Army Leaves Decision To Court
The Philippine Army appeals to concerned groups to refrain from throwing
accusations against the organization regarding the arrest of the 43 New
People's Army members in Morong, Rizal. The organization also calls on
the families of the accused and their supporters to stop vilifying the
military through publicity since the arrest is legitimate by virtue of a
warrant of arrest.
Cases have already been filed in Court. The 43 accused has been formally
charged and criminal charges against them constitute sufficient legal
grounds for their continued detention.
The Philippine Army, in all its activities, always upholds the rule of
law and trusts the country's judicial system. It continues to follow the
legal processes and is confident that the truth will surface and that
justice would be served. Again, the organization maintains that the
arrest of the 43 NPA members is legal having been caught in the act of
possession of illegal firearms and explosives. It would be up to them to
prove their innocence in court.
The arrest of the Morong 43 has greatly crippled surviving fronts of the
CPP-NPA and showed the armed terrorist movement’s weakness by
voluntarily exposing themselves. The Army will not be cowed by black
propaganda of the NPA exerting all efforts to discredit the
organization. The CPP and the ideology it is propagating is not illegal.
However, the methodology that the NPA uses, employing violence to
espouse their agenda, is a criminal offense and definitely against the
law. They have lost their ideology for they have become plain bandits
and criminals, sabotaging vital economic facilities and extorting money
from the people.
The arrest of the 43 is a victory of democracy and the Filipino people.
Mandated to safeguard the freedom and independence of the Filipino
people, the Philippine Army's commitment to this sworn duty continues
and shall remain undaunted in its task to pursue a lasting peace and
sustainable progress for the Filipino people. #
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