Forthcoming declaration of Martial Law in the Philippines
Less than a week from laying to rest the Sagay 9 massacre victims, activist lawyer Atty. Benjamin Ramos, Jr. fell victim to extra-judicial killing or EJK in the evening of November 6, 2018 at Barangay 5, Kabankalan City.
The Pambansang Katipunan ng mga Magbubukid (PKM) – Southwest Negros strongly condemns the murder of Atty. Ben Ramos. We mourn with the Ramos family and the people but, nevertheless, enraged with the perpetrators designed by fascist policies of the state under the dictatorship of the US-Duterte regime.
Atty. Ben Ramos is an outstanding and brave rights defender and resolutely upheld the interest of the peasant class for genuine land reform, advocates for the victims of illegal arrests and gives pro bono services to the impoverished and poor workers and farmers.
The spate of EJKs and massacres, trumped-up charges against the ranks of farmers, workers, farm workers, leader activists of progressive organizations and escalating militarization in the countryside marks the forthcoming open declaration of Martial not only in Mindanao but also in Negros Island and the whole country. As a matter of fact, in southern Negros, military operations are relentless for more than si months now in the countrysides of Candoni, Hinobaan, Ilog, and Cauayan towns and of the cities of Kabankalan and Sipalay.
The aggressive dissemination of distorted versions of real events and circulation of fake news like what the Armed Forces of the Philippines, Philippine National Police and Negros Occidental Gov. Alfredo Marañon, Jr. did in the Sagay 9 massacre to smear the reputation of the revolutionary movement especially the New People’s Army (NPA) form part of the state’s psywar tactics. It is not suprising for them to use the same pattern in Atty. Ben Ramos’ murder.
The desperate move of the US-Duterte regime of wholly using militarist and fascist measures is impelled by the worsening crisis of the rotten semicolonial and semifeudal system of Philippine society dominated by US imperialism and the local ruling class of big bourgeois compradors and landlords.
Advancing armed revolution through protracted people’s war from the countrysides to the cities is the solution to intensifying state fascism. The PKM-Southwest Negros calls on the ranks of farmers, farm workers especially the youth and other exploited classes and sectors to take part in the people’s democratic revolution and join the NPA.
Long live the revolutionary peasants!
Long live PKM!
Strengthen the NPA, the true fighter of the peasants!
Long live the CPP, NPA and NDF!