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Composition of List of People Targeted for Arrest Exposes the Falsity of the Coup Allegation
and the Vile Objective of the Arroyo Regime
By Prof. Jose Maria Sison
Chief Political Consultant
National Democratic Front of the Philippines
28 February 2006
I have read the excellent report of Sheila Coronel, titled "Government crackdown intensifies, appearing
in the February 27, 2006 issue of Inside PCIJ (Philippine Center of Investigative Journalism). The findings
of the report can help to expose the falsity of the coup allegation and the vile objective of the Arroyo
regime.
The report carries the list of 59 persons submitted to the Justice Department by Directorate for Investigation
and Detective Management of the Philippine National Police. The listed persons are described as "guilty
of rebellion and insurrection committed on February 24, 2006", the day Gloria M. Arroyo announced that
she had preempted an attempted coup and issued Proclamation 1017 to declare a state of national emergency.
I have the honor of being at the top of the entire list. But the point is to analyze the composition of the
list and to draw some conclusions. The list includes 44 persons who are alleged communist leaders and members,
six members of Congress who belong to the party list groups Bayan Muna, Gabriela Women's Party and
Anakpawis (Toiling Masses), three retired military officers who were leaders of the Reform the Armed Forces
Movement and three lieutenants.
We notice from the list the predominance of 50 civilians who are known progressives and a small number
of former military officers. We also notice the absence of the names of Brig. General Danilo Lim of the First
Scout Ranger Regiment, Colonel Ariel Querubin of the First Marine Brigade and Chief Supt. Marcelino Franco
of the PNP Special Action Force who were supposed to be key players in the alleged coup attempt foiled
by the loyalists of the Arroyo regime last Friday, February 24. Indeed, they should not be in the list just
as those already in the list should not be.
We have enough factual basis to state that the Arroyo regime fabricated the so-called coup plot of communists
and Rightist officers, supposedly foiled last February 24 but still necessitating Proclamation 1017. The canard
was used to disperse the mass actions celebrating Edsa 1, to attack mainly the patriotic and progressive forces
in the mass movement, intimidate the mass media and suppress democratic rights in the long haul .
The overriding purpose of the regime is to start with Proclamation 1017 on the road of fascist dictatorship and
state terrorism by way of prolonging itself in power and ramming through charter change to serve the interests
of US imperialism and the worst of local reactionary interests.###
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