CPP warns vs suppressing anti-Estrada protests

Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) chairman Armando Liwanag warned the government against suppressing anti-Estrada protests as the rebel movement marked its 32nd founding anniversary yesterday.

Liwanag is believed to be the alias of CPP founder Jose Ma. Sison, who is living in exile in the Netherlands.

Meanwhile, Senate President Pro Tempore Blas Ople called yesterday on Sison to give up the armed struggle and take part in the country’s electoral process.

"It’s now time that Sison should come home and take part in the parliamentary process in the country’s legislature," he said.

Ople urged Sison to follow the example of Moro National Liberation Front chairman Nur Misuari, who abandoned secessionism in 1996 and ran for governor of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.

Ople made the call as National Democratic Front spokesman Satur Ocampo announced plans to run for Congress as a party-list representative in May next year.

In an official statement released to newspapers, Liwanag said the CPP and its armed wing, the New People’s Army (NPA), were "prepared to intensify the people’s war and to undertake certain tactical offensives" against the government in case of a crackdown on protest actions.

"More repressive acts by (Mr.) Estrada to keep himself in power will not only incite the people to wage larger and more intense mass actions, but will also justify the people’s army to undertake punitive actions."

Liwanag said "the country’s political and economic crisis will worsen" if Mr. Estrada is acquitted by the Senate impeachment tribunal, and urged the public to prevent any "slackening" of anti-Estrada mass actions.

"There is a general consensus in the broad united front that (Mr.) Estrada can and should be removed from power through nationwide mass actions that will result in the encirclement of the Presidential Palace until (Mr.) Estrada resigns," he said.

Liwanag said the "broad united front" is comprised of left middle and right forces, which include Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan) and its affiliate groups – the Estrada Resign Movement, the Catholic Church, the united opposition led by Vice President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, the Council on Philippine Affairs (COPA) of former Tarlac Rep. Jose "Peping" Cojuangco, the Philippine Consultative Assembly (PCA) of former President Fidel Ramos, the Kangkong Brigade, and Kongreso ng Mamamayang Pilipino-II (KOMPIL-II) of the Jesuits.

Liwanag said NPA cadres will not be deployed to join mass actions in cities because the proper role of the guerrillas is to intensify armed tactical offensives in the countryside.

At Camp Crame, Senior Superintendent Nicanor Bartolome, Philippine National Police (PNP) spokesman, told radio station dzBB yesterday all police units have been placed on alert, but that they have not received any report of NPA attacks.

"We have warned our people in the field not to be complacent and ensure all security measures are in place to prevent any atrocities by the NPA," he said.

In a radio interview, Defense Secretary Orlando Mercado said the military is prepared to stop any NPA offensive against military and police detachments.

"We don’t overreact but we’re not downplaying their (NPA) threats," he said. "The government is exhausting all means to secure our country."

Mercado said military and police detachments in far-flung places are the targets of communist rebels who attack with a much larger number of guerrillas.

"Despite our cessation of offensive military operation, they continue to launch attacks to celebrate their anniversary," he said.

Chief Superintendent Edgar Galvante, PNP chief for operations, told reporters yesterday police regional commands nationwide have been ordered to thwart any NPA plan to attack government installations. – Perseus Echeminada, Benjie Villa, Jaime Laude, Paolo Romero, James Mananghaya