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Gift of terror

Terror. Fear. Murder. These must be at the forefront of Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s Christmas wish list for the people of Northern Luzon as the Commission on Appointment (CA) approved the promotion of Jovito Palparan to a two-star general notwithstanding the pending complaints at the Commission of Human Rights (CHR) for the abuses that he and his men did. Noteworthy is the killing of Ric Ramos, president of a labor union at Hacienda Lusita, wherein two Army sergeants belonging to the 7th Infantry Division under Gen. Palparan were positively identified as the gunmen.

With the promotion of Gen. Palparan, more popularly known to progressive organizations as the Butcher of Mindoro and the Eastern Visayas, he is now qualified for a higher command with a wider territory which could cover northern Luzon and may lead to higher cases of human rights abuses.

The latest round of assassinations that happened on December 16 (six days after the International Human Rights Day and two days after the CA approved Gen. Palparan’s appointment) in central Luzon wherein 5 unarmed civilians (3 barangay officials, a transport group leader, and a Bayan Muna leader) were killed disturbingly shows that Gen. Palparan is not slowing down on his battle plan to ‘silence’ critics of the government and solve the insurgency problem.

It is indeed bothersome for the people in Ilocos, Cordillera and Cagayan Valley if Gen. Palparan will be given a higher position at the Northern Luzon Command (Nolcom) as his battle plan of terror will definitely be spilled in these regions.

And it is really dreadful for the people in central Luzon especially the progressive organizations as Gen. Palparan has already declared that anti-insurgency operations will be intensified.

This is GMA’s gift to the people. #

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