Deep in the jungle, the monsoon closes in as the communist New Peoples Army go through their paces. Rebels with a cause, but a cause thats no longer recognised by the Philippines government. For many years, they were partners in a peace process. Theyre now regarded as terrorists, and thats brought any chance of dialogue to an end.
COMRADE ORIS Spokesman, New Peoples Army
How can we be terrorists in our own land? We dont export revolution in the Philippines to America, to Europe, so why do these European imperialists and US Imperialists bother about our country? We are home grown, we are legitimate revolutionaries, we dont have to be intimidated by them.
Life, for most people on Mindanao, is at or near subsistence. Its long proved fertile ground for rebellion. Whats changed is the response from the authorities.
The NPAs new status as a terrorist group dates from a visit to Manila by George W Bush three years ago, for talks with President Gloria Arroyo. Since then, the level of violence has increased. Critics say it gave the military a tacit signal to target civilians whom they suspect of supporting the communists.
Civilians like George and Maricel Vigo, mourned by the family now caring for their three young children. They were killed just hours after the declaration of all-out war on the NPA.
ASTONMILA AGUTAGA Sister of Maricel Vigo
The person who has done such was so very no conscience, hard-hearted people - no? Wala, no mercy!
The Vigos were left-leaning journalists, sympathetic observers of the communists but, the family insist, not active members.
This sign marks the spot where George and Maricel were gunned down. They were making their way along this busy road on their motorbike, just yards from their home, when suddenly from nowhere appeared two masked men on the back of another bike and shot them both dead.
The killers melted into the traffic and have never been caught. The family were already worried that George and Maricels work as journalists might get them into trouble.
MARIANITA VIGO, George Vigos mother
I told him, George maybe you upset someone, I know that life is hard here in the Philippines. He just laughed and said even if a man is asleep, if its time to die, he will die.
This video may have sealed their fate. Released on CD, it tells the story of a recent NPA raid and shows their fighters ransacking a municipal office. George handed his copy to his lawyer.
GREGORIO ANDOCANA, Vigo family lawyer
This CD was shown by a municipal official of Carmen - this province - to several officials of the civilian authority and of the military. So then he was suspected of being one of those who participated directly or indirectly in the NPA raid
The President says no-one is more concerned to solve the killings; shes set up a special commission to investigate.
GLORIA ARROYO Philippines President
We together stopped judicial executions with the abolition of the death penalty. We urge witnesses to come forward together we will stop extra-judicial executions.
In fact the opposite is happening Amnesty International counted 61 unsolved political killings in the first half of this year alone.
TIMOTHY PARRITT Amnesty International
We believe that the delivery of justice and the conviction of the perpetrators whoever they may be - whether they are military, whether they are vigilantes whether they are members of the left rival factions within the left themselves - is key factor in the restoration of a peace process.
The Communists remain keen to talk about their old themes of injustice and its causes.
COMRADE ORISSpokesman, New Peoples Army @ 04:28
Our programme is to liberate our people from the exploitation and oppression caused by semi-feudal, semi-colonial society, wherein our land is monopolised by the big landlords. So our main programme is land reform.
The Vigos adopted similar causes.Their priest, the last person to see them alive, believes that made them a target.
FATHER PETEr, Parish Priest
The connection is, to stop not only what they were involved in but also what myself and some other organisations, especially among tribals, church-based organisations, and some NGOs, so the killing of the two of them was meant to scare us.
Father Peter presided at the Vigos funeral. But it didnt scare him off. He continues to help local communities fight for their rights even if that involves taking on powerful interests.Earlier this year around 50,000 people came to protest against multi nationals whove come to extract the enormous mineral wealth of this island a process opponents call development aggression:
Fr Peter
Plantations, mining companies coming in, because of the organisations opposing or objecting to the way their lands are taken over, then we have become also suspected because usually the foreign companies are given protection by the military.
There are 25 new mines being excavated or planned, and with foreign companies in charge most of the profits will be leaving the country. But what really worries local communities is the threat of damage to the environment which has been the legacy of mineral extraction in the past.An emergency meeting of the campaign to stop a gigantic copper and gold mine from going ahead. These local leaders won a legal challenge then lost the appeal.
This river is basically came from that mountain where the mining operation is ongoing. So this water, this river system, will pollute, and that will affect the growth of the plants.
For people like Audie, who rely on land and water for their livelihoods its a struggle they feel they cant afford to lose.
Colombio Multi Sectoral Ecology Movement
What we are fighting for is what is really moral right for our people and we believe that if the mining company will go on the operation, then probably it will destroy the living condition of our people, so we are very sure that we can stop the mining operation.
The Communists are not the only armed faction looking to pick up on peoples fears and grievances. Theres also a separatist struggle by a mainstream group of Muslim rebels. And on the fringes, theres Jemaah Islamiya, the regional offshoot of Al Qaeda. All the groups listed as terrorists are still fighting. Research by the monitoring group, Human Rights Watch, indicates nearly 300 civilians have been killed in bombings in the last five years. But the others, whove avoided the terrorist label, are now on ceasefire.
PAUL CLIFFORD, Peace process adviser
I think we need to get away from these labels, of saying, oh, theyre a terrorist, we wont talk to them, to actually go back to a process of pre-9/11 days, where, if youre going to engage in a peace process, what you had to find out was, what actually is it that these people wanting, what is it that is driving them to do this?
A report for the UN found the most common denominator of rebel villages was the lack of a local school. Paul Clifford came to listen to their grievances.
Paul Clifford: This was not about achieving the revolution. This was about achieving basic standards for people that most of us in the West would take for granted but, for people there, it was a daily struggle to survive.
COMMENTARYThis village got a new roof on their school; and pipes connected to mains water; and the local rebels, a communist splinter group, agreed to lay down their arms.
So governments are faced with a choice blacklist rebel groups as terrorists and declare war; or negotiate about what they want. Thats often difficult but the cost of confrontation here in the Philippines is a legacy of bitterness.
MILA AGUTAGA, Sister of Maricel Vigo
Until now we are still looking for justice for them, especially that we always see these children, no mother, no parents, thats it. So if only the killer will just come out and say I am the killer, we will immediately smash them. Thats it.
COMRADE ORIS Spokesman, New Peoples Army
How can we be terrorists in our own land? We dont export revolution in the Philippines to America, to Europe, so why do these European imperialists and US Imperialists bother about our country? We are home grown, we are legitimate revolutionaries, we dont have to be intimidated by them.
Life, for most people on Mindanao, is at or near subsistence. Its long proved fertile ground for rebellion. Whats changed is the response from the authorities.
The NPAs new status as a terrorist group dates from a visit to Manila by George W Bush three years ago, for talks with President Gloria Arroyo. Since then, the level of violence has increased. Critics say it gave the military a tacit signal to target civilians whom they suspect of supporting the communists.
Civilians like George and Maricel Vigo, mourned by the family now caring for their three young children. They were killed just hours after the declaration of all-out war on the NPA.
ASTONMILA AGUTAGA Sister of Maricel Vigo
The person who has done such was so very no conscience, hard-hearted people - no? Wala, no mercy!
The Vigos were left-leaning journalists, sympathetic observers of the communists but, the family insist, not active members.
This sign marks the spot where George and Maricel were gunned down. They were making their way along this busy road on their motorbike, just yards from their home, when suddenly from nowhere appeared two masked men on the back of another bike and shot them both dead.
The killers melted into the traffic and have never been caught. The family were already worried that George and Maricels work as journalists might get them into trouble.
MARIANITA VIGO, George Vigos mother
I told him, George maybe you upset someone, I know that life is hard here in the Philippines. He just laughed and said even if a man is asleep, if its time to die, he will die.
This video may have sealed their fate. Released on CD, it tells the story of a recent NPA raid and shows their fighters ransacking a municipal office. George handed his copy to his lawyer.
GREGORIO ANDOCANA, Vigo family lawyer
This CD was shown by a municipal official of Carmen - this province - to several officials of the civilian authority and of the military. So then he was suspected of being one of those who participated directly or indirectly in the NPA raid
The President says no-one is more concerned to solve the killings; shes set up a special commission to investigate.
GLORIA ARROYO Philippines President
We together stopped judicial executions with the abolition of the death penalty. We urge witnesses to come forward together we will stop extra-judicial executions.
In fact the opposite is happening Amnesty International counted 61 unsolved political killings in the first half of this year alone.
TIMOTHY PARRITT Amnesty International
We believe that the delivery of justice and the conviction of the perpetrators whoever they may be - whether they are military, whether they are vigilantes whether they are members of the left rival factions within the left themselves - is key factor in the restoration of a peace process.
The Communists remain keen to talk about their old themes of injustice and its causes.
COMRADE ORISSpokesman, New Peoples Army @ 04:28
Our programme is to liberate our people from the exploitation and oppression caused by semi-feudal, semi-colonial society, wherein our land is monopolised by the big landlords. So our main programme is land reform.
The Vigos adopted similar causes.Their priest, the last person to see them alive, believes that made them a target.
FATHER PETEr, Parish Priest
The connection is, to stop not only what they were involved in but also what myself and some other organisations, especially among tribals, church-based organisations, and some NGOs, so the killing of the two of them was meant to scare us.
Father Peter presided at the Vigos funeral. But it didnt scare him off. He continues to help local communities fight for their rights even if that involves taking on powerful interests.Earlier this year around 50,000 people came to protest against multi nationals whove come to extract the enormous mineral wealth of this island a process opponents call development aggression:
Fr Peter
Plantations, mining companies coming in, because of the organisations opposing or objecting to the way their lands are taken over, then we have become also suspected because usually the foreign companies are given protection by the military.
There are 25 new mines being excavated or planned, and with foreign companies in charge most of the profits will be leaving the country. But what really worries local communities is the threat of damage to the environment which has been the legacy of mineral extraction in the past.An emergency meeting of the campaign to stop a gigantic copper and gold mine from going ahead. These local leaders won a legal challenge then lost the appeal.
This river is basically came from that mountain where the mining operation is ongoing. So this water, this river system, will pollute, and that will affect the growth of the plants.
For people like Audie, who rely on land and water for their livelihoods its a struggle they feel they cant afford to lose.
Colombio Multi Sectoral Ecology Movement
What we are fighting for is what is really moral right for our people and we believe that if the mining company will go on the operation, then probably it will destroy the living condition of our people, so we are very sure that we can stop the mining operation.
The Communists are not the only armed faction looking to pick up on peoples fears and grievances. Theres also a separatist struggle by a mainstream group of Muslim rebels. And on the fringes, theres Jemaah Islamiya, the regional offshoot of Al Qaeda. All the groups listed as terrorists are still fighting. Research by the monitoring group, Human Rights Watch, indicates nearly 300 civilians have been killed in bombings in the last five years. But the others, whove avoided the terrorist label, are now on ceasefire.
PAUL CLIFFORD, Peace process adviser
I think we need to get away from these labels, of saying, oh, theyre a terrorist, we wont talk to them, to actually go back to a process of pre-9/11 days, where, if youre going to engage in a peace process, what you had to find out was, what actually is it that these people wanting, what is it that is driving them to do this?
A report for the UN found the most common denominator of rebel villages was the lack of a local school. Paul Clifford came to listen to their grievances.
Paul Clifford: This was not about achieving the revolution. This was about achieving basic standards for people that most of us in the West would take for granted but, for people there, it was a daily struggle to survive.
COMMENTARYThis village got a new roof on their school; and pipes connected to mains water; and the local rebels, a communist splinter group, agreed to lay down their arms.
So governments are faced with a choice blacklist rebel groups as terrorists and declare war; or negotiate about what they want. Thats often difficult but the cost of confrontation here in the Philippines is a legacy of bitterness.
MILA AGUTAGA, Sister of Maricel Vigo
Until now we are still looking for justice for them, especially that we always see these children, no mother, no parents, thats it. So if only the killer will just come out and say I am the killer, we will immediately smash them. Thats it.