“Anti-subversion revival an attack against Filipino patriotic spirit” – fisherfolk group
Manila, Philippines – “Multiple decades have passed but the long-censured McCarthyist thought continues to live on secretary Año to feed into his anti-communist hysteria. It has been globally recognized that subscription to a certain ideology is not tantamount to a criminal act, more so to a terrorism,” This was the reaction of the militant fisherfolk group Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas (PAMALAKAYA) on Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) secretary Eduardo Año on his proposal to restore the long-repealed anti-subversion law.
PAMALAKAYA was referring to McCarthyism, a baseless principle existed during 1940s to 1950s, that served as a political witch-hunt against suspected communist members and sympathizers in the United States.
In a statement, the fisherfolk group said anti-subversion law contravenes the basic principles of the constitution that recognize the people’s rights to freedom of speech, assembly, and to organize.
“Año’s dangerous proposal would heighten political repression and vilification campaign against legal and democratic organizations that advocate for genuine change and social reforms. It is a direct attack to the patriotic spirit among the Filipinos, as well as to the political opponents of the administration,” Fernando Hicap, PAMALAKAYA National Chairperson said in a statement.
“Criminalizing the dissent in the midst of this direct foreign aggression and occupation of our territory that a people’s resistance is of the essence? China will clearly benefit from this because broad movements that uphold national sovereignty and territorial rights against Chinese incursion will automatically be criminalized,” added Hicap.
PAMALAKAYA slated secretary Año as the usual “ultra-right, fascist military man” who wants to apply the “ridiculous anti-communist doctrine” that he acquired in the military to a civilian bureaucracy. ###
