PRESS RELEASE
Information Bureau
Communist Party of the Philippines

Esperon's declaration of "bloody war" signals heightening of fascist armed and "legal" attacks-CPP
January 30, 2008

The Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) today said Armed Forces Chief of Staff Gen. Hermogenes Esperon's declaration of a "bloody war" during his three-month term extension "not only signals intensified fascist and militarist violence against supected mass bases and supporters of the armed revolutionary movement and against leaders and activists of the legal patriotic and democratic movement." The CPP added, "it also signals a parallel 'legal offensive' against these forces."

Rosal warned that Esperon's 'bloody war' means victimizing more innocent barriofolk as his armed forces instensify their bloodbath in suspected mass bases of the New People's Army and a more intensified campaign of killings, abductions, illegal arrests, torture, shadowing, harassment and other fascist attacks and repression against leaders and activists in the open, legal arena of struggle."

"In parallel terms, it also means a renewed and heightened 'legal offensive' against those considered by the Arroyo regime and its armed forces as 'enemies of the state'," Rosal added.

The CPP spokesperson said that "Because the Arroyo regime and its AFP have been losing their war with the 'invisible' NPA, they resort to turning their guns, bombs, mailed fists as well as legal instruments against unarmed critics in the open, legal democratic movement."

Rosal said that Malacaņang has since the beginning blotched all its attempts to persecute the leaders and activists of the legal democratic movement. "Still, with Esperon's recent declaration of a 'bloody war,' Malacaņang and its security and military arms have revived and intensified their use of trumped-up 'legal' cases to complement the military's campaign of heightened outright violence and serve as instruments to persecute militant leaders and activists in the legal arena."

Rosal explained that "The arrest in Bago City, Negros Oriental, of Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas deputy secretary-general for external affairs Randall Echanis last January 28 signals the revival and intensification of this 'legal offensive' side of General Esperon's 'bloody war'." Echanis was participating in a conference with leaders of the National Federation of Sugar Workers in preparation for a national rural congress in cooperation with the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines.

Rosal called on the democratic forces and the Filipino people to "Protest the illegal arrest of Echanis and to keep up their vigilance and resistance against both the 'bloody war' type declared by Esperon as well as the parallel 'legal offensive' being directed by Arroyo's top security officials in Malacaņang.

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