By CPP Information Bureau
The Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) today slammed Benigno Aquino “for setting the stage for an Arroyo pardon on the cheap.”
While asserting that “it is too early” to discuss the pardon of Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, Aquino pointed out that she should, first of all, “express remorse”. This most recent statement by Aquino is an apparent downgear-shift to slow down the factional strife among the rival camps of the ruling classes.
“First of all, it is not for Aquino to decide whether to pardon Arroyo or not,” said the CPP. “It is the Filipino people who suffered the worst from the economic, political and war crimes of Arroyo. And considering the high crimes of plunder and bribery, stealing the 2004 elections and commission of widespread abuses of human rights and other crimes against humanity, pardon for Arroyo is the farthest thing from the Filipino people’s minds.”
“Will Aquino simply require from Arroyo another ‘I am sorry’ stunt as she did in 2005?” said the CPP. “Granting Arroyo pardon will be one of the biggest mistakes that he could commit.”
“Aquino is creating such a big fuss about going against Arroyo and having filed a case of electoral sabotage for having influenced electoral officials over the results of the 2007 senatorial elections,” said the CPP. “Yet, it has failed to file charges on the biggest crimes of corruption, bribe taking and gross violations of human rights committed by the armed forces under Arroyo’s rule.”
“At the moment, all the anti-Arroyo political commotion being whipped up by Aquino appears to be only a big public relations show to prop up his popularity amidst the ground-swelling social discontent over his regime’s failure to address the outstanding socio-economic problems of the broad masses of the people.”