Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s Strong Republic is Fast Crumbling from Within – NDFP

The underground National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) today expressed support to the group of junior military officers and men who have attempted to launch a coup d’etat and demanded the resignation of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and Defense Secretary Angelo Reyes.  The NDFP said the military rebellion was brought about by the “anti-people, undemocratic and corrupt military organization wherein ordinary soldiers and junior officers are used as cannon fodders.”

BY BULATLAT.COM

The NDFP, an alliance of revolutionary organizations including the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) and New People’s Army (NPA), said in a statement it showed that the president’s “Strong Republic” is fast collapsing.

It said it was not at all surprised by the restiveness among soldiers.

“While generals and other high-ranking officials wallow in luxuries and kickbacks as well as profit from criminal activities such as illegal drugs trade and kidnapping, ordinary soldiers die in the field – and for what? Trifling and delayed wages and benefits, defending a corrupt and rotten regime,” it said.

CPP statement

Gregorio “Ka Roger” Rosal, CPP spokesman, on the other hand said the CPP agrees with the aim of the Magdalo group to overthrow the “rotten” government and military command. He said however that the CPP does not agree with the military dissenters’ agenda and methods.

Rosal said the National Recovery Program which the group is advancing is “just a fascist and reactionary factional agenda of 1980s coup leader and now senator Gregorio Honasan.” He said the senator is simply taking advantage of the soldiers’ grievances to gain political mileage.

The CPP further said that “the action in Makati…shows the depths of rottenness to which the puppet military establishment, Arroyo government and ruling system has utterly and deplorably sunk.”

Isolated

The NDFP said the soldiers’ dissent signals the isolation of the Macapagal-Arroyo government from the people.

It noted that “For her own soldiers – indoctrinated for years to follow the chain of command and defend the status quo – to reject her indicates the grave isolation of the Arroyo regime.”

NDFP also said that Macapagal-Arroyo’s declaration of state of rebellion would not solve the crisis in the military or its own isolation.

Caution

The two groups offered advice and warnings to the Magdalo group. The NDFP said the military rebels must guard against being used by politicians for the latter’s personal ambitions, obviously referring to Honassan, ousted president Joseph Estrada and other anti-Arroyo politicians.

It also said that to be more effective, the military rebels should link their struggle with the broad masses.

Meanwhile, Rosal called on them to "further deepen their understanding of why the AFP is on a losing course and why the revolutionary people’s war is on the correct and winning course and is widely supported by the people."   It also urged them to "emulate the tradition of Lt. Crispin Tagamolila and join the revolutionary movement or find ways to coordinate and cooperate with the revolutionary movement." Tagamolila defected from the AFP and  joined the NPA in the 1970s. Bulatlat.com

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