PRESS STATEMENT
30 January 2015
Partido Manggagawa (PM) joins the nation in mourning the death of SAF 44. As breadwinners, husbands, and brothers to their families, their death is certainly a big loss, a pain that is hard and long to overcome.
And as soldiers who were trained how to survive under the most difficult situations, their undeserved deaths cry for justice. Who were the officers in charge? Who were the people accountable for the Mamasapano debacle? Was there a foreign hand behind that operation?
We continue to ask the same questions as we join the people in demanding justice and accountability from both the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF). Their separate investigations must be done in good faith and in soonest possible time. An independent fact finding body can also be organized to ensure fairness and objectivity in the conduct of investigations.
But in seeking justice, we express our strong disagreement to those who call for all-out war to exact retribution. War is not the solution. Justice, we believe, should not come as a consequence of another war. We don’t get justice by counting more dead as what we have seen over many decades of war in Mindanao. We don’t get the truth from hatred and established social and religious prejudices.
Lastly, despite this major setback, we remain supportive of the peace process between the government and the MILF. Working for peace, however tough and tricky it is, remains to be the most effective and viable alternative in addressing the historic and new issues that created the conditions of war in Mindanao.
1 comment:
I am concerned about the "patriotic" messaging of the so called Mindanao "mis-encounter". The national/international outcry could be the prelude to bigger encounters. It must be remember that the historic creation of SAF is rooted in the self-serving rule of the military establishment and the anti-insurgency ideology. SAF was clandestinely created that spawned and motivated many military adventures. The trial runs of many coup d'etas in the past led to the flexing of the power of the military and lured the masses to accept the military superiority over civilian rule. Many military leaders are in the position of power all cloaked in the civilian clothes. SAF is continously promoted as "Tagaligtas"? The question is: Who are they saving? The clear answer is the oppressive status quo or elite establishment not the masses of the people. They are used to protect the interests of the ruling class and foreign power. Proof: UN report on continuing human rights violations record of RP. The resource of the nation are lopsided invested in the military to suppress the rights of the people to resist anti-democratic practices of the people in the government and anti-union big local/ foreign corporations. The wealth of the nation must be redistributed to the masses of the people by creating local jobs by developing local industries; investing in the health and education of the people; organizing workers and peasants development centers to strengthen democracy and civilian rule.
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