Military task to sniff food riots a veiled witch hunt, say CPP

MANILA, Philippines — The Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) accused Malacañang on Wednesday of stepping up its "witch hunt" against its critics by tasking the Intelligence Service of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (ISAFP) to "monitor" the food and energy situation. In a statement on its website (www.philippinerevolution.net), the CPP said the order came at a time when mass protests sparked by oil price hikes were already spreading in the streets. Executive Order No. 731 that President Arroyo issued on June 7 created the Energy Contingency Task Force (ECTF) with the ISAFP tasked to monitor the food and energy situation. Interestingly, the creation of the task force was made public only last July 11 at a time when mass protests started erupting in the campuses and in the premises of oil companies in Metro Manila., said the statement. "Arroyo's order for intensified witch hunting and repression reveals her militarist and fascist bent as she soaks in paranoia at the mounting protests amid the deepening socio-economic crisis that she herself has been exacerbating," it said. "Arroyo has become increasingly afraid of the growing unrest among the people and even more desperate now in clinging on to power. She is now gearing her intelligence, security and military forces to surveil, witch hunt and intimidate all opposition - whoever and wherever they are - and, if push comes to shove, to apply open or clandestine coercive action against them," the CPP said. The CPP said that with EO 731, Arroyo's intelligence, security and military forces will heighten surveillance, intimidation and repression in schools, factories, offices and communities. Such operations will cover not just food and oil price increases but also tuition fee hikes, depressed wages and worsening poverty, and the resulting clamor for Arroyo's ouster. "Even critical members of the business community, church leaders, legislators, media professionals and independent-minded officials of the court and such agencies as the Commission on Human Rights are also being watched," it said. "This latest order by Arroyo supplements the earlier deployment of Philippine Army soldiers in urban poor communities, especially where the anti-Arroyo protest movement is strong," said it added. - GMANews.TV