Renmin Malaya, Spokesperson
CNL National Executive Committee
28 May 2017
We, the Christians for National Liberation (CNL) strongly denounces the imposition of martial law in Mindanao. By putting the people in military rule President Duterte has curtailed the civil-democratic rights of the people across Mindanao. Reminiscent of Marcos Martial Law , the detested ASSO (Arrest, Search and Seizure Order), as President Duterte ordered the military to carry out searches and arrests without warrant. He has ordered the AFP to conduct checkpoints, curfew and other restrictions which violate the 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. Few minutes after that declaration, Davao City was placed into “lock down” as her daughter Mayor Sarah Duterte Carpio in a press conference immediately announced the list of anti-democratic measures which seeks to restrict people’s freedoms, particularly the right to assemble, to express grievance and seek redress. Like her father, she also wants to prohibit other acts which she deems as challenges to her authority and power.
Months after his election President Duterte’s continued threatening words that he will be “as harsh” as Marcos, practically he is ordering the military and the police to impose its rule and carry out more human rights abuses and fascists attacks against the people with impunity. The more that the big multinational corporations and capitalists will employ forces from the military and police to suppress the struggle of the workers hot higher wages, the farmers for genuine land reform, better living conditions and environmental protection. He has appointed (26) retired military officials in his cabinet occupying positions in other government agencies. The few progressives in his cabinet have become more marginalized facing threat of non- confirmation by the Commission on Appointment.
Now it is clear that the Duterte administration has intensified its counter-revolutionary “Oplan Kapayapaan “ campaign of extrajudicial killings, abductions, torture, indiscriminate firing, military occupation of communities, forcible evacuation and hamletting of communities, aerial bombings and a myriad forms of military abuses. In the past few months, his army has committed countless abuses against the people, placing entire communities under military rule. Reminiscent of Martial Law , the detested ASSO (Arrest, Search and Seizure Order) of Marcos, the President ordered the military to carry out searches and arrests without warrant. He has ordered the AFP to conduct checkpoints, curfews and other restrictions which violate the 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 martial law imposition was made on the pretext of armed clashes in Marawi City between the AFP and the Maute Group, a bandit group whose leaders have known links with military officials. In the vain hope of justifying the martial law declaration, the fascists are turning Marawi City into a wasteland in the same way that few years ago parts of Zamboanga City was razed to the ground by the AFP with aerial bombardments and heavy gunfire.
With the majority in congress in his control he aims to get support for his martial law declaration and give him the authority to extend it to the entire country, not only in Mindanao. He can easily come up with more pretexts such as “fighting criminality” and so on. With Marcos-like authoritarian powers, he can push for the implementation of large infrastructure projects beyond public scrutiny.
CNL calls on the Duterte administration for the immediate lifting of martial law in Mindanao. Never again to the horrible experiences of military rule as it left bitter memories of abductions, torture, extrajudicial killings, incarceration of many civilians, evictions and forced evacuations as well as confiscation of land and property. No to Martial Rule!
On the Burning of a School.
As collateral damage to the imposition of Martial Law some very important infrastructures especially the Science, Laboratory and Library buildings of Dansalan College of Marawi.
Unfortunately, with this chilling environment the St. Mary’s Cathedral was also burned and its parish priest taken as hostage. The Ninoy Aquino school and the Amai Pakpak Medical Center were also burned.
The church and school contributes to the value formation of the youth and to equip them with skills necessary for nation building. But with this trend it looks as if it is the other way around, as the present dispensation is destroying the institutions that are supposed to be molding the youth. Hence, we at CNL strongly denounces this bastardly act, because as a country we are a signatory to very important documents, the Geneva Conventions and Protocol 2 which ensures that educational institutions, churches and hospitals are not to be destroyed in the course of the internal conflict .
We at CNL view this as a diversionary tactic of the present administration not to address the growing number of Filipinos crying out to fulfill the promise of “change” such as the release of political prisoners, land reform, end to contractualization and higher wages of workers etc. US troops are present within Marawi City due to the Balikatan exercise as in the past , when a Filipino interpreter was found dead inside their barracks, with NO justice for his death up to the present.
Lift Martial Law Now !
https://www.philippinerevolution.info/statements/20170528-on-the-declaration-of-martial-law-in-mindanao-and-the-burning-of-a-school
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