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On the murder of Jose “Pepe” Manegdeg III and Albert Terredaño

Simon “Ka Filiw” Naogsan
Spokesperson, Cordillera People’s Democratic Front

December 4, 2005

The Cordillera Peoples’ Democratic Front (CPDF) condemns in the strongest possible terms the cowardly, cold-blooded and treacherous murder of Jose “Pepe” Manegdeg III at Sitio Apatot, San Esteban, Ilocos Sur at about 10:00 pm last November 28, 2005 and that of Albert Terredaño at Sitio Sinapangan, Bangued, Abra at about 8:45 am last November 29, 2005. Both are staff members of legitimate NGOs. Both are clear civilians and mass leaders, and not members of the NPA.

Surely, both could not resist arrest if ever they were charged of any crime. But no, they were mercilessly murdered. They were meant to be silenced forever, not meant to be arrested. Their crime was merely advocating and advancing peoples’ democratic rights and social change. Gunmen who are cowards to face the peoples’ army but find bravery in summarily executing unarmed acti-vists murdered them.

Jose Manegdeg III was the Regional Coordinator of the Rural Missionaries of the Philippines ­ Ilocos and Cordillera. He was also the former coordinator of the Regional Ecumenical Council in the Cordillera (RECCORD). Albert Terredaño was a volunteer staff of the Cordillera Indigenous Peoples’ Legal Center (DINTEG) while employed at the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) and currently the president of the DAR Employees Union. What honor and glory are there in the AFP’s merciless murder of civilians and non-combatants?

Romy Sanchez, the Regional Coordinator of Bayan Muna in the Ilocos Region was murdered by the military in a similar manner in a busy street at Kayang, Baguio City last March 9, 2005. Up to the present, the perpetrator of this heinous crime has never been apprehended nor brought to justice.

We hold this despicable and bogus Arroyo Regime responsible for this wave of political murders. The regime has a clear and deliberate policy to silence the people’s opposition through harassment and murder as “preemptive measures.” She has surpassed the bloody record of the dreaded Martial Law during the US-Marcos dictatorship. She promotes butchers like Gen. Jovito Palparan, she accommodates bloodthirsty killers like the CPLA by integrating them in the AFP, despite its record of murdering mass leaders of people’s organization like Daniel Ngayaan and Romy Gardo.

The Arroyo regime, in its desperate lust to hold on to power, continues to unleash its armed minions against activists and leaders of people’s organizations. Ever since GMA came into power, 71 leaders of Bayan Muna have been killed. For the Arroyo regime and the bloodthirsty military, there is no room for legitimate dissent. They cannot and will not tolerate parliamentary struggle.

The Cordillera Peoples’ Democratic Front therefore calls on all freedom loving and patriotic sectors in the Cordillera and the entire country to persist, join the revolutionary struggle, and intensify armed resistance against this illegitimate and disgusting regime. The US-Arroyo regime shall pay extremely for these murders. #

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