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On the Davao bombing

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The Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) condemns the bombing last Friday evening at the Davao City night market resulting in the death of at least 14 innocent civilians. There is no acceptable justification for carrying out such an attack against civilians.

The bombing is being blamed on the Abu Sayyaf criminal bandit group and apparently aims to divert the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP). The AFP, which has been waging an all-out offensive against the group for several weeks now, plans to deploy up to 9,000 troops against the 250-strong group in Sulu. The Abu Sayyaf, established by US-organized “jihadists”, is notorious for carrying out kidnap-for-ransom activities and has recently drawn attention by beheading several of its hostages.

The CPP deplores the flawed declaration of a “state of lawless violence” which the AFP has taken advantage to effect and justify the massive deployment of military troops in civilian areas across the country.

Such troop deployment is based on the fallacy that the AFP- and US linked operations of a criminal group like the Abu Sayyaf can be preempted or prevented by putting restrictions on civil liberties. This extends to the mistaken assertion that all-out police armed offensives can put an end to drug menace which is mainly rooted on socio-economic conditions. Previous experiences, such as the declaration of state of lawless violence by the Arroyo regime after the 2003 bombings in Davao, has led not only to grave abuses of military at police authority, but also to heightened US intervention in Philippine internal affairs in the guise of “anti-terrorism.”

Giving the AFP the opportunity to flex its muscles will give its US masters extended influence and power in the Philippines. The AFP has long been the main pillar of US dominance in the country. The US has always sought to tighten its control over the AFP, finance the sale of more second-hand weapons in the name of “modernization”, establish more military bases in the country and strengthen its military foothold in the Asia-Pacific region.

[Photo by Manman Dejeto/Rappler]

CPP condemns US-instigated bombing in Davao

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The Southern Mindanao Regional Party Committee of the Communist Party of the Philippines condemns the US-imperialist instigated bombing of the night market in Roxas Avenue, Davao City at 9 pm, September 2, which claimed the lives of 15 civilians and critically injured 67 others. The CPP in Southern Mindanao and the revolutionary forces, likewise, commiserate with the families of the victims of this worst attack which hit the country since the Davao bombings of 2003. We enjoin the revolutionary forces and allies to extend all forms of support to the families of the victims.

The bombing was carried out and masterminded by no other than the world’s greatest terrorist: the US imperialist hegemony which is threatened by the Duterte government’s positive gestures toward the country’s anti-imperialist revolutionary forces and Duterte’s consistent pronouncements against US intervention in Philippine affairs.

The heinous attack in downtown Davao City, home to GPH Pres. Rodrigo Duterte, was clearly the handiwork of peace saboteurs, ultra-rightists AFP cliques, and big druglords—all anti-Duterte forces that conspire with US imperialism to subvert the Duterte government.

The September 2 bombing is wrought by the bloody hands of the US war machinery’s black operations. It is hardly coincidental that initial investigations have found similarities on the explosion device used on Friday’s bombing to the explosives found in the wreck of CIA agent Michael Mering’s hotel room in Davao City and the ones used in the Davao International Airport and the Sasa Wharf bombings in March and April 2003 respectively. So to is the fact that the bombing occurred in the hometown of the present GPH President, a city that has historically spurned US incursions for military basing or combat exercises.

GPH Pres. Duterte, then city mayor, has been witness to how the US terrorist network and its puppet fascist reactionary wreaked havoc in Davao City more than a decade ago. Disgruntled junior officers of the AFP divulged that the US-Arroyo regime masterminded the bombings that killed 38 and wounded 180 people.

A CIA-backed terrorist group was quick to admit its responsibility in last night’s bombing, a scripted rejoinder to sow further enmity against majority of Muslims who want just peace. US imperialism has always employed terror tactics to stir anti-Muslim sentiments and prelude its greater military intervention in countries that challenge its dominance and exploitation.

Clearly, US imperialism and its rightist and militarist cliques in the country are not happy with how the Duterte government is shaping its pro-peace governance as shown in the great strides in the peace negotiations between the GRP and the National Democratic Front, and as demonstrated by Duterte’s peace overtures with the MNLF and MILF.

The CPP in Southern Mindanao supports the resounding call of the Filipino people for a just and lasting peace. It is prepared to command the Red fighters and enjoin all revolutionary forces to defend civilians against attacks from US war hawks, peace saboteurs, rabid rightist cliques of the AFP and PNP, and other fascist enemies of the people.

(Sgd.) Siegfried M. Red
For the Southern Mindanao Regional Party Committee
Communist Party of the Philippines

[Photo by Manman Dejeto/Rappler]