Pahayagan ng Partido Komunista ng Pilipinas ANG Pinapatnubayan ng Marxismo-Leninismo-Maoismo English Edition Vol XLII No. 16 August 21, 2011 www.philippinerevolution.net

Editoryal Resist the US imperialist charter change scheme

n collusion with the puppet officials of the away with national minimum wage standards. The Aquino government, US imperialism is now Herrerra Law also amended the Labor Code, Ivigorously pushing for the amendment of the paving the way for labor contractualization and 1987 Philippine constitution. In another case of additional restrictions on the right to strike. Cap- brazen US intervention in the country's internal italists made use of these laws to further depress affairs, the US is campaigning for the removal of wages and block workers from forming unions. For provisions in the constitution that prohibit for- the past 20 years, workers' wages have been vir- eign corporations from having majority control tually at a standstill, falling way behind the rap- over companies operating in the . id rise in the cost of living and condemning Fil- The Filipino people must strongly oppose ipino workers to ever worsening social condi- these US imperialist maneuvers as they further tions. Since then, the number of unions and trample on the Philippines' economic sovereignty unionized workers in the Philippines has dropped which has already taken a severe beating in the by almost 70%. last 25 years due to the policies of liberalization, Successive IMF-approved Medium Term Philip- deregulation, privatization and denationaliza- pine Development Plans (MTPDPs) were imple- tion. The amendments being pushed by the US mented by the Aquino, will complete the economic recolonization of the Ramos, Estrada and Arroyo Philippines and lead to ever deeper crisis. regimes. All these were In reality, though, the provisions of the marked by efforts to 1987 constitution which are supposed to bring in foreign protect economic sovereignty have never really stopped the imperialists from plun- dering the Philippines' national patrimo- ny. Since the late 1980s, successive pup- pet regimes have strictly adhered to poli- cies imposed by the International Mon- etary Fund in exchange for new credit. All of these policies sought to further open up the economy to the operations of foreign monopoly capitalists and dis- mantle tariffs on foreign trade. In line with these policies, numerous laws have been passed which directly contravened the reactionary constitution of 1987. To “attract” foreign investments, the rights of Filipino workers were suppressed and wage hikes curtailed. The Wage Rationaliza- tion Act which was passed in 1989 did

This issue’s 4Ps, burdening 4 BJMP officials Worsening US debt and deceiving declared as POW crisis highlights... the poor PAGE 3 PAGE 7 PAGE 13 investors to do business in the past puppet regimes. However, slashes. Philippines and take advantage for 65 years under the neocolo- In pushing for amendments of cheap Philippine labor. For- nial republic, the Philippine to the 1987 constitution, the US eign capital was invested in pri- economy has been in a constant imperialists and their local po- vatized and deregulated indus- state of crisis, unable to achieve litical henchmen aim to do away tries such as power generation, self-reliance and always de- with all pretensions to econom- water and electricity distribu- pendent on foreign loans and ic sovereignty. They seek to tion utilities, road infrastruc- capital infusion. The wealth cre- break down all barriers and al- ture, transportation and in busi- ated by the Filipino peasantry low foreign big capital to plun- ness process outsourcing to take and working class is constantly der the local economy with im- advantage of the deregulated being siphoned out by big for- punity. regime and generate assured eign capitalists and consumed The US imperialist push to profits for big foreign monopoly by the parasitic local ruling amend the Philippine constitu- capitalists. classes. tion is closely linked to efforts However, none of these pro- Unemployment, landless- of the US government to resolve grams was able to address the ness, poverty, hunger, homeless- the US economic recession. By need to develop the local econ- ness, disease and other social seeking to shatter the economic omy in the last 25 years. There maladies have worsened from boundaries of the Philippines has been a continuous decline one decade to another. As the and other semicolonies, it aims in manufacturing, which is gen- ruling puppet states constantly to open up the remaining eco- erally considered the engine of serve the interests of big foreign nomic frontiers for American an economy that creates value. capital, they have been increas- capitalists to expand sources of The number of manufacturing ingly unable to address the peo- raw materials and cheap labor. firms has fallen from 7,500 in ple's economic needs and have It seeks to subject the Filipino 1999 to just 4,600 in 2008 with constantly shifted the burden of working class to ever disastrous a concomitant drop in employ- crisis on the working people. working terms and conditions. ment from 1.1 million to Foreign capitalists have been It aims to further drown the Fil- 860,000 or a decline of 4% per- provided with tax incentives ipino peasantry in debt and cent in its share in total em- and tax havens, but the broad bankruptcy as a result of the un- ployment. Manufacturing con- masses have been burdened mitigated dumping of foreign tributes only around 23% of the with more and more taxes. For- agricultural products. total Gross Domestic Prod- eign capitalists have been given US imperialism and its pup- uct—the same level it was in full rein to raise prices, but pets are acutely aware of the more than 50 years ago. workers' wages have been con- political dangers of coming all- For several decades now, "at- stantly held back. More and out for charter change. Under tracting foreign investments" more funds have been allocated the past three regimes, at- has been the key element in the to partner with foreign big busi- tempts to push for charter economic programs designed by ness but social services have change were widely opposed by IMF-trained technocrats of all suffered ever bigger budget the people as these have been invariably linked to the political ambitions of the ruling clique. ANG Contents In pushing for charter change, the tacticians of the US Embassy Vol XLII No. 16 August 21, 2011 Editorial: Resist US imperialist in Manila are trying to generate charter change scheme 1 a pro-"chacha" groundswell by Ang Bayan is published in Pilipino, Legalized plunder 3 Bisaya, Iloko, Hiligaynon, Waray and gathering the support of key of- 4Ps, a burden to the people 3 English editions. ficials of the judiciary and legis- Victorious tactical offensives It is available for downloading at lature. A number of them have the Web Central Offensives in Masbate 4 located at: Offensives in Samar 4 issued statements in favor of www.philippinerevolution.org. NPA raids safehouse in Batangas 6 amending the 1987 constitu- Ang Bayan welcomes contributions BJMP officials, declared as POWs 7 tion, carefully avoiding the is- in the form of articles and news. Peasant offensive in ST 8 sue of extending the terms of Readers are likewise enjoined to send Mining in Jiabong 9 in their comments and suggestions for Fascist state on a rampage 10 office of government officials. the betterment of our publication. You However, if the US and its can reach us by email at: Worsening US debt crisis 12 [email protected] News 13 puppets decisively push "chacha", they will ultimately Ang Bayan is published fortnightly by the Central Committee have to contend with the Fil- of the Communist Party of the Philippines ipino people's determined re-

2 ANG BAYAN August 21, 2011 sistance to further imperialist domination, op- ditions resulting from the IMF-imposed policies of pression and exploitation. To resist the US-insti- liberalization, deregulation, privatization and de- gated "chacha" is to resist the neoliberal frame- nationalization, the Filipino people clamor for na- work of imperialist globalization. The people op- tional sovereignty and the need for nationalism pose the complete breakdown of barriers that in the field of economics. They demand an end to shield the people from oppression and exploita- foreign economic domination and want an eco- tion by foreign capitalists. nomic policy that puts the interests of the Fil- After almost three decades of worsening con- ipino people above all else. ~

Legalized plunder 4Ps: Burdening n the past 25 years, several and deceiving the poor Ilaws were enacted to pave the way for the foreign plunder of the country. In 1987, the he Aquino regime has been drumbeating the Programang Omnibus Investments Code Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino (4Ps) as the engine that will was passed which allowed Traise the poorest of the poor from their impoverished state. 100% foreign ownership of lo- In reality, it is a grandiose program to deceive the people into cal enterprises in so-called pi- believing that the regime has a genuine program to wipe out oneer projects and priority ar- poverty when it in fact serves the interests of big foreign capi- eas of investment. Investment talists. laws for foreign capitalists After years of implementation since Arroyo's time, the pro- were further liberalized by the gram has failed to cause any significant change in the living Foreign Investments Act of conditions of the millions of poor. The people do not want dole- 1991, which also provided for outs. They demand jobs, higher wages, housing, education and more incentives to foreign in- health. Aquino's 4Ps has been nothing but a burden to the peo- vestors. ple. In subsequent years, more Deceiving the people. Aquino's 4Ps is in fact a program to laws were passed favoring for- cover up the ruling regime's failure to take measures to resolve eign capitalists. widespread unemployment, landgrabbing and landlessness, low The Special Economic Zone wages and rising prices that have caused Act of 1995 was passed, the people untold suffering. Aquino im- paving the way for the cre- plements 4Ps to pave the way for priva- ation of special economic tization and deregulation. zones in Cagayan, Zamboanga The Aquino regime boasts that the City and the Calabarzon area program has already benefited up to where foreign investors were 100,000 families. He therefore plans given full freedom to operate. to allot `39.5 billion for 4Ps in the The Mining Act of 1995 was 2012 budget (up from `21.2 bil- enacted, paving the way for lion this year) ostensibly to ben- foreign control over vast tracts efit as many as 700,000 families of land for mining operations. next year. The Aquino regime is do- The General Agreement on ing this, however, at the expense of Tariffs and Trade (GATT) which social services such as health and ed- was ratified in 1994 served as ucation. the framework for the allout Aquino has been deflecting public attention liberalization of trade and in- from the huge budget cuts in education, health and other social vestment laws. services. He gives out cash grants with one hand, but slashes Also approved were the more badly needed funds with the other. Bank Liberalization Law of He makes much of the funds being allocated to pregnant 1994, the Build-Operate-Trans- women, but has ordered the closure of several public hospitals. fer Law of 1994, the Mining The regime doles out `15 for every child in school, but has Act of 1995, the Oil Deregula- slashed more than a billion pesos from the budgetary allotments tion Law of 1997 and the In- of state colleges and universities. On the other hand, the Aquino vestment House Liberalization regime continues to beef up funds for joint ventures with big Act of 1997. ~ foreign capitalists and to service the country's foreign debt. Burden on the people. Proof of its lack of genuine concern

ANG BAYAN August 21, 2011 3 for the poor, the Aquino regime has been implementing 4Ps in a 4 soldiers killed in back to back NPA way that adds to the burdens of its supposed beneficiaries in- attacks in Aurora stead of providing them relief. It requires families enrolled in our soldiers from the 48th IB were killed in two successive the program to go through bu- Foffensives launched by Red fighters of the New People's reaucratic wringers just to be Army (NPA) in Barangay Diteki, San Luis, Aurora. able to receive a few measly pe- An NPA unit closed in and opened fire on more than 20 sos. soldiers using the Diteki barangay hall as a detachment at The poor are in a daze trying around 11:15 p.m. on August 12. to comply with so many requi- The day after, another NPA unit used command-detonated sites in exchange for a pittance. explosives and fired at reinforcement troops from the 48th IB There is an inescapable feeling at 9:10 a.m. The reinforcements were on their way home to of being treated like mendicants their headquarters in Baler aboard two trucks and an armored who have to grovel to prove personnel carrier when a CDX hit the lead truck, causing it to their poverty in order to be cov- obstruct the road. ~ ered by the program. Worse, beneficiaries are expected to comply uncomplainingly with Parent-beneficiaries are the list, however, remained just the dictates of the Department obliged to attend meetings that. They have not received of Social Welfare and Develop- called by the DSWD. The higher any benefits even if their papers ment (DSWD) whether or not the position attained by a ben- have all been processed. these are helpful to them. eficiary, the more meetings he Among the old beneficiaries, Burden to the urban poor. has to attend. His absence re- some have stopped receiving A study conducted by the Center sults in a `500 deduction from their cash grants or have been for Women's Resources, an insti- his cash grant. Beneficiaries receiving reduced amounts. tution that advocates women's must comply with the DSWD's There are families who are very rights has revealed the big every dictate whether or not poor but have not been includ- swindle that is 4Ps. Covering there is a need for it. For exam- ed in the list of beneficiaries. most of , some ple, they are required to take There are well-off families such provinces in the Bicol region their children for checkups in as landlords, merchants or rich and the islands of Mindoro and public health centers, rain or peasants who are included be- , the study notes the shine, in order to continue re- cause they are close to village irony behind the fact that pro- ceiving their cash grants. The officials. gram applicants have to cough parents see this as a useless ex- In a town in Northern Samar, up `350 to obtain the docu- ercise, since they do not have 4Ps has become a money-mak- ments required by the DSWD—a any money to buy the medicines ing venture. A businessman in significant amount to the gen- prescribed if their children do cahoots with the governor and uinely poor. Bereft of funds, get sick. local DSWD officials collects the they end up borrowing money to Children are required to go cash grants from a bank in the be able to comply. to school every day in order to provincial capital using the ben- The distribution of cash receive their `15 daily allot- eficiaries' ATM cards. This is grants is chaotic, irregular and ment. But in Metro Manila, el- done allegedly to save the ben- delayed. Many of the beneficiar- ementary school children al- eficiaries the trouble of spend- ies have to spend for trans- ready have to spend `50-100 ing for transportation and food portation fare to be able to go daily. Should a schoolchild's in traveling to the capital. In to the offices or banks where attendance drop below 85%, exchange, he collects a 10% fee. the funds are deposited. In his `15 daily allowance is can- 4Ps has also been used as many instances, they leave celled. leverage during elections. Last empty-handed and have to bor- Burden to the peasantry. In year, some candidates threat- row money for their fare home. Eastern , additional ened voters that they would be They have to check daily funds for 4Ps meant adding dropped from the list of benefi- whether the money has arrived. more names to the list of bene- ciaries if they failed to vote for If the money comes and they ficiaries. Months have passed them. The program has also fail to collect it in three days, it since the new beneficiaries were been used to divide the masses automatically disappears from promised quarterly assistance. and foment discord among the account. Most or all of the new names on them. ~

4 ANG BAYAN August 21, 2011 VICTORIOUS TACTICAL OFFENSIVES

Victorious tactical offensives the Santos Binamira Command (SBC) launched a series of mili- in Masbate and other tary actions against AFP troops and CAFGU elements in Albay in the first half of August. This was provinces in response to the Albayanos' he New People's Army (NPA) in Bicol successfully meted blows demand that justice be meted on troops of the 9th Infantry Division of the Philippine Army on the military and CAFGU Tand the Philippine National Police (PNP) that have been re- henchmen who wreaked havoc lentlessly launching the counterrevolutionary campaign Oplan in their villages during their Bayanihan (OPB). military operations. SBC operatives ambushed Red fighters conducted a se- Provincial Mobile Group coming Benedicto Lea, a rabid military ries of coordinated strikes in the from the adjacent city of Mas- asset, in Barangay Caguiba, Ca- provinces of Masbate, Sorsogon, bate attempted to reinforce the malig on August 13. Another Albay and Camarines Sur on Au- beleaguered policemen but were team from the SBC ambushed gust 14 that resulted in several ambushed by Red fighters when Pfc. Leo Salcedo of the 83rd IB casualties among the fascist they reached Barangay Tugbo in along the boundary of Inarado Armed Forces of the Philippines Mobo town. The policemen were and Alobo villages in Daraga on (AFP) and the PNP. forced to retreat to Masbate City August 8. Seized from him was a A composite of NPA units with their wounded. cal .45 pistol. undertook the victorious offen- Troops from the PNP Special An SBC team also rained bul- sives. Action Force based in Barangay lets on the 22nd IB detachment The Red fighters attacked Lalaguna, Mobo and from the in Barangay Francia, Ligao City the Mobo Municipal Police Sta- 9th IB Bravo Company based in on August 7. A few hours be- tion at around 2:30 a.m., Barangay Armenia, Uson town fore, an SBC team sniped 2nd IB wounding three policemen. By also failed to come to the rescue troops in Barangay Malobago, 10 a.m., another guerrilla unit when they were blocked and Guinobatan. That same day, a used command-detonated ex- met by a hail of bullets by Red unit under the SBC ambushed plosives on reinforcement fighters. Salvador Caneso, 23, an active troops from the 9th IB who were The NPA also harassed the informer of the 22nd IB. aboard a truck in Barangay detachments of the 22nd IB and SBC guerrilla units also ha- Mayrangan, Masbate City. Four CAFGU in Barangay Alanao, rassed 22nd IB troops in soldiers were killed and several Lupi, Camarines Sur and Barangay Nagas in Oas town on others were wounded in this Barangay Mayon, Castilla, Sor- August 6 and 2nd IB troops in ambush. sogon. Barangay Balolo, Guinobatan Troops from the 506th PNP Meanwhile, Red fighters from town on August 1. ~

NPA launches offensive against 8th ID in Samar

he New People's Army (NPA) launched a se- ing on the construction and repair of roads that ries of tactical offensives in Samar province will facilitate the massive deployment of troops Tagainst the 8th ID's search and destroy mis- launching search and destroy military operations sions masquerading as peace and development in the entire island. operations under Oplan Bayanihan (OPB). The following tactical offensives were According to the Efren Martires Command launched. (NPA-Eastern Visayas), tactical offensives have July 20. According to the latest reports from been intensifying in Samar since June to resist the Arnulfo Ortiz Command, a K3 machine gun, Oplan Bayanihan's rampage. OPB has been focus- two M16s, three .45 pistols, more than 2,000

ANG BAYAN August 21, 2011 5 VICTORIOUS TACTICAL OFFENSIVES

rounds of ammunition of various cal- Barangay Lagundi, Catbalogan, iber, a box of mortar shells and important Samar. documents, among others, were seized by Red June 26. NPA special opera- fighters in an ambush on a five-vehicle con- tives ambushed Balontoy Sosing, voy of the 34th IB along the boundary of an important intelligence asset of the Barangays Concepcion and Canligues in military. Paranas, Samar. AB had earlier report- June 6. Three sol- ed in its August 7, 2011 issue that a diers were killed and sergeant was killed and six others another one was were wounded when the NPA used wounded when mem- command-detonated explosives on bers of the Serafin the convoy before opening fire. Pacimos Command July 13. The NPA confiscated a 9 rained bullets on a unit mm pistol, a .38 revolver, a .38 pistol and two of the 8th ID in Barangay Matuguinao. There were laptops in a raid on the Sub-provincial Jail in no casualties among the Red fighters. ~ NPA raids PSOG safehouse in Batangas

artisan operatives under the Edgardo Dagli tacked by Red fighters. Wounded were 2Lt. Rigor Command (NPA-Batangas) raided a safe- Borja and Cpl. Juanito Fernando of the 47th IB Phouse of the Philippine National Police Peace and Development Team and Roderick “Eric” Provincial Special Operations Group (PSOG) in Samulde, a notorious intelligence asset. Other Barangay Talisay, Calatagan, Batangas on August soldiers who were in another house and a nearby 11, at around 7:15 p.m. The partisans encoun- basketball court scampered towards their detach- tered a PSOG officer named Rico Puno and two ment half a kilometer away when the shooting others who served as guards. Puno, the PSOG's in- began. They did not even bother to help their telligence chief in the province faces wounded, including their commanding officer. several criminal cases against the The partisan operation in Sitio Bactolon revolutionary movement and the shows that despite the military's lies and the people in western Batangas. alleged surrender of local mass leaders, The PSOG safehouse was the enemy's intelligence network re- hidden behind a poultry mains a failure and the armed revolu- farm also owned by tion continues to advance. Puno. But the NPA In Mountain Province, resi- was able to launch dents angered by military abuses the attack after re- burned down a CAFGU detach- ceiving complaints ment in Sitio Opucan, Barangay from the people. The Poblacion, Sadanga on the night of safehouse served as a meeting place for the July 22. The detachment which was PSOG's armed personnel and was also where syn- built by the 77th and 54th IB was dicates run by Puno and the PSOG kept their manned by ten paramilitaries and firearms. Puno traded shots with the partisans for the AFP cadreman assigned to a few minutes. He was wounded but was able to them. The residents entered escape. Seized from the safehouse was a carbine the detachment while the and a cal .45 pistol. paramilitary forces were con- Meanwhile, in , the Arman- ducting operations. do Sumayang Jr. Command of the Southwest Ne- The residents reportedly burned the detach- gros Front reported that two soldiers of the ment to drive out the CAFGU elements who have Philippine Army 47th IB and one of its intelli- been endangering their village. The detachment gence assets were wounded in an NPA partisan is located at the entrance to the village center. operation in Sipalay City on August 5. The soldiers are building a bigger detachment to The soldiers and their asset were having a accommodate more troops from the 54th Engi- drinking spree at a videoke house in Sitio Bac- neering Brigade, despite opposition from the res- tolon, Barangay Camindangan when they were at- idents. ~

6 ANG BAYAN August 21, 2011 4 BJMP officials Peasant declared as POWs offensives

our officers of the Ozamiz City Bureau of Jail Management in Southern and Penology (BJMP) who have been in the custody of Fthe New People's Army (NPA) since July 21 were formally Tagalog recognized as prisoners of war (POW). They were captured in the course of an NPA operation to rescue prisoner Dennis Ro- This is the second part of an article danes who was being transported to the Davao Penal Colony. on the peasant movement in Southern In a statement issued August 9, Ka Rigoberto F. Sanchez, Tagalog that first appeared in the July 21, spokesperson of the Merardo Arce Command of the Southern 2011 issue of Ang Bayan. Region said granting the BJMP personnel POW sta- he impoverished masses in tus formally guarantees recognition and respect for their ba- the Southern Tagalog (ST) sic rights. The captives are P/Insp. Murphy Todyog, BJMP-Oza- countryside are now organ- miz City Jail Warden; P/Insp. Eric Llamanzares; Special Jail Of- T ized under a peasant movement ficer 2 Rogelio Begontes; and Jail Officer 1 Rolando Bajuyo Jr. with a strong regional center. They are now in the custody of Guerrilla Front 53 of the Her- Provincial chapters have begun to minio Alfonso Command. rise anew from the surviving 54 Nonetheless, Sanchez explained that investigations are chapters in various levels found in underway on the four captives' possible involvement in crim- areas with existing cases of agrar- inal acts. Their POW status may be revoked if criminal cases ian disputes and where the peas- are filed against them before the people's court. Sanchez gave ant masses are being threatened assurances that their rights will be respected for as long as with eviction. Chapters continue they are under NPA custody. The investigative processes have to expand and new ones built on only been delayed because of military operations being varying levels. launched by the 8th, 57th and 61st IB in the towns of Kitao- Chapters in the region's island tao and Kibawe in and in Arakan Valley in North province are gradually recovering Cotabato. from the blows dealt by militariza- Also under investigation by the people's court are Lingig tion and state terrorism the previ- mayor Henry Dano and two military men serving as his es- ous year. corts. Dano and his two military bodyguards were arrested and Peasant associations are able disarmed by the NPA after a raid on his house in Barangay Sa- to hold regular meetings and con- bangan, Lingig on the morning of August 6. sultations and provide mass and Investigations are ongoing to determine Dano's involve- political education in countryside ment in the military's armed operations against the people, communities with growing fre- among them gathering intelligence information, recruiting quency. From its wealth of experi- and enlisting civilians into paramilitary groups like the CAFGU ence, the peasant movement has and maintaining a private army. identified the main issues and His bodyguards Cpl. Alrey Villasis Desamparado and Pfc. Al- peasant campaigns that must be lan Palino, both from the Intelligence Section of the 75th IB launched in order to mobilize the which is under the Philippine Army 4th Infantry Division are peasantry in their numbers. also being investigated. The MAC said that serving as Mayor Relying on their own strength, Dano's military escorts was a cover for their work as intelli- the peasants have not only been gence operatives. Documents proving that they are S-2 ele- able to thwart the most brutal at- ments of the 4th ID were recovered from their persons upon tacks on their rights and welfare, their arrest. they have also succeeded in ad- Sanchez said vancing their interests. They have the decision on been able to do so by launching whether or not militant campaigns and expanding they would be and consolidating their ranks in granted POW the process. Among these were the status will de- courageous battles against milita- pend on the re- rization and human rights abuses sults of the in- as well as psywar emanating from vestigation. ~ special state agents—all waged

ANG BAYAN August 21, 2011 7 amid allout struggles to ad- grabbing is accompanied by vio- Samahang Magbubukid sa Timog vance genuine agrarian reform. lence against those being de- Katagalugan. Most of the re- For genuine agrarian re- prived of their rights, be this in gion's political prisoners are form. The militant peasant the form of simple threats and peasant leaders or hail from movement in the region with its harassment or outright terror- farming communities. rich history and tradition has ism. Various state agencies and Heightened deception. The proven that the advancement of institutions are utilized to en- region's peasantry does not only the struggle for genuine land re- force fascist and antipeople have to contend with outright form lies in its hands. schemes. violence. Brute force is always The peasant movement in It comes as no surprise that accompanied by deception. For Southern Tagalog advocates an military troops maintain a heavy this, the state organizes or mo- agrarian reform program that presence in the region's bilizes bogus peasant associa- will truly liberate the peasant provinces. There are at least tions that sow deceptive ideas. class from poverty and land- seven Philippine Army and Some of these groups that lessness through its active ad- Philippine Air Force battalions pretend to be pro-peasant are vancement in the region's stationed in Batangas, which al- AKBAYAN, UNORKA, PAKISAMA, countryside. The peasants keep so has the most number of PARRDS, PARAGOS, PAMM- agricultural lands productive agrarian cases on record. Simi- BUKID-KA, KASAKA-TK, KMBP, and strengthen cooperativism larly, there has been no reduc- CARET, AR NOW, CENTRO-SAKA in communal farms to enable tion in the number of military and PEACE Foundation (Araro them to physically defend lands forces in Quezon and Mindoro in PL). These organizations serve that are being seized by land- a long time. These provinces are as special psywar agents of the lords or subjected by real es- perceived by the state as areas government and the AFP to de- tate developers to land-use where the rural poor wage the rail the peasant masses from conversion. strongest revolutionary and pursuing their goal of liberation The inutile, loophole-ridden armed resistance. The military and to maintain feudal and and bogus CARP has failed to forces stationed in these semifeudal rule in the country- make a dent even among the provinces are the leading imple- side. first batch of peasants who had mentors of pro-landlord pro- Around 20 small reformist earlier been deceived into grams. and bogus peasant organiza- reposing their hope in the The number of military tions have been documented in state's fake agrarian reform troops deployed in the region the region. They have been at- scheme. The peasants systemat- has even increased after Decem- tempting to ensnare the peas- ically reoccupied landholdings ber 2010, when the AFP's latest antry into treading the path of that had been subjected to counterinsurgency program reformism by destroying the CARP and were inevitably recon- Oplan Bayanihan was declared base of the militant peasant centrated in the hands of land- operational. movement and the solidarity of lords and real estate developers. Contrary to the regime's the rural poor to enable the Collectively, they continued to claims that military abuses have landlords and their co-conspira- till these lands to maintain their waned under Oplan Bayanihan, tors to continue exploiting and productivity and agricultural violations of human and civil ruling the countryside. ~ character. rights have risen in the region. These notable peasant strug- Southern Tagalog has had 12 gles spread from the Quezon victims of extrajudicial killing and Batangas uplands to the under Benigno Aquino III. The plains of Cavite even if the agri- trumped-up murder charges cultural lands involved were lo- against 72 of the region's mass cated in the middle of commer- leaders and activists (the cial centers. “ST-72”) has also been re- Many peasant communities vived under Aquino's watch af- have benefited from these col- ter being thrown out of court lective actions that resulted in for lack of merit and due to reduced land rent, more rational a technicality. systems of harvest sharing, Southern Tagalog higher wages for agricultural has 55 political pris- workers and other economic oners. One of them benefits. is Darwin “Tatso” Liwag, vice Anti-militarization. Land- chair of the Katipunan ng mga

8 ANG BAYAN August 21, 2011 CORRESPONDENCE REPORTS mining is destructive to the Opposition to mining town's livelihood, health and environment. Mining is not a in Jiabong, Samar long-term solution to the pover- ty of poor peasants and fisher- esidents of Jiabong, Samar are currently up in arms against folk amid the absence of gen- threats of large-scale mining operations. Jiabong is a fifth- uine agrarian reform and na- Rclass coastal municipality near the provincial capital of Cat- tional industrialization. It is not balogan. It is included in a 16,397-hectare area that had been ap- only the town's marine re- proved for mining operations as far back as 2004. Bauxite mining sources that are in danger of be- alone is expected to bring in an estimated $24 billion, a very at- ing poisoned but Jiabong's rice- tractive prospect for foreign companies. fields and watersheds here and in Catbalogan. Mining could The government has already fects of mining on tahong culti- even cause disasters like floods granted permission to open a vation. and landslides. JINGYAP has al- mining concession in up to The year 2009 saw a drastic so assailed militarization for 2,000 hectares or almost a third fall in tahong production due to protecting the interests of for- of Jiabong's 6,700-hectare land widespread pollution. In a eign mining companies and cor- area. The Manganese Mineral cleanup drive sponsored by the rupt officials. Belt Mining and Development local government, 37 trucks of JINGYAP has challenged Corporation (MMBMDC) has al- garbage and pollutants were ex- Samar province's local govern- ready begun exploration activi- tracted from 67 hectares allot- ment to make good on the 50- ties for aluminum, bauxite and ted to tahong cultivation. The year moratorium on large-scale manganese. MMBMDC is owned main culprit was the Philippine mining it had declared in 2003. by South Korean businessmen. Alumina Mining Corp. whose Meanwhile, JINGYAP continues It also plans to expand its oper- waste products from its carbon to organize, mobilize and call ations towards Catbalogan City exploration activities were re- on the people to unite and re- and Motiong town which are ad- sponsible for the widespread sist threats of large-scale min- jacent to Jiabong. marine contamination. ing. ~ According to JINGYAP (Ji- Tahong cultivators have just abongnon Nagkakaurusa nga begun to recover from their Parag-uma Hingyap Kauswa- losses and are thus strongly op- gan), an alliance of Jiabong res- posed to MMBMDC's idents, poor peasants and fish- plans to under- erfolk are seriously concerned take explo- about the impending mining op- ration ac- erations. The town's farmers tivities. who lack land or do not have JINGYAP any land at all are severely im- averred poverished and victimized by that feudal and semifeudal exploita- tion. They are also worried over the effects of mining on tahong (seawater mussel) cul- tivation, a `32 million a year business on which the town relies. Jiabong is the biggest supplier of tahong in Eastern Visayas and one of the biggest nationwide. Derivative products are sold to places as far as Davao, Bicol and Manila. The town has already ex- perienced the dire ef-

ANG BAYAN August 21, 2011 9 FASCIST STATE ON A RAMPAGE

lands and to self-determination. Minority activist killed He was also active in anti-min- ing and anti-landgrabbing cam- in Davao del Sur paigns. Barugkatungod added that the 39th IB has been imposing hree suspected military agents killed Dioquino Scuadro, 49, a a food blockade in the villages member of the Tagakaolo tribe. Scuadro was slain on August 4 of Pangaleon, Manuel Peralta, inside his own home in Sitio Sulok Talaod, Barangay Ticulon, T Little Baguio and Datu Danwata, Malita, Davao del Sur. all in Malita town. Residents of A man had knocked on his Scuadro and his relatives had these areas are only allowed to door at around 10:15 p.m. When been included in a watchlist bring or purchase three to five Scuadro refused maintained by the 39th IB kilos of rice. to let him in, on suspicion that they The military has clearly been three armed men were supporters of the terrorizing the people and caus- forced their way New People's Army. ing them suffering, said into his room and Scuadro was Barugkatungod. It belied the shot him, killing an active Aquino administration's claims him on the spot. member of that Oplan Bayanihan has Scuadro's daughter Pigu- brought peace and prosperity to Jinky witnessed the nawan the people. killing and the three (Unity), Barugkatungod called on lo- assailants' retreat to- an or- cal government units in Davao wards Barangay Little ganiza- del Sur to take steps to alleviate Baguio. tion of the deteriorating human rights According to national situation in Malita. It also asked Barugkatungod, a minorities assistance from churchpeople, human rights ad- asserting their right lawyers and other human rights vocacy group, to their ancestral advocates. ~

CMU officials charged before Ombudsman

dministrative and criminal charges were by KASAMA-Mindanao. filed before the Mindanao Regional Office The armed guards arbitrarily opened fire and Aof the Ombudsman in Cagayan de Oro City beat up the peasants and their supporters at the on August 8 against officials of Central Mindanao camp. Seven peasants were wounded in the as- University (CMU) and the latter’s armed guards. sault, said Amihan- Region, a The charges stem from the shooting attack by peasant women's group. CMU's security guards on peasants affiliated with The BTL members have been waging a Buffalo-Tamaraw-Limus (BTL) last July. decades-long struggle for land. Eight hundred The peasant members of BTL peasant families have been asserting their right filed cases of grave abuse of au- to till an idle 400-hectare lot within CMU. The thority, conduct unbecoming of Bukidnon provincial government has been sup- a public official, grave threats, portive of their right to till the land. coercion and assault. Since early 2011, however, the farmers of The peasants had been BTL have stepped up their struggle as camping outside the CMU the CMU administration decided to gates for a number of weeks evict them from the land. The CMU when they were attacked on plans to lease out the land to multina- July 14 by 15 of the univer- tional corporations, among them the sity's armed guards. The Davao Agri-Ventures Corporation peasant activity was part of (DAVCO) which has begun to conduct “Operation Tikad” (tilling) led land surveys in BTL communities. ~

10 ANG BAYAN August 21, 2011 FASCIST STATE ON A RAMPAGE RPA thugs abduct 3 peasants in Negros uspected military agents and elements of the want us to kill your husband right here and now?” bandit Revolutionary Proletarian Army (RPA) Almost at the same time Abale was seized, Sabducted three peasants in E.B. Magalona eight to ten armed men surrounded the house of town in Negros Occidental on July 19. The victims Danilo, Michael Celeste's father. They asked Dani- have been identified as Michael Celeste, Gerald lo where they could find his son. The men later Abale and Jully Devero. went to Michael's house which was only 50 me- The armed men who wore ski masks took the ters away from his father's. As they led him away, victims one by one from their houses in Barangay the armed men warned Michael's family against Calusong. Some of the abductors wore camouflage following them. uniforms, said KARAPATAN-Negros. Celeste is a member of the National Federation First to be abducted was Devero, 56. The of Sugar Workers who was tortured by suspected armed men barged into his house in Sitio Mana- RPA elements in July 2007. On May 26, he was que and seized the farmer in front of his wife and threatened anew by Raul Casiple, an RPA leader. child without explanation. The families of the three victims believe that After an hour, 32-year old Gerald Abale was the perpetrators are soldiers of the Armed Forces of taken. According to his wife Clemencia, she tight- the Philippines (AFP) and RPA members. The as- ly embraced her husband when the men attempt- sailants want to sow terror among the Negrenses, ed to take Gerald at gunpoint. But she was forced said Rodel Mesa, secretary general of the Unyon ng to let go when the armed men told her, “do you mga Manggagawa sa Agrikultura (UMA). ~

Palparan's bodyguard tagged in abduction National minorities rally in Mendiola A witness positively identified a bodyguard of Gen. REPRESENTATIVES of various tribes like Jovito Palaparan as one of the soldiers who abduct- the Igorot, Aeta and Dumagat as well as ed three activists in Hagonoy, Bulacan in June from Mindanao rallied in Mendiola, 2006. Manila on August 9 as part of the com- S/Sgt. Edgardo Osorio of the 24th Intelligence memoration of International Indigenous Security Unit of the Philippine Army was positively People's Day. identified by Wildredo Ramos, a farmer who wit- The rallyists assailed the continuing nessed the abduction of University of the Philip- seizure of the national minorities' ances- pines students Karen Empeño tral lands and the violation of their hu- and Sherlyn Cadapan and peasant Manuel Meri- man rights. Said the Kalipunan ng mga no. Ramos said Osorio even pointed his gun at him Katutubong Mamamayan ng Pilipinas during the incident. He has identified four other (KAMP), 50% of ancestral lands natiowide military officers as among the abductors of Empeño are affected by mining activities. In the and her companions. Cordillera, there are mining operations in The victims were detained in various military up to 60% of the region's land area. camps in Central and were severely tortured Meanwhile, in Surigao del Sur and Agusan by Palparan's men, said another witness. The mili- del Norte, mining applications already tary has not surfaced them to date. cover 93,740 hectares. Ramos pointed out Osorio when the latter ac- The national minorities are also vic- companied Palaparan last August 19 to the prelim- tims of violence. In fact, said KAMP, they inary investigation of the kidnapping, illegal de- are among the targets of Oplan Bayani- tention and rape cases filed by the mothers of Em- han. Eight minorities have become vic- peño and Cadapan against the butcher general. Os- tims of extrajudicial killing under the orio's name was immediately added to the list of Aquino regime. The latest victim is Dio- the accused. He was ordered to submit his counter- quino Scuadro (see related article on affidavit and attend the next hearing on August 31. page 11). Military and paramilitary ele- Meanwhile, due to the cases that have been ments have also been terrorizing Lumad filed against him, Sec. Leila de Lima of the Depart- communities in various parts of Min- ment of Justice has ordered Palparan's inclusion in danao, especially in the Far South Min- the immigration watchlist. danao Region.

ANG BAYAN August 21, 2011 11 DEVELOPMENTS OVERSEAS borne by none other than the Worsening US debt crisis American people. The debate on raising the debt ceiling was all he US is facing a huge debt crisis caused by its gigantic war sound and fury. In actual fact, expenditures and bailouts of big finance capitalists. The gov- however, not once did the polit- Ternment is now passing on the burden of crisis to the Ameri- ical representatives of the big can people. monopoly capitalists put to The US' overall debt hit the behind the US' swollen debt are question the policies that led $14.3 trillion threshhold in the the huge sums spent by the gov- them so deep into this debt last few months. To be able to ernment since 2008 in bailing quagmire. seek more credit to fund gov- out major banks, finance com- They never tried to recoup ernment operations, the US Con- panies and other big businesses the multi-trillion dollar bailout gress was compelled to pass a that had gone bankrupt. A study funds given to imperialist cor- new law raising the debt ceiling. by the Federal Reserve (which porations even if company pres- Before the law's passage, the serves as the US' central bank) idents and other executives Republicans and Democrats shows that the US spent up to merely pocketed the amounts. made a grand show of debating $16 trillion for this in the form They have not withdrawn their the bill's merits and demerits. In of secret loans that led to a troops from the countries that the end, the two parties agreed growth in debt from $9.2 trillion they had attacked and are cur- to raise the debt ceiling and un- in 2007 to the current $14.3 rently occupying. dertake massive budgetary cuts trillion. Instead, the Obama govern- in social services in the next ten Another reason is the gov- ment has focused on budgetary years. Among the items that ernment's burgeoning war ex- slashes on social services like suffered reduced budgets were penditures and greater military health care, education, housing, those for Medicare, Social Secu- spending, which shot up from transportation and others that rity and retirement benefits. $259 billion in 2000 to $560 have already been suffering US Pres. Barack Obama and billion in 2011. The latest stud- from inadequate funding. Social the Democrats even made nois- ies from Brown University's Wat- spending now accounts for only es about raising taxes on big son Institute for International 15% of the country's total budg- corporations as well. In the end, Studies estimate the amount et. they posed no objections to a spent by the US on its military Under Obama's plan, Ameri- year's cutbacks on public servic- adventures in Iraq, Afghanistan can pensioners will be suffering es worth more than a trillion and Pakistan to be be- an annual $1,300 cut in bene- dollars, the biggest tween $3.2 trillion and fits. Spending for Medicare will in the country's $4 trillion. be slashed by $300-500 billion. history. Studies are Still another major Another $70 billion will be tak- underway on how contributory factor en off the education budget. to slash an ad- were the huge tax ditional $1.5 breaks granted by Futile moves trillion in social the Bush regime Sooner or later, the futility spending. to corporations of the Obama government's in the red. One moves to resolve the country's Debt crisis agency has put swelling debt will become ap- The US debt the amount parent. The growing US debt ballooned in re- spent for this at merely mirrors the fact that the cent years, with $2.5 billion from entire economy continues to its current debt of 2008-2010. suffer from one of the worst re- $14.3 trillion al- cessions in the history of the in- most at par with Effects on the ternational capitalist system. the country's people The Obama government's ac- Gross Domes- The tions have only exposed to the tic Prod- brunt American people the bankruptcy uct. of the of the entire capitalist system. The debt cri- This will surely push the Ameri- main reason sis is being can masses to launch big strug- gles in times to come. ~

12 ANG BAYAN August 21, 2011 NEWS

Urban poor storm Ayala office UK government clamps down on people's uprising THE Kalipunan ng Damayang Mahihirap (KADAMAY) and the Alyansa Kontra-De- BRITISH police arrested 1,103 persons, charged 654 of molisyon (AKD) launched a protest ac- them and killed five protesters in a clampdown on the tion on August 12 at the University of uprising launched by workers, youth and migrants this the Philippines-Ayala Techno Hub in August in the (UK). Quezon City. They pelted mud at the The uprising was triggered by a youth protest against gates of the Ayala office at the UP- the August 4 killing of Mark Duggan, a 29-year old Techno Hub and demanded a stop to Briton. Duggan's relatives and friends staged a protest the demolition of Sitio San Roque, on August 6 at the Tottenham Police Station to demand Barangay North Triangle in Quezon justice for his death. Policemen dispersed the protesters, City. firing up anger and discontent among the British youth. AKD chair Estrelita Bagasbas said The protests surged, with the demonstrators demanding that the community's poor residents justice not only for Duggan but for all. are ready to defend their homes once The protesters threw petrol bombs and bottles at the more the same way they did in Septem- police who responded with gunfire, water cannons, tear ber 2010. Bagasbas taunted the gas and truncheons. The protesters likewise occupied a Aquino regime against making another number of train stations and buildings. Classes were sus- mistake of seizing the land in Sitio San pended and work places closed, and even a scheduled Roque from the urban poor. KADAMAY football game was cancelled. The uprising spread to oth- accused Ayala of landgrabbing because er areas within London as well as to the nearby cities of of its insistence on taking over the Birmingham, Bristol, Liverpool and Manchester. On Au- lands in North Triangle at the expense gust 9, UK Prime Minister David Cameron ordered 16,000 of thousands of families who will lose policemen to put an end to the uprising which he dis- their homes and livelihoods. paragingly called “rioting.” The police conducted house They likewise assailed the govern- to house searches to arrest the people involved in the ment for its failed relocation project in uprising. Montalban, Rizal, saying half of those The uprising, which was the biggest since 1980 was who were brought there ended up re- the people's response to their grinding poverty. The se- turning to North Triangle because of vere crisis that has gripped the UK for the past several the lack of livelihood opportunities in years has spiked unemployment rates and spurred major Montalban. budget cuts for social services. This was accompanied by The urban poor groups declared that upwardly spiralling prices of goods and services. A mil- they would not relent until the govern- lion youth from the age of 25 and younger or almost ment responds to their grievances. 20.3% of the UK's entire youth population are jobless.

Hundreds of thousands protest in Chile UP to 100,000 students from various schools in Clashes erupted in Santiago as policemen dis- Chile rallied on August 6 to demand government persed the students using water cannons and tear reforms in education. They called for a higher ed- gas bombs. Up to 874 students were arrested af- ucation budget and lower tuition fees in private ter the police broke up the more than weeklong schools. The Chilean government allots only the protest action. equivalent of 4.4% of the country's Gross Nation- The series of protests began in May when al Product on education. This is lower than the students from a number of schools set up bar- 7.7% standard set by the United Nations Educa- ricades. Hundreds of thousands of students tion, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UN- had also joined a rally on June 30 on related ESCO). issues.

ANG BAYAN August 21, 2011 13