PHILIPPINE NEWS SERVICE — “BE careful what you wish for, you might just get it.”
This was the subtle warning issued by the National Democratic Front of the Philippines against National Security Adviser Norberto Gonzales and other “criminally liable” officials of the government as it denied accusations it plans to engage in an assassination spree to destabilize the country ahead of the elections this May.
“It takes time for the revolutionary forces to build up the intelligence and capability to undertake just actions against the human rights violators who are well-armed and well-protected at the highest level,” Fidel Agcaoili pointed in a statement.
“So far, the revolutionary forces have not yet launched any full-blast and full-scale campaign to arrest, try and punish the human rights violators at the highest level of the Arroyo regime, despite the clamor of the people for justice. They are letting the victims, the survivors, the human rights organizations and the broad masses of the people expose the criminal culpability of the regime and its military and police minions,” he said.
Agcaoili is chairman of the NDFP human rights committee based in the Netherlands and part of the group’s negotiating panel conducting peace negotiations with the government. The peace talks, however, have been stalled for over three years now.
The rebel official issued the statement after Gonzales “upgraded” his claim that the Communist Party of the Philippines and its armed wing, the New People’s Army (CPP-NPA), are plotting to kill deposed President Joseph Estrada.
Gonzales now says that aside from the opposition leader, the CPP-NPA are also planning to kill him, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, DOJ Secretary Raul Gonzalez and retired Army Major Gen. Jovito Palparan.
The national security chief said no less than NDFP chief political consultant and CPP founder Prof. Jose Maria Sison ordered the NPA to carry out the killing spree.
“But Gonzales is a persistent liar and intriguer. He keeps on embroidering on his malicious story,” Agcaoili averred. “It is not within the power of Prof. Sison to decide and order who should be listed in the standing order for the NPA to arrest or give battle to criminally liable persons.”
By “criminally liable persons,” Agcaoili specifically mentioned Pres. Arroyo, Gonzales, the DOJ chief and Palparan whom he described as “armed and dangerous and/or surrounded by armed personnel.”
“The malicious intent of Gonzales is to slander the NPA and entire revolutionary movement, divide the broad united front against the despicable Arroyo regime and prevent Estrada from effectively helping opposition candidates in the forthcoming elections.
“Ka Roger (CPP spokesman) has already declared to the public that the accusation of Gonzales against the NPA is the pure fabrication of a clerico-fascist and a puppy of U.S. imperialism,” Agcaoili said.
“We, who are members and consultants of the NDFP negotiating panel, can only observe developments in the Philippines from a distance and hope for the resumption of the peace negotiations upon a change of leadership or policy in the reactionary Manila government.
“At the same time, it is within the authority and competence of the leading organs of the CPP, NPA and the NDFP in the Philippines to undertake the just and necessary decisions and actions against the worst human rights violators in the country,” Agcaoili said.
“The broad masses of the people,” he added, “anticipate that in the forthcoming reactionary elections, the regime will use fraud and terror and incite the revolutionary forces to undertake just actions against the worst human rights violators at the highest level”.