LUCENA CITY — The Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) joined the ranks of critics against the police crackdown on the so-called “tambay,” saying it is a prelude to the declaration of martial law nationwide.
“The tambay crackdown, which in past days have resulted in the arrests of unsuspecting Filipinos, including workers and students who were only standing at the wrong place at the wrong time, is a rehearsal for the nationwide implementation of martial law,” the CPP said in a statement released by its Information Bureau on Thursday.
The CPP said: “It is this cheap dictator wannabe’s way of forcefully saying “Martial Law is here” without actually making an official declaration.”
The CPP said the government’s latest move serves as a double-edged sword “while raising the climate of fear as the police force run roughshod with impunity over the people’s fundamental rights, including the right against illegal arrests and illegal search and seizure.”