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Sunday, February 26, 2006
Nation under 'technical martial rule': Group
By Jimmy P. Abayon
KILUSANG Mayo Uno (KMU) in Negros Island described the nation as "now under a technical state of martial rule" after President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo declared Friday a national state of emergency at the height of the celebration of the 1986 Edsa uprising.
KMU-Negros Island spokesman Ronald Ian Evidente said the ban on strikes and rallies were reminiscent of the "martial rule" years of the late President Ferdinand Marcos who was ousted by a popular uprising exactly two decades ago.
Evidente warned that the emergency status could escalate into further repression of human rights, military intervention, and massive arrests of critics of the leadership.
But, he said the KMU and other militant groups could not allow the situation to continue.
"Dili namo ni palampason kay magpabilin ang political crisis ug economic crisis of GMA (Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo)," Evidente said.
He believed that the declaration could only trigger more heightened actions to oust the President.
"The emergency declaration is the only way for President Arroyo to survive the calls for her to step down," said Evidente.
In Negros Oriental, he said, militant groups would continue their mass action despite the ban against rallies.
Evidente called on the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Philippine National Police to "wake up against the ongoing corruption of (their) commander-in-chief."
Their loyalty, he said, should be to the people not to the President.
He also appealed to all churches to intervene "in the midst of political suppression."
KMU and Gabriella-Negros Oriental both denounced the state of national emergency less than four hours after Arroyo announced Presidential Proclamation No. 1017.
(February 26, 2006 issue)
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