Living in an Atmosphere of
Martial Law
Today as the country commemorates the 37th
anniversary of Martial Law, the Asian Federation Against Involuntary
Disappearances (AFAD)
pays honor to the hundreds of martyrs who fought against the
tyrannical and rapacious Marcos
regime and to the tens of thousands of victims of human rights
violations who still await reparation as a necessary element of justice.
We also cry in rage with the Filipino people in condemning the current
administration of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo not only for turning
her back to the promises of EDSA uprisings but also for making present
the same features of martial law that the Filipinos suffered during the
Marcos regime.
Reminiscent of the dark years of Martial
law, our nation is rocked by enveloping crisis. The corruption scandals
aggravate the effects of global economic recession.
Like the Marcos regime, the Arroyo administration has been marred with
graft and corruption cases. Not only once but many times that alleged
anomalies have pointed directly to the involvement of the First Family.
At a time of worsening poverty when
hunger
reached an all time high, the reports of the scandalous
dinners, worth no less than a million pesos for each dinner, that
President Arroyo and her entourage had in their recent United States
trip
only serve to enrage the people all the more.
During the Martial Law period from
1972-1986, human rights were completely disregarded as thousands of
people were arbitrarily arrested, tortured, made to disappear or summary
executed. The
signs of our times show the resurgence of
fascism as manifested by recent cases of extra-judicial killings and
disappearances.
Since 2001, more than 1,000 activists and journalists have fallen
victims of summary executions, over 200 people were forcibly disappeared
while thousands of innocent civilians are now being displaced because of
the government’s renewed military operations in the countryside.
There seems to be no let up in human
rights violations and no break in the chain of impunity while Arroyo is
in power.
A few months ago,
Melissa Roxas, the Fil-am activist and her two companions were allegedly
abducted and tortured by military in Tarlac. The Commission on Human
Rights is now conducting an investigation on her case despite the
efforts of the military to discredit it. Just recently,
a Roman
Catholic Parish Priest was gunned down by a group of masked armed men
riding motorcycles in broad daylight in San Jose, Northern Samar. Fr.
Cecilio Lucero was known for his human rights advocacy through his
efforts as director of Social Action Center of the Diocese of Catarman.
The pattern and circumstances of his brutal and treacherous murder
indicate that it the crime is indeed related to his human rights
advocacy and to his criticism against the human rights abuses of the
local military. These recent cases are the concrete signs of continuing
state repression and injustices that reign in the country.
Today as the horrors of Martial Law flit
back to our minds in kaleidoscopic vividness, as we work for justice to
the victims of injustice in the past, we call for a renewed vigilance in
resisting the current state of undeclared Martial Law
as more
people are being victimized by the pretentious democratic posture of the
administration of President Macapagal-Arroyo. Only through forging
a stronger unity and acting together as a
people in the struggle for truth and justice and against impunity that
we can voice our resounding cry, “NEVER AGAIN!”
Signed
by:
 |
 |
|
MUGIYANTO |
MARY AILEEN D. BACALSO |
| Chairperson |
Secretary-General |
