On the issues raised by Akbayan and the AFP

Gregorio "Ka Roger" Rosal
Spokesperson
Communist Party of the Philippines
May 04, 2004

On several occasions in the past, we have tackled the various issues raised by the AFP and Akbayan against the revolutionary movement in relation to the policies of the CPP with regard to the reactionary elections. These issues were, however, rehashed and further twisted yesterday by Akbayan's Etta Rosales and AFP Spokesman Lt. Col. Daniel Lucero in separate but parallel media conferences. Hereunder is our brief response.

On Etta Rosales and Akbayan�s issues:

1. Ms. Rosales is delusional. No, she is not a target of the NPA. The NPA does not consider her anti-communist blabbering a capital crime. We confront Ms. Rosales at the political level not with the force of arms.
2. Contrary to her claim, Ms. Rosales and Akbayan can freely campaign within the revolutionary areas. The only requirement is for them to seek the permission of revolutionary authorities, coordinate their activities and follow the policies and laws of the revolutionary government.
3. Ms. Rosales has distorted the statements of the CPP. No, we have not accused Akbayan to be actual accomplices in the AFP�s campaign of violence against progressive parties. What we have exposed is the fact that the AFP has been campaigning for Akbayan in many parts of the country. Akbayan has flirted with the fascists to the point of echoing the anti-communist witchhunt initiated by National Security Adviser Norberto Gonzales against Bayan Muna, Anakpawis and other progressive party-lists.

On the AFP�s issues:

1. AFP spokesman Lt. Col. Daniel Lucero is obsessed with and fixated on blaming the NPA for all the problems of the AFP. He tries to stir up so much fuss about the Permit-to-Campaign policy as being the biggest threat to the May 10 elections. On the contrary, the NPA has achieved a great amount of success in supervising and coordinating campaign activities in order to maintain order in revolutionary areas by preventing the candidates from roaming around with armed goons, intimidating the masses and possibly sparking armed confrontations among opposing parties.
2. In fact, it is the unremmiting military operations of the AFP in the revolutionary areas and the killings and assaults by military, paramilitary and other fascist forces against progressive parties and candidates that have been the principal factors behind the spate of violence in the election campaign period. The usual electoral violence in the form of armed confrontations among rival political groups have become secondary.

The AFP has also taken advantage of the election campaign to pursue its �counter-insurgency� operations. It has used the campaign sorties of diehard reactionary politicians to smuggle in armed military contingents into revolutionary areas in direct violation of and arrogant affront to the revolutionary authorities� ban against arms being brought in revolutionary areas.

3. It is utterly malicious and devious of Lucero to echo Norberto Gonzales� redbait of a lie that the NPA is receiving funds from Bayan Muna. In so doing, he has virtually given the go-signal for AFP operatives as well as covert paramilitary forces to step up their vicious attacks against progressive parties in the hope of frustrating their electoral bids.
4. It is totally incredulous for Lucero to shift the blame to the NPA for the murder of Naujan vice-mayor Juvy Magsino. Magsino was in fact murdered by covert armed elements under the orders of the blood-thirsty 204th Brigade in Mindoro.