April 7, 2020 Has Become More Than Ures
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Pahayagan ng Partido Komunista ng Pilipinas ANG Pinapatnubayan ng Marxismo-Leninismo-Maoismo Vol. LI No. 7 Abril 7, 2020 www.cpp.ph EDITORIAL The Covid-19 pandemic has become more than just a health concern rom being a health crisis, the situation brought about by the Covid-19 mass organizations, private associ- pandemic has rapidly developed into an economic, social and political ations and other groups. crisis. More and more get infected and die in the Philippines and across Duterte is using an iron fist in Fthe globe. Simultaneously, more and more Filipinos suffer from hunger, dis- facing the public health crisis. He ease and other hardships brought about by Duterte's lockdown imposed has deployed police personnel and without comprehensive, sufficient and immediate health and economic mea- soldiers at the frontline and in sures in place. command of the government's ma- chinery to address the health crisis. The Duterte government is too tion is exposed with its procure- He further suppressed the people's slow to implement much needed ment of overpriced equipment. right to speech and assembly. mass testing as an immediate mea- The longer the lockdown, mil- Duterte openly threatened anyone sure to contain the spread of the lions more are made to suffer from who will not abide by his rules and disease. Three weeks since the hunger by the government. The "incite chaos" with a shoot to kill lockdown, only more or less 19,000 budget allocated is way too insuffi- order. Duterte imposes terror while individuals have been tested while cient to compensate all those who the masses are distressed and left this has to be extensively conducted lost their jobs and income. The dis- hungry by the lockdown and negli- in communities. Despite the powers tribution of aid came very late and gent government. given Duterte to realign public many are yet to be compensated. The longer the lockdown, funds, only a small amount was al- Officials of various agencies are Duterte's incompetence and inca- located to support health workers passing the buck. It has become pability to rule and comprehensively and aid public hospitals to keep up stark that the Duterte government is address the people's plight is fur- with the pandemic. The government incompetent and incapable of lead- ther exposed. Millions of toiling is acting too slow amid supply ing amid the crisis. Many are depen- masses and the middle class are shortages and is relying on initia- dent on the quicker and more exten- becoming more desperate because tives by the private sector. Corrup- sive aid provided by volunteers, of hunger, scarcity and depletion of their savings and loss of livelihood. They must continue to demand must act in their numbers to fight In the countryside, the peasant an end to the lockdown and for im- and surmount Duterte's threat to masses are driven to deeper poverty plementation of measures such as suppress all mass actions. by roadblocks preventing the free mass screening and testing in com- To face the Covid-19 pandemic flow of farm produce, and restrictions munities in order to immediately and in response to the United Na- on transportation and food purchase. contain and prevent the spread of tion's call for a "global ceasefire,' Despite Duterte's ceasefire declara- the virus. Thousands of health the Party declared a ceasefire on tion, AFP and PNP counterinsurgency workers and volunteers must be March 26 that will remain in effect operations continue unabated and mobilized, trained, and provided until April 15. We directed NPA have intensified. At least 146 with sufficient funds and equip- units to focus on providing health barangays are currently occupied by ment. Now is the time to clamor for services in barrios despite being the military. In some areas, soldiers the strengthening of public hospi- continuously disrupted by AFP op- conduct house-to-house inspections tals instead of undermining these erations and raids which have re- without wearing face masks to pre- under the policy of spending cuts on sulted in at least seven armed en- vent the spread of the disease. Under health services. counters. Amid relentless AFP the guise of fighting the spread of While Duterte's lockdown is in offensives, the Party reminded all Covid-19, soldiers mounted check- place, the people must demand the NPA units to uphold their discipline points to restrict travel and prevent quick distribution of sufficient aid in maintaining secrecy to deny the people from tending their farmlands for all. They must hold the Duterte enemy an opportunity to attack and and buying food. regime accountable for its slow, in- to ensure wide latitude for the NPA To beat and contain the pan- sufficient and non-transparent dis- to continuously provide services to demic, the Filipino people need to tribution of aid. the masses. Organizations and stand up, act collectively and work Amid the lockdown, the collec- forces in the countryside must be together to prevent the spread of tive aspirations of the people are mobilized to assert economic de- the disease and demand the go- primarily gathered in urban and ru- mands and plan for increasing food vernment to provide aid in this time ral poor communities. The people's production in preparation for the of crisis. At the same time, they hardships are concentrated in these imminent shortage due to the lock- must defend their rights and wel- areas. Communities must creatively down and production stoppage. fare that are being trampled upon act to collectively express the entire While Duterte insists on his by the regime's militarist solution. nation's plight and demands. They fascist dictatorial methods, he continues to isolate himself from ANG Contents the people. Duterte stinks even more because of the Covid-19 crisis Editorial: The Covid-19 pandemic brought about by his regime's fail- Vol LI No. 7 | April 7, 2020 has become more than ures. His regime is shaken by crum- just a health concern 1 bling support. Every time his dirty Ang Ang Bayan is published Lockdown rouses anger 3 mouth opens and with his every in Pilipino, Bisaya, Iloko, Where is the people's money? 4 misstep, he further enrages the Hiligaynon, Waray and English. people and fires up their courage. Frontliners' just demand 4 Ang Bayan welcomes He has at times gave in to people's Looming food shortage 5 contributions in the form demands to ease the situation. It of articles and news items. Cuba's medical services 5 remains to be seen whether he can Readers are encouraged Covid-19 infections worldwide 6 stop the people's anger from boiling to send feedback and Free all political prisoners 6 over or if he will be totally engulfed recommendations Mass clinic 7 by the people's burning anger. for improving our newspaper. 51st NPA anniversary 7 The heavy impact of the Covid- 19 in the Philippines exposes the Ceasefire alert 8 rottenness and fundamental con- Bukidnon bombinb spree 9 instagram.com/prwcnewsroom tradiction of the ruling semicolonial Peasant leader killed in Surigao 10 and semifeudal system. It revealed @prwc_info ASF pandemic 10 the incapacity of the ruling state to [email protected] Hog raisers incur huge losses 11 address the plight of the people. The need for revolutionary change to establish a new people's demo- Ang Bayan is published fortnightly by the Central Committee cratic system that will uphold the of the Communist Party of the Philippines interests of the Filipino people has become ever clearer. 2 April 7 , 2 02 0 ANG BAYAN Lockdown rouses anger, esprit de corps he lockdown has failed to prevent the breakout of the people's outrage ment, were lauded for their initia- Tover the regime's blunders in facing the Covid-19 crisis. tives to help health workers and those adversely affected by the On April 1, residents of Sitio Tricycle drivers also trooped to the lockdown. Atty. Chel Diokno, who San Roque, Barangay Bagong Pag- office of Gov. Edgardo Tallado in volunteered to provide legal assis- asa, Quezon City protested to de- Camarines Norte. tance for people being harassed by mand quick distribution of food aid. Meanwhile, residents of Bara- the NBI, also received wide support More than 6,000 residents live in ngay Muzon, Taytay, Rizal trooped after being harassed and insulted the said community, majority of to their barangay hall twice (March by Duterte. whom are odd jobbers who survive 24 and April 2) to demand that they On April 5, the call #Defend- on daily incomes. The local govern- be given aid. PressFreedom also trended in de- ment in the area has long sought to fense of Joshua Molo, editor-in- evict residents to pave way for the Online protest chief of Dawn, the student publica- construction of malls and other Many sectors, especially the tion of the University of the East, commercial establishments. youth and professionals, expressed who was threatened to be arrested Instead of addressing their their raging anger against Duterte and coerced to publicly apologize plight, police personnel dispersed through the internet as going out for posting anti-Duterte statements the peaceful rally and arrested 21 and assembly are restricted. They in Facebook. protesters. They were detained and continuously criticized the govern- threatened to be kept in jail until ment's failure to provide health Esprit de corps in the lifting of the lockdown. In a workers with sufficient face masks, beating Covid-19 video broadcast that evening, thermal scanners and other perso- In the absence of adequate Duterte ordered the PNP to shoot nal protective equipment (PPE). government assistance, aid poured anyone who will "resist." His In social media, they criticized out from various groups and indi- marching order has further stoked the regime for giving special priority viduals to help health workers and the people's raging anger.