ANALYSIS
A Curse to
Democracy
Extrajudicial executions, forced disappearances, political persecution,
baseless accusations, and arbitrary arrest and detention have no place in
a democracy. These are contradictory to it. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo,
Norberto Gonzales, Raul Gonzalez, and the AFP cannot claim to be defending
democracy, for they are a curse to it.
BY BENJIE
OLIVEROS
Bulatlat
The May
2007 elections are fast approaching. Elections in the country which happen
every three years are the only times when Filipinos have a semblance of
participation in the affairs of government.
After
the elections, politicians who are elected into office hardly represent
the interests, views and positions of their “constituents.” Instead, they
end up representing their own interests. Just look at how the “honorable”
representatives from the ruling coalition conducted themselves during the
last Congress especially when they used the tyranny of numbers in hastily
junking the impeachment complaints against Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.
Indeed, they have proven time and again that they do not deserve the title
of representatives.
But the
upcoming elections are being foreshadowed by the unabated extrajudicial
executions now reaching 836, the 194 cases of forced disappearances and
the militarization of Metro Manila as well as other provinces and
secondary cities. Just recently, trumped-up charges were filed against
Rep. Satur Ocampo and Vic Ladlad of Bayan Muna (People First), Rafael
Baylosis and Randal Echanis of Anakpawis (Toiling Masses), not to mention
Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU or May 1st Movement) and Kilusang
Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP or Peasant Movement of the Philippines).
There is also the disqualification case filed against Bayan Muna,
Anakpawis, and Gabriela Women’s Party.
Then
again, what can one expect from this government?
The
Macapagal-Arroyo administration and the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP)
continue to deny involvement in the political killings and forced
disappearances even if all local and international fact-finding missions
and investigations, with the exception of those conducted by the
Philippine National Police (PNP), point to state security agents as the
perpetrators. Their stubborn denial in the face of incontrovertible proof
is the very reason why death squads operate with impunity.
As
regards the filing of cases which would not pass the scrutiny of any
decent lawyer, National Security Adviser Norberto Gonzales justified it by
saying that the government is just setting the legal parameters and
sending a signal that armed rebellion is unacceptable.
But what
is more unacceptable in a supposed democracy, armed rebellion or
extrajudicial executions and forced disappearances? What is illegal,
membership in Left-leaning organizations or political persecution and
arbitrary filing of cases?
Just
like the members of the House of Representatives who give the term
“representative” a totally different meaning (an exact opposite of what it
should be), Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, Raul Gonzalez, and Norberto Gonzales
also have their own interpretation of the words “democracy” and
“republic,” again the exact opposite of what they mean.
Extrajudicial executions, forced disappearances, political persecution,
baseless accusations, and arbitrary arrest and detention have no place in
a democracy. These are contradictory to it.
Gloria
Macapagal-Arroyo, Norberto Gonzales, Raul Gonzalez, and the AFP cannot
claim to be defending democracy, for they are a curse to it.
The
Filipino people cannot expect the upcoming elections to be honest, clean,
and free. This early, the Arroyo administration has already shown that it
has nothing but contempt for it – a posturing that is best explained by
the fact that this administration is a product of a fraudulent electoral
exercise. Bulatlat
BACK TO
TOP ■
PRINTER-FRIENDLY VERSION ■
COMMENT
© 2007 Bulatlat
■
Alipato Publications
Permission is granted to reprint or redistribute this article, provided
its author/s and Bulatlat are properly credited and notified.