Joker slams gov’t for ‘fascistic tendencies’

Maverick Sen. Joker Arroyo called on the government not to resort to its "fascistic tendencies" of breaking up mass actions and threatening to arrest militant members of Congress.

Arroyo said the recent efforts of the administration to quell political dissent "betray the administration’s insecurity, if not its fascistic tendencies."

The senator criticized the administration for targeting demonstrators for arrest, citing the most recent dispersal of a women’s group holding a rally in commemoration of National Women’s Day.

"The administration, as a matter of policy, would do well not to squander the valuable time, resources and goodwill of the PNP (Philippine National Police) by involving itself in the senseless dispersal and breaking up of rallies and demonstrations," Arroyo said.

The senator stressed that various groups have the constitutional right to peaceable assembly to redress their grievances.

Arroyo, who is not related to the President, said the issue should not be focused on the absence of rally permits since many groups that had applied for permission to gather were simply denied by local government units, particularly those supportive of President Arroyo.

As long as the rallyists do not obstruct traffic and inconvenience to the public, Arroyo said the police should not interfere or break up these demonstrations.

"But the mindset of the police is that the rallyists are out to foment trouble and thus the need to preemptively break them up. That is very dangerous because that encourages fascistic tendencies which must be curbed," Arroyo said.

In the case of the "Batasan Five," or the five party-list representatives who face arrest for allegedly plotting to overthrow President Arroyo, the senator said that it would be a waste of time for authorities to drum up cases against them to justify the arrests.

"The government is hard-put, for the past 10 days, trying to make a case against them that would, on its face at least, sound credible," Arroyo said.

"But it is an impossible job of trying to scrounge for a charge that is punishable by imprisonment of over six years so that they will not be covered by congressional immunity from arrest," the senator added.

Representatives Satur Ocampo, Teddy Casiño, and Joel Virador of Bayan Muna, Rafael Mariano of Anakpawis and Liza Maza of Gabriela have remained in the "protective custody" of Speaker Jose de Venecia for nearly two weeks after being informed of their impending arrest.

Arroyo was also dismayed by the administration’s insistence on pursuing a case against Anakpawis Rep. Crispin Beltran on the basis of an old charge.

He pointed out the law that Beltran has been charged with violating has already been repealed.

Beltran was already pardoned by former President Corazon Aquino and was given amnesty by former President Fidel Ramos, he noted.

"What this tells us is that this administration acts as if there was no Constitution, violating one provision after another and daring any dissenter to go to court and challenge it," Arroyo said.

"All these senseless dispersals of otherwise peaceful rallies and illegal arrests betray the administration’s insecurity, if not fascistic tendencies. Or is the administration flexing its muscle and testing the waters of a dangerous cesspool?" the maverick senator added.