BY REINIR PADUA
THE National Democratic Front of the
Philippines yesterday condemned the "interventionist" statement
of US Pacific Forces commander Adm. Timothy Keating Wednesday
that the US military will help the Armed Forces crush the
communist New People’s Army if requested by the Arroyo
government.
Malacañang was silent on the offer but AFP
information chief Lt. Col. Bartolome Bacarro said the military
can "strategically" defeat the NPA in the next three years even
without the assistance of the US military.
Fidel Agcaoili, chair of NDFP Human Rights
Committee, said Keating’s "arrogant" statement is part of the
(US President George W.) Bush war of terror and scheme to
escalate further what he called ongoing US military intervention
in the Philippines and the consequent gross and systematic
violations of human rights in the country.
Agcaoili said the war on terror being pushed
by Bush and President Arroyo "has given its death squads the
license to kill progressive legal activists and unarmed
civilians."
Jose Ma. Sison, founder of the Communist
Party of the Philippines, said the statement of Keating "appears
to be coordinated with" the plan of the government to use the
Human Security Act or the anti-terror law to "intimidate the
NDFP, further escalate human rights violations and pressure the
NDFP towards capitulation in the guise of a cease-fire
agreement."
The anti-terror law takes effect July 15.
Bacarro dismissed insinuations that the
military may fail in its campaign against the NPA because it is
has yet to defeat the Abu Sayyaf group which is composed of
around 300 to 400 men and operating mainly in Western Mindanao.
"We should take into consideration the big
difference between the two (groups)," he said.
Press Secretary Ignacio Bunye, in a
statement, made no mention if the US offer was discussed or even
raised during Keating’s courtesy call on President Arroyo
yesterday.
He said the President thanked the US for its
assistance in the relief and rescue operations in typhoon-hit
areas in the past years.
Keating was accompanied by Ambassador Kristie Kenney. –
With Victor Reyes and Jocelyn Montemayor
