Analysis
Martial Law and Back
In six years, the
Arroyo administration has reversed the gains of the Filipino people, no
matter how small, when it toppled the Marcos fascist dictatorship.
BY BENJIE OLIVEROS
Bulatlat
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It has been a little more than 20 years since the Filipino people toppled
the dictatorship through a People Power uprising. With the euphoria felt
by many Filipinos during that fateful day in February 1986, one would have
thought that they would be celebrating International Human Rights Day,
December 10 with more meaning, from then on. It proved to be wrong.
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With the Aquino and
Ramos administrations, Filipinos experienced the “total war” in Oplan
Lambat Bitag I, II, III, IV, which brought nothing good to them. Worse, it
caused the displacement of about 1.5 million people and the enforced
disappearance of 810 persons. There were also selective political killings
targeting lawyers and prominent mass leaders of people’s organizations.
The peasantry neither had peace nor enjoyed their rights.
However, political
prisoners, especially those who were arrested during the Marcos fascist
dictatorship, were released. A Commission on Human Rights was created
albeit without powers. There was a formal restoration of democratic rights
and a general feeling that there was “democratic space” in the cities.
Generally, the people
could conduct protest actions without being violently dispersed, except in
January 1987 when a peasant march in Mendiola was fired upon, resulting in
the death of 13 marchers. There was freedom of the press. Bowing to
public pressure, the Senate was thumbed down the proposed renewal of the
U.S. Military Bases Agreement even if then President Aquino was pushing
for it.
During the Ramos
administration, the country was hit by the Asian financial crisis. There
were widespread suspicions that Ramos was out to curtail civil liberties
and perpetuate himself in power because he was pushing for the passage of
certain bills which would infringe on human rights such as the Anti-Terror
Bill, Crime Control Act, Anti-Racketeering Act, and the National ID
system. The former general also pushed for Charter Change that would lift
the term limits of elected officials and enable him to stay on as prime
minister. But massive protest actions forced Congress and the Ramos
administration to put these in the backburner.
Stepping back
At least the Ramos
administration had the political sense to know when to step back.
Moreover, peace negotiations between the government and the CPP-NPA-NDFP
and the MNLF achieved some progress.
Under the short-lived
Estrada administration, massive operations under Oplan Makabayan and Oplan
Balangai led to the displacement of thousands of Muslim communities in
southern Philippines. Then President Estrada was embroiled in
controversies involving corruption, gambling, and plunder. He also tried
to bully his critics.
In the end and after
only two years as president, Estrada was forced to step down when
confronted by massive demonstrations calling for his ouster.
Under the current
administration of Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, the Filipino people did not
achieve any measure of progress. The legitimacy of the Arroyo
administration continues to be a question. Poverty, hunger, and
joblessness are still worsening. The prices of basic goods, utilities, and
services are increasing in leaps and bounds.
Worse, the country
seems to be back to the days of martial rule.
Laws are being bent
to run after the critics of government. Anakpawis Rep. Crispin Beltran is
under detention on the basis of false charges and fabricated evidences.
Ridiculously false charges are being filed against Bayan Muna
Representatives Satur Ocampo, Teodoro Casino, and Joel Virador, Anakpawis
Rep. Rafael Mariano, and Rep. Liza Masa of Gabriela Women’s Party as well
as personalities of multi-sectoral alliances and people’s organizations
such as Vicente Ladlad, Elisa Lubi, Rafael Baylosis, Randall Echanis, and
Rey Casambre. .
The government also
tried to arrest Sen. Jinggoy Estrada inside the Senate building and have
Rep. Allan Peter Cayetano expelled from Congress and disbarred on the
basis of libel suits filed by Miguel Arroyo, husband of the president.
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The Arroyo
administration tried to suspend and remove Makati Mayor Jejomar Binay and
the whole city council. It also threatened to charge Sen. Jamby Madrigal
with treason for trying to put back on track the peace negotiations
between the Government of the Republic of the Philippines and the National
Democratic Front of the Philippines.
Political killings
Political killings,
numbering 185 as of December 1, and enforced disappearances, currently
reaching 93, are being committed with impunity. The 797 extrajudicial
executions committed during six years of the Arroyo administration is
already more than 50 percent of the 1,500 extrajudicial killings
documented during the 14 years of Martial Law under Marcos.
The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) is implementing a
reign of terror in the countryside. They lord it over rural areas and
civilian officials are rendered helpless in protecting the rights of their
constituents. Barangay
officials, especially those intervening in behalf of their constituents,
are victimized themselves. Curfew is imposed. The movement of people is
controlled. They are required to carry cedulas at all times. And
peasants are threatened, accosted, interrogated, tortured, and killed by
soldiers on mere suspicion or whim.
Media agencies are
being threatened with closure and journalists are being harassed with
libel suits. Arroyo, the presidential husband, has the notoriety of being
the person with the most number of libel suits filed against journalists
at 43 cases. Aside from having political clout as husband of the
president, Mike Arroyo’s actions are meant to create a chilling effect on
journalists exposing corruption cases involving the president’s family.
Macapagal-Arroyo has
also surpassed former President Marcos, as well as other Philippine
presidents, in terms of puppetry to the U.S. and has reversed the
historical victory of the Filipino people in removing the U.S. military
bases from the country.
She was one of the
first to praise the U.S. when it invaded Afghanistan and Iraq. She
allowed our airspace and ports to be used by U.S. forces in attacking Iraq
and sent a contingent to help in securing American occupation.
With the signing of
the Mutual Logistics Support Agreement in 2002 and the conduct of a series
of Balikatan exercises, thereby allowing the continuous presence of U.S.
troops in the country, the U.S. Pacific Command is able to establish a
“temporary-permanent presence” and a “forward operating site” to project
American military hegemony in the region.
The Arroyo
administration also allowed the U.S. Armed Forces to tighten its control
over the orientation, direction, policies, and programs of the AFP with
the establishment of the joint Defense Policy Board and Security
Engagement Board, in addition to the Joint U.S. Military Assistance
Group. And with significant U.S. involvement in the Philippine Defense
Reform program, it is able to have strategic and tactical control over the
planning and operations of the AFP.
In six years, the
Arroyo administration has reversed the gains of the Filipino people, no
matter how small, when it toppled the Marcos fascist dictatorship. It
even tried to impose Martial Law once again when it declared a state of
national emergency by issuing Presidential Proclamation 1017, which was
copied from Proclamation 1081 of Marcos, in February of this year.
Karapatan was right
when it said that this is the worst year for human rights since the
Filipino people removed the Marcos fascist dictatorship from power. But
we may see the worst yet if we allow the Arroyo administration to continue
with what it is doing. Bulatlat
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