The Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) has warned that the conviction of ACT Teachers Party Rep. France Castro, former Bayan Muna representative Satur Ocampo and Lumad school educators for “child abuse” may be an initial attack against the progressive bloc in Congress.
Following the Makabayan coalition’s recent announcement of fielding a senatorial slate in next year’s national elections, the Ferdinand Marcos Jr. regime has “obviously” fired an “opening shot” against the group, CPP chief information officer Marco Valbuena said in a statement.
Branch 2 of the Tagum Regional Trial Court today said it finds Castro, Ocampo and more than a dozen others guilty of “potentially endangering” Lumad schoolchildren when they participated in a mass evacuation of their schools and community in Talaingod, Davao del Norte in November 2018.
The CPP however said the “wrongful conviction” is a “gross political and historical distortion that Castro, Ocampo et.al. are being painted as criminals for rescuing and providing safe haven for lumad Manobo children and their teachers amid the attacks by the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).”.
“The conviction is obviously an opening shot of the fascist Marcos regime against the Makabayan coalition of patriotic and democratic parties, which has recently announced plans to vie for senate seats in the upcoming elections,” Valbuena said.
“This forms part of the Marcos regime’s campaign to stifle the people’s dissent,” he added.
Valbuena said the “unjust guilty verdict” is a direct attack of the “US-Marcos regime”against democratic and patriotic forces and the CPP joins in the quick and massive condemnation of the “political persecution.”
The CPP said it was the AFP, under direct orders by former president Rodrigo Duterte, that occupied the civilian communities and shut down more than 200 Lumad schools across Mindanao.
“This will surely backfire against the US-Marcos regime as it will only rouse further the indignation of the masses of the Filipino people who are suffering from gross oppression, exploitation and political repression under their rule,” the CPP said.
More condemnations
Meanwhile, labor federation Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU) joined other in condemning the decision against Castro and others, saying the charges against them were “baseless and acceptable.”
“From the start, the charges were trumped up and clear lies filed by the NTF-ELCAC (National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict) with the purpose of threatening and instilling fear against the Lumad and their supporters,” the KMU said.
The federation added that the decision is a clear example of Marcos Jr.’s perpetuation of his predecessor’s anti-people policies that disrespects the Filipinos’ basic rights.
Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (BAYAN) earlier expressed the same sentiments, saying case is emblematic of the weaponization of laws and judicial processes against human rights defenders and critics of the Rodrigo Duterte government.
“[The] Marcos Jr government is responsible for the continuing human rights abuses inflicted on Lumad communities and brutal counterinsurgency operations that disrupt the lives and education of Lumad children,” it said in a statement prior to the reading of the verdict this morning.
The Unyon ng Manggagawa sa Agrikultura (UMA) also said the court decision is “unjust,” adding it is not only as a direct attack on the 14 activists but a warning from “the fascist US-Marcos Jr. regime” that anybody who undermined US imperialist interests in Mindanao, militarized since martial law under Rodrigo Duterte, would be met with judicial harassment and other rights violations.
“Moreover, it revealed that in spite of the worsening political rivalry between Duterte and Ferdinand Marcos Jr., both still aligned on upholding the US counter-insurgency directive of quashing even civilian obstacles to landgrabbing efforts in Mindanao, enabling corporate plantations and mining companies to flourish,” the agri workers said. # (Raymund B. Villanueva)
