This story
was taken from Bulatlat, the Philippines's alternative weekly
newsmagazine (www.bulatlat.com).
Vol. VI, No. 38,
Oct.
29 - Nov. 4, 2006
Cordillera Peoples Alliance Stronger Despite Repression
Amid the unabated political repression, killings and human rights violations of the administration of Gloria Macapagal Arroyo (GMA), the militant Cordillera Peoples Alliance (CPA) has successfully carried out its 9th Regional Congress from October 21-23, 2006 in Baguio City, with a membership that expanded to some 200 member organizations from 130 since its last Congress in August 2001.
BY ABIGAIL T. BENGWAYAN
Northern Dispatch
Posted by Bulatlat
BAGUIO CITY
(246 kms. north of Manila) – Amid the unabated political repression, killings
and human rights violations of the administration of Gloria Macapagal Arroyo (GMA),
the militant Cordillera Peoples Alliance (CPA) has successfully carried out its
9th Regional Congress from October 21-23, 2006 in Baguio City, with a membership
that expanded to some 200 member organizations from 130 since its last Congress
in August 2001.
CPA secretary-general Windel Bolinget said, “The Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo
government’s blatant violation of people’s rights served to reinvigorate and
step up the Cordillera peoples’ movement. This significant growth in CPA’s
membership from 2001 to 2006, which is also the period of the GMA presidency,
shows that the people’s movement does not allow oppressive and fascist regimes
to further wreak havoc in the Cordillera homeland, which is clearly manifested
in Cordillera history.” He added that the Arroyo regime is the worst compared to
past administrations.
He also said that the Arroyo administration’s anti-people policies have pushed
Cordillera indigenous peoples to the limit.
“Despite the
regime’s state terrorism, indigenous communities have closed ranks with the CPA
for the defense of land, life, and resources, and resisted the terror and
fascism of this regime,” he said.
In 2002, the GMA regime implemented Oplan Bantay Laya (Operation Freedom Watch)
to “neutralize” the “enemies of the State,” guised as an anti-insurgency
campaign. This operational plan has to date claimed the lives of 764 individuals
– a considerable number of whom are from people’s organizations and progressive
party lists nationwide. Of these, 96 are leaders from indigenous communities.
In the
Cordillera, the CPA, its leaders and members, were not spared from this “state
terrorism,” a CPA statement read. Despite this, however, the CPA’s membership
has grown from the 130 member organizations it had in 2001 to some 200 member
organizations this year.
“Drawing lessons from its decades of struggle and experience, the CPA will
continue to advance the people’s rights and welfare, as its historical mission
for self determination and national democracy,” said Beverly Longid, newly
elected CPA chairperson.
Some 250 delegates from the region’s six provinces (Benguet, Abra, Ifugao,
Kalinga, Apayao, Mountain Province), regional sectoral alliances of human rights
advocates, women, youth, workers, peasants, elders, and cultural workers; and
from the national capital of Manila attended the two-day congress capped by a
march-rally on Oct. 23, to commemorate this year's Peasant Month. Northern
Dispatch / Posted by Bulatlat
© 2006 Bulatlat ■ Alipato Media Center
Permission is granted to reprint or redistribute this article, provided its author/s and Bulatlat are properly credited and notified.