Wednesday, November 15, 2006 Editorial: Making propaganda hay
THE communists certainly know how to make propaganda hay while the sun shines and the recent joint statement by foreign chambers of commerce is a prime example of how to make some noise and advance their own political and (hopelessly flawed) ideological agenda at the same time.
In a statement issued Tuesday by the Joint Foreign Chambers of Commerce (JFC) in the Philippines, the traders called on the national government to end the spate of political killings or risk losing investments and aid. It also added that political killings have no place in a democratic state.
The statement carries a lot of weight since the JFC comprises business groups from the United States, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Europe, Japan and Korea, and the Philippine Association of Multinational Companies Regional Headquarters.
A similar statement was also issued by local officials of the US-based apparel companies Gap, Polo Ralph Lauren, Wal-Mart, Liz Claiborne, American Eagle Outfitters, Jones Apparel Group and Phillips Van Heusen.
These apparel companies voiced their alarm over the killing of Bishop Alberto Romulo inside his rectory in Iloilo and the reported harassments by the officials of the Cavite Economic Zone on striking workers who were said to be in the thick of negotiations for their payments and other benefits.
This is where things get really ludicrous. While welcoming the statements from the foreign chambers, the militant leftist groups began calibrating their responses of propaganda condemnation against the national government, with some groups placing the number of political killings by 750 since President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo came into power.
The Philippine National Police (PNP) placed the number of killings at 111 while the Philippine Daily Inquirer places the number at 256. Who is guilty of bloating or understating the number of political killings?
Yes, the numbers don't matter since political killings are political killings but the communists are guilty of the same offense they are accusing the military of allegedly doing to them, namely of demonization and name-calling.
The communists and their leftist allies frequently bandy about and use terms like "US-Arroyo puppet regime" -- or whatever the name of the current president happens to be -- and use the latest statement of the foreign chambers as a padding for advancing their erroneous political and ideological agenda.
That's why there is more than enough merit to what the PNP hierarchy said when it pointed to the communist rebels -- read: Communist Party of the Philippines-National Democratic Front-New People's Army (CPP-NDF-NPA) and their legal allies -- as owing more than a substantial portion or even all of the blame for what's wrong with this country.
The foreign businessmen apparently forgot that these communist rebels attack and bomb businesses like Globe towers for failing to pay extortion money to them--which the communist rebels conveniently label as revolutionary taxes because of their claim of being a shadow government -- and intimidate and brainwash communities in the hinterland barangays to rise against the government so they can seize the reins of power.
In retrospect, one can only wonder what the reaction of these foreign businessmen would be if this country would be ruled by a communist government--probably they won't stay to find out.
Would they raise a hue and cry and howl in protest over any atrocities and rights violations these rebels are capable of doing -- think China -- like what they're doing to the current administration, morally and legally challenged though it may be?
