Monday, April 25, 2005

NR0425:Draconian laws aim to break walls of resistance

Mula sa Tanggapan ni Anakpawis Rep. Crispin Beltran
News Release April 25, 2005
House of Representatives, South Wing Rm 602
931-6615 Ina Alleco R. Silverio, Chief of Staff
Email: paggawa@edsamail.com.ph, anakpawis2003@yahoo.com
Cellphone number 09213907362
Visit geocities.com/ap_news

GMA administration's fast-tracking of Natl ID system, anti-terror law aims to attack wall of public resistance to OPHs, high electricity rates, new taxes etc

Anakpawis Representative Crispin Beltran today warned of a looming "political crackdown" to be instigated by the hardliners and militarists within the Macapagal-Arroyo administration, and the primary targets will include, apart from outright critics and members of progressive and militant people's organizations, include civil libertarians and advocates against corruption in the bureaucracy.

"There's no trial balloon here - the very idea of a national ID system is already a sign of intensified political repression. We have even yet to get a glimpse of the contents of EO 420, but it's certain that its contents will strike fear in the eharst of civil libertarians and human rights advocates. In the following Already, the release of the CD "Knowing the Enemy" revealed the blue print for a legalized crackdown against political dissidents and activists. This EO is another weapon in the administration's armory against those who oppose its corruption and political depravity."

"Before the Macapagal-Arroyo government can continue to impose and implement the prescriptions for economic reforms the foreign creditors are making, the administration is forced to contend with the strong wall of opposition of political critics. The administration sees the passage and implementation of such draconian measures as a national ID system and an anti-terror bill as weapons against justified civilian dissent," he said.

"Neither the national ID system or the other so-called counter-terror measures of the admnistration can be disguised as steps that will protect the citizenry. These draconian measures directly aim to curtail civil rights and break down the wall of public and mass resistance to additional regressive taxes , the oil price hikes, the increasing electricity and water rates, and the over-all deterioration of the economic welfare of majority of Filipinos."

The veteran labor leader said that the leadership and top officials of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the Philippine National Police (PNP) should be compelled to reveal their targets among the personalities of the legal mass movement and leftist groups. He said that that the AFP and the PNP are working in close coordination with anti-communist and vigilante groups in putting up streamers vilifying and demonizing leaders of progressive party-lists. Only this last week, around 40 streamers with wordings "Crispin Beltran, Demonyo sa Senado", "Crispin Beltran, kongresmang Anak Puta" and the like have been taken down by members of Anakpawis from over-passes, bus terminals, and electricity posts in makati, Ortigas, Pasig, Mandaluyong and Quezon City. Similar streamers attacking Bayan Muna Satur Ocampo have also been found.

"The leaders and members of progressive party-lists and mass organizations linked to the Left are the most active and fearless critics of the Arroyo government's twisted economic programs and measures, and they're the main target of attacks of the administration's authoritarian attacks," he said.

In the meantime,Beltran made the prediction that Pres. Arroyo will also release an executive order legitimizing the anti-terrorism law. He said that Pres. Arroyo and her advisers including those from the National Security Council and the US government's anti-terror experts have put together a plan to break the Gordian Knot of legislative and judicial blocks to the anti-terrorism measures. "This plan entails Pres. Arroyo's release of a series of executive orders that will directly bypass congressional authority. Already, the EO on the national ID system has been released. On its heels will come an EO on anti-terrorism, and this EO will legitimize and legalize the prosecution and even perhaps neutralization of the government's political targets."#

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