Pahayagan ng Partido Komunista ng Pilipinas ANG Pinapatnubayan ng Marxismo-Leninismo-Maoismo

English Edition Volume XLIV No. 20 October 21, 2013 www.philippinerevolution.net

Editorial Corruption weighs down on the peasant masses and must be eliminated

he vast countryside is a picture of extreme oppression and under the Arroyo regime. Under abuse. It is where millions of peasants and farm workers suffer the Aquino regime, the practice Tfrom intensifying feudal and semifeudal exploitation and where persists, especially in the agri- hunger and penury are the fruits of their efforts to enrich the land and cultural sector, but with the produce food. It is where they are victimized by widespread landgrab- "righteous road" slogan as a bing, back-breaking debts, and incomes that are woefully inadequate cover. Aside from the funds to buy even food and other basic needs. flowing from Congress and the Senate, huge amounts have also Thus, it is doubly enraging to agricultural inputs. been sourced directly from Ma- know that the peasants' poverty In truth, however, these so- lacañang through the DAP pro- and oppression have been in- called farmers' programs and gram. voked by corrupt bureaucrat fake NGOs have been mere con- Avaricious bureaucrats and capitalists in connivance with duits for the laundering of bil- their cohorts have also made other exploiters as pretexts to lions of pesos of public funds and bundles of money by feeding on amass ever larger sums of mon- served as smokescreens for cor- the suffering of the rural poor ey for themselves. ruption. who have been victimized by The syndicate of Janet Lim- Instead of benefiting the strong typhoons and massive Napoles and high-ranking offi- peasant masses, these humon- floods and landslides. cials of the reactionary govern- gous amounts of public funds But however startling these ment has stolen mind-boggling have merely ended up in the cases are of stealing from the amounts of public funds through pockets of bureaucrat capital- public coffers, they are minus- the use of bogus non-govern- ists. This anomalous system of cule compared to the hundreds mental organizations purporting using NGOs became widespread of billions of pesos plundered by to serve the interests of the various reactionary govern- peasant masses. ments in implementing one of These racketeers have used the peas- ants' needs and de- Inside this issue... mands to cause the Peasant release of month billions of commemorated 2 pesos for the pur- Bungkalan chase of in Negros 6 seeds, fertilizer, Tactical pesticides offensives and other in NCMR 10 the grandest and most deceptive way to mining companies. Amor- Peasant projects in the country's histo- tization papers held by CARP ry—bogus land reform. "beneficiaries" are being can- month From the Marcos dictator- celled on a massive scale, with ship's PD 27 to the CARP of the landlords and compradors never marked Corazon Aquino, Fidel Ramos running out of means sanctioned and Joseph Estrada regimes to by reactionary laws to continual- armers’ organizations the CARPER under Gloria Arroyo ly expand their landholdings. launched a series of and Benigno Aquino III, the re- All reactionary land reform mass actions and initia- actionary state has spent programs have resulted in the F tives to commemorate Peas- `259.5 billion for land reform. further entrenchment of land ant Month this October. They But the face of feudal and semi- monopoly because like other called for the abolition of ha- feudal exploitation has hardly farmer-oriented programs of the ciendas and free and immedi- changed even on the eve of bourgeois state, they are noth- ate land distribution, as well CARPER's conclusion in 2014. ing but money-making schemes. as the repudiation of, and re- There is no other instance of They are no different from the sistance to, the repressive land reform's failure more strik- Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT) and landlord US-Aquino re- ing than the agonizingly slow program which purportedly aims gime. process of land distribution in to alleviate poverty, especially in On October 2, the Kilu- Hacienda Luisita, which is owned the countryside. Greedy bureau- sang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas by the Aquino-Cojuangco clan. crats lost no time in seizing on charged Secretary Proceso Aquino likes to boast of how the CCT as a means of raiding Alcala and other officials of "historic" CARP's implementa- the public coffers. the Department of Agricul- tion at the vast estate is. In fact, The peasantry can never ex- ture with plunder in connec- the only things that have been pect any change in their wretch- tion with their roles in steal- distributed at the hacienda are ed conditions, especially under ing the pork barrel funds of certificates requiring decades of the Aquino regime. Aquino and senators and congressmen. amortization on the part of the his fellow corrupt bureaucrats On October 14, peasants farm workers. will continue using rural poverty held a protest camp in front of Meanwhile, landgrabbing is to plunder state funds unless the the Department of Agrarian rampant nationwide as hacien- system that engenders corrup- Reform office to condemn the das and plantations expand tion, exploitation and oppression continued inutility of the anew and land is cleared to give is put to an end. ~ Comprehensive Agrarian Re- form Program (CARP) and its ANG Contents successor, the CARP Exten- sion with Reforms (CARPER). Editorial: 1 They called for a resolution of Vol XLIV No. 20 October 21, 2013 Peasant month commemorated 2 the widespread problem of Ang Bayan is published in Pilipino, Anti-corruption forces expand 4 landlessness nationwide. Bisaya, Iloko, Hiligaynon, Waray and Big SSS bonuses assailed 5 On October 15, they cele- English editions. It is available for downloading at Bungkalan in Negros 6 brated International Peasant the Philippine Revolution Web Central Aryendo system in Negros 7 Women's Day. And on Octo- located at: ber 16, they commemorated Ka Mely and Ka Dado 7 www.philippinerevolution.org. the International Day of Hun- The sugar industry in Negros 8 ger instead of International Ang Bayan welcomes contributions ST farmers are victims of corruption 9 in the form of articles and news. Food Day to protest the wide- Readers are likewise enjoined to send Tactical offensives in NCMR 10 spread poverty and back- in their comments and suggestions for Military suffers 19 casualties in ST 11 the betterment of our publication. You wardness of the agricultural can reach us by email at: Ambush in Capiz 11 sector in the .

[email protected] Military’s onslaught against minorities 12 Oust Alcala News 13 Alcala is guilty of a myriad of sins against the peasantry. Ang Bayan is published fortnightly by the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Philippines It was under his term that the use of the DA by high-ranking

2 ANG BAYAN October 21, 2013 state officials to plunder billions giants. ally distributed. of pesos worth of public funds A big portion (70%) of lands was exposed. The thievery of CARPER's inutility distributed through the Volun- supposed farmers' NGOs in ca- It is not only the DA that is tary Land Transfer (VLT) hoots with congressmen and involved in widespread corrup- scheme are fraud-ridden. No senators that has been going on tion. In 2012, the Aquino regime less than the DAR has reported since the previous Arroyo re- provided the Department of that landlords have been using gime up to the current adminis- Agrarian Reform (DAR) with the VLT to transfer ownership of tration forms but a small part. `7.2 billion via the anomalous their lands to relatives and oth- In a recent exposé, the US- DAP allegedly to accelerate land er fake beneficiaries. Aquino regime reportedly re- distribution under the CARP. leased `7.9 billion in funds This is on top of the `10 billion Agriculture in the doldrums through the Disbursement Ac- allotted for "land acquisition In the face of all this, peas- celeration Program (DAP) pur- and distribution" for the year. ants have become even poorer portedly for agrarian reform. At that time, however, less than due to decades of agricultural At the same time, the peas- 10% of the targeted 10,000 hec- liberalization. The liberalization ants assailed plans by the Aqui- tares (out of a total of 115,000 of the sector has meant the re- no regime to deprive small farm- hectares) had been distributed. duction of tariffs on imported ers of the `70-billion coco levy The use of CARP and CARP- agricultural products, the re- fund (CLF), contrary to the Su- ER as instruments of corruption moval of protection, the weak- preme Court's orders. Among is further proof of their inutility. ening of local agriculture and the items that Aquino and Alca- These programs have long been the collapse of the country's la want to fund through the CLF assailed as anti-peasant, serv- ability to produce food for its is the construction of an agricul- ing only the interests of the own consumption. tural-industrial center that will landlord class. Ever since the all-out liberal- benefit landlords controlling the On CARPER's fourth year, ization of agriculture was begun coconut industry. only 30% (or 381,000) has been in the 1990s, importations of Alcala also conspired with distributed out of the total tar- basic foodstuff like rice, garlic, the rice cartel to artifically push get of 1.2 million hectares. Al- onions, coffee, pork, chicken rice prices up. He spread the lie most all of these lands (94%) is and beef have risen severalfold. that there was a rice shortage to privately owned and most (75%) With the local market flood- pave the way for anomalous rice are plantations and haciendas. ed with foreign agricultural pro- importations. He likewise spread Meanwhile, the majority of land- ducts, the deficit in food pro- false reports that the National holdings that had supposedly ducts has risen 21 times—from Food Authority's (NFA) supplies been distributed are under liti- $181 million in 1994 to $3.6 bil- would last for 65 days (before a gation and have not been actu- lion in 2010. ~ "shortage" would en- sue) when the NFA in fact, only had 18 days worth of supplies. Rice supplies and prices would thereafter be completely under the cartel’s control. Alcala has also been promoting de- structive genetically modified products. Contrary to calls by the peasantry, the DA has shrewdly permit- ted the planting of Golden Rice in the country, at the in- stance of agrochemical

ANG BAYAN October 21, 2013 3 Anti-corruption forces expand zens Movement and Ang Kapa- tiran Party. he ranks of people opposed to all forms of pork barrel and cor- In their complaint, they ruption under the Aquino regime continue to expand with every charged that DAP was violative Tpassing day. of the constitution which pro- hibits the release of any public The bells pealed in 1,500 march of 400 farmers in Iloilo funds and the realignment of al- churches nationwide on October City where they held a program lotted funds without Congress' 11 in response to a call from the at every stop in the city's main approval. Earlier, lawyers' or- Church People's Alliance against thoroughfares. In Roxas City, a ganizations such as the Philip- Pork Barrel to show the solidar- picket-rally was held in front of pine Constitutional Association ity of various religious groups the city hall by some 150 mem- (Philconsa), Integrated Bar of with people's actions against bers of the Kahublagan sang the Philippines (IBP) and other the Aquino regime's corruption. Mangunguma sa Capiz (KAMA- personalities had also filed simi- On October 14, some 5,000 CA) and fisherfolk. lar cases at the Supreme Court. people rallied in City On October 18, Benigno On October 17, the Sama- against the PDAF and DAP. Aquino III and his cabinet mem- hang Industriya ng Agrikultura Among the rally's organizers bers Florencio Abad of the De- (SINAG), a newly formed alli- were the Catholic Church led by partment of Budget and Execu- ance, expressed its collective Bacolod Bishop Vicente Navar- tive Secretary Paquito Ochoa Jr. disappointment and opposition ra. Manila Auxiliary Bishop were charged with culpable vio- to the use and abuse by legisla- Broderick Pabillo likewise spoke lation of the constitution in rela- tors of their pork barrel and the before the gathering, expressing tion to the release of public fertilizer, Malampaya and DAP the Catholic Church's stand funds under the Disbursement funds. The group demanded a against the pork barrel. He Acceleration Program. This was stop to the Aquino government's pointed out that `250 billion is the sixth case filed before the practice of providing unneces- lost annually through govern- Supreme Court relating to the sary benefits to foreign food ment corruption. He also as- DAP. conglomerates like Charoen Por- sailed the loss of the `20-billion The case was filed by Bagong phand of Thailand, which they Malampaya fund because of the Alyansang Makabayan (BAYAN) said have crippled the country's system of patronage politics, chair Carol Araullo and con- agricultural industry. bribery and other forms of cor- gresspersons Luz Ilagan of Ga- The creation of another new ruption. briela Women's Party, Terry Ri- coalition against the pork barrel On the same day, members don of Kabataan Partylist and was announced on October 14, of the Church People's Alliance Carlos Isagani Zarate of Bayan comprising members of workers' against Pork Barrel picketed the Muna. Among the other plain- unions in banks, hospitals, ho- Batasan Pambansa Complex in tiffs were representatives of tels and the Business Process Quezon City. In a letter sent to Anakbayan, Youth Act Now, Outsourcing (BPO) sector. Call- Congress officials, they con- PAGBABAGO, Concerned Citi- ing itself "TaxAPo," (short for demned the pork barrel as the Makati-Pasay Tax- root of grave corruption in the country. Among those who signed the letter were Caloocan Bishop Emeritus Deogracias Iñi- guez, Rev. Fr. Ben Alforque, Rev. Jerome Baris of the United Church of Christ in the Philip- pines and Nardy Sabino of the Promotion of Church People's Response. Mass actions were also held in Iloilo and Capiz on October 16. The Paghugpong sang mga Mangunguma sa Panay kag Guimaras (PAMANGGAS) led a

4 ANG BAYAN October 21, 2013 Progressive workers assail big bonuses received by SSS officials

embers of the Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU) trooped to Mthe Social Security System (SSS) office along East Av- enue, Quezon City on October 10 to condemn the huge bo- nuses and other allowances received by SSS officials. The KMU demanded that the involved officials resign and return the money to the people. The KMU charged that compensation to Aquino's even as workers have been appointees to the SSS making do with their very clearly show the hypocrisy low wages and are bur- of the Aquino regime's so- dened by the high SSS con- called 'daang-matwid'," payers against Pork), among its tributions, SSS officials said the CPP. "While in members are the RCBC Employees have been enjoying big bo- power, the Aquino regime is Union, Maybank Employees Union, nuses sourced from the bound to reveal itself more Citibank Employees Union and HS- members. and more to be not much BC Employees Union. The KMU added that different from the previous Also expressing its stand SSS officials should not use Arroyo regime and other against the pork barrel system the agency's allegedly ex- past regimes in terms of was the Chamber of Commerce of cellent performance as a rottenness and corruption." the Philippine Islands (CCPI), the pretext for giving out more "The anomalous grant- oldest business organization in than `10 million in bonus- ing of `10 million in bonus- the Philippines. According to its es, because the SSS failed es to Aquino's officers in president Jose Luis Yulo, Jr., they to collect billions of pesos in the SSS further stirs up the will support campaigns currently contributions from deli- Filipino people's indignation being spearheaded by former quent employers. It has al- at the Aquino regime and its Chief Justice Reynato Puno for a so been processing disabili- good governance publicity," "people's initiative" to pass a new ty, pension, retirement and said the CPP. "Aquino's un- law that will abolish the pork bar- other benefits at a snail's ceasing styling of himself as rel. pace. an anti-corruption advo- Even retired generals have Each SSS board member cate is turning out to be joined anti-pork barrel moves. Ac- received `1 million, on top nothing but a stunt to con- cording to (ret) Brig. Gen. Rosali- of various other allowances ceal the corruption of his no Alquiza, former president of in previous years. Among rule." the Association of Generals and those who received the Meanwhile, progressive Flag Officers (AGFO) of the AFP huge bonuses were SSS representatives in Congress and (ret) Maj. Gen. Reynaldo President and CEO Emilio de have called for an investi- Reyes who chairs the Philippine Quiros and SSS Chairman gation of the anomalies at Military Academy Alumni Associa- Juan Santos. Representa- the SSS. tion (PMAAA), there is widespread tives of yellow unions with- In a related develop- sentiment among retired officers in SSS such as the Alliance ment, 19 other Govern- that Aquino should return funds of Progressive Labor and ment-Owned and -Con- from the Malampaya project, the the Trade Union Congress trolled Corporations have Philippine Amusement and Gaming of the Philippines also re- been allowed by govern- Corp. (PAGCOR) and the Philip- ceived a million pesos each. ment to issue bonuses. The pine Charity Sweepstakes Office The CPP joined in con- Philippine Health Insurance (PCSO) that have been squan- demning the big rewards has already provided `1.5 dered. Both PAGCOR and PCSO given to SSS officials. "The billion in bonuses to its offi- are directly under Malacañang's granting of fat bonuses and cials and employees. ~ control. ~

ANG BAYAN October 21, 2013 5 Bungkalan in Negros tion to acquire land to till. Aside from the landlords' armed goons, evere poverty, hunger and unrest stalk the masses of farm work- Negros has been declared a na- Sers in sugarcane fields and workers in the sugar mills of Negros. tional priority under Oplan Ban- tay Laya 2 (2008) and the cur- They receive extremely low ing the land, however, the land- rent Oplan Bayanihan. The wages and are bereft of all bene- lords have slapped the farmers courts and no less than the law fits due to the enforcement of with criminal charges and fascist on CARPER have been invoked to contractualization and the sys- suppression for exercising their charge peasants with crimes tem of gang labor (pakyawan) in right under reactionary law. such as trespassing whenever the haciendas. They are mired in they begin tilling land; arson debt, with their next wage not Semifeudal mode when they burn grass to prepare enough to pay them off. Their The sharpest class conflicts the land for planting; theft when children are obliged to work at an between the landlord class and they harvest their crops; and so early age to augment the family's the peasantry can be found in many other trumped-up cases. meager income. Their poverty Negros, where the hacienda sys- pushes them to fight for their tem of sugarcane plantations be- Advance genuine land reform right to a small plot of land to till gan as far back as the time of the The revolutionary movement in order to feed their families. Spanish colonialists. recognizes the justness and le- The widespread lack of land to Out of Negros' 1.3 million- gitimacy of the farm workers' till and the system of slave labor hectare land area, 818,991 hec- struggle for land to till. It is their in the sugarcane fields are driv- tares or 63% are privately basic right to be given livelihood ing thousands of farmers in Ne- owned. Up to 80% of private opportunities and employment gros to struggle and directly lay lands (or 655,193 hectares) are security. The revolutionary claim to the land. in the hands of only 24% of peo- movement salutes their courage The vacant lots collectively ple who own at least ten hec- and initiative in taking action in tilled by the peasants are called tares. The remaining 163,798 the face of the criminalization of "land cultivation areas" in Ne- hectares are divided among 76% their struggle and their violent gros and bungkalan (or collec- of landowners owning ten hec- suppression by the military and tively tilled areas) elsewhere in tares or lower. Meanwhile, the the landlords' armed mercenar- the country. farm workers who create the ies. From a few organized asser- wealth of the haciendas do not The revolutionary movement tions to till land in 2008, the own any land. This persistent supports their initiative and en- movement has spread like a prai- and deeply rooted land monopoly courages them to intensify their rie fire. In fact, as early as the exacerbates landlessness among struggle for genuine land reform. 1980s, there have already been the peasantry. They must further focus their sporadic moves to advance the On top of this, the monocrop struggle on gradually smashing right to till. Currently, there are system of planting sugarcane ex- the economic and political power more than 86 plots of land com- clusively effectively shuts the of the landlord class. They are prising more than 2,100 hectares door to any opportunity of find- encouraged to join the armed being collectively tilled and ad- ing alternative work, causing struggle as the only means of ad- ministered by a farm workers' or- generations of farm workers to vancing their struggle and com- ganization. The plots are planted be bound by the system of slave pletely ending feudal and semi- to rice, corn and other labor in the sugarcane feudal exploitation. food crops for plantations. They must be vigilant about more than The despotic forces or groups that want to put 2,500 peasant landlords and a stop to their initiatives and families in Ne- the reactionary keep them within the framework gros. state that of bourgeois law which favors the The represents big landlords. They must expand LCAs are all them are and deepen their consciousness “CARPable“ very appre- regarding class conflict and op- lands. In- hensive pose the legalism, economism stead of about the peas- and reformism of groups opposed distribut- ants' collective ac- to genuine land reform. ~

6 ANG BAYAN October 21, 2013 Aryendo system in Negros that of Mayo Cueva, a landlord who used the aryendo system to he problem of land monopoly in the island of Negros has worsened circumvent CARP. In connivance Tdue to the proliferation of the aryendo system. Under this system, with DAR, Cueva came up with a new landlords have emerged and the landholdings of old landlords ex- list of fake beneficiaries who he panded. claimed had leased their lands to big landlord Alfredo Marañon, The aryendo system in Ne- until they find themselves deep in Negros Occidental governor and gros involves peasants leasing debt. To pay back their debts, Cueva's relative. This way, Mar- out their small parcels of land to the small farmers are forced to añon was able to expand his land hacienderos or other people with sell the land they had leased out, while maintaining an arrange- capital. Each hectare of land is usually to the lessors who they ment granting Cueva actual own- usually leased out for `1,000 per are indebted to. This system has ership and control over the land. year on a three-year contract. led to the emergence of a new The farmers who were actu- Most of those who lease out their crop of landlords. ally on Cueva's land have ex- lands are CARP "beneficiaries" There are also big landlords posed and thoroughly opposed who find it difficult to raise capi- who have been able to use this this arrangement. At present, tal for planting sugarcane. system to expand their landhold- they have been able to occupy Because of loss of income, ings. Hacienderos usually lease and till the land but face criminal they are obliged to borrow mon- parcels of land that are adjacent cases filed against them by the ey repeatedly from their lessors to their estates. A striking case is hacienderos. ~

Ka Mely and Ka Dado: Portraits of life and struggle in Negros

he lives of husband and wife Ka Dado and Ka At 6 a.m., you had to report to the enkargado (labor Mely reflect the feudal and semifeudal condi- gang foreman) so you could be given work. If you Ttions in Negros and the bright future offered came late, there wouldn't be any work for you be- by the revolutionary movement. cause there was a long line of farm workers looking Ka Dado hails from the poor peasantry. He and for jobs. In clearing a field, you were assigned a her- his family, from his grandfather in the 1950s were as or a strip 30 meters long and one meter wide that tenants on a hacienda. While still a child, he was al- you had to finish in a day. You had to work from 6:30 ready helping his father in the fields and was never a.m. to 5 p.m. If you couldn't finish the work, you able to go to school. The tersyuhan system was in would have to come back the day after and do it force then, where the haciendero acquired one- without pay," added Ka Mely. third of the harvest without any contribution, Ka Mely went on describing how hard the work whether in the form of labor or expenses. When the was. In applying fertilizer, they were paid one peso haciendero decided to shift to planting commercial per bag. They could use up as many as 50 bags, but bamboo in 1990, he took back the land from the ten- that was without taking any breaks. In cutting sug- ants without even compensating them for their arcane and loading the cane aboard the trucks, the crops. From then on, Ka Dado’s family became farm pay was 5 centavos per hapnig (a load of 20 pieces workers in the hacienda. of cut cane) in the 1970s. Ka Mely, on the other hand, grew up in a sugar- Nowadays, the pay is `200 to `300 per ton, cane plantation. At the tender age of ten years, she with the wage given per gang of laborers. A group of began working as a farm laborer in the sugarcane cane cutters and loaders would fill a truck with cut fields whenever school was out. Sometimes, as ear- cane and the cargo is weighed at the sugar mill. This ly as Friday, she would accompany her father and is the heaviest work of all in the sugarcane fields. siblings working. She started out with a daily wage Women receive only half of what the men are paid of `1.50 in 1973, which rose to `3.00 by the time because they are not strong enough to load cane on- she was 14. to the trucks. Work in the sugarcane fields is back-breaking. The wage for pagpamatdan or cutting cane for

ANG BAYAN October 21, 2013 7 planting is `50 per thousand and `300 per thou- to join it. Ka Mely had also joined the underground sand for planting sugarcane, although it is impossi- movement in the cities and later worked fulltime. In ble to finish this number in a day. 1993, she answered the call to hie to the country- "Our life as sakada'(sugarcane farm worker) side, where she was able to use her skills as a mass has been very hard, especially so when we were leader in the urban areas. not yet organized and had not yet taken any action Meanwhile, in 1985, the NPA began expanding to demand higher wages and benefits. The work is towards Ka Dado's village. But the Red fighters still back-breaking, but there are no benefits. If you could not visit their barrio very often. Nonetheless, got sick, you couldn't work, you had no food and Ka Dado's elder brother assiduously helped in or- couldn't seek medical attention. You had to report ganizing the masses and eventually joined the NPA. to work feeling weak. The pay is not enough, even Whenever he visited the family, Ka Dado and his for those without families to support. This is why brother would have long and serious discussions even children are obliged to work," said the couple. about his experiences in the people's army. In 1992, The group of farm workers that Ka Mely be- Ka Dado decided to become a Red fighter. His broth- longed to were organized in 1980. She became a er has since joined the ranks of revolutionary mar- mass leader of their association and actively fought tyrs from Negros. for their democratic rights, such as higher wages for In the NPA, Ka Dado and Ka Mely became mem- farm workers. While she fully valued the open mass bers of the same collective for years before they be- movement, their experience has taught her its de- came sweethearts and eventually married in 2000. fensive character in the face of the violence of the In their two decades within the people's army and reactionary state, which advances the interests of working among the farmers and farm workers, they the landlord class. have come to grasp that the genuine liberation of At that time, she had a brother and a number of the peasantry and the entire people relies on the ad- cousins who had already become contacts of the vance of the revolutionary strength of the people New People's Army (NPA) and were later convinced and the people's army. ~

The sugar industry in Negros powerful. Some of them have shifted to other agribusinesses, ince the beginning, the sugar industry has been tied to foreign such as Danding Cojuangco who Sinterests and has never served local needs and development. is now into planting cassava for Like other export-oriented industries, it operates within the frame of biofuel, ylang-ylang, fruits and unequal treaties entered into by the Philippine government, such as wood for export. But most have the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT). persisted in planting sugarcane. Whenever the industry is down, The biggest sugarcane plan- dustry has been through booms the bourgeois state comes to the tations in the country owned by and busts, such as its collapse in rescue by allotting public funds big landlords are found in Ne- the 1980s. Up to now, the indus- to the hacienderos and big com- gros. At present, more than half try has failed to recover its for- prador bourgeoisie, but none for or 360,000 hectares out of the mer status. Nonetheless, it re- the farm workers who suffer the island's 670,000 hectares of ag- mains the ricultural land is planted to sug- Negrenses' arcane (up to 580,000 hectares main were planted to the crop during source of the height of the sugar indus- livelihood. try). The in- Negros' economy is depend- dustry's ent on sugar. Since 1775, the is- former land has been the biggest sugar landlords, exporter in Asia. By 1880, it was however, the world's third biggest sugar remain producer. But as an economy economi- tied to the vagaries of the inter- cally and national market, the sugar in- politically

8 ANG BAYAN October 21, 2013 most. Peasant masses in ST There are 13 sugar mills operat- ing in Negros. The biggest, which are are victims of Aquino's owned by big comprador bourgeoisie include Victorias Milling Co. con- thievery trolled by Lucio Tan; Central Azu- carera de la Carlota and Hawaiian- he Aquino regime has virtually been repeatedly stabbing Phil. Co. which is owned by Roxas the peasant masses of Southern Tagalog (ST) with the Holdings Inc.; Lopez Sugar Corp. of plunder and thievery being perpetrated by its officials the Lopezes; Universal Robina Sugar T and cronies. Under the regime, they continue to suffer worsen- Mills Co. and Southern Negros Dev. ing forms of feudal and semifeudal exploitation. Corp. of the Gokongweis; and Cen- tral Azucarera de Bais and Binalba- In one of the most strik- which came up with the Pov- gan-Isabela Sugar which is owned by ing issues now faced by the erty Reduction Road Map for . peasant masses in ST, they the Coconut Industry which Up to 350,000 farm workers in continue to be deprived of aims to use the CLF in imple- the haciendas receive a daily wage the Coco Levy Fund (CLF). In- menting antipeople programs of `80-`120, which is less than half stead, the fund is being used like the Pantawid Pamilyang of what the law stipulates for agri- for anti-peasant programs. Pilipino Program (4Ps), CARP cultural workers in the region. On The CLF is a fund extracted and CARPER. The reactionary the other hand, there are 20,000 from the masses of peasants government has been brazen- workers in the sugar mills. and farm workers in coconut ly stealing the CLF. It was Labor flexibilization is likewise lands in the form of a tax im- used to bankroll the candida- enforced in the plantations, through posed by the Marcos dicta- cy of Riza Hontiveros for the the system of gang labor and con- torship from 1973 up to the Senate and the Akbayan Par- tractualization. Under these sys- early 1980s. ty’s campaign in the previous tems, regular farm workers have The CLF is now worth an election. been displaced and hacienderos deal estimated `120 billion. It Pork barrel funds alleged- only with contractors or labor gang should rightfully be owned by ly for the peasantry have also foremen. the masses of peasants and been used for corruption. The The reactionary state's bogus farm workers in coconut brains behind squandering land reform has never been able to lands, but they have been de- and stealing these public touch the vast sugarcane haciendas. prived of it for more than two funds are Aquino and his cro- Under the Marcos dictatorship, decades now. Instead, big nies like Sec. Proceso Alcala Presidential Decree 27 was strictly bureaucrat capital- of the Department of Agricul- confined to rice and corn lands only. ists and Marcos ture (DA) and Sec. Cor- Under CARP and CARPER, loopholes cronies like azon "Dinky" Soliman of were deliberately included in the law Danding Coju- the Department of Social to enable hacienderos to evade the angco, Juan Welfare and Develop- breakup of their estates. Negros be- Ponce Enrile and ment (DSWD). came the laboratory for the various Maria Clara Lo- The reactionary schemes concocted to evade land bregat con- government remains distribution before they were tried trolled the fund silent and inutile elsewhere in the country. One exam- and benefited amid the abomina- ple is the Stock Distribution Option from it. ble conditions of the (SDO). Out of the 14 haciendas un- The Aquino peasant masses. In der the SDO, ten are in Negros. regime contin- fact, the landlords and Meanwhile, the further plunder of ues to refuse comprador bourgeoisie the land and the more intensive ex- giving the CLT out to protect their ploitation of the island's cheap labor to the farmers class interests are loom with the expansion in southwest and farm comfortably nestled Negros of mining companies, the en- workers. It within the reac- try of oil palm plantations and the ex- formed the Presi- tionary govern- pansion of Del Monte Corporation's dental Task Force ment. It is the pineapple plantations. ~ on Coco Levy reactionary

ANG BAYAN October 21, 2013 9 government that serves as Victorious tactical offensives the mechanism for preserving feudal and semifeudal exploi- launched in NCMR tation. Thus, there can never be any decisive action expect- ed fighters under the North Central Mindanao Region ed from the reactionary gov- (NCMR) launched five tactical offensives in Bukidnon and ernment on the raging issues RMisamis Oriental from September 30 to October 6. The mili- faced by the peasantry. tary suffered 33 killed and at least six wounded, while the Red guer- In the Southern Tagalog rillas did not suffer any casualties. region, 835 landlords and compradors control 496,469 In Bukidnon. Thirteen sol- fighters had killed three more hectares of productive agri- diers of the Philippine Army 8th soldiers in the same area. cultural land. The landlords IB were killed and several oth- Meanwhile, two military and big compradors live off ers wounded in an ambush by a helicopters were forced to the sweat of the peasantry unit under the NPA South Cen- make an emergency landing at and use the fruits of their la- tral Bukidnon Subregional Com- the Balingasag Central Elemen- bor for their own benefit. mand (SCBSC) in Sitio Tubod, tary School at 2:50 p.m. after Feudal and semifeudal ex- Barangay Cawayan, Quezon on an NPA unit fired at them as ploitation is worsening due to October 6. they neared the scene of the the feudal land monopoly and The Red fighters rained bul- fighting. schemes by which land is re- lets and lobbed grenades on the Earlier, ten troops from a concentrated in the hands of lead team composed of the Lu- company-size col- a few powerful interests. mad bandit group New Indige- umn of the 58th Land rent is exacted from the nous People's Army for Reform IB were killed peasant masses through 80- (NIPAR) led by Nonong Salusad. and five others 20, 70-30 and 60-40 sharing After this, they used command- were wounded schemes, all in favor of the detonated explosives (CDX) on when Red fight- landlord. The ruling classes the main body of soldiers from ers detonated a maintain agriculture in its the 8th IB. CDX on the sol- backward state and bind the The NPA ambushed the diers who were on peasants to a system of usury 53 newly trained soldiers patrol in Sitio that imposes extremely high while the Camansi, Bang- interest on debt. To augment latter were lay, Lagonglong their meager shares in the on the way at around 2 p.m. harvest, the farmers are com- back to on September pelled to work as seasonal or their camp 30. fulltime farm workers receiv- in Quezon town Nearby, an- ing very low wages. from Sitio Ki- other soldier In tandem with feudal and tanggol, Baran- from the 58th IB semifeudal exploitation is re- gay Dao, San Fer- was wounded in actionary violence. The eco- nando. The soldiers a sniping opera- nomic status of landlords and reinforced the NIPAR ban- tion by an NPA big comprador bourgeoisie dits after Red fighters raided team. Five more enables them to exercise tight their lair at Sitio Kitanggol on soldiers were control over political power. September 16. killed by the Under Benigno Aquino III's In Misamis Oriental. Two NPA the regime, he has given his bless- soldiers were killed when a day after ings to the mercenary AFP- team from the NPA Eastern while they PNP CAFGU to sow terror Misamis Oriental-Northeastern were in the act of more viciously under Oplan Bukidnon Subregional Com- robbing an unoc- Bayanihan. ~ mand harassed the 58th IB cupied house in ______blocking force in Sitio Kapata- Sitio Ca- Excerpted from a statement gan, Barangay Umagos, La- mansi at by NDFP-ST spokesperson gonglong, at around 8 a.m. on around 1 Comrade Patnubay de Guia October 3. By noon, the Red p.m. ~

10 ANG BAYAN October 21, 2013 Military suffers were wounded in a tactical of- fensive launched by the Bien- 19 casualties in ST venido Valleber Command (NPA- Palawan) on August 26 in Sitio en soldiers were killed and nine others were wounded in vari- Ebangley, Barangay Abongan, ous military actions launched by the New People's Army (NPA) Taytay. Tin Southern Tagalog from July to September. An abusive com- The Red fighters were able pany was likewise meted punishment in Occidental Mindoro. The re- to make a safe retreat. ports were culled from Kalatas, the revolutionary mass paper in the In Rizal. The NPA continues region. to mete blows on the fascist troops of the AFP in Rizal prov- In Quezon. Red fighters Mindoro. The Red fighters ince. A three-man team under under the Apolonio Mendo- burned two dumptrucks and a the Narciso Antazo Aramil Com- za Command (NPA-Que- payloader and destroyed two mand (NPA-Rizal) launched a zon) thwarted an attempt mixers. harassment operation on August by fascist troops of the On August 26, the Lucio 14 against a detachment 74th IB to encircle them in de Guzman Command like- manned by a composite force of Sitio Matalahan, Baran- wise thwarted an attack by the 16th and 59th IBs. gay San Vicente Kanlu- the 4th IB in Sitio Tinawagan, Before the harassment oper- ran, Catanauan on Sep- Barangay Panaytayan, ation, an NPA unit spurned an tember 16. Seven sol- Mansalay, Oriental Mindo- attack by the 16th IB on July 28 diers were reported ro. A mercenary soldier in Barangay Tinucan, Tanay. A killed while all mem- was killed and two others soldier was killed and another bers of the NPA were wounded, while not a sin- trooper was wounded in the 30- able to retreat un- gle Red fighter was killed minute firefight which began at scathed. or injured. 6:30 a.m. Not a single Red fight- The Red fighters Meanwhile, another er was killed or wounded in the were exercising when soldier was wounded in a gunbattle. the 74th IB attacked at sniping and harassment By 8 a.m. that day, the NPA exactly 6:55 a.m. When operation launched by unit which had retreated and re- the soldiers opened fire, an NPA team against grouped returned to the scene the Red fighters were the 4th IB in Sitio of the fighting and harassed the immediately able to ma- Gaang, Barangay Panay- 16th IB, wounding three other neuver. Each team was tayan. soldiers. able to fight and seize In Palawan. Two ele- Meanwhile, the NPA-Rizal the initiative in the bat- ments of the Ma- launched a sparrow operation tle. rine Battalion against a sergeant from the In Mindoro. The Lucio Landing Team 4 48th IB on July 20. ~ de Guzman Command (NPA- Mindoro) punished on Septem- ber 7 the Jomarias Internation- Ambush in Capiz al Corporation (JIC), a con- struction company owned by hree soldiers from the 61st IB Alpha Coy were killed and former congressman and San Tseveral others were wounded in an ambush by the New Peo- Jose, Occidental Mindoro town ple's Army under the Jose Percival Estocada Jr. Command mayor Jose Villarosa. (JPEC) in Barangay Nayawan, Tapaz, Capiz on October 7. Residents of the area have Fascist troops under the 301st Infantry Brigade of the Phil- been complaining about the ippine Army were then conducting operations in the mountain- company's operations which ous barangays of Tacayan and Nayawan when they were am- have been polluting the Caguray bushed by the Red fighters at around 6:45 a.m. It took more River and destroying the peo- than six hours before three Huey helicopters arrived to collect ple's source of livelihood. The the military casualties, said JPEC spokesperson Ka Jury Guer- punitive operation was under- rero. ~ taken at the Paclolo-Purnaga area in Magsaysay, Occidental

ANG BAYAN October 21, 2013 11 Military's onslaught against diers. The youth were hogtied and blindfolded while being ma- national minorities liciously accused of bringing rice supplies to the NPA. The sol- n the guise of "peace and development teams," troops of the diers also choked the victims, Armed Forces of the Philippines continued their rampage in the aimed a machete at them and Icountryside this October, especially in Lumad communities in threatened to kill them if they Agusan del Sur and Compostela Valley and in Tumanduk areas in Ca- did not reveal the NPA's where- piz. abouts. They were forcibly brought to the forest to serve as In Agusan del Sur. Fifty-sev- In Compostela Valley. Two- guides in the soldiers' opera- en year old Lumad leader Gabri- hundred and twenty-seven Ma- tions against the NPA. el Alindao, 57, was shot to death tigsalog Lumad from Sitio Side In Capiz. Pastor Laranja on October 10 in Barangay 4, Barangay Manggayon, Maco Mirasol Jr. was killed and Ro- Kauswagan, Loreto town. He evacuated towards Compostela lando Diaz Sr. was wounded was a member of the Kahugpu- town on October 4 to protest the when troops from the 61st IB ngan Alang sa Kalambuan (KAS- military's encampment in their Alpha Coy opened fire at the AKA). barangay. house of Abelardo Diaz Sr., a vil- Alindao was on his way home They urgently demanded lage councilor. The victims were to Purok LBC (Lumad, Bol-anon, from the local government the all Tumanduk farmers. The Cebuano) when he was gunned withdrawal of the 25th IB's strafing incident occurred at down by suspected elements of troops from their barrio to allow 9:30 a.m. in Barangay Nayawan, the 26th IB near the Kauswagan them to recover economically Tapaz while the victims were Elementary School. after being devastated by ty- gathered in Diaz's house. Alindao had earlier been ac- phoon Pablo. The residents, including Ba- cused by the military of support- Up to 120 soldiers arrived in rangay Chairman Garson Cata- ing the New People's Army Barangay Manggayon on Octo- min were further terrorized (NPA). To bely the accusations, ber 2 armed with high-powered when the soldiers trained their Alindao attended a military- rifles and artillery. guns at them and subjected sponsored activity that morning The residents told the mili- them to investigation. The mili- called "Bayanihan" held at the tary to pull out from their vil- tary also warned them against 26th IB camp. lage. When the soldiers said leaving the area. The 26th IB has been en- they would remain Catamin had camped in the village since July until the conclu- gathered a 19, after the NPA allegedly sion of the number of killed Kauswagan's barangay 25th IB's nearby resi- chairman. military dents at Di- Prior to this, KASAKA treas- operation, az's house urer Benjie Planos was brutally the resi- to discuss killed by suspected military ele- dents de- their ments on September 13 while he cided to course of was on his way home in the same leave. action after barangay at around 2 p.m. Pla- On Octo- an NPA am- nos was one of the leaders of the ber 6, four bush in their Manobo-Agusan Lumad who Matigsalog village that evacuated towards Davao City youth age 13-18 morning. where they exposed military years were har- Three hel- abuses in Loreto. assed and ille- icopters On August 22, Planos joined gally detained by elements of strafed the a dialogue on militarization held the Military Special Forces in thickets, forests and farms in at a Davao hotel that was like- Sitio Bongkilaton, Compostela nearby Tacayan village in Tapaz wise attended by Loreto local town. They were on the way to town later that day at around officials, Davao City mayor Rod- their village to bring four sacks 12:30 p.m. to collect their casu- rigo Duterte, military officers of rice for their school when alties, without considering the and Lumad leaders. they were harassed by the sol- safety of civilians. ~

12 ANG BAYAN October 21, 2013 NDFP condemns arrest of 18 HERRIRA members Fisherfolk assail construction of naval base in Oyster Bay The National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) strongly condemned the arrest of 18 members of HERRIRA in FISHERFOLK assailed plans to ex- Spain on September 30. HERRIRA is an organization defending pand a Philippine Navy base in Oyster the rights of 600 Basque political prisoners detained in Spain Bay, Palawan to enable it to service and France. These prisoners were fighters struggling for the the growing number of US warships liberation and independence of the Basque country. HERRIRA docking in the area. is known for openly and peacefully working to defend the hu- The Philippine Navy Western man rights of political prisoners and refugees. Command recently announced plans The arrest of the 18 members of HERRIRA violated the to expand its naval base in Oyster most basic democratic rights and freedoms of the organiza- Bay in central-western Palawan, tion's members. The NDFP, along with many other democratic which is more than a hundred kilome- organizations of the Basque people and their friends in the in- ters from the Spratly Islands. ternational community demanded the immediate release of the The base is currently comprised 18 HERRIRA members. of an old wooden seaport. The target is to build a huge base capable of ac- commodating up to four big warships. The Department of Public Works and Highways has released `500 mil- Anti-austerity assembly launched in Detroit City lion to begin construction. Included in the plans is the construction of a AN international assembly was held in Detroit City, USA on Oc- 12-kilometer long road connecting tober 5-6 to assail the depredations of the banks and the gov- Palawan island to Oyster Bay. ernment's austerity program and to put forward just demands The fisherfolk group Pamalakaya for upholding, defending and promoting the rights and wellbe- slammed the Oyster Bay expansion ing of the working class families and entire people of Detroit. project as part of the growing US mil- The gathering was led by the Coalition for an Internation- itary presence in the Philippines. al People's Assembly Against the Banks and Against Austerity. Plans to use the area as a US base is The International League of Peoples' Struggle (ILPS) ex- a violation of Philippine sovereignty. pressed solidarity with the activity. Fisherfolk in the area also fear The coalition called for the cancellation of debt to the being further displaced when the banks. It demanded that workers’ jobs, pensions and services plans push through. In the past, they for the community be guaranteed. It likewise called for a stop were banned from fishing at the bay to union busting and an end to the undemocratic racist man- during joint operations launched by agement of the cities and schools. the AFP and US military in the area. It also demanded that the government undertake a jobs Pollution caused by docking warships program funded by the banks to reemploy the unemployed, and has also driven fish away. The fisher- adopt a moratorium on all foreclosures and foreclosure-relat- folk also fear that a naval base would ed evictions. serve as a magnet for prostitution. It called for increased funding for public education and a The naval base expansion project stop to racism and attacks on immigrants, women, the LGTB in Oyster Bay forms part of the US' community and people with disabilities. overall plans to strengthen its mili- Detroit City symbolizes the intense crisis in the US. On Ju- tary presence in the Philippines and ly 18, the city declared bankruptcy because of its inability to the South Sea. Palawan is cur- pay back billions of dollars in debt. Families from the toiling rently dotted with a network of masses and the lower petty bourgeoisie are suffering the most strong radar operated by the US to from the bankruptcy. (See AB's August 7 issue) monitor the seas.

ANG BAYAN October 21, 2013 13