MANILA (Mindanao Examiner / 10 Mar) – A militant party list group, Kilusang Mayo Uno, accused Philippine authorities of spying and said government agents were caught taking photographs of its office in Quezon City.
The group said one of its members was chased by soldiers Thursday in Taguig district.
Policemen and soldiers were hunting down Bayan Muna party list Rep. Satur Ocampo, who has been accused of killing scores of New People’s Army rebels suspected as government spies more than two decades ago.
Aside from Ocampo, authorities also filed murder charges against 59 others, including Jose Maria Sison, founder of the outlawed Communist Party of the Philippines, who is now living in exile in The Netherlands.
A court in Leyte province in central Philippines ordered Ocampo’s arrest this week, but the militant lawmaker has gone into hiding. He denied all accusations against him.
"After the release of the arrest order against Bayan Muna Rep. Satur Ocampo and 59 other individuals, we felt heightened surveillance on our national office located at Project 3, Quezon City. It's like the government 'open season' vs. progressives and government critics," Lito Ustarez, KMU's executive vice president.
"We will not be surprised if we discover that the KMU National office is under surveillance 24/7. Yesterday at around 11 a.m, a suspicious looking man boarding a white Tamaraw FX van parked right outside our office and took pictures of our office building facade and entrance.”
“We also noticed several strangers roaming outside our office and standing at nearby stores and passenger jeep terminals. We are not new to these kinds of harassment initiated by government agents. We are ready and alert all the time. In fact, we already outlined counter monitoring plans," he said.
Ustarez said other party list groups and peace missions allied with KMU were also harassed by soldiers around Manila and Quezon City."Even KADAMAY members and leaders in urban poor communities in Commonwealth and Payatas in Quezon City are being harassed by armed military under the guise of civil military operations.”
“In Dona Nicasia Subdivision in Commonwealth, KADAMAY members are being monitored. Active KADAMAY members are threatened by the military to stop joiningrallies organized by KMU and Anakpawis," he said.
Police and military authorities denied the allegations, but tagged the KMU and other groups, including Anakpawis and Bayan Muna, as fronts of CPP and the NPA.
Bayan Muna ranked No.1 in the latest Social Weather Station and Pulse Asia surveys along with other progressive party list groups.
“The results of the surveys only prove that the Filipino people remain critical in dealing with the country’s most crucial issues. Dirty campaign tricks no longer work within a society where people are gaining higher consciousness,” Bayan Muna Rep. Joel Virador said. (Mindanao Examiner)
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