Bu-lat-lat (boo-lat-lat) verb: to search, probe, investigate, inquire; to unearth facts Volume 2, Number 27 August 11-17, 2002 Quezon City, Philippines |
NDF
Threatens to Pull Out of Peace Talks After Had
they been using bullets, it would have a very bloody week. The Macapagal-Arroyo
government and the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) traded
sharp words last week after President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo ordered the Armed
Forces of the Philippines (AFP) to shift targets, from the Abu Sayyaf to the New
People’s Army (NPA). The last
word came from NDF chief political consultant Jose Ma. Sison who said last
August 9 that the NDFP is now considering terminating peace negotiations with
the government. By
GERRY ALBERT-CORPUZ Had
they been using bullets, it would have a very bloody week. The Macapagal-Arroyo
government and the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) traded
sharp words last week after President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo ordered the Armed
Forces of the Philippines (AFP) to shift targets, from the Abu Sayyaf to the New
People’s Army (NPA). The last
word came from NDF chief political consultant Jose Ma. Sison who said last
August 9 that the NDFP is now considering terminating peace negotiations with
the government. A day after President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo announced her government's plan to shift the military campaign on war against crime and terrorism from Abu Sayyaf to communist guerillas, Sison said the NPA will intensify its tactical offensives in its 128 guerilla fronts nationwide. In
a press statement, Sison said the Manila government should expect an
intensification of the NPA tactical offensives against the military and the
police in response to her all-out war against the Communist Party of the
Philippines (CPP)-NPA-NDF. "The
revolutionary people and forces of the CPP, NPA and NDFP are challenged to
defend themselves and raise the level of their revolutionary armed
struggle," Sison said. Aside
from NPA's tactical offensives, the CPP founding chairman said the
government’s declaration of war would lead to the termination of the GRP-NDFP
peace negotiations and intensify human rights violations by the military, police
and paramilitary forces. Special
Operations Sison
also said the NPA can launch special operations that involve negligible cost to
itself and high cost to its enemy. "For instance it can destroy towers and
lines, like during the final years of Marcos dictatorship, in order to compel
the enemy troops to take the passive and futile position guarding these
installations and deliver telling blows to the regime in terms of calculated
economic disruption and clear demonstration of the inability of the regime to
provide a profitable environment to the imperialist corporate vultures," he
stated. Sison’s
statement became the banner headline of the Philippine Daily Inquirer the
following day, presenting his statement as an order for an “all-out
offensive” that includes destruction of power installations. The
following day, Sison clarified his statement, saying any action by the NPA is to
be decided by the Philippine-based revolutionary leadership. Meanwhile,
CPP spokesman Gregorio Rosal, also known as Ka Roger, said President Macapagal-Arroyo’s
declaration of war “conforms to U.S. orders dictated by U.S. Secretary of
State Colin Powell” during his visit. Rosal claimed that even before Arroyo’s declaration, the U.S. and Philippine government had already planned to hold the next Balikatan “exercises” in NPA-controlled areas. NDF
political consultant Sotero Llamas told INQ7.net
Macapagal's decision is an indication the collapse in the talks is
"imminent" but blamed the government for "constantly
challenging" the NDF. "With
the President waging an all-out war against the NPA, how can we expect the peace
talks to resume or to achieve substantial gains?" he said. War
on terrorism President
Arroyo last week said the war on terrorism does not distinguish between ordinary
terrorists and those espousing a political ideology. The chief executive ordered
the Department of National Defense (DND) and AFP to redeploy government troops
from Abu Sayyaf-infiltrated areas in Mindanao to reported NPA strongholds. Palace
Press Secretary Ignacio Bunye refused to disclose the areas where redeployment
of military troops will take place but AFP chief of staff Roy Cimatu said some
battalions would be sent back to Central and Northern Mindanao from Western
Mindanao where Sulu and Basilan are located. Sources
said troops may include units trained by U.S. forces in the recently concluded
Balikatan 02-1 joint military exercises, although Bunye did not confirm this. The
military admitted that after years of decline, the NPA recovered its lost
grounds. Reports reaching the AFP headquarters in Manila said the barangays
influenced by the NPA rose from 445 in 1995 to 1,969 barangays in 2001 and 2,262
this year. The AFP report also said the NPA added five more guerilla fronts this
year and has increased from 6,000 members in 1994 to 11,000 in 2002.
The
AFP said it will ask Congress to approve additional budget allocation for the
military's plan to hire 7,000 new soldiers and 15,000 paramilitary recruits for
its counter-insurgency operations. The
signs "Current
conditions are becoming similar to those in the years 1969-1972 when Marcos was
preparing Martial Law," Sison said. "Upon the suppression of the legal
democratic forces by the regime, armed city partisans warfare can flourish to
make the business environment far worse than now for the big corporate masters
of the regime", he added. Militant
groups likewise assailed President Arroyo's declaration of war against the
communist guerillas and other legal democratic forces in the country. The Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP-National Peasant
Movement of the Philippines) and Pamalakaya, an activist fisherfolk group, in
separate statements denounced " the all-out war policy" of the
administration. "She's
a war freak president. At this point, Ms Macapagal's obsession to senseless war
will fast track the collapse of her administration and her war freak
republic," said Pamalakaya national chair Fernando Hicap. The
militant leader told Bulatlat.com that Macapagal's all-out policy has
given the Filipino people the moral and political premium to launch a major
political offensive against her administration in whatever form of protest. 'She's
a political starlet kept hostage by her U.S. master and the militarist clique in
her administration," Hicap added. Labor
wrath The
militant labor group Kilusang Mayo Uno (May One Movement) was alarmed over the
president's statement that her war against criminality and terrorism would cover
" those factories' terrorized by left-leaning labor groups. KMU
secretary general Elmer Labog said workers are not terrorists. "We are
actually the ones being terrorized by the repressive and cruel policies being
implemented by the government. The Center for Trade Union and Human Rights (CTUHR)
said there were 226 cases of violations against labor rights in the first 18
months of the Macapagal-Arroyo administration including scores of violent
assault on picket lines, harassment, coercion, grave threats, illegal arrest and
detention and surveillance of trade unions officers and members. "We
are deeply alarmed by her militarist attitude. She's becoming more and more
despotic everyday," said Joel Maglunsod, another KMU leader. In
an interview with Bulatlat.com, KMP and Bayan chair Rafael Mariano said
the inclusion of labor militant groups into Macapagal's all-out offensive
against crime and terrorism was tantamount to a national crackdown of all
militant groups in the country. Mariano cited the workers’ contribution to the national wealth, including the big amount of taxes withheld from workers income. Administration Senator Ralph Recto said in year 2000, out of the P81.8 billion in individual tax collected by the government, P63 billion came from workers. A
strong republic against the people The
Utrecht based- Sison said GMA has the illusion that by running a" banana
republic" for the U.S. and a "strong republic" against the
Filipino people, she can ensure her election in 2004. "'She
is whipping up the demand and paving the way for a ' strong man.’" Sison
said. He said DND Secretary Angelo Reyes and Senator Panfilo Lacson are possible
contenders for the strong man's role. The
National Network of Agrarian Reform Advocates-Youth Sector (Nnara-Youth) also
said Reyes is preparing to run for President in 2004.
The group's secretary general Carl Anthony Ala said the decision of Reyes to spend half of the $55 million in military aid by the U.S. against communist guerillas and his future visit in the United States are signs that Reyes is bent on getting the support of the U.S. for his presidential bid. With other reports/Bulatlat.com We want to know what you think of this article.
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