Robert Reid | Chairperson FFPS
Friends of the Filipino People in Struggle (FFPS) calls for the immediate and unconditional release of National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) peace consultant Porferio Tuna, who has been wrongfully arrested by the Government of the Republic of the Philippines (GRP) on bogus charges.
Tuna’s arrest and detention clearly aim to punish him for having served as peace consultant of the NDFP and are part of a pattern of attacks against NDFP peace consultants. Since the termination of peace talks under Duterte in 2017 until July 2024, the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) have unjustly detained 17, forcibly disappeared four, and murdered 20 peace consultants.
Despite Marcos Jr.’s desperate attempts to present a friendlier face in front of the international community than his dictator father, Marcos Sr., and openly fascist predecessor, Rodrigo Duterte, in truth, he serves only the interests of the Philippine ruling classes and foreign imperialists, using the same brutal methods to suppress the Filipino people’s dissent.
Under the US-Marcos regime there has been an increasing number of arrests, enforced disappearances and killings of activists and peace consultants. Human rights watchdog Karapatan has repeatedly raised concerns about the growing number of disappearances with nine victims under the current regime in a mere 10-month period. Five of the nine victims went missing in the month of April 2023.
The Philippine revolutionary movement has reported that Tuna currently faces psychological torture – a brutal intimidation tactic employed by the Marcos regime. The government systematically uses these methods in an attempt to coerce advocates for people’s rights into turning against the people and to intimidate those who are dissatisfied with Marcos’ rule.
The co-optation of the entire state apparatus to launch brutal attacks against all dissent, combined with psychological warfare tactics, are modeled after the US ‘counterinsurgency ‘ strategy. These methods, developed and implemented under the guidance of U.S. military assistance, are rooted in a long history of counterrevolutionary tactics that blend military repression with efforts to manipulate public opinion and undermine national liberation movements. The U.S. has consistently provided military aid, training, and intelligence support to the Government of the Republic of the Philippines (GRP), enabling and reinforcing the systematic targeting of political activists and revolutionaries.
Given the relentless state terrorism, it is even more necessary for us as friends and allies of the Filipino people to urgently ramp up international support.
We call upon all advocates for justice and human rights to stand in solidarity with Porferio Tuna. Demand his release and raise awareness on the ongoing war crimes perpetrated by the GRP.
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Friends of the Filipino Peoples (FFPS) / Friends of the National Democratic Front is a global organization that supports the Filipino peoples struggle for genuine national liberation as outlined in the 12 point program of the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP). For more information, visit ffps.info.