Central Committee
Communist Party of the Philippines

Gloria Arroyo has long been using state violence against those protesting its antinational, anti-democratic and antipeople policies and acts as well as its illegitimacy, compounded lies and abject rottenness. She has bared her fascist fangs.

Martial law has long been in the making under the Arroyo regime. It has carried out a litany of fascist policies and acts including the “no permit, no rally” policy, “calibrated preemptive response,” Executive Order 464, systematic killings of activists and leaders of the anti-Arroyo protest movement, massive military operations and abuses targetting civilians in many parts of the country, surveillance on leaders of the opposition and democratic mass movement and the like.

It has long desired to officially declare some form of martial law. It has made a number of attempts in the last several months to impose a fascist dictatorship. Widespread vehement protests, however, frustrated its attempt in October 2005 to take advantage of the increasing crisis brought about by rising oil prices to officially declare a “State of National Emergency” through draft Executive Order 467.

Like Marcos who issued Presidential Proclamation 1081 declaring martial law, Arroyo has issued her own Presidential Proclamation 1017 to further her repressive and fascist acts, including plans to arrest leaders and activists of democratic and progressive organizations and parties, and government, military and police officers and personnel critical of the Arroyo regime. In issuing Proclamation 1017, Arroyo has arrogated martial law powers. It is extremely ironic that exactly 20 years after the Marcos fascist dictatorship was overthrown, a new fascist dictatorship has been established by Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

Like Marcos, Arroyo has resorted to concocting outright lies about a purported “tactical alliance by the Left and Right (referring this time to a supposed alliance by the CPP-NPA and rebel forces within the AFP-PNP)... engaged in a concerted and systematic conspiracy to bring down the duly constituted government,” a supposed rebellion codenamed “Oplan Hackle” by “misguided elements” within the AFP-PNP, all aided and abetted “by certain elements of the national media” and the like.

To justify Proclamation 1017, Malacañang claimed that military and police units including their elite forces were to declare their withdrawal of support and join a scheduled protest march and rally. The commanding general of the 1^st Scout Ranger Regiment, and several commanders of the Philippine Marines, PNP Special Forces and other provincial AFP-PNP units were arrested or removed from their positions and placed under tight watch.

The immediate trigger and target of Proclamation 1017 were the massive protest marches and rallies scheduled on the eve of the 20^th anniversary of the EDSA people power uprising cum military rebellion against the Marcos dictatorship. Invoking Proclamation 1017, Malacañang revoked rally permits, ordered police forces to violently disperse rallyists marching towards EDSA and arrest its leaders and restricted demonstrations in Ayala Avenue and different areas around Metro Manila. Proclamation 1017 seeks to terrorize the people and dissuade them from joining demonstrations for fear these would culminate in a mass uprising.

Proclamation 1017 also seeks to break the broad anti-Arroyo united front through sheer brute force. It has already led to the arrest of the Arroyo regime’s most vocal critics. Anakpawis Congressman Crispin Beltran was arrested yesterday by police agents supposedly on the basis of a 1985 arrest warrant. Military and police operatives also tried but failed to arrest Representatives Satur Ocampo and Teodoro Casiño of Bayan Muna and Representative Lisa Maza of Gabriela Women’s Party. Another outspoken critic of Arroyo, former constabulary chief Ramon Montaño, was likewise arrested together with former police general Rex Piad. Former senator and Reform the Armed Forces leader Col. Gringo Honasan and several other former military and police officers were also issued arrest warrants. At least 100 have already been arrested since Friday. There is a list of at least 200 military, police and civilian “destabilizers” that the Arroyo regime plans to arrest.

Proclamation 1017 imposes prior restraint and threatens a clampdown on the mass media. In the early morning of February 25, the editorial office and printing house of the oppositionist Daily Tribune was raided without a warrant by police operatives supposedly looking for some documents and materials. The Philippine National Police has already declared that it would take control of the Daily Tribune. Meeting media representatives, the National Telecommunications Commission has likewise issued a thinly veiled threat, declaring that the state could take over broadcast companies that fail to comply with new stringent policies on media reporting set by the Arroyo regime. To ensure compliance, the police has also announced the formation of a group to monitor the media.

All these moves to curtail civil liberties, suppress people’s protests and crush the movement to oust the Arroyo regime are bound to fail. On the very day Arroyo issued Proclamation 1017, tens of thousands of people defied the “no rally” policy and held mass demonstrations at Ayala Avenue in Makati. Gloria Arroyo’s Proclamation 1017 intensifies the Filipino people’s clamor for the overthrow of her dictatorship.

As the Marcos dictatorship failed to stop protest rallies and its eventual overthrow, so will the Arroyo dictatorship fail to stop surging nationwide protests and mass resistance. Arroyo has only succeeded in steeling the people’s determination to further build up mass protests towards another people power uprising. She has only furthered unrest within the military and police forces and broadened the ranks of those determined to withdraw their support to the Arroyo regime. The Filipino people will not be coerced into submission. They are determined to continue resisting the Arroyo regime’s fascist acts. They demand the end of the Arroyo regime and its replacement by a government that truly advances national freedom and democracy.

The illegitimate, puppet, corrupt, rotten and now barefacedly fascist Arroyo regime is intensely abhorred by the Filipino masses as well as by a majority of the officers and men of its own armed forces and police. In establishing itself as a dictatorship, the Arroyo regime has further isolated itself.

The Party calls on all revolutionary forces to do their utmost to resist and help bring down the new fascist dictatorship. Even as the New People’s Army (NPA) will continue to abide by the policy of not intervening in the mass protest demonstrations in Metro Manila and other urban areas, its units should launch tactical offensives that can be won against diehard pro-Arroyo and fascist units of the reactionary armed forces and, whenever the opportunity presents itself, coordinate with the anti-Arroyo and other friendly units within the AFP and PNP.

The Party and the revolutionary movement call on the democratic forces and the broad masses of the people to heighten the antifascist aspect of the struggle against the Arroyo regime. The CPP urges the military and police to defy fascist orders from their generals to suppress the people’s civil liberties. Anti-Arroyo forces and other positive elements within the government’s military and police who are prepared to withdraw support from the Arroyo regime are likewise asked to join and support democratic forces who persist in building the requisites for a new people power uprising.

The struggle of the revolutionary forces, anti-Arroyo elements within the military and police and the entire Filipino people against the tottering but obstinate Arroyo regime has further heightened with the emergence of barefaced fascism. The revolutionary forces and the Filipino people are ever determined and united in the struggle to bring down Gloria Arroyo’s fascist dictatorship.