When The Tyrant is Afraid: Taktika ng Papatinding Pampulitikang Panunupil ng Rehimeng Arroy

Sa likod ng kamay na bakal ng rehimen ay ang isang tirano na nanginginig sa desperasyong panatilihin ang sarili sa kapangyarihan.

Sa kasagsagan ng matinding protesta laban sa kahirapan at pang-ekonomiyang krisis na idinudulot ng rehimeng Arroyo, iba’t ibang porma ng panunupil ang ipinupukol nito sa mamamayang lumalaban. Noong mga nakaraang buwan, dalawang serye ng maramihang kaso at pag-aresto ang ipinataw ng korte laban sa mga lider-aktibista ng Timog Katagalugan (Southern Tagalog).

Nauna nang kinasuhan ang 27 lider-aktibista ng Globe Telecom kaugnay umano sa naganap na panununog at pambobomba sa isang Globe Cell Site sa Lemery, Batangas noong Agosto 2. Kinasuhan ang mga ito ng arson, destruction of private property, at conspiracy to commit rebellion sa Batangas Prosecutor’s Office.

Nitong Oktubre, nagbaba naman ang Calapan Regional Trial Court ng Warrant of Arrest sa tinatayang 72 aktibista mula rin sa Timog Katagalugan sa kaso ng multiple murder at multiple frustrated murder kaugnay sa naganap na raid ng New People’s Army (NPA) sa Puerto Galera, Mindoro Oriental noong Marso 3, 2008.

Nauna nang dinakip si Atty. Remigio Saladero, ang tagapayong legal ng Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU) noong Oktubre 23. Dinala siya sa Camp Vicente Lim sa Calamba, Laguna at kinabukasan ay inilipat sa Calapan City District Jail. Noong Oktubre 27, inamin ni Provincial Prosecutor Josephine Caranzo-Olivar na walang naganap na preliminaryong imbestigasyon bago ibaba ang warrant.
Noong Oktubre 24, dinakip din si Nestor San Jose sa bayan ng Teresa sa Rizal. Oktubre 27, si Crispin Zapanta ang Tagapangulo ng Bayan Muna-Antipolo Chapter ay dinakip rin. Ang lahat ng mga ito ay kasalukuyang nakakulong sa Calapan District Jail.

Samantala, noong Nobyembre 3, dinakip rin si Rogelio Galit, tagapagsalita ng Katipunan ng mga Magbubukid sa Kabite (KAMAGSASAKA-Ka). Ayon sa KARAPATAN (Alliance for the Advancement of Human Rights) - Southern Tagalog, 15 armadong kalalakihan na naka-sibilyan, alas-syete y medya ng gabi sa Brgy. Kaong, Silang Cavite. Dinala si Galit sa kampo Vicente Lim sa Calamba City.

MAS MARAHAS NA PANUNUPIL

Ang pasismo ng rehimeng Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo sa mamamayan nito ay matining na rin sa buong mundo. Kilala ang Pilipinas bilang isa sa pinaka-peligrosong bansa para sa mga mamamahayag dahil sa mataas na bilang ng extra-judicial killings sa mga progresibong mamamahayag, mga lider-aktibista at mga kritiko ng administrasyon. Maging ang United Nations Special Rapporteur Philip Alston ay tinutukoy ang mataas na bilang ng paglabag sa karapatang pantao sa bansa sa counter-insurgency operations ng gobyerno. Kaya naman, upang tabingan ito, ang taktika ng paggamit ng mga korte upang patahimikin ang mga protesta ay isinasagawa ng rehimen ni Arroyo.

Nauna nang isinagawa ang taktikang ito upang dakipin ang TAGAYTAY 5 kung saan kabilang ang makatang si Axel Pinpin na inaresto at kinasuhan. Matapos ang dalawang taon ng pagkakakulong, idineklarang ilegal ng korte ang ginawang pandarakip. Bunga ng malawakang suporta ng mamamayan, umusad ang kaso hanggang sila’y napalaya.

Lalong pinatutunayan ng mga naganap na pandarakip ngayon sa Timog Katagalugan ang marahas na panunupil ng kasalukuyang administrasyon upang takutin ang mamamayang Pilipino. Sinusubukan ding pinsalain ng taktikang ito ang kilusang protesta ng mamamayan imbes na tugunan ang tunay na interes at panawagan ng mamamayang naghihirap.

TAGOS HANGGANG ESKWELA

Maraming kabataang lider-aktibista sa eskwelahan ang nakararanas ng kaparehong pasismo. Patunay nito ang pagsuspindi at pagpapatalsik sa 19 estudyante mula sa Jose Rizal University sa Metro Manila, dahil lamang sa pamimigay ng mga polyetong nanawagan ng suporta para sa P125 pagtataas ng sahod ng mga manggagawa.

Ang mga lider-estudyante at miyembro ng League of Filipino Students (LFS) at ANAKBAYAN ang mga target ng harrassment ng mga myembro ng ISAFP (Intelligence service of the AFP) at ng ROTC-led (Reserve Officers Training Corps) Student Intelligence Networks sa iba’t ibang pamantasan. Patunay rito ang isang grupo ng ahente na naniniktik lulan ng isang van na may plakang UDU 234 na umiikot sa loob ng ating unibersidad.

Sa Polytechnic University of the Philippines- Main Campus naman, 4 na ahente ng ISAFP ang nahuling nagmamatyag sa isang pagkilos sa loob ng unibersidad. Ang mga estudyante na gumawa ng isang “citizen’s arrest” sa mga nasabing ahente at nagdala sa mga ito sa PUP Security Office ay kinasuhan ngayon ng frustrated murder, pagnanakaw at marami pang gawa-gawang kaso.

Samantala, ang Chairperson naman ng PUP- Quezon chapter kasama ang iba pang lider-estudyante ay kinasuhan rin ng rebelyon sa kadahilanan lamang ng paghiling ng detachment ng militar sa loob ng pamantasan na isa namang malinaw na pagtapak sa katangian ng isang akademikong institusyon.

Gayundin, ang kasalukuyang Chairperson ng UP Los Banos University Student Council ay kinasuhan sa Student Disciplinary Tribunal ng gross misconduct and deliberate discourtesy to persons of authority dahil sa naganap na debate sa Central Electoral Board (CEB) hinggil sa kawalan ng Student Council elections. Siya ay kinasuhan habang gumagampan ng kaniyang tungkulin bilang representasyon ng mga estudyante sa CEB dahil sa paggigiit na kilalanin ang konstitusyon ng UPLB Student Councils at ilunsad sa kagyat ng eleksyon.

TUMUNGGALI SA PANDARAHAS

Sa maagang yugto pa lamang ng panunungkulan ni GMA, ay samu’t saring pamamaraan ng panunupil ang inilunsad nito sa pamamagitan ng OPLAN BANTAY LAYA 1, 2, at 3. Bilang resulta, mahigit isang libo na ang biktima ng mga pulitikal na pandarahas at patuloy itong nadaragdagan habang lalong pinaiigting ang represibong panunupil ng pamahalaan. Nagdulot din ito ng mga pagdukot sa mga aktibista tulad nina Karen Empeno, Sherlyn Cadapan, at Jonas Burgos. Malinaw na ang nagaganap na pandarakip nagyon ay bahagi pa rin ng counter insurgency program ng kasalukuyang administrasyon upang pilayin ang lumalawak na kilusang-protesta ng mamamayan laban kay GMA.

Ang mga paglabag na ito sa karapatang pantao ay manipestasyon ng likas na pasismong katangian ng isang gobyernong nagsisilbi sa dayuhan at sa iilang naghaharing-uri. Lalong pinatutunayan nito ang desperasyon at takot ng rehimeng Arroyo sa lumalawak na pagkilos ng sambayanan para sa kaniyang pagpapatalsik at para pagsusulong ng tunay na pagbabagong panlipunan. Patuloy ang marahas na panunupil sa lumalabang mamamayan at nararapat lamang na magpatuloy sa pakikilahok sa pagtatanggol sa interes ng sambayanan. Kondenahin, biguin at lansagin ang rehimeng Arroyo na nangunguna ng mga paglabag sa mga karapatang pantao. Binubuhay tayo sa kawalang katarungan, nilulunod tayo sa karahasan. Ngayon kinakailangang gumuhit ng paninindigan. Ano ang mas pipiliin mo, magpaagos o tumunggali sa gitna ng mga pandarahas?

A Tribute to Ka Bel

On May 20, 2008, Rep. Crispin B. Beltran, ANAKPAWIS partylist representative on his third term in Congress, a great labor leader, an incorruptible parliamentarian, staunch fighter for national freedom, democracy and international working class solidarity, died at 11:48am at the FEU hospital in Quezon City due to severe head injuries. He was 75.

We mourn with his family and friends, comrades and colleagues. Yet, in his passing, he left a distinctive and brilliant legacy of fighting not only for the interest of the workers and oppressed people but most especially of the Filipino youth.

Rep. Beltran is scheduled to file a bill to remove the E-VAT on electric power to lower the rates affecting his constituents. Rep. Beltran’s study of his legislative measures is for the protection of the underprivileged and other marginalized sectors.

Crispin Beltran, more endeared to the masses as “Ka Bel”, is a living legend and epitome of militancy and progressive lawmaking in the country. Before his demise, he was the Chairman of the national political party Anakpawis (Toiling Masses) Partylist and is its re-elected Representative to the Philippine Congress.

Having been an activist for over fifty long years, Ka Bel is esteemed by laborers, peasants, and urban poor and other marginalized sectors as a true defender of the toiling masses and staunch critic of privatization, deregulation and other destructive policies of globalization.

Ka Bel also stands against the United States’ war of aggression on Iraq and its war on terror. He also is steadfast in his call for respect for national sovereignty and international unity against foreign intervention.

During the Japanese occupation of the Philippines, at an early age, Ka Bel volunteered as a courier for the guerillas. After the war, he worked as a farm hand and janitor to support his studies. He then worked as a gasoline boy, messenger, bus driver and later on, a taxi driver. At age 20, he joined his fellow drivers in a strike against unfair labor practices. The police attacked their picket line, injured many and claimed the lives of three protesting workers. Since then, Ka Bel vowed to fight alongside the working class.

He organized the Amalgamated Taxi Drivers Association, for which he served as President from 1955 up to 1963. Together with Felixberto ‘Ka Bert’ Olalia and Feliciano Reyes, leaders of the Filipino labor movement’s militant tradition, he organized the Confederation of Labor of the Philippines (CLP). He was CLP’s Vice-President from 1963 to 1972. Ka Bel also helped found the Philippine Workers Congress and other labor organizations such as KASAMA and PACMAP, which de facto asserted their recognition during Martial Law.

Under the repressive martial law, Ka Bel helped establish the Federation of Unions in Rizal and the Philippine Nationalist Labor Organization (PANALO) until KMU was founded in 1980. From 100,000, KMU’s membership soared to 500,000 in the 1980s. The establishment of KMU united and strengthened the people in its fight against the fascism of the Marcos dictatorship.

When Marcos launched a crackdown in August 1982, Ka Bel was one of those arrested and detained. In November 1984, he was able to escape, and went back to organizing workers and peasant s in the countryside.

When Ka Rolando “Lando” Olalia was brutally murdered in 1987, Ka Bel took over the presidency of KMU. He ran for senator under the banner of Partido ng Bayan that same year and garnered 1.52 mi llion votes but lost due to massive “dagdag bawas” (ballot and vote switching) scheme of elect ion fraud. He remained a leader of the militant union until March 2003.

He also became a National Council Member of multi-sectoral alliance Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (BAYAN) which means New Patriotic Alliance) in 1985 and also served as its national chairperson from 1993 to 1999.

Ka Bel became the chairman of the International League for People’s Struggles in 2002. He is also considered as one of the pillars of international working class solidarity in the era of globalization.

From February 2001 to November 2003, he served as Vice President and one of the three representatives of Bayan Muna (People First) Partylist to Congress, where he introduced legislations imbued with his high sense of patriotism and advocacy of the rights and welfare of the marginalized sectors.

In 2004, he became the representative for Anakpawis Partylist as a sectoral representative of workers, peasants, urban poor and other toiling masses.

Ka Bel was cited by the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism as the partylist representative in the 13th Congress with the most number of bills and resolutions filed, totaling to 130, and with a nearly perfect attendance before his arrest in February 2006.

His three-term stint in the House of Representatives has garnered him awards such as Filipino of the Year and Most Outstanding Congressman for four consecutive years from 2002 - 2005, and in 2006, was adjudged part of the Congressional Hal l of Fame - all these and the respect of the public he reaped even as the Arroyo regime continues to persecute him and his fellow activists.

After his arrest and year-and-a-half long arbitrary and illegal detention initiated by the Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo administration, Ka Bel was proven innocent of the rebellion charges against him.

Persecution, however, persists through the fabricated inciting to sedition case that the Metropolitan Court of Quezon City refuses to dismiss until now, despite legal prohibit ions for duly-elected officials to be charged with crimes punishable by not more than s ix years of imprisonment such as inciting to sedition.

In October 2007, Ka Bel exposed bribery attempts by administration allies, particularly by KAMPI member Francis Ver. He was offered P2 million in exchange for his support to the weak impeachment complaint against President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

Ka Bel is survived by 11 children, 29 grandchildren and 5 great-grand children.

People’s Struggle Committee
UP Diliman - University Student Council