Troops kill NPA rebel in Davao del Sur encounter
GENERAL SANTOS CITY � A New People's Army (NPA) rebel was killed when troops of the Bravo Company of the 25th Infantry Battalion clashed with some 20 guerrillas in a mountain village in Davao del Sur, an Army official said. Col. Alfredo Cayton, 601st Army brigade chief, said the gun battle broke out at 12:30 p.m. last Friday at sitio Lamnibong, barangay Colonsabak, Kiblawan, Davao del Sur when troops spotted a band of NPA rebels on an extortion binge. "An NPA rebel was killed in the gun battle, while others were wounded in the brief, but fierce firefight. The wounded, however, were seen being carried away by their retreating comrades," Cayton said in a mobile-phone interview. (Bong Reblando) http://www.mb.com.ph/PROV2005030930276.html .................................................................. Nolcom denies part in killings of activists By Len Espinosa, Central Luzon Bureau TARLAC CITY: The Northern Luzon Command (Nolcom) chief, Lt. Gen. Romeo Dominguez, lashed out at militant groups that have branded him the Armed Forces' "new killing machine" in the face of several deaths including the murder of Tarlac City Councilor Abelardo Ladera and the abduction of militant officials in Central Luzon. In a statement, Dominguez denied the accusation saying he "cannot help but feel sorry for those desperate groups hell-bent on destroying not only the image of the AFP organization but including the morale and focus of every individual soldier." The Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP) and Bagong Alyansang Makabayan have tagged the military for the series of deaths and abductions of several militant officials, particularly those who have been supporting the strikers of Hacienda Luisita. But the Nolcom spokesman, Lt. Col. Preme Monta, clarified that the alleged "military hit list" is merely a "watch list" as an adherence to Executive Order 68, which authorizes government agencies, including the military, to identify individuals or organization that may be supporting the communist movement. Dominguez' statement said that mere inclusion of Ladera's name on the list was used by the militant groups as a "sole basis" to pin the murders on the military. Ladera, a known human-rights activist here, was murdered on the afternoon of March 3. No suspects have been identified by local authorities, but Supt. Rudy Lacadin, the Tarlac City police director, said they are pursuing all angles including the rise of a new vigilante group that could have been responsible for Ladera's death. "These accusations tend to obfuscate the truth and could distract the investigators," Dominguez said, adding that "what will we gain from it?" "Ladera was killed near the camp. Obviously, somebody wants the AFP to be blamed. His death would inflame the ralliers and keep the Luisita issue alive. The entities who would benefit most are the same people who are using the Luisita issue against the government." http://www.manilatimes.net/national/2005/mar/09/yehey/prov/20050309pro2.html ..................................................................... Wednesday, March 09, 2005 Reds express dismay over support on interview ban By Al Jacinto COMMUNIST rebels expressed dismay Tuesday over the declared support of the Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster ng Pilipinas (KBP) to a military proposal penalizing journalists and media organizations that interview suspected terrorists. KBP President Ruperto Nicdao said they are supporting the proposal to ban media organizations from interviewing terrorist groups such as the Abu Sayyaf group, which is tied to the al-Qaeda terror network, and the New People's Army (NPA). NPA rebel leader Gregorio Rosal expressed confidence that most of the KBP members would reject the "military-inspired" ban on interview of groups that the Arroyo government branded as terrorists. Armed Forces Deputy Chief General Edilberto Adan said the proposal to ban the media from interviewing terrorists would protect the security of the state. Rosal said the ban is a violation of the freedom of the press. Rosal is oftentimes heard in many radio interviews in Manila criticizing the Arroyo government, and in many occasions called on his group to topple the government. "Take a hard and critical look at the military's claims that the media gag is meant to protect the security of the state. In recent history, it has been proven that invoking state security is a sure-fire formula for suppressing the truth and the people's right to air their views and grievances", he said. "Often, members of the media will have to choose between protecting the security of an oppressive state at all cost or protecting the people's right to know. Broadcasters and journalists should always resolve this question in favor of the people's interests," he added. While the KBP is supporting the ban, the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP), one of the country's largest media organizations, has condemned the military proposal to penalize journalists that interview suspected terrorists. "The proposal is pure and simple censorship and an imposition of prior restraint on the press. The NUJP will not accept this curtailment of press freedom," it said in a statement Tuesday. The NUJP branded the proposal as preposterous and said the freedom of the press is guaranteed on the Constitution. "The Constitution lists freedom of the press and freedom of expression among the basic rights. It is not for the Armed Forces of the Philippines or any other government agency to curtail a right granted by the Constitution on the basis of its often times flawed logic," it said. "Curtailment of press freedom is a guarantee for heightened socio-political tensions; driving this freedom underground only encourages people into taking drastic action to seek redress for their grievances. Adan only needs to review his martial law experience to realize this," the NUJP said. The military, however, did not say how it would sanction or penalize media organizations or journalists who would interview suspected terrorists. The proposed media ban coincided with heightened interviews by radio and television stations of Abu Sayyaf and NPA spokesmen. Abu Sayyaf leader Abu Solaiman admitted in a radio interview in Manila that his group was behind the twin bombings in the southern cities of General Santos and Davao, and another bomb explosion in Manila on February 14 that left 11 people dead and over 100 others wounded. http://www.sunstar.com.ph/static/zam/2005/03/09/news/reds.express.dismay.ove r.support.on.interview.ban.html ................................................................... Media terror gag may lead to abuses, professor warns Posted 00:54am (Mla time) Mar 09, 2005 By Leila Salaverria, Luige del Puerto Inquirer News Service Editor's Note: Published on page A1 of the Mar. 9, 2005 issue of the Philippine Daily Inquirer THE CALL by a top military officer for a ban on media interviews with "known terrorists" may lead to abuses, including the unwarranted branding of people as exponents of violence. Dr. Mary Racelis, a sociology professor at the Ateneo de Manila University and a member of a United Nations panel on civil society relations, raised the concern yesterday as Armed Forces Chief of Staff General Efren Abu publicly distanced himself from the controversial proposal. "That's a legitimate concern of the military but who decides, what's the criteria [for being regarded as a terrorist]?" Racelis asked. "It can easily be abused, even though that's not the intention. That's the danger." Racelis made the remarks to the Inquirer when asked about military apprehensions that terror groups might use the media as a vehicle for propaganda. "On one hand, we don't want to encourage the killing of innocents," Racelis said. "At the same time, you have to keep the society open for discussion." Speaking on the sidelines of an international conference on Global Partnership for the Prevention of Armed Conflict, Racelis said she did not believe media should be regulated. "But it should set its own standards and police itself," she added. Aware of responsibilities She said most media outfits were owned by people with their own interests to advance or protect, and they must not forget to take stock of what their duties and responsibilities were. According to Racelis, most civil societies feel that the media are not giving enough attention to issues that the nongovernmental organizations are concerned with. She noted that the issue of terrorism seemed to dominate most media discussions when the issue might have deeper roots, like poverty, which were not being brought up. Racelis said that when it came to deciding whether to support a clampdown on media or not, civil society would likely side with the media and push for openness. 'That's Adan's own' General Abu told reporters the views expressed by Lieutenant General Edilberto Adan, Armed Forces Deputy Chief of Staff, were his deputy's own and not necessarily that of the AFP. "We do not have a stand on that yet. That is the personal position of General Adan," Abu said. Asked what he thought of Adan's proposal, Abu said: "I don't think about it ... I'm more concerned about my role as chief of staff and how to fight the insurgents. Things like this, I leave that to other people." In Congress' hands Abu said reporters should have nothing to worry about, adding that what was important was that people were talking about the issue. In the end, it is all up to Congress to decide on the matter, he said. "This issue is being carefully talked about. We also balance press freedom and concerns of national security," he said. Speaking on radio dzBB yesterday, Adan said the issue was not press freedom "but more [of] media responsibility." "What is happening is that some media have become virtual mouthpieces of terrorist groups," he said. "Definitely, we are against the curtailment of our freedom," he added. At one point during the radio interview, Adan said: "We believe that [media] should have self-regulation." Another ranking military official, Lieutenant General Alan Cabalquinto, chief of the Armed Forces National Capital Region Command, also stressed the importance of media responsibility. He implied that some media interviews could help the authorities in assessing the veracity of what a suspected terrorist was saying, and probably also help them track him down. "All kinds of opportunities in the information war should be taken advantage [of]," he said. "What I would [like to] say is that you should not kill the messenger, just get the message." Media's limits The question, he said, was distinguishing who was the messenger and who was the advocate. "You've got to be responsible for your actions. You should remain a messenger," he said. Otherwise, the reporter becomes liable under the law, he said. Asked if there was anything wrong with interviewing a terrorist, Cabalquinto said: "If you become the propounder of the message, then you are part of the problem already. I think you know what I'm talking about." Arroyo welcomes KBP move For her part, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo yesterday welcomed the decision by the Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster sa Pilipinas (KBP) to deny air time to terrorist groups. Speaking before the World Bank 2005 Philippine Development Forum in Davao City, Ms Arroyo said the KBP decision showed "how sobriety and prudence are perceptively dawning upon the media." "That is taking part in the high responsibility of remaking our national destiny," she said. Long-running dilemma The issue of how to deal with attempts by radical groups to use the media to air their views has repeatedly provoked debate among media organizations and academics. In guidelines to its reporters, the prestigious British Broadcasting Corp. said: "We must not adopt terrorist language as though it were our own." The BBC warned that its credibility could be undermined if "international audiences detect a bias for or against any of those involved. Neutral language is key." It added: "The BBC interviews active terrorists only on occasions where we believe the public interest in doing so outweighs the outrage and offense such interviews are likely to cause our audiences." Danger of labels The concerns brought up by Racelis were also raised by other academics after the United States three years ago blacklisted the Communist Party of the Philippines and the CPP's armed wing New People's Army as terrorist organizations. Law professor Marvic M.V.F. Leonen, in a 1992 article in the Inquirer, cautioned against indiscriminate labelling of groups as terrorists. "Today it may be the CPP, tomorrow it could be the Moro National Liberation Front, then Akbayan, Sanlakas and other legitimate forums of dissent," Leonen wrote. With a report from Christine O. Avenda�o http://news.inq7.net/nation/index.php?index=1&story_id=29871 .................................................................. Editorial : Ignorance and insecurity Posted 11:46pm (Mla time) Mar 08, 2005 Inquirer News Service Editor's Note: Published on page A14 of the March 9, 2005 issue of the Philippine Daily Inquirer WHEN Lt. Gen. Edilberto Adan, deputy chief of staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, proposed to restrict media interviews with groups engaged in fighting the government, saying that broadcasting by radio, television, or disseminating by print aids terrorism, he caused a ruckus. Politicians were divided on the issue, and so were the media. The administration is pushing the punishment line, while officials who disagree oppose it. Media groups such as the National Union of Journalists have denounced the proposal, while the Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster ng Pilipinas, whose officers recently took their oaths before the President in Malaca�ang, has come out in support of the proposal. In the immediate aftermath of the Valentine's Day bombings, it was certainly chilling to hear an Abu Sayyaf spokesman not only taking credit for the carnage, but also gloating about how they had carried them out. Those who wished to inflict harm on innocent civilians to further their political and religious ends certainly took heart from the gloating. However, it is is equally certain that the majority of decent, peace-loving people, regardless of their current opinion of the government, found the Abu Sayyaf statements cruel, disgusting and condemnable. But if it were up to the military, the reporters who found and interviewed Abu Solayman would have been locked up. And this is precisely why such things should not be left to the military. If it weren't for the media, the public would not have known, beyond a shadow of a doubt, who perpetrated the bombings. Neither would the public have known the reasons behind the bombings. Fear and panic as a result would not only have continued unabated, but that most corrosive and poisonous state to a society -- ignorance and suspicion -- would have been fostered as well. To our mind, there is no greater threat to national security than the insecurity bred by ignorance. Seeing that the military and police, whether by commission or omission, obviously failed in ensuring public safety by the mere fact that the bombings took place, it would be quite reasonable to hold any military statements on the incidents under suspicion. This stems from the unfortunate tendency of the military and police, particularly in the past, to camouflage their incompetence by lashing out at the easiest targets available. Or by generally lashing out in general, to soothe their wounded pride by bearing down heavily on the population. The country cannot help suffering from a traumatic suspicion of military rhetoric and conclusions, which is why the media must serve as an independent verifier of facts. It is a sign of the shortsightedness of some military officials and allied civilian politicians that their reaction to a threat is to shoot the messenger. The majority of Filipinos, regardless of their political leanings, profession, or circumstance in life, know right from wrong, and are loyal, law-abiding citizens of this country. They can be trusted to know right from wrong, and certainly, to at the very least know terrorism when they read or hear about it. Our public officials must adopt an attitude of trust for the citizens rather than actively distrusting them, even if the citizenry actively distrusts our officials and officers. As we've said, the distrust felt by the public (and media are part of this) stems from decades of bad experiences at the hands of officials and officers. This is not to say that all media are saints, that all media people are absolutely loyal to the Constitution, to democracy, or to the republic. But we do claim for all our brethren in the profession, and for the citizenry at large, the right to information, which is the bulwark of all our liberties. It is for those liberties, first and foremost, and not for something as shadowy and ill defined as "national security," that all officials, from the President down to the humblest private or corporal, ultimately serve. The media are ultimately responsible not to the state, which may impose or attempt to regulate standards of conduct. The media, like government officials, are responsible to the public. It is the public that must ultimately judge the fitness of officials, the trustworthiness of members of media and even the continued validity and existence of the state. The military is committing a big mistake when it doesn't recognize that the strongest weapon in the fight against terrorism is information that is free, unlimited, uncontrolled. http://news.inq7.net/opinion/index.php?index=2&story_id=29857&col=84 .................................................................... Wednesday, March 09, 2005 GRP and PNP are Engaged in Disinformation About the Legal Situation of Prof. Sison Fidel V. Agcaoili Chairperson NDFP Human Rights Committee March 09, 2005 PNP director for intelligence General Roberto Delfin recently announced that two months hence the Dutch government would make formal charges of terrorism against Prof. Jose Maria Sison and deport him to a country other than the Philippines. Subsequently, press secretary Ignacio Bunye publicly called on Prof. Sison to return to the Philippines. These two high officials are engaged in disinformation and coordinated propaganda against Prof. Sison. They wish to conjure the illusion that he is completely helpless and that he would soon be compelled to leave the Netherlands. The truth of the matter is that Prof. Sison is the complainant in several cases against the European Council and the Dutch government for violating his human rights in connection with the so-called terrorist listing. The Dutch authorities have not formally charged him with any criminal offense because they want to prevent him from invoking the right to due process (Article 6 of the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms) and from looking at the secret dossiers being unjustly used against him. Prof. Sison cannot be deported from the Netherlands because he is a judicially recognized political refugee and is under the protection of the Refugee Convention and Article 3 of the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms (ECHR). Article 3 of the ECHR prohibits the expulsion of Prof. Sison to any country in which he faces the threat of torture, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment. The Philippines would be such a country where human rights violations are rampant and escalating and where a suggestion to assassinate Prof. Sison is discussed at the highest level of government. The National Democratic Front of the Philippines has in its hands reliable information that national security adviser Norberto Gonzales suggested the assassination of Prof. Sison in a national security meeting of the cabinet, with GRP President in attendance. NDFP negotiating panel chairperson Luis Jalandoni has already exposed the evil suggestion of Gonzales However, the main reason why Prof. Sison is not yet returning to the Philippines is because the NDFP has requested him to stay on in Europe and remain the chief political consultant of the NDFP in peace negotiations with the GRP. This is in conformity with the longstanding GRP-NDFP agreement that the peace negotiations be in a neutral venue abroad. ### http://www.philippinerevolution.org/cgi-bin/statements/statements.pl?author= fva2;date=050309;language=eng ..................................................................... Oppose the media gag! Oppose the US-Arroyo regime's terrorism and steps towards open fascist rule! Communist Party of the Philippines March 08, 2005 The Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) enjoins all democracy-loving Filipinos to stand up and defend our civil and political rights. The CPP calls on media groups, sectorial organizations, human rights advocates and civic associations to vigorously oppose the proposal to ban media interviews of anti-government forces. Such a proposal is a direct affront to the people's democratic rights. In pushing for such a curtailment of media freedom, the fascist-minded Arroyo regime and its lapdogs in the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) have exposed their devious martial law mindset. They use the so-called "war against terror" as a thinly veiled pretext for the imposition of a Marcosian policy against the freedom of the press. The proposed ban against giving air time and print space to the revolutionary movement is, in fact, a formalization of the long-standing practice of the AFP and Malaca�ang officials to pressure and threaten media outlets against interviewing representatives of the CPP, NPA and NDF. For many years, broadcasters and print journalists have often been "reminded" by Malaca�ang and the AFP about allowing CPP spokesman Gregorio "Ka Roger" Rosal and other representatives of the revolutionary movement to express their views on air or in print. Fortunately, Filipino media practitioners, who know the value of their freedom, having fought martial law, have time and again stood firm against the government pressure. Through their commitment, Ka Roger's statements continue to be given a fair amount of air time and print space--to the complete displeasure of Arroyo and the AFP. Through the representatives of the revolutionary movement, the lies of Arroyo and the AFP are debunked. The subservience of the Arroyo regime to the US government and its acquiesence to US military intervention are condemned. The policies of privatization and liberalization are opposed. Information concerning the real situation of workers and peasants are revealed. Violations of human rights by the military and police are exposed. Above all, Arroyo and the AFP are totally displeased that access to the media by representatives of the revolutionary and progressive organizations are used to call on the people to wage struggles to defend their rights and fight for national democracy. Arroyo is disgruntled that the victories of the revolutionary movement that benefit the people are broadcasted and propagated. They cry "subversion!" to threaten the media for allowing the representatives of the revolutionary movement to call on the Filipino people to fight and end the puppet, corrupt and militarist Arroyo regime. The Arroyo regime has completely abused and twisted the definition of the term "terrorist," lumping together the revolutionary and progressive forces with the AFP-linked Abu Sayyaf group. It has arbitrarily and recklessly employed the term "terrorist" in the hope of justifying the curtailment of the Filipino people's basic civil and political rights. The Arroyo regime is pushing hard for the Anti-Terrorism Bill which will explicitly restrict and curtail the Filipino people's civil and political rights in the name of the "war against terror." If enacted, the Anti-Terrorism Bill will only embolden the Arroyo regime to escalate its acts of state terrorism. If enacted, the Anti-terrorism bill only embolden the imperialist US government to escalate its military intervention in the Philippines. In the face of the all-sided effort to impose martial law policies through the Anti-Terrorism Bill, the CPP urges the Filipino people to carry out all-out resistance. Oppose the escalation of fascist attacks by the Arroyo regime! Oppose the media gag! As the Arroyo regime escalates its fascist attacks, it is teaching the Filipino people a very valuable lesson: That the only way for them to effectively struggle for their national and democratic interests is to rise up in arms against the puppet, corrupt and militarist Arroyo government. In the face of the Arroyo regime's moves towards more open fascist rule, the New People's Army (NPA) will vigorously push forward the revolutionary armed struggle and launch more armed offensives against the AFP and PNP. In doing so, it will help frustrate the Arroyo government's efforts to trample on the people's rights, weaken Arroyo's rule and contribute to the overthrow of the Arroyo government at the soonest possible time. http://www.philippinerevolution.org/cgi-bin/statements/statements.pl?author= cpp;date=050308;language=eng ..................................................................... PRESS RELEASE Information Bureau Communist Party of the Philippines CPP urges KBP to oppose media gag March 8, 2005 The Communist Party of the Philipppines (CPP) today expressed dismay over a statement by an official of the Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster ng Pilipinas (KBP) pledging support to the military's call to deny air time to anti-government forces. CPP spokesman Gregorio "Ka Roger" Rosal said the statement made by KBP President Ruperto Nicdao yesterday "is a throwback to the KBP's role as an apologist of martial law" and expressed confidence that the majority of KBP members today would reject the "military-inspired" ban on interviews of forces "the Arroyo government recklessly and irresponsibly labels as 'terrorists'." Rosal moreover assailed the "threat against franchises as a Damocles' sword to compel media organizations to toe the military line." He called on members of the media to "take a hard and critical look" at the military's claims that the media gag is meant to protect the security of the state. "In recent history, it has been proven that invoking state security is a sure-fire formula for suppressing the truth and the people's right to air their views and grievances," Rosal said. "By opposing the 'state security line', especially in the 1970s and 1980s, critical media practitioners were able to help the Filipino people in their struggle to end the Marcos dictatorship," Rosal added. "Often, members of the media will have to choose between protecting the security of an oppressive state at all cost or protecting the people's right to know," Rosal said. "Broadcasters and journalists should always resolve this question in favor of the people's interests." Reference: Anne Buenaventura Media Officer http://www.philippinerevolution.org/cgi-bin/statements/releases.pl?date=0503 08;refer=kr;language=eng ..................................................................... NPA denies death threats against Comval lawyer Rigoberto F. Sanchez Spokesperson Merardo Arce Command Southern Mindanao Regional Operational Command New People's Army March 07, 2005 The Merardo Arce Command- Southern Mindanao Regional Operations Command of the New People's Army categorically denies sending death threats to Comval lawyer Dexter Lopoz. There is no truth to news reports late last month tagging the NPA as attempting to harass Atty. Lopoz. The NPA has not authorized one Eduardo Genelsa to sign as the NPA's Pulang Bagani Officer III and send a letter to Atty. Lopoz claiming that the contention of Atty. Lopoz's client and victim-complainant Benjamin Traballo are lies and that the accused Boy Arangcon is innocent. In the same vein, there is no grain of truth in one Allan Estrella, purportedly an NPA commander, signing as alias "Fiel" on a letter sent to Atty. Lopoz and to his client wherein it alleged that the NPA had conducted an investigation on the issue. The storyline is simply malicious and fictitious. The preposterous accusation can only be a natural offshoot of the current spate of summary killings executed by goons and police/military agents in collusion with the reactionary local governments and various interest groups and individuals. The reactionary government has failed to curb the series of senseless killings in the region, proof that it is either condoning or actively abetting the attacks against innocent civilians including lawyers and other members of the middle class. Criminal syndicates enjoying protection from the police, the military and local reactionary officials perpetrate with impunity and indiscriminately the murderous rampage against these individuals, and cowardly heap the responsibility to the NPA. At no time has the NPA regarded Atty. Lopoz or his client as having blood debts nor have they been parties to any case necessitating death penalty in the dispensation of revolutionary justice. The NPA adheres to strict guidelines in the implementation of revolutionary justice in the territories of the people's democratic government.# http://www.philippinerevolution.org/cgi-bin/statements/statements.pl?author= mac;date=050307;language=eng ..................................................................... Punishing the media: Military, Arroyo regime, desperate, fascist Rubi Del Mundo Spokesperson National Democratic Front-Southern Mindanao March 06, 2005 By punishing the media for interviewing "known terrorists" the military's proposed antiterrorism law signifies brazen fascism and open repression, worse than the heydays of the Marcos dictatorship. The National Democratic Front Southern Mindanao scores the AFP and the Arroyo regime for this latest scheme to abuse basic rights to free press and information. This latest tact of penalizing journalists who cover and interview alleged terrorists, specifically personalities belonging to the NDF, Communist Party of the Philippines and the New People's Army is outrageous. It is a desperate effort to reverse the tide of public opinion and mass actions against the Arroyo regime and the AFP. The Arroyo regime is trying to pull the wool over the eyes of people about the revolution and the legitimate people's struggle. Clearly, the Arroyo regime is trying to obscure the ongoing civil war-a war between the counter-revolutionary government of big compradors and landlords represented by the Arroyo regime and the people's democratic government represented by the NDFP. Instead, the AFP and the Arroyo regime intend to sow fear and to whip the media to docility by coercing it to toe the line of the reactionary government at the expense of the people's interest to truth, justice and freedom. By deploying intelligence agents and soldiers in media institutions and dangling the option to provide arms to journalists at the height of the media killings, the AFP only shows its intent to obliterate the media, its more progressive elements, and its role in the people's movement and the national democratic revolution. The media are the latest victims of the bogus and imperialist-led war on terror. By muzzling the press, the AFP seeks to stifle the truth that the real terrorists are the Arroyo and the Bush regimes. The AFP has hypocritically assigned the term "terrorist" to groups other than itself when it is the one perpetrating massacres, displacements, and extra-judicial killings against civilians and is wantonly violating international humanitarian laws. It is utterly dangerous when the AFP is given blanket authority to tag as terrorists all those it deems as dissidents and critics, including the media who interview them. This latest ploy continues to allow the imperialist US government to trample on Philippine sovereignty and interfere on our affairs by prevailing with the "terrorist" listing of the CPP, NPA and NDF chief political consultant Jose Maria Sison. This act of the AFP is another blatant violation by the Arroyo regime of the 1st and 2nd Oslo Joint Statements in the GRP-NDF peace negotiations which requires it to work for the delisting of the CPP, NPA and Sison in the US FTO (Foreign Terrorist Organizations) list. # http://www.philippinerevolution.org/cgi-bin/statements/statements.pl?author= ndfsm;date=050306;language=eng ..................................................................... PRESS RELEASE Information Bureau Communist Party of the Philippines CPP condemns AFP proposal to ban media interviews of anti-government forces March 5, 2005 The Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) today condemned the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) for proposing that journalists be sanctioned for interviewing those whom the government regard as "terrorists" saying this will "open the floodgates for outright suppression of press freedom and the people's civil and political rights in the name of the 'anti-terror' dogma". CPP spokesman Gregorio "Ka Roger" Rosal said that such a proposal to ban media interviews purportedly against those who the government regard as 'terrorists' will ultimately be used by the Arroyo regime and the AFP to suppress the people's resistance against her IMF-WTO-dictated economic policies. Rosal said Arroyo and the AFP have the penchant for calling terrorists those who oppose the pro-imperialist and anti-people policies of the government. "With such a dogmatic mindset, the Arroyo regime employ fascist armed suppression even against workers and peasants who struggle for wage increases and land reform," Rosal added. "In advancing such outright fascist proposals, the Arroyo regime is increasingly becoming openly fascist in the face of the worsening crisis of the ruling system and the rise of the people's mass resistance and revolutionary struggles." In pushing for the interview ban, "the Arroyo regime wants to ban the revolutionaries from broadcasting its ideas which are far more superior and truthful than the lies and misinformation constantly spewed by Arroyo and her spokesmen in the AFP and Malacanang." Rosal urged the people to vigorously oppose the Anti-terrorism bill by waging militant struggle. "However, if the Arroyo regime is able to impose open fascist rule, it would only succeed in making exceedingly clear the need to wage and intensify revolutionary armed struggle," Rosal added. Reference: Anne Buenaventura Media Officer Cellphone Number: +63910-240-3553 http://www.philippinerevolution.org/cgi-bin/statements/releases.pl?date=0503 05a;refer=kr;language=eng .................................................................... PRESS RELEASE Information Bureau Communist Party of the Philippines CPP condemns Arroyo order to step up military operations in Sulu March 5, 2005 The Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) today released the following statement concerning the Arroyo regime's order to step up military operations in Sulu: The Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) condemns the militarist Arroyo government for ordering the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) to step up its military operations against the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) in Sulu. It has refused to heed the widespread clamor to put an end to the AFP armed offensives which has resulted in the displacement of close to a hundred thousand people and escalating violence against the unarmed civilians in Sulu. The Arroyo government has once again clearly demonstrated that it has no intention of addressing the root causes of the Moro people's armed resistance. The only solution that comes out of Arroyo's one-track US-indoctrinated militarist mind is to use the full force of the terrorist state to subjugate the people. In upholding the so-called "anti-terror" US dogma, the Arroyo government has subjected the Moro people to heightened social oppression and state violence. The Moro people's human rights are trampled. Their aspiration for genuine self-determination continues to be denied by the reactionary state. The MNLF was bound to resume armed resistance against the Philippine government. In upholding the Moro people's social-economic and political aspirations, the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) is also bound to intensify its armed resistance against the reactionary regime as it becomes crystal-clear that the Arroyo regime has no intention of addressing the Moro people's problems. The Arroyo regime deprecates the Moro people's struggles by claiming that the Abu Sayyaf is involved in the armed resistance in Sulu. Agents of the AFP planned the February 14 bombings in Makati, Davao and General Santos City to link the legimitate armed resistance of the Moro people in Sulu and portray it as "terrorist". The AFP moreover uses its links with the Abu Sayyaf to project the armed conflict as a religious confict to cover up the basic socio-economic and political content of the Moro people's struggles. We urge the Moro people to intensify their armed resistance against the Arroyo regime in their struggle for genuine self-determination. The only answer to Arroyo's declaration of all-out war is all-out armed resistance. The Moro people's armed resistance deserve the full support of the Filipino people. The coordination and mutual support of the Moro people's armed resistance and the revolutionary armed struggle of the Filipino people are potent weapons to defeat the fascist armed force of the oppressive reactionary state. Reference: Anne Buenaventura Media Officer Cellphone Number: +63910-240-3553 http://www.philippinerevolution.org/cgi-bin/statements/releases.pl?date=0503 05;refer=kr;language=eng ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~--> DonorsChoose. A simple way to provide underprivileged children resources often lacking in public schools. Fund a student project in NYC/NC today! http://us.click.yahoo.com/EHLuJD/.WnJAA/cUmLAA/TySplB/TM --------------------------------------------------------------------~-> -------------------------- Want to discuss this topic? Head on over to our discussion list, [EMAIL PROTECTED] -------------------------- Brooks Isoldi, editor [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.intellnet.org Post message: [email protected] Subscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsubscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] *** FAIR USE NOTICE. This message contains copyrighted material whose use has not been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. 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