Jose Maria Sison. FILE PHOTO / INQUIRER
Jose Maria Sison, founder of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP), expressed belief that the martial law extension and suspension of writ of habeas corpus in Mindanao granted by Congress to the executive department on Wednesday was aimed at the CPP and its armed wing, the New People’s Army (NPA).
In a statement, Sison said that this “clearly” indicated a prelude to President Duterte placing the entire country under martial rule.
“The objective of the US-Duterte regime is to destroy the CPP and NPA before the end of 2018 by first concentrating attacks on the guerrilla fronts in Eastern Mindanao and elsewhere in Mindanao and then on the guerrilla fronts in Luzon and the Visayas upon the expansion of martial law nationwide,” Sison said.
“The regime overestimates the capability of its total armed strength of 170,000 in an archipelago of 115,000 square miles. It exaggerates the psychological impact of terror tactics under martial rule and the effectiveness of US indoctrination, training and equipment,” he added.
The CPP founding chairman, who has been on exile in The Netherlands for more than three decades, pointed out that Mr. Duterte labeled the NPA as a terrorist organization and terminated the peace talks just as negotiations between the two parties were “advancing at a rapid rate.”
As he has done with previous administrations, and despite Mr. Duterte’s public disdain of America, Sison pointed to US influence on the Duterte administration for pushing for the extension of martial law.
Echoing the warning of administration critics, Sison said that with the extension of martial law “gross and systematic violation of human rights in Mindanao will certainly escalate.”
“As the unnecessary and egregious martial rule by Duterte will expand nationwide, the violations of civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights of the people will surpass the rate and proportions of martial rule under the Marcos fascist dictatorship,” Sison said.
But Sison said the Duterte administration will have to deal with not only the NPA but also a “broad united front” which includes even the “anti-Duterte sections” of the military and police dissatisfied with his governance.
“It (Duterte administration) cannot violate human rights without being exposed and opposed by respected institutions, including the human rights organizations, lawyers and other professional associations, churches, the press, UN agencies and the International Red Cross,” Sison said.
He predicted the anti-Duterte faction in the government security forces could withdraw support from their commander-in-chief and ally themselves with the mass movement, overthrowing him the same way that the dictator Ferdinand Marcos and convicted plunderer now Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada were ousted.
“In such an eventuality, the CPP and NPA would be happy with the limitation of bloodshed and with the resumption of peace negotiations between NDFP [National Democratic Front of the Philippines] and GRP under a new president or a transitory people´s commission,” Sison said.