Walden Bello, Akbayan using extra-judicial killings to boost election aspirations

The Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU) condemns the exploitation of the ongoing bloodbath in the Philippines by Walden Bello and Akbayan in order to win seats in the upcoming elections.

"This is the height of treason to the victims of extra-judicial killings. We are talking about lives of people, members and leaders of progressive party list like Bayan Muna, Anakpawis, Gabriela Women Party along with leaders and members of peoples organizations like Bayan, KMU, KMP, Karapatan, Pamalakaya and unorganized civilians who were brutally murdered by government-backed death squads. To use them for self-serving purposes is worse than traditional politics," stated Joel Maglunsod, secretary-general of KMU.

KMU learned that Walden Bello is doing a speaking tour abroad to gather money and support for his campaign this coming May elections and using the issue of extra-judicial killings as his political platform.

"Walden Bello and Akbayan are two-faced opportunists. Inside the Philippines they demonize the progressive party-list as legal fronts of the CPP-NPA-NDF, making them open for attacks, while outside the country they pretend to promote human rights and speak against the political killings to gather financial and political support," opined Maglunsod.

According to Maglunsod, in a statement released by the Focus on the Global South last January 21, 2005 , which Bello acts as their Executive Director, they state that organizations like the Ibon Foundation, Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP), Cordillera People's Alliance (CPA), International League of People's Struggles (ILPS), KMU (May 1st Movement), Asian Student Association (ASA), and Migrante are "…groups that are associated or working closely with the CPP…"

"How different is this with Gen. Jovito Palparan's statement that 'It is my belief that the members of the party lists in Congress are providing the day-to-day policies of the rebel movement" or 'NGOs infiltrated or directed by the Communist Party provide materials and shelter for the NPA.' These are the justifications Gen. Palparan, National Security Chief Sec. Norberto Gonzalez and Gloria Arroyo are mouthing to defend their policy against the progressive and militants," said Maglunsod.

"During the 2004 National Elections, Akbayan's Chairperson Emeritus Etta Rosales forwarded her belief that the NPA committed electoral fraud by 'harassing Akbayan's supporters while pressuring local officials to vote for Bayan Muna.' . This same sentiments are echoed by Akbayan Chairperson Joel Rocamora in his article titled Bayan Muna and the NPA where he insinuates, just like the rest of the AFP brass, that Bayan Muna is '…a legal, open party that is supported by an army, by the New People's Army…' He goes on to accuse Rep. Satur Ocampo that '…(Ocampo) can deny an organizational connection, but there is more than enough evidence of NPA support for the Bayan Muna' and continues his attack by writing '[O]n the contrary, the success of Bayan Muna in 2001 actually helped to advance armed struggle' ," said
Maglunsod.

"After all they said and did, Walden Bello even had the guts to say 'I have accepted the nomination of Akbayan!, the Citizens Action Party, because I want to have a platform to denounce and struggle against the policy of assassination that the Philippine military has adopted towards activists and journalists.' It disgusts and sickens us to hear such flowery words from a political charlatan who after demonizing the progressive party lists and peoples organizations, whom many of the victims of political killings belong to, are now out and taking advantage of the support of the rest of the world to the
victims and their families," ended Maglunsod.

As to date almost 800 activists and journalists have become victims of extra-judicial killings since Gloria-Macapagal Arroyo took office in 2001, with 75 of the victims being unionist and labor activists.

Original qoutes can be tracked in the ff. articles -

1. http://www.zmag.org/content/showarticle.cfm?ItemID=7072

2. http://news.inq7.net/common/print.php?index=2&story_id=65348&site_id=25&col=77

3. http://beta.inq7.net/sunday/index.php?index=2&story_id=25193&col=85

4. http://www.philsol.nl/A04a/Rocamora-BayanMuna-apr04.htm