Philippine president (and Bush flunky) Gloria Arroyo has declared a state of emergency in the Philippines, according to CNN "after security forces thrwarted what they said was a plot to overthrow her."
The New People's Army, led by the Communist Party of the Philippines has launched "seven tactical responses" to the state of emergency, which in addition to cracking down on factions inside the (unstable) military, is directed against the popular democratic movements. Several progressive, legal organizations have been tagged as "CPP fronts," and this year the Arroyo government has said that the communist insurgency is the Philippines #1 security threat... unlike all those foreign (American) troops running around "advising."
"With Gloria Arroyo arrogating martial law powers and establishing herself as a dictator, the NPA will carry out more and more tactical offensives to weaken her regime and contribute to the people's effort to put an end to her rule," CPP spokesperson Gregorio "Ka Roger" Rosal said
Additional reports received by Red Flags:
Another militant Party List Representative arrested; DOJ files rebellion charges against party list reps, tags KMU and other progressive legal organizations as "CPP fronts"
Another militant Party List Representative arrested; DOJ files rebellion charges against party list reps, tags KMU and other progressive legal organizations as "CPP fronts"
3:30 p.m. - Bayan Muna Representative Joel Virador was arrested in Davao City this afternoon. Sketchy reports said that he was arrested at the Davao International airport. He was immediately brought to Camp Leonor but Davao Mayor Rodrigo Duterte took Rep. Virador into his custody. Duterte said that he will personally surrender Rep. Virador to House Minority Leader Francis Escudero and House Speaker Joe de Venecia tomorrow.
Meanwhile, Anakpawis Rep. Rafael Mariano, Bayan Muna Representatives Satur Ocampo and Teodoro
Casino, and Gabriela Womens Party representative Liza Maza, opted to go to the Congress and wait
for their warrant of arrests to be served. A commotion ensued when policemen tried to prevent their supporters from entering the House. The police also attempted to arrest a staff of Rep. Virador but failed.
This morning, the PNP filed rebellion charges before the Department of Justice (DOJ) against 51 so-called "reds", which included leaders and members identified with the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People's Army (CPP-NPA), partylist representatives, and other militant leaders.
In its complaint, the PNP named 41 individuals and several John and Jane Does. Among those charged were Jose Maria Sison, founder of CPP-NPA; National Democratic Front (NDF) chairperson Luis Jalandoni; and partylist Representatives Beltran and Mariano (Anakpawis); Ocampo, Casino and Virador (Bayan Muna); and Maza (Gabriela).
It also tagged as legal fronts of the CPP-NPA organizations such as Kilusang Mayo Uno [workers], Bayan Muna [partylist electoral party], Anakpawis [workers and peasants electoral party] , Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (BAYAN--nationwide umbrella national democratic organizations), Gabriela [women], and PAMALAKAYA [fisherfolk], among others.
Last Saturday, Anakpawis Representative Crispin Beltran, also a veteran labor leader, was arrested outside the gate of a subdivision in Bulacan, north of Manila, where he resides.
At 6pm tonight, KMU will launch a "Candle for Democracy" campaign. Simultaneous candle lighting will be conducted in front of factories, offices and residences to protest the blanket martial law that the Arroyo government is implementing under PD 1017. KMU is calling on the people to go out of their houses, offices, factories and communities at 6pm tonight and everyday and light a candle until PD 1017 is scrapped.
We are encouraging our international network to join us in this campaign.
In solidarity,
Kilusang Mayo Uno
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PRESS RELEASE
Information Bureau
Communist Party of the Philippines
CPP calls on people to overthrow Arroyo dictatorship
February 26, 2006
The Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP-CC) today condemned Gloria Arroyo for having "established a new fascist dictatorship" by issuing Presidential Proclamation 1017 declaring a "state of national emergency."
"Arroyo has arrogated martial law powers," the CPP-CC said. In fact, it pointed out, Arroyo has "long desired to officially declare some form of martial law" but has consistently been thwarted by widespread protests.
Through Presidential 1017, the Arroyo regime has "furthered its repressive and fascist acts, including plans to arrest leaders and activists of democratic and progressive organizations and parties, and government, military and police officers and personnel critical of the Arroyo regime."
"Like Marcos, Arroyo has resorted to concocting outright lies" to justify the imposition of fascist policies. The CPP-CC condemned the Arroyo regime for fabricating a so-called plot involving the participation of New People's Army (NPA) guerrillas in protest rallies as pretext for the declaration of a state of national emerency.
The CPP said that the NPA "continues to abide by the policy of non- intervention in mass protest demonstrations in Metro Manila and other urban areas."
The CPP-CC has directed the NPA "to launch tactical offensives that can be won against diehard pro-Arroyo and fascist units of the reactionary armed forces and, whenever the opportunity presents itself, coordinate with the anti-Arroyo and other friendly units within the AFP and PNP."
It further called "on the democratic forces and the broad masses to heighten the antifascist aspect of the struggle against the Arroyo regime."
The CPP-CC also urged military and police elements "to defy fascist orders from their generals to suppress the people's civil liberties," even as it called on "positive elements within the government's military and police to join and support democratic forces who persist in building the requisites for a new people power uprising."
The CPP-CC said that "Arroyo has only succeeded in steeling the people's determination to further build up mass protests towards another people power uprising, furthered unrest within the military and police forces and broadened the ranks of those determined to withdraw their support to the Arroyo regime."
"The Filipino people will not be coerced into submission," said the CPP-CC. "They are determined to continue resisting the Arroyo regime's fascist acts. They demand the end of the Arroyo regime and its replacement by a government that truly advances national freedom and democracy."
-------------
PRESS RELEASE
Information Bureau
Communist Party of the Philippines
CPP calls on people to overthrow Arroyo dictatorship
February 26, 2006
The Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP-CC) today condemned Gloria Arroyo for having "established a new fascist dictatorship" by issuing Presidential Proclamation 1017 declaring a "state of national emergency."
"Arroyo has arrogated martial law powers," the CPP-CC said. In fact, it pointed out, Arroyo has "long desired to officially declare some form of martial law" but has consistently been thwarted by widespread protests.
Through Presidential 1017, the Arroyo regime has "furthered its repressive and fascist acts, including plans to arrest leaders and activists of democratic and progressive organizations and parties, and government, military and police officers and personnel critical of the Arroyo regime."
"Like Marcos, Arroyo has resorted to concocting outright lies" to justify the imposition of fascist policies. The CPP-CC condemned the Arroyo regime for fabricating a so-called plot involving the participation of New People's Army (NPA) guerrillas in protest rallies as pretext for the declaration of a state of national emerency.
The CPP said that the NPA "continues to abide by the policy of non- intervention in mass protest demonstrations in Metro Manila and other urban areas."
The CPP-CC has directed the NPA "to launch tactical offensives that can be won against diehard pro-Arroyo and fascist units of the reactionary armed forces and, whenever the opportunity presents itself, coordinate with the anti-Arroyo and other friendly units within the AFP and PNP."
It further called "on the democratic forces and the broad masses to heighten the antifascist aspect of the struggle against the Arroyo regime."
The CPP-CC also urged military and police elements "to defy fascist orders from their generals to suppress the people's civil liberties," even as it called on "positive elements within the government's military and police to join and support democratic forces who persist in building the requisites for a new people power uprising."
The CPP-CC said that "Arroyo has only succeeded in steeling the people's determination to further build up mass protests towards another people power uprising, furthered unrest within the military and police forces and broadened the ranks of those determined to withdraw their support to the Arroyo regime."
"The Filipino people will not be coerced into submission," said the CPP-CC. "They are determined to continue resisting the Arroyo regime's fascist acts. They demand the end of the Arroyo regime and its replacement by a government that truly advances national freedom and democracy."
This is wild - we're all watching Nepal and stuff pops off in the Philippines. The CPP is not in the position that the CPN(M) is in terms of the advanced stage of the people's war and the weakness and isolation of the leader of the old state. But the CPP is definitely a very significant force in the Philippines, and they can definitely play a role in helping bring down Arroyo (they've played that decisive role a couple times before -- with Marcos and with the movie star guy, I'm blanking on his name right now...)
One of the documents calls for a united front to create a new democratic government to replace Arroyo; I don't know if that's a real possibility or just something on paper. This could be interesting if Arroyo falls and Gyenendra falls in the same year, with communists playing decisive roles in both cases. Could make 2006 a year to remember!
Posted by: leftspotter | February 28, 2006 at 04:49 PM
Don't forget about the events in Thailand, leftspotter, with support for PM Thaksin eroding rapidly. There was a good article in the MRZine about it, which eludes me at the moment.
I hope this will not be denounced as revolutionary pessimism, but I think one needs to be cautious. The wave of instability and volatility around South and Southeast Asia is obviously something Washington is becoming alarmed with. Note the recent restoration of direct arms deals between the U.S. and Indonesia, as well as the recent trip of the president to Pakistan, India, and Afghanistan. Also note the recent evidence of continuing collaboration among the region's elites in interlocking financial scandals.
So while there is clearly a ripple effect each nation's crisis plays upon the next, it would be foolish to think that this has evaded the eye of the regional organizations (e.g., ASEAN) or its puppet masters in Washington. This area happens to be particularly soaked with CIAgents and local military intelligence forces who have collaborated in the past, in ways that make Operation Condor seem like child's play -- Gurkhas serving the Malaya Emergency, the 1965 Indonesian genocide essentially being instigated from bases and front-offices in Thailand, Malaysia, and the Philippines. I wouldn't doubt that such collaboration among the ASEAN and other regional governments is out of the question.
Posted by: BFAB | March 01, 2006 at 11:22 PM