Arroyo Blamed on Maguindanao Massacre

By Abigail Kwok, PDI

The National Democratic Front of the Philippines on Wednesday condemned the Maguindanao carnage as it blamed the Arroyo administration for "cultivating the culture of impunity for its cohorts."

In a statement, NDFP National Executive Committee member Luis Jalandoni called on President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to give justice to the 46 victims, including women and journalists, of political violence in the province.

"The NDFP holds Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and her regime accountable for this massacre that deserves the outrage of the Filipino people. This massacre is the latest atrocious act, further aggravating the regime's accountability for extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearances, frustrated killings, torture, and the uprooting of millions of people since 2001," Jalandoni said.

The Netherlands-based communist leader also criticized Arroyo for "favoring" the Ampatuan clan in Maguindanao, who was linked in the killings that sent shock waves across the country.

"The ruling Ampatuan warlord clan in Maguindanao has long enjoyed the favor and protection of Arroyo and the police, military and paramilitary forces," Jalandoni said, adding that it was "highly irregular and scandalous" that during the incident, the Ampatuans were in Malacañang for a meeting.