Militants remember Martial Law with protest rallies

By Erly C. Garcia

Militant groups will again troop the streets today September 21 to commemorate the 33 rd anniversary of the declaration of Martial Law by the late Pres. Ferdinand Marcos.

However, the protest action would focus on the current political issues besetting the country such as the call for the trashing of the newly enacted Expanded Value Added Tax Law and the ouster of Pres. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.

Sanlakas and its allied organizations Partido ng Manggagawa, Bukluran ng Manggagawang Pilipino, Alab Katipunan, Akbayan and the newly formed Laban ng Masa will gather at the Capitol grounds around 2 p.m. for a multi-sectoral rally.

Sanlakas secretary-general Raymund Moderes said around 5,000 contingents will join the protest action that will start with a march from two converging points—the Jaro Plaza and Infante side of the University of the Philippines in the Visayas—going to the Capitol grounds.

Moderes said the protest action will be highlighted by the signature campaign for the repeal of the EVAT law which is deemed as a bitter pill for the masses.

Rep. Renato Magtubo of PM on Monday filed a motion for reconsideration at the Supreme Court against the full implementation of the new tax law.

Multi-sectoral organizations under the Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan), on the other hand, will converge in front of St. Clement's Church in La Paz and the Gen. Luna side of the UPV at 1:30 p.m. before marching to Casa Plaza then to the Freedom Grandstand.

Bayan-Panay spokesperson Aurelio “Boy” Bosque said they will be joined by the Arroyo Resign Movement and Bayan Muna and multi-sectoral groups Pamanggas, Kilusang Mayo Uno, Piston, Anakbayan/LFS, Kaisog, Pamalakaya, Gabriela, Alliance of Public Sector Employees, Migrante and Ambon.

In the evening, the group will hold a play to honor Coronacion Chiva, known as ‘Waling-waling”, a steadfast nationalist and revolutionary who fought with the Hukbong Mapagpalaya ng Bayan and struggled against the Marcos dictatorship.

Bosque said the play would also tackle on the suppression of truth and justice as exemplified by the recent scrapping of the move to impeach President Arroyo.

Meanwhile, Samahan ng mga Exdetainees Laban sa Detensyon at para sa Amnestiya (Selda), Mothers and Relatives against Tyranny (Martyr) and Panay Alliance Karapatan will commemorate martial law by honoring the political detainees during the Marcos dictatorship in the morning of September 21.

A blessing and wreath laying for these “heroes and martyrs” will be held at the Monument for Heroes in Plaza Libertad, Iloilo City.

Selda listed around 250 persons who were detained for a considerable period during martial law.

Most of them have experienced torture in the hands of military, police and para-military.

Selda believes, however, that its list is incomplete, and many were detained, especially in remote places, who never came out to report because of fear of further repression from government forces.