[News] Jose Maria Sison on Philippine repression

[Anti-Imperialist News]

Press Statement
28 February 2006

COMPOSITION OF LIST OF PEOPLE TARGETED FOR ARREST
EXPOSES THE FALSITY OF THE  COUP ALLEGATION
AND THE VILE OBJECTIVE OF THE ARROYO REGIME

By Prof. Jose Maria Sison
Chief Political Consultant
National Democratic Front of the Philippines

I have read the excellent report of Sheila Coronel, titled 
"Government crackdown intensifies, appearing in the February 27, 2006 
issue of Inside PCIJ (Philippine Center of Investigative 
Journalism).  The findings of the report can help to expose the 
falsity of the coup allegation and the vile objective of the Arroyo regime.

The report carries the list of 59 persons submitted to the Justice 
Department by Directorate for Investigation and Detective Management 
of the Philippine National Police.  The listed persons are described 
as "guilty of rebellion and insurrection committed on February 24, 
2006", the day Gloria M. Arroyo announced that she had preempted an 
attempted coup and issued Proclamation 1017 to declare a state of 
national emergency.

I have the honor of being at the top of the entire list.  But the 
point is to analyze the composition of the list and to draw some 
conclusions. The list includes 44 persons who are alleged communist 
leaders and members, six members of Congress who belong to the party 
list groups Bayan Muna, Gabriela Women's Party and Anakpawis (Toiling 
Masses), three retired military officers who were leaders of the 
Reform the Armed Forces Movement and three lieutenants.

We notice from the list the predominance of 50 civilians who are 
known progressives and a small number of former military officers. We 
also notice the absence of the names of Brig. General Danilo Lim of 
the First Scout Ranger Regiment, Colonel Ariel Querubin of the First 
Marine Brigade and Chief Supt. Marcelino Franco of the PNP Special 
Action Force who were supposed to be key players in the alleged coup 
attempt foiled by the loyalists of the Arroyo regime last Friday, 
February 24.  Indeed, they should not be in the list just as those 
already in the list should not be.

We have enough factual basis to state that the Arroyo regime 
fabricated the so-called coup plot of communists and Rightist 
officers, supposedly foiled last February 24 but still necessitating 
Proclamation 1017.  The canard was used to  disperse the mass actions 
celebrating Edsa 1, to attack mainly the patriotic and progressive 
forces in the mass movement, intimidate the mass media and suppress 
democratic rights in the long haul .

The overriding purpose of the regime is to start with Proclamation 
1017  on the road of fascist dictatorship and state terrorism by way 
of prolonging itself in power and ramming through charter change to 
serve the interests of US imperialism and the worst of local 
reactionary interests.###

The Freedom Archives
522 Valencia Street
San Francisco, CA 94110
(415) 863-9977
www.freedomarchives.org 
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://freedomarchives.org/pipermail/news_freedomarchives.org/attachments/20060228/6efd9c7c/attachment.htm>