PRESS RELEASE
Information Bureau
Communist Party of the Philippines
Malacañang extends killings of activists and critical media to opposition—CPP
September 17, 2006

The Communist Party of the Phlippines today denounced the killing of opposition Makati Mayor Jejomar Binay's chief security officer Pablito Glean yesterday morning, saying that it had all the markings of the extrajudicial killings of anti-Arroyo activists and media critical of the Arroyo regime. The broad daylight shooting of Glean also claimed the life of a security guard and wounded several of his friends at a gas station in Fort Bonifacio in Taguig, Rizal where Binay's security officer was taking coffee with his motorcycling buddies.

CPP spokesperson Gregorio "Ka Roger" Rosal said the killing of Glean "marks the extension to the opposition of political killings of activists and critical media. It was clearly a threatening message to Mayor Binay as well as the entire anti-Arroyo opposition." Mayor Binay is one of the most outspoken leaders of the political opposition.

Rosal moreover said that the killing was meant to silence Glean who three weeks ago reported the existence of an "Operation Phoenix" being undertaken by a "Task Force Spider"—whose reported objective is to extend to the opposition the spate of ongoing political killings of Leftist activists and critical media.

Rosal pointed out that Operation Phoenix is an extension of the Oplan Summer Offensive ordered by Malacañang since March this year to cover urban and town centers as a complement to Oplan Bantay Laya in the countryside. He said information that has reached the CPP indicates that Oplan Summer Offensive, which targets political activists, critical media and the anti-Arroyo opposition was concocted and is being supervised by the Cabinet Oversight Committee on Internal Security and implemented by covert death squads attached to the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).

Rosal noted that Malacañang is simultaneously digging up whatever administrative charges can be filed to suspend and remove opposition mayors and other local officials critical of Malacañang to incapacitate them before the next elections. He cited the removal two weeks ago of Pasay City's oppositionist Mayor Wenceslao "Peewee" Trinidad and most of the city's councilors.
Rosal said that these developments demonstrate the need for the entire progressive and democratic movement, the opposition and all other sections of the people to muster the biggest numbers possible and take determined action to oppose and decisively bring down Arroyo's blood-stained regime as soon as possible.

Reference:
Marco Valbuena
Media Officer
Cellphone Numbers: 09179776392 :: 09282242061
E-mail:cppmedia@gmail.com