From the Office of Rep. Crispin Beltran

South Wing Room 602 House of Representatives

Constitution Hills 1126 Quezon City, Philippines

Reference: Rep.Crispin Beltran (+63)9278711080

Ina Alleco R. Silverio, chief of staff  931.6615, 09195065269

 

 News Release Tuesday January 2, 2007

 

Extrajudicial and political killings against progressive party-lists geared to defeat their
chances in May 2007 elections

 

Anakpawis Representative and political detainee Crispin Beltran today said that the continuing campaign of extra-judicial and political killings of the Armed Forces of the Philippines with the blessings of the Macapagal-Arroyo administration is clearly directed towards defeating the chances of the incumbent progressive party-lists Bayan Muna, Anakpawis and Gabriela Women's Party to secure the same number of seats if not more in the May 2007 elections.

 

Last Sunday, Rodolfo "Pong" Alvarado, a regional coordinator of  Bayan Muna  in Bicol, was driving on Sunday when one of three men on a motorcycle shot him eight times.

 

Beltran said that the Arroyo government continues to abet the bloody extermination of leaders, members and sympathizers of the progressive party-lists because it wants to make sure the party-lists will no longer be able to seat any of its representatives in the 14th Congress. Beltran said that it was no secret that the progressive party-lists have already begun their preparations for the upcoming polls even as they continue to participate in civil society campaigns such as that against charter change.

 

"This is the end-goal of the administration's bloody campaign. Since the likes of national security adviser Norberto Gonzales and Justice secretary Raul Gonzalez have failed to convince the public into believing their black propaganda against Bayan Muna, Anakpawis and Gabriela, the government through the AFP have taken to liquidating the members and grassroots leaders of the progressive party-lists. They aim to discourage us from participating in the May 2007 elections and to sow fear among our supporters," he said. "They will be disappointed in this."

 

The activist lawmaker said that during the campaign season,  progressive party-lists not only campaign for themselves, but are also active in exposing electoral anomalies and incidents of fraud, as well as abuses being perpetrated by members of the military and the hired goons of corrupt traditional politicians.

 

"The government is committing slow genocide by targeting the progressive party-lists and their allied people's organizations. For every human rights advocate and political activist gunned down, there are at least five more other victims(I¡$B%9(B their loved ones including children and other members of their immediate family," he said.

 

Beltran said that as the countdown to the May 2007 elections begins, it is certain that more human rights activists and members of people's groups and the progressive party-lists will be put in the line of fire. "What kind of democracy are Macapagal-Arroyo and spokespersons crowing about when they refer to their administration and government? They resort to a campaign of terror, targeting civilians and killing them for their advocacy and commitment to the politics of genuine social change."

 

"The Arroyo government tries to justify the political killings as part of the anti-insurgency campaign, but it has already been exposed and established that this campaign is actually targeting unarmed civilians, non-combatants. None of the perpetrators have been apprehended, and the mastermind of it all, butcher Jovito Palparan continues to take pride in his handiwork. If only for this, Macapagal-Arroyo deserves to be removed from office. The new year has barely started, but the extra-judicial killings have already begun and the body count continues to increase. We can only hope to an end of these killings once Arroyo is no longer in power," he said. #