PESANTE NEWS
Los Angeles

Pesante-USA
Los Angeles
Contact; Melvin Barcenas
Phone: (213)241-0906
December 17,2009

Time’s homage to ‘Saint of Democracy’ is an Insult to Filipinos

Los Angeles— “ it is not only disgusting, it was also very insulting”

The Philippine Peasant Support Network (Pesante)-USA decried today the TIME magazine homage to the late former President Corazon Aquino .

The US bourgeois magazine said: “Long before the fall of the Berlin Wall and the revolutions that transformed Central and Eastern Europe, Corazon Aquino led the People Power revolution, which toppled the Philippine dictator Ferdinand Marcos,” US Sen. Richard Lugar wrote in a comment published by Time.

“Her presidency survived eight coup attempts as she patiently restored constitutional democracy to her country, where she died a revered figure. But her legacy was global,” Lugar said.

“For the US, it marked the start of the Reagan doctrine to oppose authoritarianism of the right and left, and she helped inspire peaceful upheavals around the world. She showed that one person of modest demeanor can change history.”

Not a Symbol against tyranny

For Pesante-USA based in the United States ,Melvin Barcenas, PESANTE spokesperson said :
” TIME is wrong and erred in saying that Aquino is one of Asia’s heroes, praising her “quiet courage” and describing her as “the symbol of People Power and an inspiration to others around the world struggling against tyranny.”

How can she be a hero and be against tyranny when during her term human rights violations spiked as seen in the Mendiola, Lupao, Dumalneg. Paco massacres to mention a few. When under her term Ramos and Ermita implemented OPLAN JERICHO that killed hundreds of activists?

In Central Luzon and Cagayan Valley . hundreds of activist were “salvaged” by the AFP death squads. All in the name of democracy!

When she implemented OPLAN LAMBAT BITAG and waged war against the communists during her term and paved the way for general Fidel Ramos. To be the next president? When she did not implement land reform and kept her Hacienda Luisita? When like GMA, she shut out the opposition during the 1987 elections?

Grant that she tried to be a voice of the opposition against FVR and GMA while she was a retired president, her sins against the people and being a US puppet who even marched for the US bases while she was a president is very despicable.

The TIME article is another media hype for presidential candidate Noynoy Aquino of the Liberal party who is riding on the skirts of the former president faded popularity. “ The Pesante statement concluded.

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Just after the death of Cory Aquino, when the Filipino people showed their massive support, the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) and CPP-led organizations paid homage to the late president.

They did a complete about-turn, recanting their previous position that Cory Aquino was a representative of the reactionary classes. Now that their "open legal" front and several partylists are supporting Manny Villar, the rival of Noynoy Aquino, they are changing their tune again.

Aside from Satur Ocampo of Bayan Muna and Liza Maza of Gabriela, Manny Villar is supporting Ferdinand Marcos, Jr - the son of the late dictator and Miriam Defensor Santiago as senators.



NDF: Cory an ‘Outstanding and Inspiring Figure’

2 August 2009

NDFP MESSAGE OF CONDOLENCE
ON THE DEATH OF FORMER PRESIDENT CORAZON AQUINO

The National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) Negotiating Panel and its Consultants convey their heartfelt condolences to the family, relatives and friends of former President Corazon Aquino on her passing away yesterday.

Corazon Aquino was an outstanding and inspiring figure in the anti-fascist alliance against the Marcos dictatorship, especially after the assassination of her husband, Benigno Aquino. She was openly critical of the longrunning support of the US for the Marcos dictatorship in exchange for the aggrandizement of US economic interests and the continuance of the US military bases.

Upon assuming the presidency after the fall of the dictator Marcos, she fulfilled her commitment to release all political prisoners, including Prof. Jose Maria Sison, founding chairman of the Communist Party of the Philippines and the Chief Political Consultant of the NDFP.

She engaged the NDFP in peace negotiations, but the military and police caused the termination of the ceasefire agreement between the Government of the Republic of the Philippines (GRP) and the NDFP when they indiscriminately fired on the peasants and their urban supporters marching for land reform on January 22, 1987.

The 1987 constitution, which was framed under the Aquino administration, contains provisions which may be used to counter land reform. But it also carries provisions which uphold human rights and restrain the proclamation of martial law, retain national restrictions on foreign investments and prohibit foreign military bases, foreign troops and nuclear weapons on Philippine soil.

Beset by coup attempts and threats by pro-Marcos and pro-Enrile factions of the military and police, then President Corazon Aquino sent Congressman Jose V. Yap to NDFP officials in The Netherlands in September 1990 to explore the holding of GRP-NDFP peace negotiations. These efforts were, however, derailed by Generals Fidel Ramos and Renato de Villa.

After she finished her term as president, Corazon Aquino strongly opposed the grossly anti-democratic policies and actions of her successors, Fidel Ramos, Joseph Estrada, and Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. In this regard, she was willing to join up with the patriotic and progressive forces of the people in mass protest actions.

Though suffering from failing health, she condemned the anti-democratic machinations of Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to cling to power beyond her term ending in June 2010. From her sickbed, she sent a powerful message of support to thousands of demonstrators protesting Mrs. Arroyo’s Con-Ass scheme. She called it “a shameful abuse of power!”.

The NDFP Negotiating Panel and its Consultants express their solidarity with the family, relatives and friends of former President Corazon Aquino in their time of mourning and grief and wish them much strength and courage.

(Sgd.) Luis G. Jalandoni
Chairperson, NDFP Negotiating Panel

(Sgd.)Fidel V. Agcaoili
Vice-Chairperson, NDFP Negotisting Panel

(Sgd.) Ms. Julieta de Lima – Sison
Member, NDFP Negotiating Panel

(Sgd.) Coni K. Ledesma
Member, NDFP Negotiating Panel

(Sgd.) Asterio B. Palima
Member, NDFP Negotiating Panel

(Sgd.) Prof. Jose Maria Sison
Chief Political Consultant

(Sgd.) Atty. Romeo T. Capulong
Senior Legal Adviser

(Sgd.) Vicente Ladlad
Political Consultant

(Sgd.) Dan Borjal
Consultant

(Sgd.) Randall Echanis


Messages of condolence
on the death of former President Corazon Aquino

http://www.arkibongbayan.org/2009/2009-08-Aug03-coryaquino/coryquinosept6-2005.htm

This statement by Pesante-USA is not only disgusting, it is also very insulting. Instead of being proud of our achievements, Pesante-USA always look at the negative and broadcast them around the world. Nakakahiya kayo.