MANILA – In 2000, then-Vice- President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo had several meetings with leftists and other militant organizations linked by the military now to the Communist Party- New People’s Army-National Democratic Front.
The subject of the meetings was the ouster of then-President Estrada and the communists’ position on reforms that must be made by Mrs. Arroyo’s post-Estrada administration, Rep. Satur Ocampo (Party-list Bayan Muna), told reporters March 20.
Palace Spokesman Ignacio Bunye brushed aside Ocampo’s claim, saying: “I have no
comment on that. The President would rather concentrate on the more important issues than answer all the peripheral issues being raised by her detractors.”
“I’m willing to testify on this,” Ocampo said as he disclosed that sometime in
November 2000, his group met with Mrs. Arroyo at her home in La Vista, Quezon City, where they presented their 20-point agenda that they wish to be given Mrs. Arroyo’s attention once Estrada had been toppled and she had replaced him as President. Ocampo said one of the several points on the leftists’ agenda was the release of all political prisoners and the continuation of the peace process with the CPP-NPA-NDF. A month later, there was a second meeting with Vice-President Arroyo, Ocampo added. It was held at her office at the Philippine International Convention Center.
Ocampo showed pictures of Mrs. Arroyo with him and other leftist personalities. He said these were taken after a press briefing in which the planned ouster of Estrada was discussed. Ocampo said it is strange that the President, who was herself involved in the plan to unseat Estrada together with “progressive groups” (a code word for “pro-communist groups”), is now hunting progressives who are clamoring for her resignation.
“Now that she is being challenged to step down, she wants to get back at her critics by filing sedition charges against us,” Ocampo said.
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