NR1122:Issue of Political Killings should be brought directly to Malacanang's doorstep
Mula sa Tanggapan ni Anakpawis Rep. Crispin Beltran
News Release November 22, 2005
Issue of Political Killings should be brought directly to Malacanang’s doorstep; Congress should at least issue expressions of outrage and sympathy for murder of civilians
Anakpawis Representative Crispin Beltran today expressed outrage over the relentless attacks of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the Macapagal-Arroyo government against political activists, journalists, and other unarmed civilians. He said that the recent murders of a journalist, a Bayan leader, a leader of the League of Filipino Students (LFS) and her husband, and the massacre of seven farmers in Palo town, Leyte should be brought directly to the doorstep of Malacanang.
“Only this government is capable of such brutality in this country,” he said. “There can be no other suspects but the operatives and mercenary forces directly under the command and authority of the Macapagal-Arroyo administration. Macapagal-Arroyo herself condones these killings on national media and justifies them as part of her government campaign against terrorism, when it’s patently clear that the victims are unarmed, non-combatant civilians. She has said and done very little by way of condemning this spate of political killings and assassinations, and by keeping her lips tightly closed on this matter she encourages the military to continue their rampage. Her hands are drenched with the blood of her countless victims. She is the commander-in-chief of the AFP, she should be directly held responsible for these deaths.”
Beltran said that the AFP is trying to justify the cold-blooded murder of civilians by saying that their victims are supporters of the NPA. “The seven farmers in Palo were civilians, non-combatants. They were killed because they were opposing the landlord of Barangay San Agustin’s refusal to recognize the rights of the farmers to the land. To brand them as members of the NPA was the only way the AFP could justify their cold-blooded murder.”
“These killings are brutally reminiscent of the dark days of the Marcos dictatorship when civilians and activists were abducted and summarily executed. What’s appallingly worse in the case of the killings under the incumbent regime is that Macapagal-Arroyo did not even need to impose martial law to execute this continuing series of killings against political activists who are among her strongest critics. Under Macapagal-Arroyo, the military has done away with all pretense of being protectors of the law and instead has taken to killing unarmed civilians. The military is venting its frustration over its failure to defeat the New People’s Army (NPA) on non-combatants and ordinary civilians.”
The veteran labor leader turned legislator also took the leadership of the House of Representatives to task for not even issuing a statement regarding the killings. He said that Congress also remains silent on the rash of killings taking place in the various regions, “As if nothing was happening and everything is normal,” he pointed out. “We hope that Speaker Jose de Venecia will stop ignoring these killings and take action, even if only to lead Congress into expressing sympathy for the victims. All these months that the activist lawmakers of Bayan Muna, Anakpawis and Gabriela Womens’ Party have been sounding the alarm over the seemingly endless series of killings, Congress has not taken action.” #
News Release November 22, 2005
Issue of Political Killings should be brought directly to Malacanang’s doorstep; Congress should at least issue expressions of outrage and sympathy for murder of civilians
Anakpawis Representative Crispin Beltran today expressed outrage over the relentless attacks of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the Macapagal-Arroyo government against political activists, journalists, and other unarmed civilians. He said that the recent murders of a journalist, a Bayan leader, a leader of the League of Filipino Students (LFS) and her husband, and the massacre of seven farmers in Palo town, Leyte should be brought directly to the doorstep of Malacanang.
“Only this government is capable of such brutality in this country,” he said. “There can be no other suspects but the operatives and mercenary forces directly under the command and authority of the Macapagal-Arroyo administration. Macapagal-Arroyo herself condones these killings on national media and justifies them as part of her government campaign against terrorism, when it’s patently clear that the victims are unarmed, non-combatant civilians. She has said and done very little by way of condemning this spate of political killings and assassinations, and by keeping her lips tightly closed on this matter she encourages the military to continue their rampage. Her hands are drenched with the blood of her countless victims. She is the commander-in-chief of the AFP, she should be directly held responsible for these deaths.”
Beltran said that the AFP is trying to justify the cold-blooded murder of civilians by saying that their victims are supporters of the NPA. “The seven farmers in Palo were civilians, non-combatants. They were killed because they were opposing the landlord of Barangay San Agustin’s refusal to recognize the rights of the farmers to the land. To brand them as members of the NPA was the only way the AFP could justify their cold-blooded murder.”
“These killings are brutally reminiscent of the dark days of the Marcos dictatorship when civilians and activists were abducted and summarily executed. What’s appallingly worse in the case of the killings under the incumbent regime is that Macapagal-Arroyo did not even need to impose martial law to execute this continuing series of killings against political activists who are among her strongest critics. Under Macapagal-Arroyo, the military has done away with all pretense of being protectors of the law and instead has taken to killing unarmed civilians. The military is venting its frustration over its failure to defeat the New People’s Army (NPA) on non-combatants and ordinary civilians.”
The veteran labor leader turned legislator also took the leadership of the House of Representatives to task for not even issuing a statement regarding the killings. He said that Congress also remains silent on the rash of killings taking place in the various regions, “As if nothing was happening and everything is normal,” he pointed out. “We hope that Speaker Jose de Venecia will stop ignoring these killings and take action, even if only to lead Congress into expressing sympathy for the victims. All these months that the activist lawmakers of Bayan Muna, Anakpawis and Gabriela Womens’ Party have been sounding the alarm over the seemingly endless series of killings, Congress has not taken action.” #
posted at 9:16 PM
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