I rise on a question of personal and collective privilege to ask
for your help in these most trying times for my party, Bayan Muna,
as well as its supporters and allied party lists.
Last March 8, our party president, the honorable Satur Ocampo delivered
a privilege speech on the renewed terror attacks against our leaders,
members and supporters. He mentioned the assassination of Bayan Muna
leader and Tarlac councilor Abelardo Ladera as well as the abduction
of Danilo Macapagal, another prominent Bayan Muna leader in Nueva
Ecija, who remains missing till this day.
Since Congressman Ocampo’s speech, two more from our ranks have been
killed.
The day after, on March 9, Bayan Muna Ilocos regional coordinator
Romy Sanchez was shot dead in Kayang market in Baguio City after attending
an anti-mining conference. Sanchez is the highest-ranking Bayan Muna
official to have been killed since 2001.
Just yesterday, March 13, Fr. William Tadena, an Aglipayan priest,
was also shot dead on his way home from saying mass in Brgy. Guevarra
in Lapaz, Tarlac. Fr. Tadena was a Bayan Muna supporter and was actively
involved in human rights work.
And this morning, I just learned that an attempt has also been made
on the life of human rights lawyer and UN ad-litem judge Romeo Capulong
last March 7, in his home province of Nueva Ecija.
Mr. Speaker, my colleagues, in the last one-and-a-half months, 13
of our leaders and supporters have been assassinated in Central and
Northern Luzon while five were abducted and remain missing. This means
that every week for the past six weeks, three Bayan Muna leaders or
supporters have either been killed or abducted in those areas. At
the rate things are going, Mr. Speaker, my colleagues, our party will
have been wiped out by the next elections.
We accuse the AFP’s Northern Luzon Command headed by Gen. Romeo Dominguez
of inflicting this latest bloody crackdown. This is the same unit
that produced security briefing papers tagging the dead Councilor
Ladera, Atty. Capulong, the honorable Ocampo, Mariano, Maza, myself
and four others as CPP-NPA operatives responsible for the massacre
at Hacienda Luisita.
Just last week, I was informed by the media that Gen. Jovito Palparan,
the infamous butcher of Mindoro who now commands the 8th Division
in Region 8, told a gathering of reporters in Tacloban that he will
crush all the militant groups in the region within six months.
What we see here, Mr. Speaker, is an overly militarist mindset that
punishes with impunity any and all groups critical of the Establishment.
Make no mistake, this is not just a policy against the Left. This
is a blatant attack on the rights and civil liberties of all people,
including Muslim and Christian church leaders, government officials
like Ladera and former Naujan Vice Mayor Juvy Magsino, members of
the opposition, human rights workers now numbering 15 killed, the
villified and demonized Moro community, and members of the press who
are not only being killed but are now threatened with a media gag.
The situation will most likely get worse with the passage of the draconian,
military-backed anti-terrorism bill and national ID system.
In other words, this is an attack on our democracy itself whose bedrock
is respect for the political beliefs of others.
While my colleagues in this august chamber have accorded us in the
Left the same rights and respect befitting all members of Congress,
not the same can be said of the Executive branch, most especially
the military and police who have refused to let go of their martial
law mentality, treating any and all critics of the State as threats
to national security and therefore subject to military action.
Saan naman kami lalagay nito? Hinihikayat n’yo kami sa Kaliwa na
pumasok sa mainstream ng pulitika pero kami nama’y pinapatay, dinudukot
at tinatakot at para bang itinutulak na mamundok.
Just to set the record straight, may I say that Bayan Muna is not
engaged in armed struggle nor do we espouse it. Since we are unarmed,
wala kaming kalaban-laban sa mga militar kapag kami’y kanilang tinarget.
And yet since 2001, we have become the AFP’s target. Dahil ba hindi
nila masugpo ang NPA kayat kami na lang walang kalaban-laban ang kanilang
pagbabalingan? This is why since 2001, 48 of our leaders and supporters
have been killed in cold blood by suspected military and police elements
while 10 were forcibly abducted and are still missing?
For our advocacies, we are often branded as subversives or communists.
To tell you the truth, this puts us in good company with the likes
of Ninoy Aquino, Tito Guingona, Joker Arroyo, Lorenzo Tañada, Claro
M. Recto, Jose “Pepe” Diokno and Justice Abe Sarmiento.
But for any of us here to be killed, abducted, tortured or threatened
for our political beliefs is another matter that should be condemned
by all freedom-loving Filipinos, unless it is now a crime to shout
“Katarungan para sa mga manggagawa at magsasaka,” punishable by summary
execution.
Those accusing anyone from our ranks of being members of the NPA
should file the necessary case in court for rebellion or sedition.
We can never allow armed agents of the State to act as accuser, judge
and executioner of their imagined enemies.
Mr. Speaker, my dear colleagues, well meaning friends have asked
me, is Bayan Muna’s participation in Congress worth the 48 lives that
have been snuffed out since the party took the parliamentary path?
The answer, of course, is no. Not even all the seats in Congress is
worth the life of one lowly peasant.
But we are still here in the hope that our people will be enlightened
about our politics. We are hoping that there will come a time when
Bayan Muna’s views will be accepted for what they are by a majority
of our people.
They may kill us, but they can never kill our ideals. They may incarcerate
us, but they can never imprison the truth.
Mr. Speaker, my dear colleagues. My partymates and I appeal to you
to please help us in these desperate times. I would like to respectfully
request for the following:
One, for Congress to formally condemn the attacks on Bayan Muna and
other progressive parties, people’s organizations and non-government
organizations and for us to defend their right to exist and participate
in the mainstream of our political life. A resolution to this effect
is now going the rounds and I ask for you to please support it.
We demand as well an investigation and the immediate relief of Nolcom’s
Gen. Dominguez and his command.
We appeal to our colleagues in Congress to make an extra effort,
especially during the break, to talk to the AFP and PNP commands in
your district to explain to them why Bayan Muna should be treated
differently from armed revolutionary groups and not subject to military
surveillance, harassment and physical attack.
Three, for the AFP and PNP leadership, and the commander-in-chief
herself Pres. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, to issue a policy statement
ordering all units of the military and police to respect the rights
and civil liberties of Bayan Muna, Anakpawis, Gabriela and other progressive,
left-leaning organizations and for them to cease and desist from launching
any operation against our leaders, members and supporters.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker, distinguished colleagues.
