Preventing a Nacro-Future
Matauhan Na Tayo!
A Statement From Samahan para sa Katotohanan at Kinabukasan
•About Us • Preventing a Narco State • Letters
THE DANGERS OF NARCO-POLITICS AND THE DOMINANT INFLUENCE OF ORGANIZED CRIME ON OUR INSTITUTIONS ARE THE MOST SERIOUS THREATS TO THE COUNTRY'S FUTURE.
We salute Col. Victor Corpus for his courage in bringing these threats to
national security and devlopment to the attention of our govenment and citizenry.
We believe in his integrity, his dedication to country, and his concern for
the welfare of our people.We likewise salute the witness who have come out
of the darkness of ciminal life into the light of truth and with the desire
to right the wrong they had taken part in. At the risk of their own and their
families' lives and future, they chose to return to the path of truth and
justice. We support them and stand solidly behind them in the quest for truth
and justice.
We are encouraged by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo's statement of confidence
in Col. Corpus and we support her stand to resist al pressures to relieve
the colonel from his position as ISAFP chief, a job he has discharged effectively
with only the comon good in mind.
We call on all government institutions and agencies to help ferret out the
truth in the case being raised against Sen. Panfilo Lacson on account of his
alleged involvement in drug-trafficing, kidnapping for ransom, summary executions,
smuggling and money-laundering. We call for a fair, impartial, and transparent
investigation and trial that will arrive at the truth and mete out justice
to the victims of these alleged crimes, as well as to Sen. Lacson.
We express our outrage and utter dismay at the conduct of some of the senators
in the hearing last Friday, 17 August. The inquisitorial and heavy-handed
tactics employed by some of the senators towards the invited witnesses were
truly abominable.
We condemn the legally questionable detention of Mr. Angelo 'Ador' Mawanay
and the humiliating and indecent treatment given him. While his allegations
need to be verified and substantiated by material evidence, he is NOT the
subject of investigation and does not deserve the harsh treatment he received.
Not getting the desired testimony does not give the Senate the righ to detain
a witness, unless of course the real intention is to inhibit, harass and intimidate
future witness.
Finally, we call on all citizens to vigilantly monitor the developments in
this raging issue. Without delay, Col. Corpus' serious allegations agains
Sen. Lacson must be investigated and brought to trial before the proper and
impartial body or forum.
We call on all, especially the media, to actively ensure that this ongoing controversy in not reduced to a battle of personalities - Corpus vs. Lacson, pro-Corpus vs. pro-Lacson. This controversy goes beyond Lacson or Corpus.The real issue is the serious threat posed by narco-politics and organized crime on our goverment institutions and our society as a whole. Let us then not cloud or trivialize this serious threat to the future or our people and country. For the sake of our youth, let us be selfless and faithful to the truth.
ANG KATOTOHANAN AT ANG KINABUKASAN ATING PANGALAGAAN AT IPAGLABAN
Member Groups/Networks:
KOMPIL II•ULRTF•AKO•BAUPO•AKKAPKA•CLC•CLCFI•AKBAYAN•E-JUST•VACC KONSENSIYANG
PILIPINO•SOCIAL DEMOKRATIC CAUCUS• EARTH SAVERS•KKK•PMDG•CNN-APC•CLAMOR
TNK•CONCERNED WOMEN OF THE PHILIPPINES•SAMAHAN NG MGA MARALITA, KABATAAN AT
SIMBAHAN KOMPIL YOUTH•PANDAYAN•MANINDIGAN•HARIBON FOUNDATION•PAKISAMA•KRISTONG
HARI FOUNDATION•ICHF-PINADAMA•PALM PILOTS•STOP TRAFFICKING OF FILIPINO
WOMEN•WAVE•CENTER FOR PEACE•PLM•INSTITUTE FOR THE URBAN POOR•ANG
KASAMA•GOMBURZA-LAYGO•JESUIT VOLUNTEERS•PHILIPPINES AWARE•THAMES
INTERNATIONAL•PAGBABAGO@PILIPINAS•ECONOMIST INTELLEGENCE UNIT
•AS OF 18 AUGUST 2001