The militant Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP) bared that Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has already been implementing her calibrated preemptive response even before Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita issued the order on September 21. 

According to Danilo “Ka Daning” Ramos, secretary general of KMP, “in fact since mid-August there has been increasing harassments by the police and the military on leaders and members of people’s organizations. Last August 19 and 21 Northern Luzon Command (NOLCOM) soldiers threw rocks at the picket line in Hacienda Luisita, two strikers sustained heads wounds because of this. On August 20, Pastor Raul Domingo of the UCCP was shot 5 times while alighting from a jeepney in San Jose, Palawan. He died last September 5, because of his injuries. Last September 19, soldiers of NOLCOM led by a certain Lt. Colonel Gerard Velez, strangled a baranggay councilor in Brgy. Mapalacsiao in Hacienda Luisita, he also manhandled and abused other strikers in the picket line,”

“After the declaration of this pre-emptive policy last September 21, goons of the Marcos-Araneta clan who are known to be striking a deal with Gloria, uprooted the crops of farmers under the Alyansa ng Magbubukid sa Bulacan-San Jose del Monte Chapter. Early last night Ding Fortuna, chairperson of striking Nestle Union as well as PAMANTIK-KMU-ST, was shot and killed by military agents in Laguna. All the victims of these harassments are members of militant organizations calling for Gloria’s ouster,” added the peasant leader.

Meanwhile Carl Anthony Ala, public information officer of KMP, “in practice the calibrated preemptive response of Gloria is not just for rallies and protests. It is being implemented in the areas known to be Anti-Gloria to break their will and destroy the organizations. It involves a wide spectrum of dirty tactics from simple harassment up to assassinations, this is the true meaning of calibrated that Malacanang is saying. While the preemptive part, means that, they will stop our groups in organizing rallies by harassing our members in the local level, so that they could not organize, let alone join the rallies. If we still do then, they will mark the notch of harassment higher until we stop opposing Gloria,”

“But we have news for Gloria and Ermita, even Martial Law did not stop the people from opposing tyranny and oppression. In fact by doing this Gloria is just further isolating herself,” ended Ala. # # # 
 

KMP - 23 September 2005