Partylist rep slams PGMA for cracking down on militant partylist groups
Anakpawis Rep. Rafael Mariano accused the administration of cracking down on militant party-list lawmakers to derail their reelection bid and prevent the filing of another impeachment complaint against President Macapagal-Arroyo.
Mariano said the arrest warrant issued against Bayan Muna Rep. Satur Ocampo for alleged involvement an internal purge within the rebel movement is part of "a grand design" to persecute and jail the party-list congressmen during the election period.
"The (administration's) agenda is to jail us and remove the voices of the 2.5 million who voted for us," said Mariano in an interview.
Ocampo along with Utrecht-based communist leaders Jose Maria Sison and Luis Jalandoni are among the 53 persons ordered arrested by the Leyte regional trial court for multiple murder related to the alleged killing of rebels suspected as military spies
Ocampo has denied the charges pointing out that he was in detention when the alleged crime supposedly happened.
Mariano said the charges and arrests warrant are being implemented along with deployment of soldiers in urban poor communities in Manila who are campaigning against the militant party-list groups.
"They are killing us, arresting us and terrorizing our members and supporters just to stop us from winning again," said Mariano.
He said the administration also wants to silence Ocampo because of his role in bringing the cases of political killings and human rights violations in the country to international attention.
Ocampo filed a complaint before the Inter-Parliamentary Union against the continued detention of Anakpawis Rep. Crispin Beltran and the lodging of the rebellion cases against the party-list lawmakers. The IPU subsequently passed resolutions demanding the release of Beltran and the transfer of custody to the House of Representatives.
A similar complaint was also filed by Ocampo before the United Nations Human Rights Commission, according to Mariano.
But Mariano said the cases and arrest warrant issued against them would backfire against the administration.
"These continued acts of repression have won us sympathy support and will be turned into votes from our allies, friends and the public because of the brazen attempts to silence administration critics," said Mariano.
Despite the threats of arrest, Mariano said the campaign of their chapters in all regions and provinces are going "full-swing."
"They can affect us but they cannot limit and stop us," said Mariano.
The party-list groups have also launched trainings on poll watching in anticipation of possible electoral fraud especially from the administration.
"If they cannot stop us during the campaign period, we expect them to cheat again because the President's political survival is at stake," said Mariano.