Bu-lat-lat (boo-lat-lat) verb: to search, probe, investigate, inquire; to unearth facts Volume 2, Number 24 July 21 - 27, 2002 Quezon City, Philippines |
Arroyo’s Ouster or Defeat in 2004 Possible - Joma National Democratic Front (NDF) leader Jose Maria Sison stresses that the masses welcome the call to oust Arroyo due to what he describes as the “ever-worsening socioeconomic crisis.” By
ACE ALEGRE BAGUIO CITY - Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) founding chair Jose Maria Sison called for the ouster of former president Joseph Estrada when he proposed a million protesters to march to Malacañang on January 19, 2001 to force him out of office. After
more than a year, Sison now raises the possibility of either Arroyo’s ouster
before 2004 or her defeat in the next presidential polls. In
an statement last July 20, the Utrecht-based National Democratic Front (NDF)
chief political consultant said, “it is correct to raise the slogan “Oust
the US-Arroyo regime!” He says that, “the broad masses of the people
welcome the call because they suffer the ever-worsening socioeconomic crisis and
are outraged by the puppetry, corruption, mendacity and repressiveness of the
regime.” Sison
said, “If she can somehow overcome the presidential bid of a retired general
like DND secretary Angelo Reyes, supposedly favored by the US as a ‘law and
order’ candidate, the broad united front will still have the chance to chase
her out of office after 2004.” He
argued, “the revolutionary cause stands to be benefit from the people’s
wrath and strength._ As of
now, the US-Arroyo regime is stinking to high heavens because it has aggravated
the crisis of the entire ruling system.” He
however, recognizes that some major reactionaries who are critical of the regime
are still hesitant about joining the broad united front to oust the U.S.-Arroyo
regime and are publicly saying that they do not wish to join it lest one more
overthrow of a president would totally discredit the reactionary constitution or
entire ruling system. Fragile
Regime Sison
said that Arroyo’s regime is fragile, “as evident from the delicate balance
of followers and opponents of the Macapagal-Arroyo ruling clique in the
Philippine Senate and in the Lakas-NUCD ruling party.” Any attempt of
the ruling clique to augment its strength, assert its autonomy or paralyze
current opponents in any way will only tend to upset the balance of forces
within the reactionary government.” He
said that changing loyalties of the military and police officers might be tilted
anew as in the final days of Marcos and Estrada.
“The officers of the reactionary armed forces and police are extremely
factionalized according to conflicting political loyalties and ambitions as well
as according to competing interests in lucrative criminal activities, including
kidnap-for-ransom, smuggling,! drug trafficking, jueteng and white slavery.” Sison
also revealed that Arroyo has indefinitely suspended the GRP peace negotiations
with the NDF in preparation for scrapping them and has reportedly long given the
orders to the armed forces and police to escalate their campaigns of suppression
against the people and New Peoples Army (NPA),” in utter subservience to the
US line of pursuing large-scale terrorism under the pretext of combating the
small-scale terrorism of such disgruntled assets of the U.S. CIA like the Abu
Sayyaf.” Violence
on Monday? Sison
also warned that they have received a report that Arroyo has authorized military
and police forces to bully, provoke and disperse the rallyists on Monday in an
apparent show of her “iron fist” on the issue of peace and order.
“She cannot stamp out the criminal gangsters because they are in cahoots with
her military and police officers. And yet she arrogantly calculates that
she can assault with impunity unarmed and peaceful demonstrators.” He
added that such moves by Arroyo will be counter-productive against her regime,
“It will only cause the intensification of all forms of resistance by the
revolutionary forces and people,” he said. In Baguio City, militant groups led by the Kilusang Mayo Uno, local chapters of GABRIELA, BAYAN and Bayan Muna partylist will march down Session Road on July 24. Bulatlat.com We want to know what you think of this article.
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