Pahayagan ng Partido Komunista ng Pilipinas

Pinapatnubayan ng Marxismo-Leninismo-MaoismoANG

Bring about a new upsurgeof protests

It is highly pertinent for us to mark this February the 30th an-niversary of the EDSA Uprising which overthrew the US-Marcosdictatorship, and the 45th anniversary of the barricades at the

University of the Philippines (UP) called the Diliman Commune.

These two are among the mostbrilliant moments in the history ofthe Filipino people's struggles. Theychallenged and shattered the previ-ously existing political processes ofthe ruling system. The Filipinopeople used their political power toshake the foundations of the rulingclasses.

It is important to look back atthese two historic moments in orderto draw lessons and inspiration todecisively fight worsening US dom-ination and intervention in thecountry. In collusion with the pup-pet regime, neoliberal policies areimposed left and right, worseningthe oppression and exploitation ofthe Filipino people.

The broad masses of the peopleurgently need to advance thestruggles to end oppression, ex-ploitationand re-pression

under the crisis-ridden semicolonialand semifeudal system and vigor-ously pursue the struggle for na-tional democracy.

The EDSA Uprising is about theuse of people's sovereign power.This is an inalienable right of thepeople. This is the lesson which thereactionaries determinedly want toerase from the people's conscious-ness. They insist that "the peopleare tired" of struggling in thestreets in the hope of stopping thepeople from making use of their in-herent political power.

The people's grievances andoutrage are being drawn into therealm of reactionary elections. TheEDSA Uprising is portrayed as det-rimental to the "stability of thesystem" even if this does not meananything but the stability of the

rule and interests of the op-pressive classes.

Thirty

Vol XLVI I No. 3

February 7, 2016

www.phi l ippinerevolution.net

Editorial

years ago, through the EDSA Upris-ing, the Filipino people assertedhow they cannot be confined to theelections or other processes set bythe ruling system. With the EDSAUprising, they exhibited how theycan use collective street action as aweapon to overthrow a detestedregime, even if this is not enough totransform the entire oppressiveruling social system.

The EDSA Uprising came aboutas a result of years of heroicstruggles against the US-Marcosdictatorship, both in the cities andcountryside, both unarmed andarmed. The collective determinationdemonstrated by the Filipino peoplein the EDSA Uprising was temperedin the flames of strikes and massstruggles since the 1970s.

Among these was the DilimanCommune of 1971 which arose fromthe protest movement against risinggasoline prices. In four days, thou-sands of students from UP barri-caded the streets going into the UPDiliman campus as a show of rebel-lion against the ruling system.

The Diliman Commune startedas a student protest against risinggasoline prices. They sharply con-demned and opposed monopolycontrol of the international oil in-dustry.

The Marcos regime unleashedthe full-force of the police and mil-itary to suppress the strike but wasmet by students with determinedand steadfast anti-fasciststruggle. This further gained

February 7 , 2016 ANG BAYAN2

Editorial: Bring about

a new upsurge of protests 1

Expose the distorions of EDSA Uprising 3

Fight for additional SSS pension widens 4

Cover-up on US role in Mamasapano 5

US Socom: Secret War in 135 countries 6

NPA raids Dole and Del Monte 7

3rd SFB, "Magahat" suffer 8 KIA, 7 WIA 7

Killings, militarization heighten 8

NGP, landgrabbing in Cagayan Valley 9

China economic slowdown 10

Farmers demand free irrigation 11

Vol XLVI I No 3 | February 7, 2016

strength with the support and par-ticipation of UP teachers and work-ers, residents of surrounding com-munities and students from otherschools.

The students and other sectorswho joined the barricades wavedthe banner of revolution. They werea continuation of the widespreaddemonstrations of the First QuarterStorm of 1970, the series of demon-strations of youth and students andthe toiling people demanding socialrevolution.

Although the barricades lastedonly a few days, through the Dili-man Commune the youth and stu-dents succeeded in drawing thepeople's attention to the basicproblems of imperialism, feudalismand bureaucrat capitalism. Duringthe Diliman Commune, the entirecampus served as a cultural bastionof the Philippine revolution. It repu-diated the concept of "studentpower" and propagated the prin-ciple that the masses shape history.It galvanized the students in theirnumbers to unite with the toilingmasses and troop to the factories,

communities and the countryside.THE FILIPINO people are faced

with a worsening crisis amid theprolonged and worsening globalcapitalist system and the aggravat-ing and deepening crisis of the Phil-ippine semicolonial and semifeudalsystem.

The people are made toshoulder the burdensome neoliberalpolicies. These are imposed by thereactionary state to allow the bigcapitalists and landlords full free-dom to plunder our natural re-sources and exploit the labor powerand wring the last drop of sweatfrom the worker and peasantmasses.

Millions of workers suffer fromextremely low wages and contrac-tualization and other forms of flex-ible labor. Millions of peasants suf-fer from landlessness andlandgrabbing by big landlords andforeign capitalists in plantationsand mines, slave wages and lack ofjobs. Millions of youth cannot affordschool because of exhorbitant fees.Under K-12, hundreds of thousandsof low-skilled youth are churned out

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to further expand the army of cheaplabor.

Together with the imposition ofburdensome neoliberal policiesupon the toiling masses, the rulingclasses propagate ideas and influ-ence to make the people accept theprevailing system and silently suffertheir poverty and hardships. Let usshatter the ideas that promotemeekness and silence further con-fining the people in a state of op-pression and exploitation.

The people must learn the les-sons of their long history of resist-ance and struggle, including theEDSA Uprising and the DilimanCommune. Draw lessons from otherperiods of upsurge of protests andmass struggles.

Use these lessons to makeAquino and his regime answerablefor the numerous and large-scalecrimes against the people. Theperiod before the elections areenough to launch big protest ac-tions to make Aquino tremble.

The commemoration of theEDSA Uprising to the May 1demonstration are opportunities tounite the entire country to advancelarge protests to condemn andcharge Aquino for all the policieswhich have worsened the exploita-tion and condition of the Filipinomasses, as well as for surrenderingthe national sovereignty to US im-perialism to the detriment of theentire people.

Expect no change to come outof the upcoming 2016 elections.Whoever among the competing re-actionary candidates gets installedto power is sure to continue theneoliberal policies. The US will en-sure that the next president will beits puppet. The programs of eachone aim to attract foreign invest-ments and create the conditionsand policies that favor foreign bigcapitalists.

Whoever will sit as presidentwill surely just continue the anti-people programs of the Aquino re-gime of the past six years. In es-sence, this is no different from the

ANG BAYAN February 7 , 2016 3

In marking the upcoming 30th anniversary of the EDSA Uprising in Feb-ruary 25, the distortions regarding this historic event should be cor-

rected. The Filipino people must draw lessons useful for their future en-deavor in shaping history.

Expose the distortions of theEDSA Uprising history

programs of Arroyo, Estrada, Ramos and CorazonAquino all of which were designed and funded by theIMF-WB in accordance with its push for liberalization,deregulation, privatization and denationalization. Inpursuit of hegemonism, the US will further intensify mil-itary intervention under the next puppet regime.

The next regime should immediately be confrontedby the people with large demonstrations in order to re-lentlessly pursue Aquino's indictment, and moreoever, inorder to pursue their demand for national democracy.Bring about an upsurge of protests against imperialism,feudalism and bureaucrat capitalism.

The EDSA Uprising was the cul-mination of some 15 years of theFilipino people’s struggle againstthe US-Marcos fascist dictatorship.That this was the result of a longperiod of struggle, including heroicarmed resistance, is a fact that thereactionaries wish to expunge frommemory.

The ruling elite continuously at-tempt to dissociate the EDSA Upris-ing from the people. They describeEDSA as a “miracle” inspired byCory Aquino and Cardinal Sin. Lastyear, Aquino celebrated EDSA inCebu to emphasize Cory’s role whowas then in Cebu seeking saferefuge. Along with this is the con-cocted myth that the EDSA Upris-ing started with the Benigno S.Aquino assassination in 1983 andconcluded with the coup d’etat at-tempt within Camp Crame.

They desperately seek to ob-scure the protracted history ofstruggle, the sufferings and sacri-fices of thousands of people, andthe long years of forging the coun-try’s consciousness and power tooverthrow the hated fascist regime.

Millions of people went out toEDSA on February 22-25, 1986.Contradictory forces converged atEDSA in an informal alliance againstMarcos.

Among these was the Enrile-Ramos group with the Reform theArmed Forces Movement (RAM)that declared its rupture with the

regime on February 22 and estab-lished its own command centerwithin Camp Crame. This blew openthe severe rift within the militaryand police caused by Marcos favor-ing one faction over the other re-garding promotions, money-makingopportunities and power.

Another group was the conser-vative opposition of anti-Marcosreactionaries and the CatholicChurch led by Jaime Cardinal Sin,who became critical of Marcos onlyduring the late part of martial law,when the mass movement wasalready on the upsurge.

The third group was the na-tional democratic movement thatbrought forward the most consolid-ated forces who have long beenfighting the dictatorship. Theyweathered the whole period ofmartial law wherein thousands ofrevolutionary martyrs and peoplewere slain, abducted, tortured andimprisoned by the fascist dictator-ship.

Solid backbone of the anti-US-Marcos struggle

The more than one decade anda half before the EDSA Uprising wasa period for the national democraticmovement to arouse, organize andmobilize the masses. The revolu-tionary movement gave concreteform to the people’s hatred not onlyof repression, but also of the wide-spread plunder and rapaciousness

of the regime, and of poverty res-ulting from the absence of indus-trialization and land reform.

Under brutal martial law re-pression, cadres, activists and therevolutionary masses laid their liveson the line and gave all theirstrength to bring forth open massactions, until they were able toreach out and influence variousother patriotic forces in a broadantifascist struggle.

This struggle deepened withthe antifeudal struggle andheightened with the anti-imperialiststruggle resulting in the extremeisolation of the US-Marcos dictat-orship. Effective united front workand a strong revolutionary move-ment encouraged other sectors andclasses to gain the courage to fightthe detested regime.

When Marcos had BenignoAquino assassinated on Agosto 21,1983, the people’s rage explodedinto a giant wave of protest. Thenational democratic forces stood asthe backbone of this wave. Theystrengthened and sustained massstruggles in the face of Marcos’ at-tempts to crush these.

The anti-Marcos factions of theruling class who had been quietwithin the country or chose safermethods of opposition in the USthen linked up with the swellingmovement against Marcos. Broadalliances such as the Justice forAquino, Justice for All and Coalitionfor the Restoration of Democracywere formed with the nationaldemocratic forces at the core butalso including other patriotic forces

February 7 , 2016 ANG BAYAN4

Fight for

additional

SSS pension

spreads

PROTESTS against theUS-Aquino regime's vetoof the proposed lawproviding an additionalpension for retired SSSmembers are fastspreading across thecountry.

Last January 28,rallies and other protestactions for the addi-tional P2,000 in monthlypension were launchedin Metro Manila as wellas other parts of thecountry. Under thebanner "Kalampagin angSSS" (Hound the SSS),the Kilusang Mayo Uno(KMU) led simultaneouspickets in front of theSSS national office inQuezon City and in thecities of Baguio,Calamba, Legaspi,Iloilo, Kalibo, Cebu,Cagayan de Oro, Gen-eral Santos and Davao.

Meanwhile, theprotest dubbed "Sama-samang Sigaw" (Con-certed Clamor) was heldon January 30 at the QCMemorial Circle.

Last February 4, atthe last congressionalsession, Rep. NeriColmenares' microphonewas turned off cuttingshort his speech callingfor an override ofAquino's veto. This wascondemned by patrioticand progressive groupsas well as by some op-positionist congress-men.

Meanwhile, the Ibon

like Tañada and Diokno, up to the anti-Marcos reactionaries including CorazonAquino.

They worked with the revolutionarymovement in militant actions in 1983-1985. Demonstrations of 50,000-100,000 youth, workers and peasantsbecame frequent, and were warmly sup-ported by the people.

US interventionConcerned that the national demo-

cratic movement was fast gainingground and moving towards a leadingrole, the US had to shift its policy in1984 from supporting Marcos towardseasing him out. A series of pressures onMarcos took place, including the visit ofCentral Intelligence Agency (CIA) dir-ector William Casey in May 1985 fol-lowed by President Reagan’s personalenvoy Senator Paul Laxalt in October1985.

All these had the consistent mes-sage that Marcos should call for presid-ential elections before 1987 or elsefunds from the US would continue to bewithheld. Laxalt also continued thepressure in phone calls to Marcos untilthe latter announced in November 1985that snap presidential elections will beheld.

A few days after Marcos’ an-nouncement of elections, assistant sec-retary of state for East Asia RichardHolbrooke arrived in Manila. With himin meeting with Corazon Aquino, JoseCojuangco and Agapito "Butz" Aquinowere US Ambassador Stephen Bosworthand Manila CIA station chief NorbertGarrett.

They laid down to Aquino the con-ditions for her certain victory as pres-ident. First was to keep the commun-ists and communist sympathizers out ofher inner campaign organization andprospective cabinet; the second wasnot to make the US military bases acampaign issue, to which she acqui-esced.

She departed from the basic docu-ment of the so-called convenor groupwhich she had signed with the nationaldemocratic forces on December 26,1984 calling for the dismantling of theUS military bases. She took the line of

keeping her “options open” until 1991,though negotiations would start in1987.

The elections were held on February7, 1986. The canvassing was nevercompleted as the regime’s personnelhandling the computers staged a walk-out, unable to put up with the grossfraud.

The national democratic movementwas the biggest force to protest thefraud.

To seize the initiative in the escal-ating protest, the Catholic BishopsConference of the Philippines (CBCP)under the direction of the US departedfrom its stand of critical collaborationand declared on February 14 that theMarcos regime was immoral and illegit-imate.

At the fourth day of the stand-off atEDSA, Marcos was spirited out ofMalacañang. He and his family togetherwith his closest lapdogs were put onboard a plane and given safe haven inHawaii, USA.

Overthrow of the regimeThe people must never forget that

the US-Marcos dictatorship was toppledwith the strength of their action. Notwith a miracle. Not with the help of theUS, or Cory Magic or the RAM’s coupd’etat.

In the EDSA Uprising, the most de-cisive force in deposing the US-Marcosdictatorship were the revolutionarymasses. They were the most thoroughand consistent in continuing the fightand served as the core of the broad andmilitant mass movement. It was be-cause of the mass movement that theUS was forced to play its hand in easingout its isolated puppet.

But the revolution’s strength atthat time was capable only of over-throwing a regime. Therefore, the EDSAUprising was not a revolution, becauseit did not topple the rotten ruling sys-tem.

A true revolution and realization offundamental change will be attainedonly when the whole machinery of theruling state is ripped apart throughpeople’s war and a democratic people’sgovernment is established.

ANG BAYAN February 7 , 2016 5

Cover-up continues on

US role in Mamasapano

Foundation condemned the regime for refusing toraise the SSS pension when it is using a large part ofgovernment funds to guarantee the profits of bigbourgeois compradors.

According to studies, if the SSS were to improveits collection system and reduce the gargantuan bo-nuses of its officials, the institution will still have alarge reserve. Studies by advocates of the proposalindicate that the SSS still has large assets (P198 mil-lion), uncollected contributions from delinquent em-ployers (P13.5 billion) and a balance of up to P325

billion in uncollected revenues in 2009.The institution also has P447 billion in assets as of

October 2015. All these prove empty the claims of theAquino regime that the SSS will lose money if addi-tional pension is granted.

On the other hand, the regime is continuouslypouring funds to private business involved in thePublic-Private Partnership. An example of this is theP35 billion guarantee or 54% of the overall expensesfor building the LRT1 by the consortium led by theAyala and Pangilinan groups.

NOTHING close to a revelation, but a continued cover-up of the US’primary role and responsibility and the Aquino regime’s collabora-

tion, characterized the Senate’s reopening of the Mamasapano incidentinvestigation.

During the January 27 Senatereinvestigation charade, Sen.Juan Ponce Enrile insisted thatAquino had direct knowledge ofthe January 25, 2015 bungled SAFoperation in Tukanalipao,Mamasapano, Maguindanao.Killed in this operation were 44SAF troopers, 17 MILF/BIFF ele-ments, and five civilians.

But Enrile made no remark onthe very obvious truth about theinterventionist role of the US.

Enrile’s exposé of the purpor-ted recorded cellphone conversa-tions and text messages point toAquino’s role in Mamasapano. Heinsists that Aquino intentionallyprohibited sending reinforcementsresulting in the annihilation of theSAF forces.

But his voice was effectivelyoverridden by the regime’s de-fenders. In the end, the Senatedecided to retain its previous re-port hiding the failure of the USand Aquino leading to the numer-ous deaths of police commandos inMamasapano. Bearing the brunt

of the blame was still GetulioNapeñas.

The Philippines’ national sov-ereignty is the real victim inMamasapano. This was willfullyand grossly trampled upon by theUS which directly planned, trainedand directed troops, and parti-cipated in the actual assault oftheir own chosen target. US Am-bassador Philip Goldberg keeps ondenying this, but he was stillcompelled to admit that they hada hand in training troops and gavedrone support. But he claims thatthis was requested by the Philip-pine government.

In fact, US officers were giv-ing directions at the tactical com-mand post in Shariff Aguak whereNapeñas was at that time. Forcesof the JSOTF-P chose the SAFtroops for the operation. Americ-an soldiers also trained the SAFoperators in their facilities at theZamboanga resort of CelsoLobregat. They also funded andsupplied the armaments.

As the chief puppet, Aquino

agreed to implement the US pro-ject. Some lawyers say this is animpeachable offense becauseAquino allowed US troops to con-duct combat operations in Philip-pine soil without Congressionalapproval.

Even before the reinvestiga-tion, the Department of Justice(DOJ) cleared the US and Aquinoof any accountability in the mas-sacre. The DOJ decided on Janu-ary 14 to file charges of directassault with murder and robberyagainst some 90 accused for thedeath of 35 troopers of the 55thSAC. The accused are allegedmembers of the MILF and BIFF.No cases were filed against SAFpersonnel for the massacre of fivecivilians and wounding many oth-ers including a five-year-old girl.The victims were shot at closerange even before and after theencounter.

In an attempt to quell the re-sentment of PNP personnel andthe families of the SAF 44,Malacañang on January 25 awar-ded the Medal of Valor to two ofthe slain SAF commandos. But in-stead of waning, more resentmentemerged as medals were notawarded to all officers killed.

February 7 , 2016 ANG BAYAN6

US Socom: Secret Warfare in135 countries

The US military officials who planned and directed the failed operation inMamasapano in January 26, 2015 are under the so-called Joint Opera-

tions Task Force Philippines (JSOTF-P). The JSOTF-P is a 900-man specialunit of American troops under the US Special Operations Command (SOCOM).

After the recent approval of theEDCA by the Supreme Court, a moreactive role of the US military in thePhilippines is most certain, alongthe lines of the Asia Pivot. Asidefrom the use of regular militaryforces under the US Pacific Com-mand, among the forces used by theUS are the special troops under theSOCOM.

SOCOM is composed of suchunits as the Green Berets of the USArmy, Navy Seals from the US Navyand the Special Forces of the US AirForce and Marines.

The US has been long using theSOCOM in "counter-insurgency"wars against countries strugglingfor national liberation as in Vietnamthen. The Special Forces were thefirst to enter Vietnam before theeventual deployment of 500,000regular American forces in 1968. Inthe Philippines, SOCOM created anddeployed the JSOTF-P in 2002 whenthe US declared the Philippines as a"second front" in the "war againstterrorism". It established a per-manent presence inside Camp Nav-arro of Zamboanga City.

SOCOM encompasses the wholeworld

SOCOM operations cover 135countries, 80% compared to the75 countries in 2010 and doublecompared to what it reachedbefore Obama became presid-ent in 2008. It has doubledits forces from 33,000 in2001 to 70,000 at present.

SOCOM's budget morethan tripled from $3 bil-lion in 2001 to $10 bil-lion in 2014 (in con-

stant dollars). This is on top of the$8 billion yearly allocation fromvarious services (army, navy, airforce and marines). Troop deploy-ment of US special forces overseastripled. Each day some 11,000troops of SOCOM are deployedoutside the US.

Currently heading the SOCOM isMaj. Gen. Joseph Votel, who wasrecently designated as next to headthe US Central Command (Cencom)covering the Middle East.

Since 2006, the number of SO-COM forces in the Pacific, includingthose in the Philippines, increasedfrom 7% to 10%. The percentage offorces deployed to the Middle Eastdecreased from 85% to 69%, whiledeployment to the European Com-mand (EUCOM), including the hot-spot Ukraine, doubled from 3% to6%. The largest increase is in theAfrica Command from 1% to 10%,reflective of growing interests inthat region.

Most of the deployed specialforces are placed under the territ-orial commands of the US, such asthe Special Operations Command-

Pacific (SOCPAC) which includes thePhilippines. There is also one sub-command operating clandestinely,the Joint Special Operations Com-mand (JSOC). JSOTF-P is underthis. Votel originated from this,which reputedly specializes inhunting and killing those it deemsas "terrorists."

The most elite of all special op-erations are undertaken by theJSOC. Its expertise is in covert,clandestine and "low-visibility" op-erations in the "hottest" places orcombat operations. This includedthe operation to assassinate AbuSabaya in Mindanao.

Most of SOCOM deployment isgeared towards training missions.These include individual-leveltraining such as rifle marksmanship,land navigation, airborne opera-tions, etc. They provide unit-leveltraining in subjects like small-unitoperations, counterterrorism oper-ations and maritime operations.SOF can also provide formalclassroom training in subjects likethe military decision-making pro-cess or staff planning.

From 2012 to 2014, SpecialOperations Forces (SOF) conducted500 Joint Combined ExchangeTraining (JCET) missions in 67countries yearly. Some 25,000troops from 77 countries joined inthese exercises from 2012-2013alone. It also conducted 75 train-ings in 30 countries in 2014; andplanned to launch 98 in 34 coun-tries last year.

The most number of JCETs in2012-2013 were carried out bythe SOCPAC. The most numer-

ous of these trainings in 2012were launched in the Philip-

pines. In 2013, there wereequal number of trainings

launched in the Philip-pines and Thailand.

(To be continued inthe next issue.)

ANG BAYAN February 7 , 2016 7

The New People's Army (NPA) in Bukidnon launched a series of attacks onpineapple and banana plantations during the last week of January to

resist the multinationals’ environmentally destructive planned expansion.

On January 25-30, NPA fightersdestroyed various destructive andpoison spraying heavy equipment ofthe big plantations to paralyzetheir operations and stop theirexpansion.

On January 25, a bulldozer,Hummer truck and generatorowned by Leo Wu, contractor ofDel Monte Philippines, Inc. inBarangay San Juan, Balingasag wastorched. Two days after, fourhectares of Del Monte’s MD2pineapple were razed in BarangayLapinigan, Libona, Bukidnon.

On January 30, the NPA burneda pineapple boom spray ofLapanday Company in BarangayLaguitas and a banana boom sprayof Dole Skyland. Also torched wereDel Monte’s two D150 Caterpillar

bulldozers in Barangay Gabunan,Casisang, Malaybalay City.

According to Allan Juanito,spokesperson of NPA-North CentralMindanao Region, soil excavationfor leveling plantations causesimilar destruction with that ofmining.

“For every hectare bulldozed,more than 150 tonnes or 70 dump-truck loads of soil would bedisplaced and eroded into streamsand rivers. This would desolateevery standing tree, grass andother undergrowth, as well as goodinsects that would be poisoned byinsect sprays and fertilizers,” headded.

“While the numerous peasantsand their families here in our regionwallow in intense poverty ...the

NPA raids Dole and Del Monteplantations in Bukidnon

imperialist companies of Del Monteand Dole-Itucho, includingLapanday of the Lorenzo family,continually indulge in expandingtheir plantations...For everyhectare of land used by theplantations, another hectareallotted to food crop production islost.”

Crops in these plantations arenot consumed by the farmers butgenerate large profits formultinationals that export them.Lapanday Foods produces morethan two million crates of pineappleyearly in its plantations in Aglayanand Maluko, Bukidnon.

Del Monte Pacific Ltd (DMPL),the largest pineapple plantation inthe world, harvests 700,000 tons ofpineapple yearly in Mindanao. DoleFood Company, in partnership withItochu Corporation of Japan, isknown as the world’s biggestsupplier of fresh fruit.

3rd SFB, "Magahat" suffer eight KIA, seven WIA

EIGHT were killed and seven wounded on the side of the3rd Special Forces Battalion (SFB) of the Philippine Armyand the paramilitary "Magahat" in three separateclashes against the New People’s Army last January 15-16 in Barangay Mabuhay, Prosperidad, Agusan del Sur.

A unit of the NPA-Front 19 ambushed a 12-man"Magahat" group in the morning of January 15, and an-other unit harassed the said paramilitary group in theafternoon. Two elements of the bandit "Magahat" werekilled. The next day, at around 9:20 a.m., 50 elements ofcombined 3rd SFB PA and "Magahat" troops assaultedthe NPA position in Sitio Kauswagan, BarangayMabuhay. Six enemy troops were killed while seven werewounded in almost 20 minutes of fighting.

According to Ka Maria Malaya, spokesperson of theNational Democratic Front-Northeastern Mindanao Re-gion, present in the operation were "Magahat" banditswho had been involved in killing Lumads. Residents re-ported the presence in the 3rd SFB operation of BobbyTejero, Romeo Banusan, Emie Perez, and Anit Belandres,

all under Kalpit Egwa.Bobby Tejero was involved in the massacre of

Lumads in Han-ayan, Diatagon, Lianga on September 1,2015. Anit Belandres is a brother of Marcial Belandreswho murdered Lumad leader Henry Alameda on October24, 2014 in Barangay San Isidro, Lianga, Surigao delSur.

Malaya added that the clashes are proof of theArmed Forces of the Philippines’ control of the criminalgroup of Tejero and Belandres, and that the AFP has nointention of arresting the "Magahat" for killing Lumads.

Meanwhile, three harassment operations were con-ducted by the Celso Minguez Command-NPA Sorsogonagainst troops of the 31st Infantry Battalion and PNPPublic Safety Battalion. An NPA team fired first at acolumn of enemy on operations in Barangay Tabi, Gubat,on January 27, 4:00 p.m. This was followed by two har-assment operations on enemy troops encamped at thebarangay hall of San Antonio, Barcelona on January 29,10 a.m. and in Bulacao, Gubat, that afternoon. The har-

February 7 , 2016 ANG BAYAN8

assment operations were carried out against enemytroops that have been conducting combat operations fora week in the towns of Gubat, Casiguran, Bacon, andBarcelona.

Meanwhile on January 25, a soldier of the PhilippineAir Force was killed in an encounter in Barangay Toong,

Tuy, Batangas. A group of Red fighters were on man-euvers on a hill when they caught sight of the soldiersand fired. A few hours after the incident, the PAF dis-patched a helicopter and strafed the areas aroundMount Batulao, causing fear among the residents ofbarangays Toong, Aga, Pulo, Boboc and San Jose.

Killings, militarizationheighten at start of 2016

The US-Aquino regime commenced the first month of its last year in officewith left-and-right killings, arrests, heightened militarization and other

human rights abuses. Most vicious of these was the slaying of three civiliansin Mindanao as well as in Masbate, illegal arrests in Sorsogon and the de-ployment of additional battalions of troops to Surigao.

Meanwhile, youth and studentleaders launched activities to de-mand the release of political detain-ees.

Negros Occidental. Karapatanrecorded four killed in the firstmonth of January. First was peasantactivist Benjie Sustento who waskidnapped on the night of January 9in his house in Lopez Jaena, Murcia,Negros Occidental. His body wasfound the next day, with torturemarks and bullet wounds in theface. He was blindfolded, gagged,with hands bound and dragged by avehicle several hundred meters onthe road. Sustento is a member ofthe National Federation of SugarWorkers. Before being killed,Sustento participated in the collect-ive cultivation of land and experi-enced harassment. Earlier,Sustento's brother was chargedwith arson by a land speculator.

Davao Oriental. Latest of thevictims last January was Christoph-er Matibay, 43, lider of the groupBarug Katawhan formed by victimsof Typhoon Pablo and one of theparticipants of the Manilakbayanlast year. Matibay was seated withhis wife at a waiting shed in Lamba-jon, Baganga, Davao Oriental at 4p.m. last January 18 when a motor-cycle-rider passed and stoppednearby. Matibay recognized him asan intelligence officer with the

codename "Mike" who had longbeen tailing him. When Matibay'swife stood up to buy supper, “Mike”shot Matibay before speeding off.Matibay sustained three gunshotwounds.

In Barangay Central of Mati,another activist, Ricky Peñaranda,chair of the Fishermen LandlessAssociation, was gunned down bymotorcycle-riding men.

Davao del Norte. Residents ofSitio Laslasakan, Sitio Nalubas andSitio Panga-an in Barangay PalmaGil and Sitio Pongpong in BarangayDagoho, Talaingod were forced toevacuate. This was several daysafter the paramilitary group Ala-mara killed a 15-year old studentnamed Alibando Tingkas (See AngBayan, January 21, 2016).

As a result, schools of the Sa-lugpongan Ta'tanu IgkanugonCommunity Learning Center in thesefour sitios were forced to shutdown. Teacher, students and othercivilians were forced to evacuate infear of further attacks by the para-military group.

Compostela Valley. Teresita“Bebing” Navacilla, a 60-year oldactivist, was attacked on the nightof January 27 in Barangay Kingking,Pantukan while she was tending herstore. She sustained wounds fromtwo bullets that grazed and flewpast the back of her head and nape.

After three days, Navacilla suc-cumbed to bullet wounds. Navacillajoined the struggle against theentry of the Nationwide Develop-ment Corporation (Nadecor) andthe St. Augustine Gold & CopperLimited, a Canadian firm. She wasa small-scale miner and chair ofthe Gumayan local community inKingking. She is the 54th victim ofextrajudicial killings in SouthernMindanao since 2010. She was alsoone of the convenors of the SavePantukan Movement, an allianceopposed to large-scale mining.

The afternoon she was killed,Navacilla paid a visit to GiovanniGutierrez, a fellow small-scaleminer and "abantero" or tunneldigger who is accused of being anNPA member and jailed ontrumped-up charges at the muni-cipal office of thePhilippine NationalPolice.

ANG BAYAN February 7 , 2016 9

National Greening Program,landgrabbing in Cagayan Valley

The National Greening Program (NGP) is a sham reforestation program ofthe US-Aquino regime. This is a landgrabbing scheme of big logging con-

cessionaires. (See Ang Bayan, December 7, 2015.) NGP is going full blast inCagayan Valley.

In the provinces of Isabela,Nueva Vizcaya and Quirino,

1,146,716 hectares or 67%of their total

1,700,000hectares

are classified as forestal althoughfarmers have long cleared, tilledand resided in these lands. Theseare areas of deep social discontentand resentment against the gov-ernment, due to the absence of landsecurity over the cultivated landsand partiality towards big foreignand local businesses. These are

lands coveted by land speculat-ors and logging plantation con-tractors.

In QuirinoIn the municipality of Diffun,

300 hectares previously planted tocorn by farmers of Barangay Mag-saysay, Campamento, San Pascualand Dumanise have been turnedinto gmelina plantations. The DENRincluded these in its reforestationprogram in 1997.

The people were deceived bythe DENR’s promises that farmerswill continue owning the land andreceive compensation for plantinggmelina. Supposedly they would beallowed to use the timber for theconstruction of their houses.

The former barangay captain ofMagsaysay came up with papersthat showed the approval of theresidents in declaring the area aForest Zone and allowing 300 hec-tares to be planted with gmelina.DENR deployed its personnel to the

Perpetrators of the killing werebelieved to be from the 46th IB thathave been on a rampage in Pan-tukan lately, arresting innocent ci-vilians and portraying them asmembers of the NPA and assaultingthe human rights of progressiveleaders in the area as well. The mil-itary primarily targets the small-scale miners, farmers and Lumad ofthe Mansaka tribe who are opposedto the full operations of Nadecorand St. Agustine Mining.

Nadecor is the sole claim ownerof mineral rights to 1,656 hectaresof Kingking property covering fourvillages of Pantukan includingKingking, Magnaga, Tagdangua andAraibo.

Before this, at the start of theyear, Renante Mantos, a leader ofthe Hugpong sa Mag-uuma sa Wa-log Compostela (Farmers solidarityin Walog o HUMAWAC), wascharged with trumped up cases ofillegal detention of his own neigh-bors.

Last year, two attempts weremade on the life of Isabello Tin-dasan, chair of the Compostela

Farmer's Association (CFA). CFA isopposing the entry of Agusan Pet-roleum Mining Company (AGPET), asubsidiary of San Miguel Corpora-tion owned by Eduardo Cojuangco,uncle of Benigno Aquino (See AngBayan, December 7, 2015).

Masbate. The NPA-Masbate(Jose Rapsing Command or JRC)identified the Charlie Company ofthe 9th IB as the perpetrator of theslaying of the Bartolabac, SanJacinto barangay captain in TicaoIsland this January. According tothe JRC, Brgy. Captain Rey S. En-cabo was forcibly killed "to silencehis firm commitment to defend thehuman rights of his fellow residentsin the barangay."

Councilor Robert “Bongbong” D.Almondiel who was with thebarangay captain at the time of themurder was also killed. Jay C.Amoradiel, 14, who witnessed thecrime was likewise killed. Encabo'sface was clubbed while his body wasalready sprawled on the groundwhile the teenager Jay's face wasalso blown up.

The JRC identified Corporal

Dangcalan and Sgt. Bustamante,both of the 9th IB that was operat-ing in the area at that time, as theperpetrators of the massacre.

Widespread protestsMeanwhile, student leaders

and writers of the PolytechnicUniversity of the Philippines wereprevented from visiting three de-tained youths in the Special In-tensive Care Area-1 in CampBagong Diwa, Bicutan last January17. The three detainees -- JaredMorales, Hermogenes Reyes Jr.,and Rex Villaflor -- are countedamong the 136 youth politicalprisoners in the country. An at-tempt by student leaders of UP tovisit Maricon Montajes, a detainedfilm student of the University ofthe Philippines, in the BatangasProvincial Jail was also denied.According to the guard on duty onthe day of the visit last January 24,the new jail warden, David QuimioJr., gave instructions not to allowthe visitors access to the politicalprisoners due the the "specialnature" of their case.

February 7 , 2016 ANG BAYAN10

area, among them Butch Marsanwho had American partners.

The promises were never ful-filled. The residents are forbiddento cut trees and to plant any crop intheir land that is covered by thecontract. At present, Marsan isclaiming the whole plantation. Heemployed forest rangers to guardagainst and threaten people whowant to reclaim their land. Becauseof this, several families have leftthe place. Marsan is also planningto sell the plantation due to dis-agreements with his American part-ner. This year, the gmelina planta-tion will be expanded to 500hectares as per agreement with theNGP.

In IsabelaMore than 200,000 hectares

were covered by the province’s In-tegrated Social Forestry Program.This contained countless rules, reg-ulations and prohibitions that droveresidents and tillers away from themountains. In cancelling the Indus-trial Forest Management Agree-ment (IFMA) applications in themunicipality of San Mariano, thefoothills of Sierra Madre are nowcovered by the NGP. A P50,000-per-hectare fund is available forthis program.

In Brgy. Disulap, 4Ps benefi-ciaries are required to plant trees.They are threatened exclusion fromthe list of beneficiaries if they donot comply. This is still implemen-ted by the DENR in coordinationwith the Department of Social Wel-fare and Development. Farmers arealso offered contracts to “reforest”the lands they are cultivating. Theyare offered P10 per seedling or iffunds are available, as much asP10,000 per hectare. In this man-ner, a bigger chunk of the funds, orP40,000 per hectare, is pocketed byDENR officials.

Local politicians Rep. Ana Goand Jun Carreon commissioned ahelicopter survey of their almost1,000-hectare former concessionin the Barangay Minanga, Disusuanand Dibuluan tri-boundary. SonnyRodriguez, an official of the Na-tional Commission on IndigenousPeoples, has a share in these lands.These are productive lands longoccupied and tilled by Ilocanos,Ibanag, Kalinga, Ifugao and Aggaypeoples. Landgrabbers are seizingthe opportunities provided by thenew law that allows the use ofthese areas for biofuel production.

The NGP will also cover 100hectares occupied by Agta andIfugao peoples in the barangays of

San Jose and Casala. Bioethanolinvestors use coercion and decept-ive offers of payment to take ad-vantage of the difficult living con-ditions of the indigenous people.The land delineation survey in2014 was accompanied by opera-tions of the 86th Infantry Bat-talion.

The greed of people who are inbusiness and power is beyondmeasure. They will occupy whateverland is available. They take turnsenjoying the benefits of the landproduced by generations of farm-ers. They blatantly appropriate thewealth borne out of the people’s la-bour through reactionary laws andmight of their mercenaries and sol-diers.

In the face of this greed andviciousness, the people understandthat their aspirations for freedomand justice will be achieved onlythrough resistance. Resistance notonly to sham programs like refor-estation, but resistance to imperi-alist economic, political and militarycontrol of the lives of the peoplethrough the overthrow of a govern-ment subservient to the imperialistsand establishment of a truly pro-peasant and pro-people govern-ment. (From Baringkuas corres-pondent.)

China economic slowdown and threats ofworsening global crisis

Stock markets across the world slumped almost all at the sametime during the first week of trading this 2016. The big capit-

alist bankers and investors trembled at the threat of another fin-ancial storm and the worsening of the global capitalist system'sprotracted depression.

The stock markets dipped after the release ofdata indicating a slowdown in the China economy. Itshows that last December, industrial productiongrowth slowed to 5.9% from 6% in November. Growthof retail trade also slowed down from 11.3% lastNovember to 11.1% in December.

While these show only a slight slowdown in theChina economy, these have shaken the financial spec-

ulatorsand in-vestorsin stocks and otherfinancial instruments.They have been keeping watch ofany indication of a slump in the Chinaeconomy that will pull the global capitalist system to

ANG BAYAN February 7 , 2016 11

a worse crisis.In 2009, China poured $587

billion for economic invigoration,most of which went to housing andinfrastructure such as modern railsand highspeed trains, wide roads,ports and others. China also pouredlarge funds into Africa. Last 2015,China financed one-fourth of theinitial $100 billion fund of the AsianInfrastructure Investment Bank(AIIB), with which it expects tofund large-scale infrastructure pro-jects under the New Silk Road. Al-most half of the $100 billion fund ofthe New Development Bank (BRICSbank) also came from China.

China has been investing inbackward countries classified as"emerging" economies. But this hasaccomplished little in reviving theinternational economy and hasfailed to moderate the crisis ofoverproduction in the capitalistcountries. A number of China pro-jects, such as the oil pipeline fromSiberia might no longer be pursued.The "special economic zone" it es-tablished in its border with Kazakh-stan, another project under theNew Silk Road, is almost aban-doned.

Despite the size of the China

economy, it is now also feeling thegrowing problem of overproduction.It has been in the process of slow-ing down over the past years. Afteralmost two decades of rapid capit-alist expansion since the end of the1980s, the growth of the China eco-nomy has slowed down concurrentwith the collapse of big banks in2008.

There is a growing inventory ofunsold goods including houses, cell-phones, electronic products andothers. There is a growing numberof companies that are folding up orgoing bankrupt. As a result, there isa growing number of workers whohave been kicked out of work.

Over the past five years, thegrowth of the China economy hasbeen moderately slowing down(measured in gross domesticproduct) from 7.7% (in 2012), to7.6% (2013), to 7.3% (2014) and6.9% last year, the lowest since1990. This is expected to go downfurther to 6.5% this year.

Even if the China economyslowdown is moderate, this hasprofound effects on many econom-ies that are tightly bound to it. In2012, China has become thebiggest trading partner of 124

countries. (Compare this to the USwhich is the biggest trading partnerof 76 countries.) As much as 5% ofthe income of US companies comefrom China. There are some com-panies such as Pizza Hut and Ken-tucky Fried Chicken which earn upto 50% of their income in China.Some European companies alsoearn 10% of their income fromChina.

China has been relentlessly de-fending the value of the yuanagainst the dollar so that it con-tinues to dominate the export mar-ket. From September 2014, Chinahas poured $443 billion to preventthe yuan from undergoing largefluctuations.

Despite the size of the Chineseeconomy, it cannot serve for longas the "machine" that will run theinternational capitalist system andpush it towards recovery and re-activation. On the contrary, theoverheating of the China machinecontributes to aggravating thecrisis of overproduction across thecountry. On the other hand, theprolonged depression of the globalcapitalist system has slowed downChina and is pulling it into a crisis ofoverproduction.

Farmers demand free irrigation

FARMERS from Tarlac, Nueva Ecija, Bulacan and Isabelarallied in front of the National Irrigation Administration(NIA) in Quezon City last January 21 to demand freeirrigation services for farmers. The protest action was ledby the Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP).

According to the KMP, farmers are commonly madeto pay an annual P4,500 in irrigation service fees (ISF)or an amount equal to five cavans of palay per hectarewith exhorbitant interests. Farmers are required to payISF to the Irrigators Association (IA) even if they havenot received any water or even if there is no irrigation intheir area.

"Given the strategic importance of irrigation inpursuing sustained agricultural development, rice self-sufficiency, food security, and the upliftment of Filipinofarmers' welfare, it is the obligation of the government toprovide free irrigation services," asserted KMP chairRafael Mariano.

Instead of providing subsidies to irrigation, what the

Aquino regime is funding are big dam projects such as theBalog-Balog Multipurpose Dam Project in Tarlac that willbenefit the Hacienda Luisita of the Aquino-Cojuangcosand the Jalaur Multipurpose Dam Project in Iloilo that isbeing pushed by Franklin Drilon, Aquino's partymate inthe Liberal Party.

The large irrigation fees that raise the costs ofproduction are burdensome to the peasants. Up to 80% ofthe monies being collected by the NIA are farmers' debt.

The KMP also denounced the anomalies at the NIA. Itquestioned the severalfold increase in the NIA budgetfrom P2.4 billion in 2014 to P28.7 billion in 2015 andP32.7 billion this year. Last year, it only completed 1,905hectares in irrigation works out of a target of 7,502hectares and repaired 8,609 hectares out of a target of24,541 hectares.

The demand for free irrigation services has becomemore urgent in the face of droughts brought about by theEl Niño phenomenon.