NDF in Normin warns against emerging police state

By LITO RULONA
Correspondent

THE National Democratic Front in north central Mindanao yesterday lashed out at the Duterte administration for allegedly suppressing people’s basic rights in the guise of a counter-insurgency program even as it warned that the country is starting to become a police state.

Cesar Renerio, NDF spokesman for northern central Mindanao, said some 150 police checkpoints have been set up throughout Region 10 alone “so they could investigate the innocent civilians.”

Renerio warned that the situation would worsen with the planned National ID System, explaining that it would likely be used to manipulate every individual’s information.

“If this would be fully implemented, the Philippines will never be far to becoming a police state,” Renerio said.

He cited the case of some 2,500 civilians who were held in checkpoints in Misamis Oriental and prevented from taking part in a demonstration in Iligan City in time for President Duterte’s State of the Nation Address in July.

The NDF in the region said Duterte administration “resurrected” the martial law during the Marcos years.

“[It] does not have a big difference… Duterte’s martial law is also the same,” said Renerio.

Renerio said the Duterte administration has also broken the Marcos administration’s record on killings. During the Marcos years, some 3,240 people were “salvaged” while the killings since Duterte took over last year already reached some 10 thousand, more or less.

He said 70 thousand others were imprisoned, 34 thousand were tortured, and a thousand were desaparecidos during the Marcos years.

Despite of the grave injustices during the previous martial law, the NDF said the Duterte administration still imposed its own version of marial law in Mindanao, and the President has even threatened to implement this nationwide.

Renerio said not less than 200 thousand families were forced to evacuate from their communities in Marawi City, and thousands of civilians were killed, including those who died in evacuation centers and those tagged as “Maute” who were killed by the soldiers.

He noted that some 29,250 students were also displaced, and not less than 100 civilians have been reported missing.

Elsewhere in Mindanao, the NDF said, the Lumad suffered human rights violations.

“Through his martial law, the soldiers, policemen, and paramilitary groups are licensed to harass, kill, threat and violate the basic rights of the Lumad. Hence, up until now, the Lumad are still in their shanties in front of the capitol grounds in Bukidnon to demand the end of militarization in their communities,” said Renerio.