DAVAO CITY, Philippines—The Communist Party of the Philippines warned that human rights abuses will escalate across the country because civil and political rights would be curtailed under the Martial Law imposed by Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte.
The CPP, in a statement sent to media on Thursday, said the imposition of Martial Law would only isolate Duterte’s administration from the people.
“By imposing Martial Law and curtailing the civil and political rights, GRP President Duterte is further isolating his regime from the people,” the CPP said. It also hit out the President’s description of Marcos’ Martial Law as “good” as a vain hope of justifying his declaration of the military rule in Mindanao and across the country.
Apart from the imposition of Martial Law, the CPP slammed the severe measures ordered by the President to the military such as to carry out searches and warrantless arrest, impose curfews, establish checkpoints and other restrictions which, according to CPP, violates people’s freedom of movement.
“By imposing such severe measures, he aims to establish himself as a strongman who will not tolerate challenges to his authority,” the CPP said, noting that such measures were reminiscent of the detested arrest, search and seizure order of Marcos regime.
“With Duterte’s Martial Law, the fascist troops of the AFP are bound to carry out greater abuses with even greater impunity as they are no longer restricted by legal niceties,” it further said.
In Davao, Presidential daughter and City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio issued a 30-point guidelines for the Davao City residents to follow as the entire city is on heightened alert and under a “hold and secure” situation.
“We are discouraging travel to and from Davao City. We also discourage travel to other places in Mindanao,” she said in a press briefing on Wednesday, May 24.
Such guidelines or measures, however, were criticized by the CPP as “anti-democratic” measures which curtails the freedom of the people to assemble, among others.
“Mini-dictator Sarah Duterte is taking advantage of the martial law declaration by coming up with a long-list of anti-democratic measures which seeks to restrict that people’s freedoms, particularly their right to assemble, to express their grievance and seek redress. Like her father, she also wants to prohibit other acts which she deems as challenges to her authority and power,” the CPP said. (davaotoday.com)
CPP, Martial Law, NPA
