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Issue Number 24, August 2004
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Kapatiran Issue
No. 24, August 2004
NEARLY 50 BAYAN
MUNA MEMBERS MURDERED
Red Scare & Terror Campaign Against Left Party During
Election
- Nick McBride
The May 2004 election saw
an increase in the harassment of the Bayan Muna Party and
of its fellow progressive organisations. Much of the
violence seems attributable to a calculated campaign by
the National Security Adviser, Noberto Gonzales, and the
Philippines Army to discredit Bayan Muna.
At a briefing to Government Ministers on 2 April 2004
Gonzales outlined a claim that Bayan Muna was a front for
the New Peoples Army (NPA), the armed wing of the
Communist Party of the Philippines (which is the main
organisation in the National Democratic Front - NDF).
Further, Gonzales claimed, Bayan Muna could have
channelled as much as 500 million pesos of its "pork
barrel" to the NPA. Gonzales himself unsuccessfully
led his own party list group, Partido Demokratiko
Sosyalista ng Pilipinas in the 1998 and 2001 elections.
The claim that Bayan Muna was a front for the NPA was
echoed by a spokesman for the Philippines Armed Forces.
The Army's proof for this claim was not particularly
convincing: leaflets from Anakpawis (another party list
organisation, associated with Bayan Muna, which also
contested the May elections) were found in the area where
a conflict between Government troops and the NPA.
President Arroyo and other ministers, while failing to
condemn the claims made by Gonzales, also requested
proof. To date the only evidence consists of lists
provided by unspecified "NPA insiders" - not
sufficient to justify his previous attempts to have the
parties barred by the Commission of Elections from the
2001 election.
Most Successful Party In 2001 Election
Bayan Muna was the most successful party list candidate
in the 2001 election, returning three Party List
Representatives to the Philippines Congress (the lower of
the two Houses that make up the House of Representatives.
The Senate is the upper House). Those three included
trade union leader Crispin Beltran, who toured New
Zealand as a guest of PSNA in 1999. He resigned from
Congress in late 2003, to be replaced by the next on the
list. In the 2004 election Bayan Muna was contesting
alongside five fellow peoples organisations: Anakpawis
(workers), GABRIELA Women's Partylist, Anak ng Bayan
(youth), Migrante (overseas workers) and Suara Bangsamoro
(Muslims). These six represent constituencies
traditionally without a voice in the Philippine political
system.
Bayan Muna was quick to defend itself against the claims
of misuse of "pork barrel" funds, claiming it
was able to show exactly how the funds it distributes
were spent - on projects that benefit poor communities.
The funds are distributed by various government
departments and not by the three Party List
Representatives.
Bayan Muna and its five fellow parties also filed charges
against Gonzales alleging libel, violation of election
laws and graft. While denying that it is a front for the
NDF it pointed out that it would be perfectly legal to
take that role and has been since the Anti-Subversion
Law, which had prevented the NDF from engaging in the
electoral process, was repealed during the 1992-98
government of President Fidel Ramos.
While Gonzales' allegations appeared to be a blatant
attempt by an obviously biased public official to
undermine the legitimate democratic aspirations of the
Philippines Left, his comments seemed to have spurred
further harassment of Bayan Muna activists, which has
been ongoing since the 2001 elections. To assist us with
this article, KARAPATAN, the best known human rights
group in the Philippines, sent PSNA a list of 48 Bayan
Muna members who were murdered in the period
15/4/01-9/6/04. The killings have continued unabated
during that period, from the 2001 election to the 2004
one, and since. It represents the status quo for Bayan
Muna. There have also been killings of activists from
Anakpawis and another left organisation, Pamalakaya
(which represents poor fisherfolk). In addition to the
killings, Bayan Muna members were continually harassed
and given violent treatment.
Violence Is Part and Parcel Of Philippine
Election Campaigns
The Army, the Philippines Constabulary and associated
paramilitary groups were behind the violence and
intimidation, as they always are. As with the National
Security Adviser, a public servant, the Arroyo government
seemed unable or unwilling to do anything to prevent it
taking place, although the then Vice President, Teofisto
Guigona, condemned the harassment of Bayan Muna in strong
terms and was also quoted as saying: "We must accept
Bayan Muna has a legitimate and even a moral force in the
national scene of politics today".
As in other parts of Asia, election campaign violence is
a part of the Philippine political scene. In 1998, 64
people were killed during the election campaign; as of
May 2004, more than 140 people had died and scores
wounded in election-related violent incidents. It was the
most violent election campaign since Marcos was
overthrown, back in 1986. The NPA also contributes to
this figure, admitting that it attacks politicians, who
are escorted by policemen or soldiers, campaigning in
areas it controls. It also collects Permit To Campaign
fees from such candidates and claims to use the proceeds
to finance its military and social activities.
See the lead story analysing the election result.
Bayan Muna ended up with three members of Congress - the
maximum allowable, so it did very well in the Party List
vote, particularly as the field was so crowded with
"parties", some of which were very dubious
indeed. 2% of that vote is the necessary minimum to get
one seat. Crispin Beltran returned to Congress as one of
the two Party List Representatives of the new Anakpawis
Party (Anakpawis translates as "toiling
masses"), the other one being veteran peasant
leader, Rafael Mariano. Longtime GABRIELA leader Liza
Maza is the sole Representative from that Party. So the
Left bloc of six parties got six Representatives in
Congress. Three of those parties - those representing
youth, overseas workers and Muslims - got nothing.
"Street parliamentarian" Teddy Casino, one of
Bayan Muna's new Representatives, said that the Left bloc
had expected to win 8-12 seats and attributed the
shortfall to the Red scare campaign and murderous
harassment detailed above. Ed.
Nick McBride is a PSNA member who lives in
Wellington. He visited the Philippines in 2000.
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