The militant Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP) lambasted the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the Philippine National Police (PNP) for pushing for the curtailment of press freedom and in having a puppet media. According to Ka Willy Marbella, spokesperson of KMP, “this move of the AFP and the PNP, is nothing short of being the harbinger of martial rule and is part of an operational plan already in effect,”

“As can be seen from the spates of human rights violations in the country the military has a lot to hide from the public. In Central Luzon alone 12 people have been summarily executed by the Northern Luzon Command (NOLCOM), in just 2 months, the latest of which is Tarlac City Councilor Abel Ladera. Also in two months 5 people  in Central Luzon have been abducted by believed operatives of the NOLCOM, the most recent of which is Danny Macapagal, BAYAN Nueva Ecija’s, former secretary general. In Southern Tagalog, particularly in Quezon, 4 Gabriela leaders were illegally detained by the military, a Mangyan couple was decapitated by the 204th Brigade in Mamburao, Occidental Mindoro, hundreds of farmers have been displeced in Batangas due to the intensified military operations. In Sulu thousands of individauls have been forced to evacuate due to massive military operations. These are the events and wrong doings that the police and the military as well as the regime wants to hide,” added the peasant leader.

“They are suppressing and killing the populace and they want to bury it. They want to hide it, so that they can deny that it ever happened. They are trampling on the people’s rights and lives, but they do not want it to be publicized, so now they are clamping on media,” expounded Marbella.

As for his part Carl Anthony Ala,public information officer of KMP, “also with the briefing paper that we have obtained of the NOLCOM, the military is targetting the leaders of progressive people’s organizations as well as party-list groups. They also plan to intensify this by pushing for the anti-terrorism bill to be enacted. Besides if what Lt. Gen. Edilberto Adan,  Senior Superintendent Leopoldo Bataoil and Major Gen. Jovito Palparan’s prounouncemens should be followed then the media cannot interview them or their ilk anymore,” # # #
 

KMP - 6 March 2005