[News] Philippine government repression intensifies - Update

[Anti-Imperialist News]

Government crackdown intensifies
February 27, 2006 @ 8:18 pm · Posted
by Sheila Coronel
Filed under In the News, State of National Emergency

THE police today forwarded to the Department of Justice two lists
containing the names of a total of 59 individuals, including members
of leftist party-list groups, leaders of the 
communist party  and renegade soldiers, that it 
said were guilty of rebellion and insurrection 
"committed on February 24, 2006," the day President
Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo announced she had preempted an attempted coup
and declared a state of emergency.

The list, however, does not include Brig. Gen. Danilo Lim, who the
military said was a leader of the aborted attempted "withdrawal of
support" from the Arroyo government that took place last Friday. Also
excluded from the list is Col. Ariel Querubin, the commander of the
1st Marine Brigade, who admitted in yesterday's standoff at Fort
Bonifacio that he had intended to join last Friday's protests.

Instead, the lists, contained in two letters sent today by the
Philippine National Police (PNP) Directorate for Investigation and
Detective Management (DIDM) to Justice Secretary Raul Gonzales,
indicates mainly a crackdown on the legal Left and the communist
party. And while there were only 59 on these lists, the police also
included "others who may be identified later." The PNP letters came
with investigation records on the named individuals, who they said
were guilty of violations of Articles 134 and 135 of the Revised Penal
Code, which penalizes rebellion, insurrection and coup d'etat - all
nonbailable offenses punishable with life imprisonment.

"This means that they can be charged and arrested any time," said
Theodore Te of the Free Legal Aid Group or FLAG.  Government lawyers
have said that as rebellion is a continuing crime, and those who are
guilty can be arrested even without warrants. Bayan Muna party list
representative Joel G. Virador, for example, was arrested without a
warrant in Davao City earlier today. On Saturday, Anakpawis  Rep.
Crispin Beltran was picked up in Bulacan, also in a warrantless
arrest, while Bayan Muna Rep. Satur Ocampo eluded an arrest attempt.

FLAG lawyers are worried that many more arrests are in the offing. The
PNP said last week that it had  200 names on its arrest list.

"This brings back too many old memories," said lawyer Cookie Diokno,
also of FLAG, whose father, the late human-rights lawyer and senator
Jose W. Diokno, was imprisoned during martial law. "They're not even
talking about the events of last Friday, and if these people were
really involved in those events, why is Danny Lim not there? Obviously
there is a different treatment for civilians and for the military and
the police."

The list includes a mix of soldiers and leftists, corresponding to
government claims of a conspiracy among leftists and rights out to
overthrow the Arroyo government. These include  exiled Communist Party
of the Philippines (CPP)  leaders Jose Ma. Sison, Luis Jalandoni and
Fidel Agacoili and 44 other alleged communist leaders and members; all
six congressmen who are members of the leftist party list groups Bayan
Muna, Gabriela and Anakpawis; Reform the Armed Forces (RAM) leaders
Gregorio Honasan, Jake Malajacan and Felix Turingan, and three
lieutenants.

In his letter to the justice department, Police Chief Supt. Rodolfo
"Boogie" Mendoza Jr., an intelligence officer asssociated with Mrs.
Arroyo and now acting deputy director of the PNP Directorate for
Investigation and Detective Management (DIDM), alleged that  the CPP
had drawn up a three-year plan for 2003-2005  "to raise the level of
the people's war and make advances in the revolution. " It said that
CPP-New People's Army "atrocities" to advance their goals included
raids and ambuscades, selective assassinations of former communists,
employment of child combatants, mass killings and use of land mines.
There was nothing in the letter that links directly to last Friday's
events. It was this letter that listed 51 names, mainly associated
with the CPP.

In a separate letter (click here for a copy), Sr. Supt. Yolanda
Tanigue, acting executive officer of the DIDM, said that renegade
young officers recruited to the Makabayang Kawal ng Pilipinas or MKP,
allegedly a rebel group organized by Honasan in December 2004, had
plotted to oust Arroyo in alliance with the communists. Tanigue
presented as evidence the affidavits of six young officers who were
supposedly recruited to the MKP but who bolted when they learned of
its "tactical alliance" with the communists.

FLAG lawyers, who have seen the affidavits and exhibits submitted by
the PNP were incredulous. Some of the evidence presented, they said,
included affidavits issued for completely unrelated cases, including
those involving the assassinations of former communists, allegedly by
the CPP. Except for the affidavits of the six officers and the arrest
of a renegade officer last week with a lawyer allegedly with communist
links, they said there was nothing to prove the supposed Left-Right
conspiracy, much less the involvement of these individuals in last
Friday's events.

Diokno asked: "Why is JV Ejercito not on the list, when he was
supposedly texting people to come to the soldiers' aid yesterday? Why
are Peping Cojuangco and Boy Saycon not on the list, when they were
supposedly plotting with Danny Lim?"

"Marcos had complete control of the military," said Diokno, "Arroyo
does not, that is why she is using the police to crack down. You think
she can relieve any military officer after what happened yesterday? Do
you think she can discipline any other officer in the military?"

The following are the names on the two PNP lists:

Jose Ma. Sison
Luis Jalandoni
Benito and Wilma Tiamzon
Rafael Mariano
Satur Ocampo
Crispin Beltran
Teodoro A. Casiño
Liza Maza
Joel Virador
Gregorio Rosal
Tirso Alcantara
Benjamin Mendoza
Vic Ladlad
Nathaniel Santiago
Sotero Llamas
Julio Atienza
Edilberto Escudero
Rosemarie Domanais
Rogelio Villanueva
Leo Velasco
Rafael Baylosis
Prudencio Calubid
Philip Limjoco
Julius Giron
Allan Jasminez
Antonio Cabanatan
Fidel Agcaoli
Edilberto Silva
Ma. Concepcion Araneta Bocala
Jorge Madlos
Eugenia Topacio
Francisco Fernandez
Carlos Borjal
Elizabet Princepe
Juliet Sison
Randal Echaniz
Rey Claro Casandre
Edwin Alcid
Tita Lubi
Abdias Guadania
Mike Gamara
1Lt. Lawrence San Juan
Atty. Christopher Belmonte
Gregorio Honasan
Ret. Col. Jake Malajacan
Ret. Capt. Felix Turingan
1Lt. Angelbert Gay
1Lt. Patricio Bumidang
2Lt. Aldrin Baldonado

alias

Friday
Ka Selrio
Kim
Tasio
Randy
Rosa Bisa
Novo
Elya
Rose

and several other John and Jane Does




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