Recall of ‘Maximum Tolerance’ Shades of Martial Law, Injured Protesters Say
Senators assail Macapagal-Arroyo threat, say policy of suppression is unconstitutional

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo last week threatened to recall government’s “maximum tolerance” policy. Reacting to her decision, Bayan secretary general Teddy Casiño said, “The withdrawal of maximum tolerance policy on the concerted actions of the people is a symptom of a regime that could no longer run the government and the entire ruling system in the old way." Other leaders, however, said there never was any “maximum tolerance” and this was a policy issued by the Marcos dictatorship as a democratic façade.

By GERRY ALBERT-CORPUZ
Bulatlat.com

Militant groups as well as politicians from both administration and opposition camps took turns in lambasting the president’s decision to scrap the government's “maximum tolerance policy” in dealing with protest actions and street demonstrations against the Macapagal-Arroyo government.

Macapagal-Arroyo’s threat to recall the policy was made on July 23, day after thousands of policemen deployed to keep peace and order on her second State of the Nation Address (SONA) violently dispersed thousands of protesters affiliated with the militant alliance Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan – New Patriotic Alliance).

Scores of protesters, mostly students, workers, government employees and Fil-American activists from the United States, were reportedly attacked by the police. There were earlier reports that anti-riot policemen were issued advanced orders to disperse the protests although Philippine National Police (PNP) authorities accused the marchers of starting the violence.

Bayan's secretary general Teddy Casiño said it was ironic that of Macapagal-Arroyo, who was swept to power in January 2001 through a deluge of mass actions and legitimate protest, would send this marching order.

The Bayan leader reminded President Arroyo that her government was a product of direct sovereign action of the people. "She was swept to power by massive protests," he said, stressing that the problem is not the rallies but the anti-people and anti-national policies of the Macapagal-Arroyo administration.

Casiño said as long as there are issues of rising prices of basic commodities, power and water rate hikes, widespread political repression, puppetry to the United States, business monopolies and large-scale corruption in the government, there will be no end to people’s protests against the administration.

Other Bayan leaders, however said, there never was any policy of  “maximum tolerance” on the people’s freedom of expression and that the so-called policy was a ploy used by the discredited Marcos dictatorship to show a façade of democracy in the midst of extreme political repression. Succeeding administrations, they said, made appearances in support of the policy for the same reasons.

Meanwhile, opposition Sen. Aquilino Pimentel Jr. also assailed the president’s decision to drop the policy warning that such action might spur chaos in the country." I think she is inviting more trouble that way, by doing away with the maximum tolerance against rallyists for reasons that it is a suppression of the right to assemble or demonstrate peacefully," he said.

The opposition senator added such measure would violate the constitutional rights of the people.

In the same vein, administration Sen. Francis "Kiko" Pangilinan expressed his strong opposition to the presidential order to drop the maximum tolerance policy. "The right to peaceful assembly is a constitutionally-guaranteed right that isn't merely tolerated but must in fact be upheld and defended," he said.

Preview of ‘Strong Republic’

Militant critics of the Macapagal-Arroyo administration said the violent dispersal of thousands of protesters was a preview of President Arroyo's " Strong Republic." In a press conference held at Bayan's national headquarters in Sikatuna Village, Quezon City, militant groups like the Ecumenical Movement for Justice and Peace (EMJP), Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU), Courage, Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP), Health Alliance for Democracy (HEAD), Pamalakaya and College Editors Guild of the Philippines (CEGP) took turns in denouncing the attack against their members during SONA.

At the press conference, Bayan leaders expressed fear that the show of police brutality signals the Arroyo administration's shift toward more and more militarist and repressive policies in dealing with legitimate protests.

"We shiver at the thought of a strong republic implemented by the same fascist military and police agencies that Marcos used to impose his 20-year dictatorship," the group said.

Dani Beltran, EMJP secretary general, on the other hand, said the violent SONA dispersal was a glimpse of what the Strong Republic is all about. "Her anti-terrorism bill is the cornerstone of her ‘Strong Republic,’" he also said. “Finally, Ms Macapagal has removed her velvet gloves to unleash the war of a terror republic."

Head count

HEAD secretary general Dr. Jojo Carabeo told reporters that around 30 protesters were injured during the violent dispersal and at least four were asked to undergo continuous check-up and medication. "Last Monday's SONA was one of the most brutal and violent in recent years with a cast of thousands of cops playing themselves as paid mercenaries and freed dogs of war," he said.

In the same dispersal, 14 members of the government union group Courage were seriously injured and brought to East Avenue Medical Center some three kilometers away for emergency first aid, it was reported.

Courage president Fernando Gaite said many of their members suffered multiple head injuries, contusions and lacerations. "If this is not state brutality, then what is?” he said.

EMJP's Beltran said 10 persons were arrested and brought to Camp Karingal. One of them was identified as Francisco Caisip, chair of Pamalakaya-Southern Tagalog; three were members of the militant labor group KMU, while the rest were bystanders and residents of nearby communities.

Beltran said formal charges will be filed against Director General Edgardo Aglipay, chief of the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) and Director General General Hermogenes Abdane, PNP chief.

Weak, not ‘Strong Republic’

Bayan spokesperson Renato Reyes Jr. said the violent dispersal last Monday was sign of a weak and not strong republic as professed by Macapagal-Arroyo. "State violence and terror are signs of a weak state. Practically what we have under Ms Macapagal is a Banana Republic characterized by balimbingan (political turncoatism), awarding of concessions and large-scale accommodations," he said.

Reyes warned: "This kind of republic is always bound to collapse."

KMU secretary general Elmer Labog said Macapagal-Arroyo’s “Strong Republic” could bring more brutal attacks on the labor front. He said most industrial enclaves and workplaces are virtually under martial law with suppressive policies imposed by capitalists.

Labog said Congress will be the next battleground for workers seeking for a legislated P125 across-the-board wage hike and P3,000 monthly pay increase for state workers.

"Strong Republic will be Macapagal-Arroyo’s ultimate response to workers' legitimate cause for wage hike,” the KMU secretary general said. “But President Arroyo will not succeed because she does not have political backing."

Coming nightmare

The militant fisherfolk group Pamalakaya said Macapagal-Arroyo’s “Strong Republic” is an upcoming nightmare for 80 million Filipinos. "The president is heading us back to the dark days of the Marcos dictatorship,” Fernando Hicap, the group's chair. “Strong Republic is a national mass grave for millions of jobless and penniless Pinoys."

"Just read the president's lips and you will get the cues from her that all she wanted since she assumed the presidency were not reforms but war against the people," he asserted.

Hicap said Macapagal-Arroyo will either act as a figurehead of a de facto martial law or will agree to share powers with the military. "Strong Republic also means the establishment of undeclared martial law or civilian-military junta," the fisherfolk leader stressed.

Peasant activists from KMP (Peasant Movement in the Philippines) said the president’s “Strong Republic” is directed not against the plunderers, corrupt government officials and big criminal syndicates who are in cahoots with the military and police but on groups and individuals critical of her anti-people policies.

Bicol caravan

In Bicol region south of Manila, the first leg of region-wide people's caravan of militant organizations in Bicol was held despite reports of delaying tactics of the military.

Willy Marbella, Bayan-Bicol chair said a three-day caravan, dubbed as "Pahirap sa Masa, Patalsikin si Gloria," took off July 22 in Batobalani, Paracale, Camarines Norte. The delegates held a brief program at Daet, with about 100 participants and local pastors and priests blessing their vehicles.

The caravan proceeded to Sipocot where a protest picket was held in front of the 203rd IBPA headquarters. Before they could reach the Army headquarters, a checkpoint manned by soldiers stopped and held them for nearly an hour.

The Camarines Sur delegation was met by delegations from the four districts of Camarines Sur at the Plaza Quezon. The protesters' number swelled to over 1,000 when the program started at 2:30 p.m. and, with 25 vehicles, later drove around the streets of Naga City.

The caravan was expected to link up in Sorsogon with the main contingent of the people’s caravan against U.S. armed intervention organized by the International Solidarity Mission all the way to Zamboanga City. Bulatlat.com

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