PRESS STATEMENT
April 5, 2007
Palace, AFP finally admit roles in anti-Satur, anti-Bayan Muna drive
Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita has finally admitted Malacaang’s
leading role in the fabricated charges leveled against Bayan Muna Rep.
Satur Ocampo and the campaign to crush Bayan Muna.
Ermita’s statements about the purported certainty that Ocampo will
soon return to jail and other fulminations in clear contempt of the
Supreme Court demolishes once and for all the unbelievable script that
Malacaang has no role whatsoever in the attempts to discredit Ocampo
and Bayan Muna.
As to Esperon’s claim that Bayan Muna’s certain win in the May 14
elections is like having communist rebels in Congress: This confirms
the military’s targeting of a duly-accredited partylist group whose
membership is 100 percent civilian and 100 percent non-combatant. No
wonder the military death squads continue to kill Bayan Muna members.
Esperon considers us no different from the New People’s Army.
Esperon’s statement violates international humanitarian law. The laws
of war prohibit the AFP from targeting, harming and executing
civilians and non-combatants in the counter-insurgency war.
Congressman Ocampo will prevail over this plot to demonize him. A
recycled fake mass grave, which was the subject of a multiple murder
case already dismissed in 2005, cannot pin Ocampo down. Neither can
the administration rely on perjured statements of professional
witnesses.
Congressman Ocampo had been jailed for nine years under Marcos, three
years under Aquino and 19 days under Arroyo. Never had he been
convicted of any crime in a court of law not even under martial law
when he was subjected to a seven-year trial in a special military
commission which was a kangaroo court.
We challenge Congressman Ocampo’s detractors and tormentors to examine
their conscience this Holy Week and join the nation in urging an end
to the politics of hatred.
With full support from the people and without military terror and
massive cheating, Bayan Muna will also prevail in the May 14
elections.
References:
Nathanael Santiago, Secretary General
Contact Nos.: 0918-9331350, 425-1405
