The Bagong Alyansang Makabayan condemns the arrest and continuing detention of peasant organizer Randall Echanis, deputy secretary general of the Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas. After spending the night at the Bago City Jail in Negros Occidental, Echanis was taken by helicopter to Hilonggos, Leyte where he is set to face trumped up charges of multiple murder. Echanis, like his co-accused Rep. Satur Ocampo, was incarcerated at the time the alleged murders happened in Leyte. Echanis was also similarly accused of the crime of rebellion along with 50 others. The Supreme Court has since junked the rebellion raps.In relation to the Leyte case, Rep. Ocampo has since been out on bail, as decided by the Supreme Court.
The Arroyo regime has not stopped attacking and harassing the legal mass movement in the name of fighting the insurgency. When Gen. Hermogenes Esperon says that the AFP will wage war on the New People’s Army, he also means that legal Left groups are fair game for the military. Under this regime, hundreds of activists have either been murdered or abducted by state security forces.
We demand the immediate release of Randall Echanis. We demand that his rights be respected by his custodians. We fear for his safety especially since the regime is notorious for the violation of the rights of the detained.
We urge all peace-loving Filipinos to condemn these renewed attacks on people’s organizations.
We vow to fight all attacks on civil liberties as we enjoin all sectors facing repression to stand together and resist.
