Pahayagan ng Partido Komunista ng Pilipinas

Pinapatnubayan ng Marxismo-Leninismo-MaoismoANG

Oplan Bayanihan tramples

on the ceasefire

Engl ish Edition

Vol . XLVI I No. 20

October 21, 2016

www.cpp.ph

EDITORIAL

The Duterte regime must immediately put an end to the re-pressive and bellicose military operations under the US-direc-ted Oplan Bayanihan. It must order the immediate pull-out of

all troops of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) from civiliancommunities in the countryside.

Duterte must ensure that allhis troops in the AFP and policefollow his policy of friendship withthe revolutionary forces. He mustrepudiate the policy of suppressionagainst the patriotic and demo-cratic forces.

Only such measures will en-courage the Communist Party ofthe Philippines (CPP) and NewPeople's Army (NPA) to further ex-tend the unilateral ceasefire de-claration. The revolutionary forcesare discouraged from entering aceasefire agreement in the face ofthe GRP's failure to implementsome points of agreement.

Last Wednesday, the GRP's

chief negotiator himself and thedefense secretary asserted that noamnesty proclamation will besigned until the end of peace ne-gotiations. This goes against thespirit of the August agreementthat such a proclamation will beissued to pave the way for the re-lease of 434 more political detain-ees. After having suffered in-justice, they will now be made togo through the eye of the needle toattain their aspired freedom.

It is disheartening to knowthat the GRP will not carry out thismeasure. It does not helpstrengthen the NDFP's trust in thenegotiations.

Brutal dispersal

THE COMMUNIST Party of thePhilippines (CPP) strongly con-demned the successive violentdispersals of the two consecutivedemonstrations led by progressiveorganizations last October 18 and19.

In a statement, the CPP holdsthe leadership of the PhilippineNational Police (PNP), the ArmedForces of the Philippines (AFP) andofficials of the Duterte govern-ment responsible for the violentaffront against the people'sdemocratic rights to demonstrateand seek redress. That the suc-cessive dispersals were carried outwith such viciousness reveals thedeep-seated hostility against thepeople and patriotic forces of po-lice and military officers whoordered the dispersals. These of-ficers must be immediately identi-fied, investigated and put to task.

The National Democratic Frontof the Philippines (NDFP) negoti-ating panel also slammed the bru-tal dispersal, particularly theprotest in front of the US embassy.Most likely, there are elementswithin the military and police whoare against the new policy direc-tion of their commander-in-chiefand are out to sabotage the ongo-ing peace negotiations betweenthe Government of the Republic ofthe Philippines (GRP) and theNDFP, it said.

follow on page 3

October 21 , 2016 ANG BAYAN2

Editorial: Oplan Bayanihan trampleson the ceasefire 1

Brutal dispersal at the US embassy 1

2 anti-mining Lumads killed 3

Fabella equipment pulled out 4

Lakbayan launched 5

Panels agree on CASER outline 6

Duterte's program for the economy 7

Workers against contractualization 8

Aspects of friendship with China 9

Factionalism sharpens 10

Unequal trade relations with US 11

US presidential elections 13

Vol . XLVI I No. 20 | October 21, 2016

ContentsANG

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bassy during the past days. Thesuccessive vicious dispersal of theirdemonstrations clearly show theperpetuation of Oplan Bayanihan,the policy of suppressing the patri-otic and democratic forces andtreating them as enemies of thestate.

The persecution of activistscontinues. There are continuingcases of arrests in SouthernMindanao, Bicol, Central Luzon andother parts of the county. Twopeasant leaders were successivelykilled in Compostela Valley byarmed troops of the AFP. There isrelentless suppression of peasantstruggles across the country suchas in Nueva Ecija and Palawan.

To the Filipino people, the con-tinuing repressive and bellicose op-erations of the AFP under OplanBayanihan despite the ceasefirereveals that the old situation re-mains under the Duterte regime inspite of his talk of peace andchange.

The prevailing ceasefire whilethe AFP continues with Oplan Bay-anihan is greatly disadvantageousto the Filipino people, especially forthe peasant masses in the coun-tryside and their people's army. Tothem, it would be better to not havethe ceasefire if the soldiers will notbe removed anyway from theircommunities and they would not beallowed to fight on equal grounds.

The revolutionary forces re-main open to forging a bilateralceasefire agreement that will spe-cify clear guidelines. Towards this,the CPP hopes that Duterte officialswill take back their earlier state-ments which contravene the agreedupon amnesty proclamation to re-lease political detainees.

In order to extend the cease-fire, the CPP and revolutionaryforces expect the Duterte regime tocarry out decisive action to makethe AFP and PNP follow its policy offriendship and negotiations withthe revolutionary forces and its in-dependent foreign policy.

Over the past 60 days since theCPP and GRP issued unilateralceasefire declarations, NPA unitshave firmly carried out orders tohold off all offensives against theuniformed personnel of the AFP andPNP. This is despite the very diffi-cult situation arising from continu-ing provocative operations of enemyarmed units under Oplan Bayanihan.

The US-directed Oplan Bayani-han is the six-year counter-revolu-tionary war program of the AFPlaunched in 2011. It aims to defeatthe NPA, destroy the CPP and thedemocratic and anti-imperialistmass organizations and suppresstheir struggles. The AFP committedleft and right violations of humanrights in "peace and development"operations mostly directed againstcivilians.

The AFP's perpetuation of theOplan Bayanihan is an outright af-front to, and tramples on, the spiritof the simultaneous ceasefires ofthe CPP and GRP. It completely dis-regards the order of GRP PresidentDuterte to be friendly with the re-

volutionary forces and the revolu-tionary government.

Contrary to "friendship", armedsoldiers continue to be deployed atthe midst of civilian communities inthe countryside. Using various pre-texts ("visits", "anti-drugs", "deliv-ery of service"), fully-armed soldiersenter the communities to taunt andinstil fear on the people. They carryout psywar and intelligence opera-tions. One by one, activists and theirfamilies are summoned. Local resid-ents are compelled to join villagemeetings organized by soldiers forfear of being accused as NPA sym-pathizers.

Contrary to prevailing laws andthe CARHRIHL, they use barangayhalls, schools, day care centers andother civilian infrastructures asbarracks. They disturb the lives andlivelihood of the peasants.

The demand to end the OplanBayanihan was among the principaldemands of the protesting peasants,minority people and other patrioticand democratic forces in front ofCamp Aguinaldo and the US em-

Ang Bayan is publ ished fortnightly by the Central Committee

of the Communist Party of the Phi l ippines

ANG BAYAN October 21 , 2016 3

2 anti-mining Lumads killed

TWO LUMADS were consecutively killed by militaryagents in Compostela Valley this October. At the sametime, illegal arrests of progressives using the anti-drugswar and Oplan Tokhang are on the rise.

Last October 13, Joselito "Anoy" Pasaporte wasshot dead by elements of the 46th IB on his way home toMabini town. Pasaporte was a member of PanalipdanYouth in Compostela Valley.

The military attempted to cover up the crime bysaying that it was in line with Duterte's anti-drug war.Compostela Valley police chief Senior Supt. Armando deLeon even reported that Pasaporte was 6th in theMabini list of suspected drug pushers.

Panalipdan and progressive organizations slammedthe police statement. According to the groups, Pasa-porte was a member of the youth and students' organiz-ation which aims to protect the environment. His organ-ization led struggles of indigenous peoples againstmultinational and foreign mining operations in theircommunity.

Three days earlier, Jimmy Saypan, secretary generalof the Compostela Farmers' Association (CFA) was also

shot by an unidentified motorcycle-ridinggunman. He was immediately rushed toMontevista District Hospital andlater transferred to the DavaoRegional Hospital in Tagum City.He died the next day.

A weekbefore theincident,Saypanconfrontedelementsof the Army's 66th Infantry Battalion in a dialogue anddemanded the pullout of soldiers, Karapatan said.Saypan was listed in the military's publicized order ofbattle.

CFA and the local government of Compostela hadbeen vocal against the operations of Agusan Petroleumand Minerals Corporation (AGPET), a mining subsidiaryowned by Eduardo Cojuangco.

Soldiers have been deployed in the community tosecure AGPET's mining area.

Last October 19, police forces from the Manila PoliceDistrict violently dispersed a rally by national minoritiesand patriotic organizations in front of the US embassy inManila. The protest is part of the series of activities ofthe Lakbayan ng Pambansang Minorya (Journey of theNational Minorities) which calls to end military presencein their communities and US troops in the country. Policefired tear gas canisters while a police patrol mobilerammed into a row of protesters. The mobile repeatedlyhit several rallyists. More than 50 were injured, andthree were ran over by the police vehicle and werebrought to the hospital. Based on reports, 42 were ar-rested but were released later in the afternoon.

According to SANDUGO, the program was down toits last speaker when police began their rampage.Ground commander Col. Marcelino Pedrozo Jr. was evencaught on video ordering his men to disperse the rally.

Before this, a similar incident happened last October18, when members of the AFP blasted water cannons atindigenous people and Moro groups who were staging aprotest in front of Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City, theAFP's national headquarters.

Jerome Succor Aba, national spokesperson of SuaraBangsamoro, said that the protest serves to highlightthe imperialist plunder, abuses, and continued domina-tion of the US in the country.

"Today, we witnessed how even our local securityforces are keen on employing violent tactics to quell the

dissent of the marginalized and the oppressed," saidAba.

The incident at the US embassy generated criticismfrom various organizations and personalities.

Aiza Seguerra, National Youth Commission head,,tagged as "heartless" the police dispersal of theprotesting organizations whose calls were legitimate.

After the violent attack, minorities and organiza-tions trooped to Manila Police District and held an in-dignation rally.

Simultaneously, a candle lighting and noise barragewere held by the University of the Philippines (UP) com-munity at Palma Hall to express their anger. Accordingto UP Chancellor Michael Tan, "The police disrespectedthe national minorities. It is as if they have mocked UPbecause they (national minorities) are our visitors."

The next day, October 19, employees of the Depart-ment of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) andNational Anti-Poverty Commission visited their campout.

Here, DSWD Sec. Judy Taguiwalo called upon policeofficers to obey their commander-in-chief and to respectthe rights of the indigenous people

On the same day, SANDUGO held a press conferenceto hold the PNP accountable, primarily Col. Pedrozo, andcondemn state brutality.

Meanwhile, students of UP Cebu and Kilusang Mag-bubukid ng Pilipinas-Cebu held an indignation rally insolidarity with the minority groups and denounced statefascism.

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October 21 , 2016 ANG BAYAN4

According to Karapatan, theyhave documented at least eightpolitical killings, including the caseof Pasaporte, since the Duterte re-gime declared a unilateral ceasefirein August.

The Kilusang Magbubukid ngPilipinas (KMP) pointed to the 10thID as the primary suspect for themurder and for terrorizing the en-tire Compostela Valley since 2008.

Antonio Flores, KMP'ssecretary-general, added that Pas-aporte's killing adds to the increas-ing number of farmers illegally ar-rested and harassed using theDuterte administration's anti-drugwar campaign.

Illegal arrests, Tokhang-styleIn Bulacan, Rowel Reola, Al-

fredo Ravel, Lito Natoral, Segund-ina Gaitero, her daughter MelGrace, Valentin Salceso and BlasGaitero were illegally arrested in apolice raid on several houses in Si-tio Karahume, Barangay San Isidrolast October 4. They were membersof Karahume Farmers' Associationwho oppose Bangko Sentral ngPilipinas' attempts to grab morethan 1,000 hectares of land in theirprovince.

According to the KMP, policeforces did not even present a war-rant of arrest.

Four farmers were releasedwithout charges after the illegal de-tention. However, Reola, Ravel andNatural were accused of beingmembers of the New People's Armyand charged with possession of il-

legal drugs.KMP and Alyansa ng Mag-

bubukid sa Bulacan also called theattention of the Department ofAgrarian Reform to investigatetheir case. Groups also said it couldset a precedent in the rampantcriminalization of agrarian dis-putes, citing other instances wherefarmers have been charged withtrumped up cases such as theft,murder and other criminal offenses.

Meanwhile, police troops illeg-ally arrested Edwin Dematera, analleged NPA leader and his com-panion, Den dela Cruz in Magal-lanes, Sorsogon last October 4.Both were on board a tricycle whenthey were stopped by a checkpointfor Oplan Tokhang.

Soldiers sneak out Fabella equipment

IN CONNIVANCE with the Armed Forces of the Philip-pines (AFP), the management of Dr. Jose Fabella Me-morial Hospital attempted to pull out equipment last Oc-tober 13. According the Save Fabella Hospital Movement(SFHM), soldiers from the 51st Engineering Brigadearmed with high powered rifles took the hospital equip-ment and loaded these into a truck.

The AFP could not present any copy of an orderwhen asked by workers and staff of Fabella. Residentsnear the hospital as well as Fabella Hospital employeesand members of the Alliance of Health Workers (AHW)and SFHM prevented the pull-out. In an interview withofficers of the AFP, orders came directly from the hos-pital director, Dr. Esmael Ilem and Paulyn Ubial, secret-ary of the Department of Health.

This is contrary to Ubial's statement during thebudget hearing in the House of Representatives that Fa-bella Hospital would not be transferred.

Elvira Mendoza, Fabella staffer and spokesperson ofSFHM, said Ilem warned one of her colleagues that alegal action would be taken against them if the transferdid not push through.

Due to protests, the transfer did not push through.However, Mendoza said that some equipment weresneaked out of the hospital without their knowledge.

The AHW is now preparing to file a complaint at theCommission on Human Rights against the hospital's ad-ministration and Sec. Ubial for grave abuse of authority

for mobiliz-ing soldiersto transferhospitalequipmentwithoutproper authorizationor a hospital order.

The SFHM obtained a letter dated Aug. 10, signedby Secretary Ubial and addressed to Fabella hospitaldirector Dr. Esmeraldo Ilem, approving proposals todownsize the bed capacity from 700 to 200.

The letter also gave an order to utilize the three-storey out-patient department building at the LungCenter of the Philippines compound as a facility of Fa-bella hospital and delay hiring for vacant positions untilcompletion of the new Fabella hospital.

Rodel Aala, Fabella hospital employee said Dr. Ilemhas told them in previous dialogues that the problemstems from the land issue.

The AHW condemned military presence in the hos-pital. They further added that such action serves as athreat to silence employees who are vocal about theiropposition against the hospital's transfer.

But Aala said that they will not back down in theirstruggle, as they are fighting not only for their rights asemployees of the hospital but also for free health ser-vices.

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ANG BAYAN October 21 , 2016 5

Lakbayan ng Pambansang Minorya launched

"WE WOULD LIKE to advance calls of Cor-dillera people and national minor-ities in the entire country forgenuine regional autonomy and toend control and plunder of ournatural resources and militar-ization in our communities,"said Abigail Anongos, secretarygeneral of Cordillera People'sAlliance (CPA).

CPA members were part ofmore than 3,000 minorities whomarched to Manila to express solid-arity in the historic gatheringdubbed as "Lakbayan ng Pam-bansang Minorya para sa SarilingPagpapasya at MakatarungangKapayapaan" (Journey of NationalMinorities for Self-determinationand Just Peace). The Lakbayanbegan last October 8 andculminated this October 21, Nation-al Peasants' Day.

The entire delegation was com-prised of Aggays, Kalinga tribes andorganizations from Northern Luzon;Aeta from Central Luzon; Dumagat,Mangyan and Palaw'an from South-ern Luzon; Tumandok and Ati fromPanay Island and Moro and Lumadpeople from Mindanao.

According to Piya MacliingMalayao, secretary general ofKalipunan ng KatutubongMamamayan ng Pilipinas (Katribu),the combined groups of indigenouspeoples from various parts of thecountry, along with Moros fromMindanao, expressed support for aforeign independent policy and thepeace negotiations. They also con-demned the continuing Oplan Baya-nihan counter-insurgency programin their communities.

On October 13, the streets ofMetro Manila echoed with thesound of gangsa and agong (indi-genous gongs) while thousands ofindigenous people marched to Men-diola. Progressive organizationsmarched with them carrying thou-sands of torches.

As part of the series of protest

actions,400 members of indigen-ous people's groups fromNorthern Luzon trooped to the mainoffices of multinational miningcompanies Lepanto and Oceanialast October 13. While carryingtheir demands, delegates symbolic-ally closed building entrances.

Minorities also picketed theDepartment of Justice (DoJ) officelast October 17, to demand to Sec.Vitaliano Aguirre the scrapping ofall false charges against 200 activ-ists from national minority groups.

Instead, they said the DoJshould prosecute soldiers andparamilitary men who perpetrated—and continue to perpetrate—thekillings, harassment and other at-tacks on schools and communities.They also commemorated Fr. Fausto"Pops" Tentorio's 6th death an-niversary.

Oplan Bayanihan and the strugglefor ancestral lands

During the program, KerlanFanagel, chairperson of PasakaConfederation of Lumad Organiza-tions, asked the crowd to raise theirfists in a minute of silence for twopeasant leaders in Compostela Val-ley who were killed last October 10and 15—Jimmy Saypan, secretarygeneral of Compostela Farmers'Association and Joselito Pasaporte,member of Panalipdan Youth.

Fanagel condemned the ongoingmilitarization by the Armed Forcesof the Philippines of civilian com-munities under the Oplan Bayani-

han counter-insurgency campaign.Groups also lamented that in-

digenous people are still discrimin-ated in access to social services.Many of their relatives also fall vic-tim to land grabbing.

For instance, the Aeta in Capas,Tarlac are being kept out of theirfarms by soldiers in the military re-servation.

"Our ancestral lands areclaimed by the military," declaredLito dela Cruz of Central LuzonAyta Association.

SandugoNational minority members

went to the University of the Philip-pines in Diliman, Quezon City whereChancellor Michael Tan led the UPcommunity in welcoming them.

At this gathering, Sandugo, theMovement of Moro and IndigenousPeoples for Self-determination, waslaunched.

"From the scattered struggle ofthe indigenous peoples, to the re-gional level, we have now taken ourstruggle for self-determination to anational level," declared DulphingOgan, from B'laan tribe and sec-retary general of Kalumaran, aMindanao-wide alliance of Lumads.

"As part of the Philippine na-tion, we are part of the Filipinopeople's struggle for genuine free-dom and democracy and assert self-determination against imperialism,"said Joanna Cariño from Ibaloi tribein Cordillera.

October 21 , 2016 ANG BAYAN6

Panels agree on CASER outline

The second round of talks between the National Democratic Front of thePhilippines (NDFP) and the Government of the Republic of the Philippines

(GRP) concluded in Oslo, Norway last October 9.

Here, both panels agreed to thedraft outline and framework of theComprehensive Agreement on So-cio-Economic Reforms, the secondsubstantive agenda of the talks. Ne-gotiations took a difficult turn duemainly to the differing views of bothsides on the Philippine economy andsolutions to its problems.

There were twists during thenegotiations, which extended evenlater after Hernani Braganza toldthe media that there were "snags"because the NDFP refused to incor-porate the GRP draft outline.Braganza heads the GRP's Recip-rocal Working Committee on Socio-Economic Reforms (RWC-SER).

Unlike the NDFP's preparedcomprehensive draft, the GRPpushed for a nine-point set of "out-comes." This includes poverty erad-ication, environment and climatejustice, globally competitive eco-nomy, adequate and quality socialservices, reduced inequalities,peaceful rural communities, foodsecurity, living incomes, and genderequality and representation. Julietde Lima, NDFP's RWC-SER chair-person, stated that the GRP's draftoutline is merely an enumerationand is actually lifted from the NDFPdraft. (Read in Ang Bayan, August 7,2016 issue.) It would appear thatthe GRP did not prepare sufficiently,had no elaborations and did not setexpectations. The GRP would ap-pear that it expected the NDFP tofall in with its outline because thiswas supposedly according to thePhilippine government's laws. Thisstance did not depart from the pre-vious position of subsuming the ne-gotiations under GRP legalities andits constitution.

To break the deadlock, the ND-FP suggested the incorporation ofthe GRP outline into the NDFP pre-pared outline. After a series ofsmall-group discussions, the GRPacceded to several edits and a finaldraft was reached. This draft willserve as the basis for more sub-stantial talks in the next fewmonths. The two panels will meetagain on the third week of January2017.

The NDFP also managed to as-sert the inclusion of a resolution forthe immediate release of the re-maining detained NDFP consultantsand 434 political prisoners duringthe second round. However, on Oc-tober 12, the NDFP expressed "un-easiness" on the GRP's delay to doso.

The GRP's large delegation onthe third and fourth agenda—onpolitical and constitutional reformsand end of hostilities and disposi-tion of forces—was conspicuous. Inthe face of its lukewarm preparationfor the talks on CASER, the GRPmade it plain that it was more in-terested in reducing the level of vi-olence by coming up with a docu-ment for a bilateral ceasefire. Thisstems from the timeworn excuse

that the armed struggle is the causeof poverty and underdevelopment.This kind of thinking distorts theessence of the talks.

This morning, Silvestre Bello,GRP panel chairperson, announcedthat the political prisoners will bereleased by batches.

But prior to this, in a Senatehearing last October 19, Depart-ment of National Defense (DND)Secretary Delfin Lorenzana insistedthat there will be no amnesty"without a ceasefire" as relayed tohim by Jesus Dureza, PresidentialAdviser on the Peace Process. An"amnesty ceasefire" will only begiven at the last part of the negoti-ations, he said. His department andthe armed forces (of the GRP) willnot agree to the release of theprisoners prior to this, he added.

Contrary to this, Angela Lib-rado-Trinidad, GRP panel member,announced that the GRP is alreadyreconstituting the PresidentialCommittee on Bail, Recognizanceand Pardon which has been signedby the DND, Department of Justiceand Department of Interior andLocal Government secretaries aspreparations to the release of NDFPprisoners.

ANG BAYAN October 21 , 2016 7

Contradictions within the Duterte regime'seconomic policies

This past week, clashes within the Duterteregime's cabinet erupted between repres-

entatives of the democratic movement andchampions of bourgeois comprador in-terests.

Officials from the Department ofFinance (DoF), National EconomicDevelopment Agency (NEDA) andVice-president Leni Robredo openlycontested the Department of Agrari-an Reform's (DAR) recommendationto impose a two-year moratorium onthe conversion of agricultural lands.At the same time, Department ofLabor and Employment Sec. SilvestreBello withdrew his support for theP125 across-the-board wage hikeafter the president of the EmployersConfederation of the Philippinesconfronted him. The NEDA also re-peated the old excuse that smallenterprises will lose if labor groupsinsist on a wage hike.

With regards to the peace talks,the expected conflicts have alreadystarted to emerge in negotiations onthe outline on socio-economic re-forms. Differences in the revolution-ary program and that of the reac-tionary state's take on the economyis apparent in the GRP panel posi-tions, Duterte's technocrats andDuterte himself.

Foreign-dependentindustrialization

In Duterte's speech in front ofbig banana planters last October 7,he said that the industrial sector isalready "too cramped." "Within thespan of the next thirty years, I don'tsee any new industrial sectorrising," he said. "The resources arealready committed and besides welag behind in the money business."

In truth, the regime does nothave a concrete plan for an inde-pendent industrial sector. Like theprevious regimes, it places emphasis

on raising foreign capital and wooingforeign business, particularly for itspublic infrastructure program.

Duterte's technocrats criticizedthe Public-Private Partnership (PPP)of the US-Aquino regime's as slow,expensive and contrary to the in-terests of the public. But like thePPP, this grand infrastructure plan(rails, roads, seaports and airports)depends on foreign loans and in-vestment, especially from China, andalso from Japan and South Korea.

Within six years, the regime isestimated to need $8 trillion. Toachieve this, the regime is seekingmembership to the Asian Infra-structure Investment Bank, China'sanswer to the World Bank.

In Duterte's visit to China thisOctober (read related article in page9), China promised him around $9billion worth of loans for his projectsand programs. In recognition ofDuterte's separation from the Phil-ippines' US imperialist masters,China promised not only to help himin infrastructure projects but also inthe country's agriculture and fin-ance.

Nevertheless, it would appearthat the regime did not do away withprojects under the PPP program ofthe US-Aquino regime. During hisvisit to China, 400 businessmen ac-companied him, including the coun-try's biggest compradors. Agree-

ments between them and large cor-porations controlled by China'smonopoly bureaucrat capitalistswere quickly reached. These includeagreements pushing for the estab-lishment of the Clark Green City In-dustrial Park and the Cavitereclamation project, both of whichare objects of the people's ire.

As in the past regimes, Duterteis pushing for the establishment ofadditional export processing zones(EPZ). These will add to the currentEPZs which produce low-value addedproducts for export. These EPZs arepart of the so-called Factory Asia—anetwork of factories which make upa production line controlled byChina. These ties are bound totighten when China's RegionalComprehensive Economic Partner-ship come to fruition.

Land reform and counter-reformEver since peasant leader Ka

Paeng Mariano headed the DAR,notable land disputes have been re-solved in favor of the peasants.These include positive decisions re-garding Hacienda Luisita and othervast holdings in Mindoro, Zam-boanga, Sorsogon, Negros andIloilo. But clashes are bound to arisewhen landlords decide to contest theDAR.

The DAR's decision to impose atwo-year moratorium on conversion

October 21 , 2016 ANG BAYAN8

of agricultural lands have beencountermanded by technocrats andreal estate compradors.

In different occasions, Dutertehas made plain his readiness to dis-tribute public lands. In concurrence,he asserted that the Philippines canmake it big through agricultural de-velopment compared to industries.Industry will only have value if itcomes from agriculture, he said. Butthe agricultural production he wasreferring to is agriculture based onlarge commercial plantations ownedby foreign capitalists and orientedtowards foreign markets.

This is no different from what bigforeign companies call Philippine ag-ricultural "modernization" throughlaying down appropriate infrastruc-ture. Big compradors would like tomaximize agricultural lands, espe-cially in Mindanao, for export pro-duction and put up the neededtransportation infrastructure forswift transport of products for theinternational market.

It is under this framework thatthe regime is pushing for laying downa modern train system in Mindanao.This will facilitate and simplify thetransport of products from planta-tions to airports and seaports.

This October, Duterte signedwith China the Agricultural Coopera-tion Action Plan 2017-2019 to facil-itate the export of Philippineproducts such as mangoes and bana-nas to China. The agreement coverscoming up with export regulations,research for major projects and co-operation for increased productionand investment.

AmBisyon Natin 2040In the face of such grand plans,

the Duterte regime has no immediateplans to increase wages and ensurejob security for workers and govern-ment employees. Instead, it came upwith an "anti-poverty" program thatwill bring about a "simple and com-fortable life." But this "ambition" will

only be realized in 2040.Duterte signed Executive Order

No. 5 containing the the AmBisyonNatin 2040 (Our Ambition 2040) lastOctober 12. It aims to create a"middle class" Philippines with themajority of Filipinos owning a houseand vehicle, with sufficient funds totide them over the day, college fundfor their children and some savings.Duterte gave the NEDA the respons-ibility of crafting four "five-yearprogram" from 2016 to 2040.

AmBisyon Natin 2040 is nothingbut an empty promise. For now, it ismerely a slogan which is no differentfrom the US-Ramos regime's "Phil-ippines 2000." It only serves to keepthe people's hopes up to take theirattention off their current problems.In truth, it does not offer funda-mental changes in the economicstructure. If NEDA's previous pro-grams are to go by, AmBisyon willnot veer away from the old andbankrupt neoliberal policies.

Worse, the regime is poised toset the heavy burden of financing itsschemes by increasing taxes to raiserevenue. The DoF is pushing to in-crease value-added taxes from 12%to 15%. It also plans to impose othertaxes on petroleum products andsweet drinks (softdrinks, juices, oth-ers). It boasts of lowering income,property and transaction taxes butthese will only benefit the largestcompanies and wealthiest families.Income taxes for millions of ordinaryworkers and employees may belowered, but additional funds will gostraight to state coffers through highprices of commodities and services.

The regime continues to offerpalliative measures to raise thepeople from poverty. These includecontinuing the 4Ps program, distri-bution of one sack of rice to somefamilies and other superficial meas-ures that have long been proven in-effective.

Labor Summit opposescontractualization

AT THE LABOR Summit held onOctober 17 at the OccupationalSafety and Health Center inQuezon City, workers and laborunions once again reached aconsensus to end contractualiz-ation.

The Department of Laborand Employment (DOLE) calledfor the said summit supposedlyfor the labor sector to come upwith a unified stand regardingthe issue. But according to theworkers, as early as October 3 atthe Labor Sector Dialogue, 95%of the labor unions have alreadydeclared clearly their oppositionto all forms of contractualiza-tion.

The labor unions criticizedDOLE's indecisiveness againstcontractualization, despite Pres.Rodrigo Duterte's clear order toend the practice. The unions de-manded the repeal of theagency's DO 18-A and the issu-ance of an order in its steadwhich strictly prohibits contrac-tualization.

Presented in the summitwere examples of contractualworkers' struggles at Tanduay inLaguna, AGC Flat Glass in Ma-nila, at ports in Negros, in smallfactories, up to major companieslike the Philippine Airlines, PLDTand large banks.

At the same assembly, DOLESec. Silvestre Bello rejected thecall for a P125 wage increase.This, after he had ordered theregional wage boards lastSeptember to conduct a study onthe said increase. Wage increaseis beyond DOLE's jurisdiction,Bello said.

Outside the venue, laborunions together with progressiveorganizations and labor institu-tions staged a protest action.

ANG BAYAN October 21 , 2016 9

The two aspects of friendship with China

GRP President Duterte is currently in Chinato forge economic and security agree-

ments. He was welcomed by China as afirm ally and friend.

The visit is expected to pave theway for the large inflow of mono-poly capitalist investments fromChina.

The Party and revolutionarymovement have a critical view ofthe Duterte regime's policy of amityand friendship with China. On theone hand, the revolutionary move-ment is aware that China has itsimperialist self-interest in forgingfriendship with the Philippines. Onthe other hand, they also see theopportunities for positive changesin the economy and people's liveli-hood which were long closed be-cause of US domination andPhilippine dependence.

China is one of the biggest cap-italist countries and a burgeoningimperialist power. It was once amodern socialist country (1949-1976) before the new bourgeoisiewhich emerged from the bureau-cracy wrested state power and des-troyed the Communist Party ofChina and the socialist system.

China is currently confronting acapitalist crisis in finance and over-production. Its inventory of surplusgoods (steel, cellphones and otherelectronic products and parts) isgrowing as well as uninvestible sur-plus capital. It seeks areas to dumpits surplus goods and bigger sourcesof cheap labor-power and raw ma-terials to run its so-called FactoryAsia—the network of tightly linkedfactories in different countries thatengage in semi-processing.

China has imperialist ambitions.Along with the expansion of China'seconomic empire, there is also itsstrategic deployment of militaryforces in various parts of the Asia-Pacific, Middle East and Africa.

China's geopolitical interests areincreasing and its challenge to UShegemony is growing.

Duterte's friendship with Chinacan help the Filipino people in theirstruggle to break free from US con-trol and domination and end reli-ance on US imperialism. But thiswill happen only if the Filipinopeople's national democraticstruggle will continue to advanceand if the Duterte regime will forgewith them a patriotic alliance.

Several billion dollars of in-vestments and loans from China arebound to build factories and plant-ations that are geared to supply thefactories and market of China. Inthe name of unity with the Filipinopeople against US imperialism,China must be called upon to allot asubstantial amount of investmentsto support national industrializa-tion and genuine land reform to getthe local economy to stand on itsown feet. The protection of thewelfare of millions of people mustbe ensured in every infrastructureproject.

The struggle for genuine landreform must be advanced vigor-ously. The Filipino people mustchallenge Duterte to smash theeconomic power of the big landlordswho long have served as powerbase of US imperialism in the Phil-ippines and are among the principalfactors for the backward economy.

It is China's plan to build largeplantations for export production.This contravenes the interests ofthe peasant masses and the minor-ity peoples and is destructive to theenvironment. This must not be al-lowed to become a dominant aspectin the rural economy.

Duterte must train principalattention to distributing land topeasant tillers as a means of cor-recting a historic injustice, and topave the way for modernization oflocal agriculture geared towardsthe production of food and otherneeds for local processing.

In his earlier declaration,Duterte has been busy attractingforeign investments, in particular,investments from state-privatefirms of China. This correspondswith China's plans to build infra-structure for production andtransportation in accordance withits plan to reach out to the farthestcorners of the world to draw inhundreds of millions of people intoits wide ocean of labor-power.

The Filipino people must insistthat establishing steel and otherbasic industries must be given pri-ority. Duterte must insist on Chinathat its investments in export-ori-ented production should have acounterpart investment or assist-ance to more basic industriesneeded by the country.

To ensure that the people are

October 21 , 2016 ANG BAYAN10

Pro and anti-US factionalism emerges

AS EXPECTED, GRP Pres. Rodrigo Duterte's anti-US tirades have deepened factionalism among theruling classes. This was sharply defined whenFidel Ramos, among GRP's most puppet presid-ents, attacked him on his 100th day in office.Reactionaries out of power, such as those inthe Liberal Party and their supporters,quickly joined in the chorus. Duterte con-siders Ramos as the one who "convinced"him to run for president.

Ramos damned the current regime ina column he wrote for a newspaper. Inthe main, he parroted lines used byUS, UN and EU officials in relation toextrajudicial killings in the regime'santi-drug war. He directly mockedDuterte's statements and threats against thepresence of US troops, war planes and ships. The Philip-pines is "losing badly," he said, and Duterte's leadershipis a "huge disappointment." The "Philippine ship is sink-ing," he added, due to Duterte's "willy-nilly" navigation.

Through his tirades, Ramos has exposed himself asthe US' main puppet inside the Duterte administration.He is set to lead the pro-US camp among the reactionar-

ies with the objective of pushing back Duterte'savowed independent foreign

policy. It is apparentthat the ex-presidenthas ties with US milit-

ary agents to counterthe strong currents

against US presence andexercises. He also serves as

the center for AFP pro-USofficials.

Meanwhile, the Duterte camp's attacksagainst Sen. Leila de Lima, number oneproponent of the US line on anti-drugkillings, continue unabated. After being

unseated from a powerful committee in thesenate, she is now besieged with cases filed against

her to shame her to silence. The committee which suc-ceeded her exonerated the Philippine National Policefrom all the extra-judicial killings and completely ab-solved the Duterte regime by stating that there was noDavao Death Squad when Duterte was the city's mayor.In the meantime, the number of those killed, both bypolice and so-called vigilantes continues to rise.

not completely disadvantaged, Duterte must ensure thatsuch policies will have a corresponding policy of protect-ing national interests. It must be insisted that a portionof investments be allotted to basic industries and thatthere should be technology transfer. There must also beclear-cut policy for protecting the environment and thenational patrimony.

The people must challenge Duterte to protect the in-terests of the working class against very low wages andto repudiate the policy of privatization and commercial-ization of public services. The Duterte regime must takeimmediate steps to control prices of food, medicine, fueland other basic commodities.

If Duterte will not uphold the democratic interestsof the people, Philippine ties with China will only lead toreplacing the giant that dominates and plunders thecountry and the perpetuation of foreign monopoly capit-alist plunder of the country.

If the people's interests are not prioritized, thepromised new roads, bridges, rails and ports will be fornaught. The economy will be glittery outside but under-developed inside. There will be factories but no industri-alization; there will be plantations but the people willlack food and be condemned to hunger.

It is in the geopolitical interest of China to turn thePhilippines into a bastion of anti-US imperialism. This isconsistent with the aspirations of the Filipino people. To

forge cooperation, China must recognize and respectthe national sovereignty and territorial integrity of thePhilippines.

As a friendly overture, China must stop its exclusiveclaims of the fishing area around Bajo de Masinloc. Itcan support the clamor for demilitarization of the SouthChina Sea and avoid taking steps that contravene othercountry's claims.

China can build long-lasting friendship with theFilipino people if it will support genuine land reform andthe establishment of various basic industries. This iscomparable to efforts of the US and Japan to supportland reform and building basic industries in Taiwan(from the 1950s) and South Korea (from the 1960s) withthe aim of turning these into capitalist bases in thestruggle then against the promotion of anti-imperialismand socialism in China and North Korea.

US imperialism is closely watching the forging ofChina-Philippine friendship under Duterte. Its agents inthe AFP and other state agencies are mobilizing to pre-pare for measures to prevent the strategic weakening ofUS control and influence in the Philippines.

In promoting friendship with China, Duterte mustalso seek to weaken US imperialist influence and controlof the AFP which has been dependent on US military aidand oppose the policy of suppression against the anti-imperialist, progressive and revolutionary forces.

ANG BAYAN October 21 , 2016 11

Unequal RP-US economic relations

Decades of control have shackled the Philippine economy to theUS. For a long time, the country was without economic sover-

eignty as a result of being confined to supplying cheap raw materialsand labor force for the US, and as dumping ground for surplus manu-factures and other imports, as well as its surplus capital.

Since the 1940s, American cap-italists have been the biggest sourceof foreign direct investments (FDI)to the Philippines. Most of these areinvested into the manufacturingsector, finance and securities, realestate, wholesale and retail trade,and construction. American capital-ists live off the Philippines' cheaplabor force and abundant resources.They repatriate huge profits.

Economic laws since the Treatyof General Relations of 1946, theInvestment Incentives Act of 1967,up to the Foreign Investment Act of1991, distinctively favour Americaninvestors.

From 1999-2012, the net FDIfrom the US amounted to $4.52 bil-lion. This comprises almost 20% ofthe entire FDI during that period.In 2013, despite placing second (toJapan), FDI from the US stillamounted $1.3 billion. In 2015, theUS' FDI was $732.5 million (39.72%of all FDIs).

During the same period, 19.4%of Philippine exports went to theUS, while 15.8% of the country's im-ports were sourced from the US.Also, a fraction of Philippine tradeto ASEAN and other countries inEast Asia go to the US.

Despite being primarily agricul-tural, the Philippines is flooded byAmerican agricultural products. Un-der the US-Aquino regime, agricul-tural products imported by the Phil-ippines from the US ballooned to123%. The country is the US' ninthlargest market for its agriculturalproducts, with profits reaching $2.8billion in 2014.

The Philippines ranks second in

the US' market for its soy-bean meal (soya residueafter oil has been extracted)at $589M; fourth in dairyproducts ($345M); sixth inwheat ($569M) and eighth inpork and pork products($116M).

Meanwhile, the Philip-pines remained a supplier ofcheap raw materials to the US. Thecountry is the US main supplier ofcoconut oil ($454M) and copra($55M). Also, the Philippines placeseighth in the US' source of pro-cessed fruits and vegetables($197M); fruit and vegetable juice($62M) and sugar ($23M). Likewise,the Philippines is the 11th largestsupplier of seafoods to the US($264M).

The US also benefits consider-ably from the Filipino people's cheaplabor force. Among the biggestAmerican companies having invest-ments in the Philippines are Citi-group, General Electric, Procter &Gamble, JP Morgan, Coca Cola andChevron.

The American economy leads inexploiting the Filipino workingpeople's talents, skills and labor—as workers in mines and plantationsduring the 1920s and as soldiersand navy men after the SecondWorld War. Today, almost fourmillion migrant Filipinos are in theUS. They comprise the largest num-ber (15.7%) of migrant healthworkers (mostly nurses), and aresecond most populous (13.7%) mi-grant workers in services.

Under decades of being tied tothe US, Philippine economy has re-

mained backward: geared towardsexporting raw materials or semi-processed parts and dependent onimporting finished products. Thisexplains the chronic deficit in Phil-ippine foreign trade. In 1957, froma deficit of $14 million ($58.5 mil-lion imports and $44.5 million ex-ports), this swelled to $97.3 millionin 1987 ($463 million imports and$365 million exports). In August2016, Philippine trade deficitalready amounts to $2.02 billion.

Because of the continuing tradedeficit, the Philippines is compelledto incur strings of loans from fin-ancial institutions such as the In-ternational Monetary Fund and theWorld Bank (IMF-WB) which theUS also controls. Fifty-one percentof the World Bank's funds issourced from the US, while thecountry also holds the biggest vot-ing power share in the IMF at 17%.

From $360 million in 1962, thePhilippines' external debt hasshrunk to $77.47 billion in 2015. Allloans are conditionalities. Atpresent, the Philippines has 70 dif-ferent loans and credits with theWorld Bank. Each of these loansentails four to five conditionalities.

In a rundown, almost half(49%) of the conditionalities im-

October 21 , 2016 ANG BAYAN12

posed by the WB relate to the de-velopment of private and financesectors (this comprises 32% of IMFconditionalities). Meanwhile, 39% ofthese are geared towards privatiz-ation (52% in IMF conditionalities).

Apart from gaining control ofthe country's economy through loanconditionalities, the US likewise ex-ploits its "aid" in order to imposeeconomic policies. The Partnershipfor Growth (PFG) signed betweenthe Philippines and the US in 2011 isan example of how the US tightensits command over the country'seconomy.

Through the Joint Country Ac-tion Plan as determined by the PFG,reforms in the economy that favourthe US are identified. These includetrade and investment liberalization,deregulation, effective implementa-tion of private business contractssuch as Public-Private Partnershipdeals, as well as reforms in the fin-ancial system and the judiciary.

For example, under the PFG,$434 million was allocated by theMillenium Challenge Corporation(MCC) in exchange for "economicfreedom" in the Philippines. At anytime, the MCC may suspend dis-pensing "aid" if the Philippines doesnot enforce trade liberalizationalong with relaxing tariffs and re-moval of barriers on foreign invest-ments. A substantial amount of MCCfunds touches on counterinsurgencysuch as funding the Kalahi-CIDSS($120 million) and road projects($214.4M) in Samar communities.The funds also finance projects inincreasing tax revenue collection($54.3 million).

Also part of the PFG is theArangkada Project which is spear-headed by the USAID and theAmerican Chamber of Commerce(AmCham). Through this project,AmCham and USAID push the Phil-ippines' implementation of 471 "re-commendations" that promote the

interests of foreign corporations inthe country. Every year since 2011,the Arangkada Project monitorsand rates the application of its "re-commendations" by the Philippines.

Along with AmCham are 17other big foreign and local businessgroups that push for further liber-alization, deregulation, privatiza-tion and denationalization. AmongArangkada's "recommendations"are the enactment of laws, intensi-fication of infrastructure projects,and even the composition of gov-ernment bureaucracy. TheArangkada Project also regardsland reform as an impediment toagribusiness corporations.

Also, the US-Philippine Society(USPS) was established to lobby forPFG within the Philippine govern-ment. Members of the lobby groupinclude former US ambassador tothe Philippines John Negroponteand top executives of US corpora-

tions in the country, as well as bigbourgeois-compradors such asPangilinan, Sycip, Ayala, Razon andmany others. The USPS aims to in-fluence officials and lawmakers inthe Philippines.

The USPS is much like the lobbygroup AGILE (Accelerating Growth,Investment, and Liberalization withEquity) which the USAID fundedduring the Estrada and Macapagal-Arroyo regimes. AGILE blatantlywrote draft bills and campaigned inCongress for the enactment ofPhilippine laws that safeguard USintellectual property rights.

These laws, including thoseeconomic agreements passed at theonset of US domination of thecountry, have continuouslyhindered development and des-troyed local industries and liveli-hood, and have perpetuatedchronic poverty and persistentcrisis of the Philippine economy.

ANG BAYAN October 21 , 2016 13

American people have no choicein the US presidential elections

Come November 8, the American peoplewill again vote in their presidential

elections. But as in all bourgeois elections,the people have no viable choice amongcandidates who are as bad as each other.

The presidential elections comeat a time when the US is at thetrough of an almost two decades-long recession that still has no solu-tion in sight. Its influence in inter-national trade formations is declin-ing. It is projected to be alreadyinsolvent in its trade deficits andpublic debt. In the face of newemerging imperialist countries, theAmerican ruling classes are fallingover themselves to wage war or in-stigate war to regain their positionas number one imperialist powerand maintain world hegemony.

The two leading contenders,Democratic Party's Hillary Clintonand Republican Party's DonaldTrump are both candidates of theruling class. They both promise thatthey will lift the people from themire of economic crisis, though intruth they will be busy enabling thebig capitalists to continue raking inwealth.

They are zealous promoters ofneoliberal economic policies thatgive US monopoly capitalists freerein to rob the fruits of workers'labor in their own country and plun-der the wealth of underdevelopedcountries. On the other hand, theyadopt protectionist measuresagainst rival countries' competitionin trade and other economic in-terests, though these may necessit-ate military action.

They both consider the Philip-pines as launching pad for their so-called "defense" against China andNorth Korea, and for maintainingtheir military might in the South

China Sea. Both of them presentcampaign platforms to continue theproxy war in Syria, Yemen and othercountries in Africa and continue thewar of aggression in Afghanistan toascertain their investments andmilitary positions against Russia andChina. This growing rightist trend isalso consistent with their approvalof the Patriot Act, strengthening theCentral Intelligence Agency andNational Security Agency, and in-creasing sanctions against NorthKorea.

Thus, the American people canexpect no substantial change fromeither leadership. People in UScolonies and neocolonies can alsoexpect continued plunder, arm-twisting, bullying from "the world'spolice" and intensifying military ac-tions to defend their dwindling ter-ritory for trade.

Before running for presidency,Clinton was US Secretary of State.In this post, she initiated the ousterof Libyan president Moammar Qad-dafi, supported the bombing of Syr-ia, instigated war in Yemen andTurkey, continued drone warfare in

Afghanistan, and built-up militarytroops in the Asian pivot. It wasalso recently exposed that Clintonintentionally held back informationabout funding support for the ISISthrough their Saudi Arabian allies.In the US, she faced the issue ofneglecting security for their em-bassy in Libya which resulted in thedeath of four American diplomats in2012. Despite this, Clintonsponsored continued US militarypresence in the country.

Clinton initially pushed for theTrans Pacific Partnership (TPP), theneoliberal agreement that will fur-ther abet imperialist plunder of un-derdeveloped countries' resources.She later distanced herself from theTPP to garner popularity from thebroad masses of American peoplewho oppose it and the ultra-right-ists who advocate ultranationalism.

However, she remains a strongsupporter of "free trade", plunderof other countries' resources, limit-ing their own workers' minimumwages, and reducing social servicesfor the people. She still upholds theneoliberal dogma to favor big cap-

ANG BAYAN October 21 , 2016 14

italists supposedly to stimulate business and createjobs.

For his part, Trump campaigns for continued militaryaction against the ISIS although the real victims are theSyrian civilian population, racist measures againstpeople of color and migrants as in his proposal of barri-ers against Mexicans and Muslims, and tax cuts for thewealthy. He flaunts his contempt of women, Muslims andminority people in the US.

They both have skeletons in their closets. Williamand Hillary Clinton were involved in the Iran-Contrascandal or secret arms deals to Iran and the NicaraguanContras where Arkansas, which then had Mr. Clinton asgovernor, was allegedly used as launching pad. Thisscandal was related to drug smuggling from CentralAmerica using CIA personnel and money laundering in

Mena, Arkansas, through the Arkansas DevelopmentFinance Authority. All these were strictly kept underwraps by the government and investigations have cometo naught up to now.

Trump is a big businessman who accumulated wealthin real estate and casinos through fraud in this tax de-clarations and other dirty means. He was implicated inthe investigations for racketeering cases against theSalerno and Gambino families, the two biggest US Mafiagroups at that time, but he was able to extricate himselfthrough his money.

Trump's numerous and frequent offensive remarksagainst women, together with his slurs against blacksand other minorities within the US, have become issuesin his campaign.