The Cordillera Peoples Alliance (CPA) condemns the recent assassination of Jose “Pepe” Manegdeg III, Coordinator the Rural Missionaries Program (RMP) for the Ilocos and Cordillera regions, and Albert Terredaño of the Cordillera Indigenous Law Center (Dinteg) which are but clear manifestations of the terrorism and political repression of the fascist Gloria Macapagal Arroyo regime against the militant mass movement.

The ruthless deaths of Manegdeg and Terredaño on November 28 and 29, respectively, in the provinces of Ilocos Sur and Abra, are not isolated cases to the spate of killings nationwide to members and allies of progressive organizations, with recent killings in the urban centers while countrysides remain gripped with terror with heavy military deployment. No one is spared, with the extent of killings now including churchworkers, such as Manegdeg; lawyers, and even human rights workers themselves, such as Terredaño. Also, Manegdeg’s death came 9 months only after the political assassination of Romeo C. Sanchez, Bayan Muna-Ilocos Coordinator and Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan) Secretary General-Ilocos, at the Baguio City market in broad daylight.

The deaths of Manegdeg and Terredaño, like the other victims in other regions, are but acts of cowardice of the GMA regime to quell the people’s mounting opposition and critique to her fascist and militarist administration and policies. Hell-bent on keeping the presidency, GMA has fashioned her regime’s terrorism into the government and even legalized these such as in the Anti-Terrorism Bill and the Calibrated, Preemptive Response. This proves nothing but her guilt and admission to the mounting political deaths in the country.

In the face of this looming terror of the GMA regime gripping the nation, we call on the Filipino people to be more vigilant and not to be back down on the state’s intimidation as we struggle to defend our democratic rights, civil liberties, including our collective rights as indigenous peoples. We can only rely on our own strength, unity, and concerted action to fight this regime which coddles murderers and kills those who uphold and protect our basic human rights.

Let us turn our grief into action as we continue to call for justice for the victims of state terrorism and their families, uphold our human rights and relentlessly expose the crimes of the GMA regime against the Filipino people.

Justice for Pepe Manegdeg and Albert Terredaño!
Justice to all victims of the militarist GMA regime!
Stop state terrorism and political repression!
Oust Gloria Macapagal Arroyo!