Tuesday, September 21, 2004

NR0920:Struggle against fascism and corruption

Mula sa Tanggapan ni Anakpawis Rep. Crispin B. Beltran
News Release September 20, 2004
House of Representatives, South Wing Rm 602
931-6615 Ina Alleco R. Silverio, chief of staff
Email: paggawa@edsamail.com.ph, anakpawis2003@yahoo.com
Celphone number 09213907362
Visit geocities.com/ap_news

Marcos victims' fight for justice and indemnification also a fight against
current administration's corruption and attacks against the people's welfare
- Rep. Beltran


In a presscon today, Anakpawis Representative Crispin Beltran said that he
continues to stand with other victims and survivors of the Marcos dictatorship
in pushing for indemnification from the Philippine government and the heirs of
former dictator, ousted president Ferdinand E. Marcos. He also said that the
cases of corruption that were filed since EDSA 2 have yet to be settled, and
these cases involved former Marcos cronies and members of the former First
Family.

"The past cannot be erased and must never be forgotten. Marcos was a president
that brought the nation to its knees economically and politically; but up to
present day his scions and former cronies wield influence and power. The fight
for justice and indemnification for the victims of martial law is also a
struggle against continuing and ever-worsening government corruption and
military abuse."

He said that the lessons of the anti-fascist struggle are very much alive, and
should be used in opposing the current government's burgeoning fascist
tendencies and inherent corruption. He said that it was his greed and
corruption that pushed Marcos to impose martial law. "The same with the
current administration wherein Pres. Arroyo and her police and military
forces are using brute force to quell dissent against the govenrment's
corruption and anti-people policies."

Beltran said that the human rights victims of the dictatorship have not given
up on their struggle for indemnifaction, "And we will continue to do so to the
last breath. The monster who was Marcos and the evil he has wrought for 20
years have yet to fully exposed, or at least exposed and condemned enough.
Up to present day, Marcos heirs have yet to acknowledge the crimes the former
strongman committed against the Filipino people; and their former cronies such
as tycoon Eduardo "Danding" Cojuangco also continue to enjoy their ill-gotten
wealth. Succeeding administrations have done very little by way of bringing the
Imelda Marcos to justice, and taking back the wealth they have stolen. The
impact of martial law echo to present day, and reveal the sorry plight of human
rights in the country," he said.

The veteran labor leader turned legislator is among the thousands of workers
and peasants who were imprisoned and tortured during the dark days of martial
law. Beltran escaped from prison in 1984 two years after he thrown in there
for treason and sedition.

In the meantime, Beltran said that it was important that the new generation
of Filipinos be made aware of what martial law is and what happened when the
US-Marcos administration implemented it for 20 years. "Whatever democratic
space and civil liberties we have now is directly a product of struggle of
millions of Filipinos who stood up against the Marcos dictatorship and vowed
to fight against any and all attempts to impose martial law again. The Filipino
youth must be taught about the years during the Marcos dictatorship, and be
made vigilant against the slightest threat against civil, democractic and human
rights," he said.

"The current human rights situation under Pres. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo
continues to worsen and the administration has all the potential of turning
into an outrighly fascist government. Thousands of human rights activists and
civilians allied with people's organizations defending the economic and
political welfare of the Filipino people are targets of the neutralization
campaign of the military and police. The brutal abduction and killing of
members of Bayan Muna, Anakpawis and Gabriela Women's Party are more than
enough proof of the fascist tendencies of the administration. The killing of
journalists also continue unabated, and the suspects also often point to the
police and military," he said. #

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