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A statement of concern on the wave of killings of political activists

By Bayan Muna

In less than three months since mid-January, 32 people, identified with activist political parties and organizations, have been systematically gunned down in a series of incidents across the country. In Central Luzon alone, the center of the Hacienda Luisita dispute, 13 have been summarily executed and 5 have been abducted and are still missing.

What wrong have these persons committed that they should be silenced by a hail of bullets?

The victims - of such diverse backgrounds as Tarlac City Councilor and Bayan Muna Leader Abelardo Ladera (+ March 3), radio broadcaster and Bayan llocos Secretary General Romy Sanchez (+ March 9), IFI priest and PCPR member William Tadena (+ March 13), human rights lawyer and Bayan Muna coordinator Felidido Dacut (+ March 14) and Anakpawis and KMP peasant leader Ben Concepcion (+ March 17) — had one thing in common other than their commitment to serving the people and fighting for national sovereignty, genuine democracy and social justice. They were affiliated with legal organizations that have become the object of vilification by those who invoke the mantra of “national security” to suppress the voices of dissent.

Is there an undeclared war on activists that has rendered them open targets of attack?

Let the statistics speak for itself. Since 2001, 49 coordinators of party-list Bayan Muna and 19 from Anakpawis have been slain; 10 have been abducted and are still missing. The death toll is also mounting on other progressive party-lists as well as militant people’s and human rights organizations Just as alarming is the number of other civilians, mostly peasant folk, slain on mere suspicion of leftist links. The scale and enormity of repression are further evident in the high number of cases of frustrated murder, abduction and disappearance, illegal detention and various forms of harassment. Included here are prominent human rights lawyers—UN ad //fern Judge Romeo T. Capulong and Atty. Charles Juloya of La Union - who survived assassination attempts while helping their clients seek justice.

Does government silence and inaction indicate that it officially sanctions the scale of repression?

Military and police officials and their entire units are implicated in the concentrated campaign against unarmed political activists and their supporters. Not one has been brought to justice; the most notorious have even been promoted. Official military documents tagging militant organizations as a “national security problem” further bolster suspicions that there is an official policy of sanction for the lethal use of summary execution and other human rights violations on political activists. At any rate, the escalating crackdown on activists is but part of a larger pattern of impunity - in a country where extrajudicial killings have become the norm, victimizing even journalists and entire Muslim communities.

How many more lives should be stolen before we heed the cries of the widows and orphans?

Today, we speak out for all those who can no longer speak for themselves - and for ourselves too, because we are all at risk. We remember the lessons of martial law that whatever is done to muzzle the voice of one is an act done to all; the use of the gun to silence political dissent is an attack on the basic freedoms that define a democracy.

We ask all concerned Filipinos to join us as we demand:

Stop the killings and harassment!
Relieve all military, police and other state agents implicated in the murder and enforced disappearance of activists!
Bring the perpetrators to justice!
Scrap all policies and measures that curtail civil liberties and human rights!
To be silent in the face of brazen acts of violence will only multiply the injustices already committed. #

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