodate and cooperate with the patriotic and-democratic-minded in the military and police."

Fr. Salas called on the people of Eastern Visayas to unite against the "worsening fascist repression" and to assert the ouster of the Arroyo regime. "The struggle against the Arroyo regime is the struggle of every Filipino who is hoping for a better life other than under the present regime that day by day exposes how gravely it is so anti-people, pro-imperialist and inherently corrupt. The various classes and sectors of society can raise their different grievances but share the common cause in denouncing and demanding the removal of such an illegal, immoral and unjust regime. Through their democratic movement, the people can cause the downfall of hated regimes such as Arroyo's, and support and strengthen the revolutionary movement towards ending the whole oppressive and exploitative ruling system. The Arroyo regime should heed the lesson of the Marcos fascist dictatorship: no matter what cruelty it will use against the people, it will only swell the ranks, not only of the parliament of the streets but even more significantly, that of the New People's Army in the armed struggle in the countryside."#

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