News reports yesterday showed violent dispersal in Plaza Miranda.

Police from the Western Police District shoot water canons and draw battons at the protesters campaigning for the pullout of Filipino troops from Iraqi soil, for the sake of Angelo Dela Cruz. It is a saddening thought that such rhetorics would again be responded with state violence since from the newly elected Macapagal-Arroyo Administration that had previously dispersed protesters that questions the legitimacy of her election to president.

A number of the rallyist are presently detained for being so-called "threats" to national security, while a host of others including a woman are undergoing treatment for injuries that were inflicted when police and para-military forces seiged the protest yesterday.

It could be said that the course of action taken by the police yesterday reflects the real stance of the government regarding its policy on supporting the United States and its imperialist interests, and it is also sickening to think that then again it has been evident that the state is using goons to attack/disperse those who do not share its sentiments in policy making, just like the same method once used by the same regime on street clearing operations of the Metro Manila Development Authority, footages of the dispersing units showed armed civilians holding batons and stricking it on the unarmed rallyists.



But it could also be said that such action of the state is what led to its sudden change of heart with regards to the pullout of our troops from Iraq, and that this could be said that the value of the parliament of the streets has again showed its worth at affecting the weak reactionary state. At the cost of the militants' harrasment a change of policy was acheived and not to mention the progressive forces involved in the campaign has also won the hearts of the Dela Cruz family who also lambasted the police's violent response to the protesters' solidarity to their plight after the government has failed to its earlier promise to resolve the crisis last July 11.

As of this morning the Philippine Government has finally decided to finally pullout the Philippine Contingent out of Iraqi soils, according to new reports that were given by CNN and Al-Jazerra. While it is also said that the militants will be releasing Dela Cruz any time soon by the Islamic militants.

We may look at this as a victory for militant assertion then again to contribute for pro-people mandates within the framework of a reactionary bourgiose regime.

But the fight against the injustices of US imperialism still continues and that it is also worth keeping in mind that there are other foreign nationals that are still held by the Iraqis and just yesterday 2 Bulgarians have been beheaded. Let us share this victory of uncompromising assertion for a just cause be shared to inspire others to give out their voice of opposition against imperialism. So that terrorism would no longer be the only visible means of airing out greivances among the oppressed.

posted by m35b @ Wednesday, July 14, 2004

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