Post by RedFlag32 on Mar 19, 2007 13:02:02 GMT
Communist Party of the Philippines
CPP condemns Satur Ocampo's arrest and warrants for 51 others
March 17, 2007
The Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) today condemned the Arroyo regime's arrest yesterday of Bayan Muna Rep. Satur Ocampo based on trumped-up charges against him and 51 others. Ocampo was arrested right after he went to the Supreme Court yesterday to question the validity of the charges against him and request that it overturn the arrest warrant issued by a Leyte regional trial court and stop the baseless criminal proceedings against him. Ocampo and his lawyers are preparing countercharges against the Arroyo regime's security establishment for fabricating evidence to support the concocted charges. The SC immediately set for March 23 the oral arguments on Ocampo's petition.
CPP spokesperson Gregorio "Ka Roger" Rosal issued the following statement:
The Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) condemns the Arroyo regime's arrest of Bayan Muna Rep. Satur Ocampo and the threat to arrest 51 others.
Ocampo's arrest proceeds from trumped-up multiple murder charges over the alleged killing of suspected government infiltrators more two decades ago. The "facts" presented by Arroyo's security establishment are impossibilities using manufactured "evidence" recycled from several other false charges in the past.
Ocampo's arrest is the handiwork of Malacañang, its Interagency Legal Action Group (IALAG) and its security agencies. We hold Gloria Arroyo, National Security Adviser and IALAG head Norberto Gonzales, Justice Secretary Raul Gonzales and other top fascist officials of the Arroyo regime primarily responsible for the persecution of Rep. Ocampo and leaders of Bayan Muna, Anakpawis, Gabriela Women's Party and other progressive parties and organizations.
All this is part of the Arroyo regime's effort to stem the rising strength of the patriotic and democratic people's forces, drive them out of the legal and parliamentary arena and prevent them from winning in the May elections. The Arroyo regime is consumed by its fears of the rising popularity of progressive parties. The frantic efforts of the Arroyo regime to disqualify and cripple Bayan Muna and the other progressive party-list organizations is particularly aimed at preventing their anticipated victories in the upcoming party-list elections.
The Arroyo regime's intensification of attacks against the progressive organizations, parties and leaders is further the result of its severe losses in the face of the advancing people's war and the string of victories achieved by the New People's Army in its tactical offensives. The killings of activists and attacks against unarmed civilians are desperate acts of terrorism. Ocampo's arrest and the perscution of other progressive organizations and leaders are intrinsically linked to the spate of extrajudicial killings, abductions and other vicious fascist attacks against them, their members, mass base and supporters.
It is these progressive patriotic and democratic forces that are the most dedicated and steadfast in struggling for the interests of the Filipino people, especially the toiling masses, in exposing and combatting the lies, rottenness, fascism and puppetry of the Arroyo regime, and in mobilizing the mass of the Filipino people to oust and change this regime. Thus, the Arroyo regime and its fascist officials zealously detest them.
In arresting Ocampo, however, and persisting with its shrill attacks against the open, legal progressive forces, parties and leaders, the Arroyo regime succeeds only in heightening the Filipino people's hatred for it and their sympathy for the democratic and patriotic forces. Never since the height of the Marcos fascist dictatorship have gross human rights violations in the Philippines generated so much concern and censure throughout the nation and worldwide.
The Communist Party of the Philippines joins the Filipino people and the international community in demanding the immediate release of Rep. Ocampo from the regime's prison. We join as well the demand of the Filipino people and the international community for the release from prison of Anakpawis Rep. Crispin Beltran, who has been unjustly and illegally detained for more than a year now based on trumped-up charges of rebellion.
In the face of the increasing repression and fascism of the Arroyo regime, the CPP reiterates its instructions to the New People's Army (NPA) to step up its tactical offensives nationwide and deal several body and head blows against the regime and its armed forces in punishment for the all too innumerable blood debts and fascist crimes they have committed against the Filipino people.