やはり大本営発表と真実はだいぶ異なるようです。しかし、これほどとは…。
Dear XXXXXXX, Thanks very much for the concern. The situation here is quite tense. Civil society is moving to oust the President or, some would say, the pretender in the Palace. The military is moving in the same direction although there is a big difference in the programs of action of the different groups after the President is ousted. The protest actions started last year with exposes on the electoral fraud committed in the last elections and the use of public funds for the campaign. (The funds used were earmarked for agrarian reform and, if current bills in Congress are passed, for compensation of the victims of human rights violations under martial law.) These issues should be enough to impeach the President but the control of her party over Congress has saved her so far. There are even bigger problems with Gloria Macapagal Arroyo. Among other things, her administration has incurred more debts than the Marcos regime and the administrations of Aquino, Ramos and Estrada combined. I do not know how much of the debt is illegitimate but I do know that several billion peso projects have been exposed to be tained by corruption. She is also pursuing the same economic policies that are making the poor people in this country even poorer -- regressive taxation, privatization of public utilities, etc. Those in the Philippine Coalition for the ICC are also very much concerned with the deterioration of the human rights situation. There was even talk in the last assembly of the PCICC that Arroyo is refusing to move on the ratification of the Rome Statute because of the war crimes and crimes against humanity that the military has committed. Arroyo as the commander-in-chief of the military has full knowledge of the crimes committed but has chosen to promote the men responsible. Leaders of the big rallies organized last Friday were arrested but have since been released. ( I joined this rally and the vigil last night but was spared from the violent dispersal.) Very worrisome to us who remember martial law very well is the government takeover of a newspaper. It is said that other media outlets may soon follow. We now have to defend the liberties we gained 20 years ago. Below is a statement of the Philippine Alliance of Human Rights Advocates (of which many PCICC are also members) on the state of emergency declared by Arroyo even us she continues to claim to be in control of the situation. For more information, please visit www.igma.tv . The news section has a special coverage on the state of emergency. This is all for now. I will keep you updated on the situation here. Mabuhay! XXXXXXXX
