Fw: Release: Elite unity in Enrile book launch slammed

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From: KILUSANG MAYO UNO <kilusangmayouno@gmail.com>

Date: Mon, 1 Oct 2012 07:59:10 +0800

To: Kilusang Mayo Uno<kilusangmayouno@gmail.com>

Subject: Release: Elite unity in Enrile book launch slammed

Media Release
01 Oct. 2012

Elite unity in Enrile book launch slammed

"A disgusting display of elite unity behind an architect of Martial Law and his lies."

This was how labor center Kilusang Mayo Uno described today the presence of the country's political and economic elite led by Pres. Benigno Simeon "Noynoy" Aquino III in the launching of Senate Pres. Juan Ponce Enrile's memoirs last Friday.

The launching of the book, which was published by the Lopez family of ABS-CBN, was attended by former presidents Fidel Ramos and Joseph Estrada, former First Lady Imelda Marcos, and the country's top politicians and businessmen.

As previewed in the ABS-CBN documentary "Johnny: The Juan Ponce Enrile Story," the book justifies the imposition of Martial Law over the country in 1972 while clearing Enrile, who served as minister of defense, of any wrongdoing in a period marked by human rights violations, corruption, and worsening poverty.

"It is revolting to see the country's elites rallying behind the key implementor of Martial Law and his distorted version of history. They are insulting the victims of martial rule, which include victims of human rights violations and the entire Filipino people," said Elmer "Bong" Labog, KMU chairperson.

"Factions of the country's elites seem to have shed off their pretensions of being champions of democracy to openly support Enrile's claim that the declaration of Martial Law was justified. Ramos, Estrada and Aquino have after all employed Martial Law-type repression during their respective terms," he said.

"The book launching is very instructive for workers and the poor, as it shows that despite differences among factions of the country's elites, they are at bottom united in shielding each other from accountability for their crimes," he added.

The labor center underscored the fact that the elite unity was shown during the country's commemoration of the 40^th anniversary of the declaration of Martial Law.

"Pres. Aquino made statements about studying the history of Martial Law even as he supports the revision of history being made by Enrile. Maybe he wants Enrile's lies to become required reading in the country's schools," Labog said.

"Aquino does not at all seem bothered that he was sitting alongside people with varying levels of accountability for the assassination of his father, the destabilization of his mother's government, and the brutalization and exploitation of the people he now claims to serve," he added.

Reference: Elmer "Bong" Labog, KMU chairperson, 0918-1636597