The Aquino Regime Must Immediately Take Arroyo to Account

Pahayagan ng Partido Komunista ng Pilipinas ANG Pinapatnubayan ng Marxismo-Leninismo-Maoismo English Edition Vol. XLII No. 9 May 7, 2011 www.philippinerevolution.net

Editorial The Aquino regime must immediately take Arroyo to account

he Filipino people were gladdened at the res- the past regime involved in various anomalies. ignation of Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez They would also like to see the legal process un- Ton May 6. With Gutierrez's resignation, a fold against Arroyo and her military and security huge obstacle has been removed from filing char- officials for their responsibility for various fascist ges against Gloria Arroyo and her partners in crrimes. crime. Now, demands have become more urgent The people are thus deeply disappointed with to hold Arroyo accountable at the soonest possi- Benigno Aquino III for his failure to undertake ble time for plunder and stealing from the public even a single step to hold Arroyo and her cohorts coffers as well as for more than a thousand responsible for plunder and fascist crimes. They counts of extrajudicial killing and other crimes seethe in anger seeing Arroyo flaunting her pow- against humanity. er despite the grave criminal cases she should be Gutierrez's resignation came amid facing. widespread calls from the people to Aquino courted the people's support dur- oust her as Ombudsman. Her resig- ing his electoral campaign last year by con- nation has preempted the Senate's tinuously lambasting Arroyo and the major constitution as an impeachment cases of corruption under the previous re- court that will try her on the char- gime. Now he is courting their ire in ges that have been filed against her. his failure to begin the process of The people have been angered no haling Arroyo to court even after end with Gutierrez's use of her power months in power. This only buttress- to block cases against Gloria Arroyo who es the belief that Aquino and Arroyo appointed her to her position. The Of- had struck a deal during the elections. fice of the Ombudsman is the reac- With so many investigations conducted tionary government's agency in the previous years, enough in- tasked with investigating and fil- formation has been dis- ing charges against government closed to nail Arroyo for officials involved in corruption and various criminal casers. abuse of power. Contrary to this, Thus, many deem Aquino's however, Gutierrez turned a blind formation of a Truth Com- eye to her friend Arroyo's direct in- mission in his first days volvement in various cases of cor- in Malacañang ostensibly ruption such as the NBN-ZTE deal, to investigate Arroyo's cas- the Fertlizer Fund scam and many es as a huge waste of government resour- others. ces. Malacañang eventually failed to justify the Gutierrez's resignation as Ombudsman fires up rationale behind the Truth Commission's forma- the Filipino people's desire to see the legal proc- tion in the face of questions raised against it be- ess unfold immediately against Gloria Arroyo, her fore the Supreme Court. husband Mike, her sons and other key officials of Aquino dilly-dallied in the face of calls to

Ka Soly: Woman, This issue’s Arroyo charged 13 firearms seized mother, revolutionary with plunder PAGE 2 in Bukidnon PAGE 5 highlights... PAGE 10 oust Gutierrez. He began to take heed of, and ride, on the public's clamor on- Arroyo charged with plunder ly in April when moves to remove Guti- errez began taking off within and out- ormer Pres, Gloria Arroyo is set to face several cases side Congress. He suddenly took on the Fof plunder and violations of human rights. issue in an attempt to recover lost Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez's unexpected resig- ground after the latest surveys re- nation has set the stage for this scenario. Gutierrez's res- vealed a nosedive in his popularity rat- ignation took effect May 6, or three days befire the Sen- ings. ate was set to try her on impeachment charges. Gutierrez's resignation now When she announced her resignatrion, Gutierrez still strengthens the pressure on the Aqui- stubbornly denied being Arrioyo's protector. This is de- no regime to file cases against Arroyo spite being known to be close to the former president's and her ilk and put them on trial. The family. She sat on cases involving her boss and the lat- Aquino regime can no longer justify ter's most zealous minions. On the other hand, she bru- any delay in taking the necessary steps tally went after the Arroyo regime's political enemies. in this regard, The Filipino people must With her resignation, there is one less obstacle in ac- step up their demands to hold Arroyo celerating the criminal proceedings against Arroyo. In accountable in order to preempt any this regard, Bayan Muna Rep. Teddy Casiño said that deals that may be struck and to push they would pursue the plunder case they had earlier filed the process of attaining justice. against Arroyo for her involvement in the $329-million Without the people's struggle NBN-ZTE project. Secretary of Justice Leila de Lima has against corruption, the various camps promised to revive the case and form a panel for this un- within the ruling classes will merely der her department. take turns in abusing political power in Bayan Muna filed the case against Arroyo on July 1, order to commit plunder and amass 2010, a day after she stepped down from power. The DOJ wealth. History has proven that if the endorsed the case to the Truth Commission formed by people do not take action, justice can Aquino. The case was relegated to the backburner when never br attained from those who hold the Supreme Court declared the Truth Commission un- the reins of power in the reactionary constitutional. state. Former Solicitor General Frank Chavez had earlier In the final analysis, lasting justice filed plunder charges against Arroyo for her illegal use of can only be attained with ending the funds from the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration ruling reactionary system that engen- (OWWA). Also charged were former OWWA administrator ders corruption and fascism and allows Virgilio Angelo, former Health Secretary Francisco Duque them to fester. True justice can only be II and former Executive Secretary and Foreign Affairs attained with the overthrow of the bu- Secretary Alberto Romulo. reaucrat capitalists through revolu- Chavez said Arroyo illegally transferred OWWA funds tionary struggle and the establishment to the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (Phil- of a new ruling system of people's de- Health). She used `554 million in OWWA funds to pur- mocracy.~ chase PhilHealth cards from March 2003 to February 2004 for distribution during her ANG reelection campaign. Romulo al- Contents so illegally used `5 million from Editorial: Arroyo must be taken to OWWA to support US Pres. Ge- Vol. XLII No. 9 May 7, 2011 account 1 orge W. Bush's terrorist war in Ang Bayan is published in Pilipino, Arroyo charged with plunder 2 Bisaya, Iloko, Hiligaynon, Waray and CHR slammed for clearing AFP 3 Iraq and $293,500 to defray ex- English editions. Dispersal at Laperal Compound 3 penses of the Philippine mission It is available for downloading at Calamity, hunger in Panay 4 in Kuwait and buy cars for Phil- the Philippine Revolution Web Central 13 firearms seized in Bukidnon 5 ippine embassies in Lebanon, located at: 6 soldiers killed in Rizal 5 www.philippinerevolution.net POWs in Cotabato 6 Jordan, Oman, Bahrain, Egypt Ang Bayan welcomes contributions Killing, militarization in Leyte 6 and Iran. in the form of articles and news. Readers are likewise enjoined to send Scout Ranger in Negros killed 7 Sen. Panfilo Lacson is also in their comments and suggestions for NDFP 38th anniversary 8 reportedly preparing a corrup- the betterment of our publication. You Cordillera Day 9 tion case against Arroyo. So is can reach us by email at: Ka Soly, revolutionary martyr 10 [email protected] News 12 Danilo Lihay-lihay, a private cit- izen from Iloilo, said Secretary Ang Bayan is published fortnightly by the Central Committee de Lima. Lihay-lihay's charges of the Communist Party of the Philippines stem from Arroyo's anomalous

2 ANG BAYAN May 7, 2011 sale of the Iloilo Airport's equipment in 2007. budsman Evelyn Baliton claiming that Arroyo's Despite positive indications that Arroyo will transfer of OWWA funds was legal and free of ir- finally be nailed for plunder and her other regularities. Added to this is Benigno Aquino crimes against the people, there are other ob- III's reluctance to prosecute the former president. stacles that must now be hurdled by anticorrup- On May 1, he admitted that filing plunder charges tion crusaders. against Arroyo is not among his regime's priori- The Office of the Ombudsman is already ma- ties and said he was more focused on finding a neuvering to clear Arroyo, with Assistant Om- new Ombudsman. ~ CHR slammed Violent demolition for clearing military at Laperal Compound he Confederation of Unity for the Rec- he Commission on Human Rights (CHR) was lam- Tognition and Advancement of Govern- basted for clearing the military in the abduction ment Employees (COURAGE) condemned Tand torture of Filipino-American activist Melissa the violent demolition at Laperal Com- Roxas and her two companions. pound in Guadalupe Viejo, Makati City on CHR Chairperson Loreta Ann "Etta" Rosales April 29. cleared elements of the Philippine Army 7th Infantry More than 1,000 police forces, ele- Division and even maliciously insinuated that the ments from the Special Weapons and Tac- New People's Army (NPA) was behind Roxas' abduc- tics unit, goons, personnel from the Mate- tion and torture. ropolitan Manila Development Authority In a statement, the Communist Party of the Phil- (MMDA) and the Makati Public Safety ippines decried the CHR decision as favorable to for- (MAPSA) forced their way into the commu- mer Maj. Gen. Jovito Palparan, who used to head the nity to evict the residents. They used bull- 7th ID in its brutal campaign of terrorism and human dozers to destroy the houses and trained rights violations. Among Palparan and the 7th ID's water cannons and lobbed teargas gre- other crimes are the abduction of University of the nades against residents who were forced to Philippines students Karen Empeño and Sherlyn Cad- defend their homes. apan, the torture of brothers Reynaldo and Raymond COURAGE-Laperal chapter chair William Manalo, the abduction of activist Jonas Burgos and Balderas said a child lost consciousness worker-leader Rogelio Concepcion. after inhaling teargas fumes and two men Fidel Agcaoili, shair of the Human Rights Monitor- sustained bullet wounds. Several youths ing Committee of the National Democratic Front of were arrested and beaten up by the police. the Philippines (NDFP) assailed Rosales' accusations Balderas strongly belied Makati Mayor against the NPA. Agcaoili said Rosales' statements Jejomar Erwin "Jun-jun" Binay Jr.'s claims may derail the ongoing peace talks between the Gov- that the community was a "danger zone" ernment of the Philippines and the NDFP. On the oth- because of rampant drug use and crime. He er hand, the Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (BAYAN) said Binay was just deflectiing the people's expressed its disappointment with the CHR reports. attention from the real reason behind the BAYAN said despite Roxas' cooperation with the CHR's demolition: to evict the residents. Balde- investigation, the government rights body still let the ras assailed their transfer to farflung relo- military off the hook. cation sites where they have no assurance Roxas was abducted along with her companions of livelihood. He added that they believed Eduardo Jandoc and Juanito Carabeo on May 19, 2009 the fire that engulfed the community on in La Paz, Tarlac. They were subjected to physical and April 19 was arson and part of the scheme psychological torture for six days and brought to var- to boot them out of the area. ious military camps in Central Luzon. On, the other hand, COURAGE national Meanwhile, the mothers of Karen Empeño and chair Ferdinand Gaite blamed the govern- Sherlyn Cadapan filed several cases against Palparan ment for the proliferation of homeless peo- before the Department of Justice. Palparan was ac- ple. He said many people flock to the cit- cused ofd violating the Anti-Rape Law under the Re- ies but do not have jobs waiting for them vised Penal Code and the rights of detainees and ar- or decent housing and social services. He rested persons under international antitorture cove- added that since the government was ex- nants. They were assisted by their lawyer Atty. Edre ploiting the people, the latter must unite Olalia of the National Union of People's Lawyers. ~ and struggle to defend their right to live.~

ANG BAYAN May 7, 2011 3 situation to conduct counterin- Calamity, poverty surgency operations. Until now, scarcely 40% of and hunger in Panay the infrastructure damaged by typhoon Frank has been re- n 2010, a series of calamities hit Panay. In the last quarter of paired. Not a single centavo 2009 and the first half of 2010, the island suffered a severe from the total `8 billion meant Idrought due to El Niño, followed by typhoons and floods in the for the rehabilitation of the re- succeeding months. This wrought havoc on the island's agricultur- gion's calamity victims has al economy, worsening hunger among the peasantry and other im- reached the intended beneficia- poverished sectors. ries.

Government inutility partment of Social Welfare and Mass movement to address Despite such serious devas- Development (DSWD) and the disasters tation, the government did Philippine National Red Cross nothing but give out aid in tric- were coursed through the 4Ps In the face of all this, demo- kles to the victims of calamities. program—which had its own cratic organizations as well as Social services were of no help budgetary allocation. The gov- progressive NGOs were still able when a dengue epidemic struck ernment claimed that the 4Ps to respond quickly through res- the island in mid-2010. Up to beneficiaries enjoyed priority, cue and relief efforts in the 5,147 people fell ill and 27 died even if they numbered only most severely affected commu- in the province of Iloilo alone. 5,000 in the provinces of Iloilo nities, especially in Kalibo, Ak- Mass organizations had to con- and Capiz. Bu they received no lan and Capiz. Their early re- front and demand help from the food or medical assistance de- sponse to the needs of impover- Iloilo City local government be- spite demands from farmers es- ished and calamity-stricken fore the latter issued `1 million pecially in Iloilo during the lean people is the product of contin- in calamity funds . months. uing education and training on The government declared a Worse, organizations and in- disaster preparedness, disaster state of calamity in the face of stitutions that were doing their management and community severe flooding in September best to fill up the vacuum left drills in barangays affected by and December 2010, but did by the reactionary government's disasters. nothing except distribute inutility were constantly being By forming alliances with canned goods and instant noo- targeted for repression. Inno- other sectors, mass organiza- dles. It even required farmers to cent civilians were being killed tions and progressive NGOs were pay `600 for each sack of cert- and democratic organizations also able to sustain their disas- tified seeds from the Depart- and progressive non-govern- ter-management activities and ment of Agriculture and the Na- ment organizations (NGO) har- campaigns. They conducted tional Food Authority which it assed. trainings on emergency re- allegedly sold at a discount. Even amid the most serious sponse management, early This was supposedly done to en- calamities, like typhoon Frank, warning systems, counter-disas- able farmers to use the seeds for the AFP extended only token as- ter planning, disaster informa- their second cropping. At this sistance and use of a few of its tion and advocacy, hazard map- point, the prices of LPG and al- helicopters. The AFP and the US ping and sustainable agricul- most all goods and services shot used the disasters as opportuni- ture. They also dispersed vege- up. Even the price of NFA rice ties to send in inter- table and fruit tree seeds. rose from `25 to `27 per kilo. ventionist Ameri- Along with local offi- The price of white sugar came to can troops. They cials, they drew at- `60 per kilo in December and had their pic- tention to the peo- `70 to `72 in town centers this tures taken ple's conditions February. handing out through fact-find- The government also demon- relief goods ing missions, con- strated its inutility during the but were un- gressional inquir- onslaught of El Niño. Almost able to ex- ies and struggling half of irrigated ricelands had tend any against destructive gone dry. Nonetheless, cloud- significant mining operations in seeding was done too in- assistance. Guimaras and Capiz, as frequently. Services that were The US mili- well as the coal-fired normally provided by the De- tary even exploited the power plant in La Paz,

4 ANG BAYAN May 7, 2011 Iloilo. VICTORIOUS TACICAL OFFENSIVES With the onslaught of El Niño, mass organizations launched campaigns against hunger and raised the issue of NPA seizes 13 firearms rotten social services. They demanded that government deliver on its responsi- in Bukidnon bilities to assist farmers and develop agriculture. This is because the only assist- he New People's Army confiscated 13 firearms in ance they had received came in the form a successful raid on the Philippine National Police of a little rice which was distributed by T(PNP) headquarters and municipal hall of Malit- politicians during the electoral campaign. bog, Bukidnon on the morning of May 3. Seized were eight M16s, three 9 mm pistols, a cal .38 revolver, a Revolutionary response to calamities cal .22 pistol and rounds of ammunition.o The NPA also seized two radio transceivers, two In areas covered by Red political pow- computers and other military equipment. er, the peasant masses continued to Ignacio "Eking" Balacuit Command (Front 4-B) launch campaigns on organized efforts to spokesperson Ka Emiliano Libertad said the Red fight- develop production and set up coopera- ers were able to take control of the police station in tives in addition to other efforts for the 30 minutes despite the proximity of the headquarters welfare of the people in the barrios. of the 58th IB and the Misamis Oriental Provincial The campaigns included the defense PNP. The attack was conducted so swiftly that the of land which is the source of the peas- three policemen who were then at the station were ants' livelihood. The peasants struggled unable to fire back and instead surrendered their against the 3rd ID's seizure of the Tuman- weapons. duk minorities' ancestral lands as well as The Red guerrillas brought the three captured po- schemes to evict farmers to give way to licemen as they retreated but released them some 300 tourism projects and destructive mining meters awaty from the police station. operations. The NPA has once more demonstrated and proven Rules on environmental protection are that it is capable of launching successful tactical of- implemented as well as on the preserva- fensives in the face of bigger and stronger enemy for- tion of the remaining forests and the ces and intense military operations. This raid is going planting of durable crops like coconuts to raise and strengthen further the determination of and coffee. Ricefields are developed and the Red fighters to thwart the US-Aquino regime's the use of poison in rivers, streams and Oplan Bayanihan and advance the people's war to a other sources of water is banned. The rev- higher level, added Libertad. ~ olutionary forces explain to the people that these campaigns are related to the defense of the national patrimony and natural resources against imperialist and 6 soldiers wounded landlord-comprador interests and for national industrialization. in Rizal ambush During disasters, the Party and the New People's Army in the island are fo- ix soldiers, including their commanding officer cused on helping the people by providing were seriously wounded in an ambush by Red guidance to their actions and coordinat- Sfighters in Barangay Mamuyao, Tanay, Rizal on ing the distribution of relief goods with- May 5. in their limited resources. The NPA Re- In a statement, the Narciso Antazo Aramil Com- gional Command also declared a tempo- mand of the New People's Army in Rizal reported us- rary ceasefire in 2008 after the devasta- ing a command-detonated explosive on a section of tion of typhoon Frank. Likewise, the NPA operating trioops from the 16th IB Bravo Coy. The Napoleon Tumagtang Command in South- 16th IB is known as the "butcher battalion" for its ern Panay declared a temporary ceasefire many human rights violations, especially against Du- after massive landslides struck Tubungan, magat and Remontado minorities. Iloilo in 2009. This is to give NPA and After a 15-minute exchange of fire, six soldiers lay Party units and the mass organizations an wounded, including a Lieutenant Partoza who was opportunity to help the calamity-stricken leading the operating troops, There were no casualties people in the localities. ~ on the NPA side. ~

ANG BAYAN May 7, 2011 5 Local official's killing, the Comprehensive Agrrment on Respect for Human Rights and In- militarization in Leyte assailed ternational Humanitarian Law. The NDF-EV also expressed its concern regarding more human he Arnulfo Ortiz Command (AOC) of the New People's Army in rights violations to come as a re- Samar province strongly condemned the murder of Calbayog sult of the militarization of the TCity mayor Reynaldo Uy. Uy was gunned down by hired killers entire town of Tunga. It cited the sent by his political rivals. 8th ID's responsibility for the In a statement, the AOC said ready unit foisted on the civil- deaths of scientist Leonardo Co Uy's killing underscores the wor- ian populace, and engaged in and two members of his team, sening crisis and rottenness of acts of war sugarcoated as and the massacres of peasants in the reactionary ruling system. "peace and security operations" Kananga and Palo. The 8th ID is "The contradictions between re- under Oplan Bayanihan. likewise accountable for extraju- actionary politicians are turning The NDF-EV said that the 8th dicial killings, bombings of civil- even more bitter and bloodier ID was putting the civilians' lives ian communities and economic because there is no more room in danger, which is violative of and food blockades. ~ for mutual accommodation over the dwindling spoils of power." The AOC called Uy a true SR officer killed in Negros Oriental friend of the people and a poli- he New People's Army (NPA) thwarted an attempt by the tician who knew how to listen 2nd Scout Ranger Company on May 3 to attack a platoon of to the people's grievances. He T Red fighters in Sitio Avocado, Barangay Talalak, Santa Catali- joined the anti-Marcos dictator- na, Negros Oriental. According to initial reports, a military of- ship movement in the 1980s. ficer was killed and a soldier who was part of the reinforcement After the dictatorship's downfall troops was wounded. in 1986, he was appointed OIC The officer was identified as Capt. Wilson Montenegro, vice mayor of Calbayog City. He commander of the 2nd Scout Ranger Coy (SRC) of the 1st Scout eventually won in the elections Ranger Battalion. under the progressive Partido ng The NPA unit was temporarily posted in the area when the Bayan and became the city's 2nd Scout Ranger Coy encircled it at around 9 a.m. Nonethe- mayor and congressman. less, the Red guerrillas got wind of the plan and seized the in- In 2005, he played a major itiative in the gunbattle. After 30 minutes, the 2nd Scout Ran- role in exposing and opposing ger Coy's commanding officer lay dead and a soldier from the within Congress the human rights reinforcing 1st SRC lay wounded. violations of the fascist butcher In a statement, the NPA thanked its friends from the police Gen. Jovito Palparan. Palparan who warned them of the impending attack. The warning ena- then headed the 8th Infantry Di- bled the Red fighters to prepare for and meet the reactionary vision. Uy led all the region's state's "elite troops" head-on. congressmen in demanding Pal- In Compostela Valley, a soldier was killed and two others paran's expulsion from Eastern wounded in an NPA ambush on operating troops of the 71st IB Visayas. He also actively opposed in Barangay Tibagon, Pantukan at noon of May 4. According to large-scale mining in Samar and initial reports, the NPA used a command-detonated explosive the entire region. on the soldiers before opening fire. Meanwhile, the National Meanwhile, Red fighters of the Edgardo Dagli Command (NPA- Democratic Front in Eastern Vis- Batangas) punished an element of a death squad being run by the ayas (NDF-EV) roundly con- Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the PNP-CIDG. The el- demned the influx of troops ement who was known by his aliases "Dennis" and "Allen" was di- from the 82nd Civil Military Op- rectly responsible for killing two mass leaders in Batangas. erations Company in all baran- "Dennis" was part of a team of armed men handled by the gays of Tunga, Leyte. "The claim AFP-PNP who killed Kenneth Reyes, 28, barangay captain of of Lt. Rey Halina, commander of Maguihan, Lemery. Reyes, who was shot to death on April 11 the 82nd CMO Company, that also chaired the Bagong Alyansang Makabayan in Batangas. these troops are "peace and de- "Dennis" also killed Ireneo "Rene" Rodriguez in Pook ng Bala- velopment workers" is plain rub- yan, Calaca, Batangas on November 7. Rodriguez was an offi- bish." The NDF-EV said that the cer of the Samahan ng Magbubukid ng Batangas (SAMBAT). ~ 82nd CMO Company is a combat-

6 ANG BAYAN May 7, 2011 fensives from 2010 to 2011, NDFP celebrates 38th seizing 35 firearms, killing 105 and wounding 35 of the 8th ID's founding anniversary forces. Salas said that from these experiences in guerrilla arious revolutionary forces allied with the National Demo- warfare, the NPA in the region cratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) celebrated the latter’s is now in the process of devel- V38th founding anniversary on April 24. oping annihilative attacks in From their jail cells at the conclusion and establish a free, order to seize more weapons PNP Custodial Center in Camp democratic, propeople, just and and arm more recruits. Added Crame, Quezon City, five NDFP progressive socio-economic and Salas, the NPA in Eastern Visay- consultants hailed the revolu- political order in the country. as in determined to contribute tionary alliance and expressed From Eastern Visayas (EV), to the effort to advance the their continued support for it NDFP spokesperson Fr. Santiago people's war from the strategic and the Filipino people's deter- salas reported EV's victories, es- defensive to the strategic stale- mined revolutionary struggle. pecially in the mate. The statement was signed by field of armed In Southern Taga- Prospero Agudo, Jovencio Bal- struggle. The log, the Raquel Au- weg, Alan Jazmines, Edgardo New People's mentado chapter of Ar- Sarmiento and Eduardo Serrano. Army (NPA) was tista at Manunulat ng They said that since its able to launch Sambayanan (ARMAS) founding, the NDFP has re- 54 tactical of- hailed the contributions mained the leading patriotic of revolutionary artists and progressive people's alli- to the revolution. ance against foreign imperi- Aumentado was a aism, domestic feudalism cultural activist and bureaucrat capitalism. who was killed in The Filipino people, espe- a firefight in Mu- cially the most exploited lanay, Quezon in and oppressed are deter- 2006. mined to pursue the nation- Said AR- al-democratic revolution to MAS-TK, many

menting the US-Aquino regime's NPA captures 2 soldiers brutal counterrevolutionary war. Nonetheless, the soldiers' fami- in North Cotabato lies were assured that the NPA was respecting their rights in wo elements of the Philippine Army 57th IB were arrested by accordance with the protocols Red fighters on April 14 while undertaking an intelligence of war and provisions of the Tmission in Sitio Dalinding, Barangay Datu Inda, President Ro- Comprehensive Agreement on xasm, North Cotabato. The two soldiers were identified as Cpl. Del- Respect for Human Rights and fin Largo Saracom and Pfc. Jayson Burgos Valenzuela. International Humanitarian Law. Red fighters under the Her- team" as cover, the two soldiers minio Alfonso Command (HAC- were engaged in an intelligence NPA) seized two cal .45 pistolks operation, particularly the veri- from them, said Ka Isabel Santi- fication of the presence of Red ago, spokesperson of the HAC- fighters in Barangay Datu Inda. NPA (Front 53 of the Southern The two prisoners are cur- Mindanao Region). rently undergoing investigation Saracom and Valenzuela were for possible involvement in arrested for being members of a grave human rights vi- Special Operations Team (SOT) olations and other implementing the US-Aquino re- crimes against the gime's Oplan Bayanihan in revolutionary North Cotabato. Using the mon- movement in the icker "peace and development course of imple-

ANG BAYAN May 7, 2011 7 revolutionary artists have offered their lives in genuine social change. the people's service. They inspire other cultural A statement by the Christians for National workers to tread the path of struggle. Liberation (CNL-TK) cited the life and death ARMAS-TK particularly assailed the colonial struggle where hundreds of revolutionary martyrs and feudal culture that rules the fields of educa- have sacrificed their lives. But with their deaths, tion, the mass media, the arts, religion and oth- said the CNL-TK, they are resurrected in the hun- ers. ARMAS-TK's determination to further ad- dreds and thousands of people struggling to at- vance the national-democratic cultural revolu- tain victory for the people's democratic revolution grows stronger in the face of this siuation. tion and establish a society that will banish ex- Said ARMAS-TK, for as long as radio and televi- ploitation. sion programs, the teachings of the conservative As a revolutionary organization among church churches, the system of education and other cul- people and the religious, the CNL firmly believes tural avenues continue to peddle ignorance, that only through a democratic revolution can backward thinking, reliance on fate and luck and the people achieve their long-desired change. the worship of things foreign, the revolutionary Meantime, members of the Makabayang Kilu- movement will go allout in arousing the broad san ng Bagong Kababaihan launched a lightning masses to make them aware of their innate pow- rally in Manila and called on women to join the er and capability to blaze their own path towards people's war. ~

The CPDF assured the people CPDF hails of the continued support of the revolutionary forces for the Cor- 27th Cordillera Day dillerans' struggle to defend their lands, livelihood and natural resoyrces. Even amid the ordillerans bravely asserted their right to celebrate the 27th brutality of Oplan Bantay Laya 1 Cordillera Day despite sinister efforts by the locak reactionary and 2, the New People's Army government and the 41st IB to stop them. The celebration C (NPA) dealt blows on the enemy which was held in Lacub, Abra carried the theme "Live Out our Glo- as its contribution to the effort rious History of Struggle! Fight for Land, Life and Honor!" to punish the military troops In a statement, Simon "Ka companies—Total Mineral Ex- that are being used by foreign Filiw" Naogsan, spokesperson of ploration, the Philex-owned and local exploiters to suppress the Cordillera Peoples Democrat- Golden Lake Mineral Resources the people. In OBL2's final year ic Front (CPDF) hailed the sig- and Titan Mining and Energy up to the first quarter of 2011, nificance of Lacub as the site of Corporation. The celebration the NPA was able to inflict 104 the celebration. Lacub is cur- was held amid intense struggles casualties on the AFP. Fifty- rently threatened by the large- by the people of Abra to defend eight of these casualties were scale operations of three mining their ancestral lands, liveli- killed in action in 20 gunbattles hoods and natural in the entire region. The NPA resources. was also able to seize a good The CPDF number of weapons and military likewise equipment. praised the Cor- The CPDF called on the peo- dillerans' stead- ple in the region to continue re- fastness in the sisting the presence of the reac- face of the huge tionary military in their commu- number of mil- nities and the entry of foreign itary troops corporations out to seize and that have destroy their ancestral lands. It been poured called for the forging of militant into the re- unity and struggle among all gion to Cordillerans and the Filipino suppress people in order to establish a their genuinely free, progressive, strug- peaceful, just and democratic gles. society. ~

8 ANG BAYAN May 7, 2011 barangays in four towns of MP. Danding Cojuangco cornering In September 2010, Mt. Franz Mining Corp. applied for a min- FSMR and Cordilleran ing permit for 54,800 hectares in 11 villages of MP and 42 ba- resources rangays of Kalinga. All financial and technical assistance agreements, explora- duardo "Danding" Cojuangco Jr. has been paid back more than tion agreements and mining amply for his hefty contribution to his nephew Benigno Aqui- production sharing agreements no III's campaign kitty. Aside from a Supreme Court decision E taken together would currently affirming his claim over significant shares of stock at the San Mi- cover a million hectares or more guel Corporation (SMC), Cojuangco is now having a heydey seizing than 51% of Cordillera's entire large tracts of land for his large-scale mining and energy projects. land area. His is now the face of greed of the Kamag-anak Inc. in various Even the Ilocos shorelines parts of the Philippines. are being mined for magnetite. In Far South Mindanao Re- ronment and the people's wel- There are 30 new hydropower gion (FSMR), the National Dem- fare. It will fight until a ration- generation plant contracts on ocratic Front of the Philippines al, propeople and environmen- top of the 21 existing mini-hy- (NDFP) has exposed Cojuangco's tally friendly economic policy is dropower plants and the Magat, ownership of 10% of the gigan- in place. San Roque, Ambuklao and Binga tic and destructive Xstrata-SMI In the Cordillera, the people mega dams. that mines gold and copper. He timed their exposé and condem- Many of these contracts are has also purchased three coal nation of Kamag-anak Inc.'s on- owned by Kamag-anak Inc.'s mines in the Daguma mountains slaught in the region during the SMC or the Ayala family, anoth- located along the Sarangani- 27th Cordillera Day celebration. er Aquino ally. Sultan Kudarat-South Cotabato The participants assailed the Although the contracts were tri-boundary. SMC has also an- national policy of viewing the signed under the previous re- nounced its intention of setting Cordillera as a resource base gime, these mines and energy up coal-fired power plants in that foreign and local exploiters plants are zealously being pro- the cities of General Santos, could freely plunder. They cited tected by the military under the Sultan Kudarat and Davao. mining contracts signed by the Aquino regime's Oplan Their greed for riches and Arroyo regime shortly before the Bayanihan. ~ power makes Aquino and his un- end of its term, among them cle Danding Cojuangco turn a with Cordillera Exploration Inc. deaf ear to the grievances of (CEXI) that covers at least people who have suffered the 1,872 hectares in 12 villa- devastation caused by large- ges of three munici- scale mining operations. Land- palities in Mountain slides, air and water pollution Province (MP). On and the destruction of rivers the other hand, and seas are now rampant in ar- Horizons Resour- eas hosting large-scale mining. ces Corp. will cov- Mining interests also use the er almost 60,000 AFP to brutalize and silence hectares in Ben- people waging resistance. guet and 43 Through Oplan Bayanihan, large-scale mining and planta- tions are passed off and protected as "peace and development projects." The NDFP in FSMR firmly declared that it would never allow foreign monopoly capitalists and their local cohorts among the big comprador bourgeoisie to wantonly destroy the envi-

ANG BAYAN May 7, 2011 9 CORRESPONDENCE REPORTS path of armed struggle. At first, Ka Soly: Woman, mother, she worked among students as a member of a semilegal team. revolutionary In November 1981, Ka Soly began working in a guerrilla zone in South Quezon with her I understand clearly what I am sworn to do, I know that hard- husband. She was assigned to ship, sacrifice and even death can befall anyone and I believe an Armed Propaganda Unit that all these efforts will not be in vain.-- Ka Soly (APU) of the NPA that had three towns of Batangas as its area of Statement by the Secretariat operations. When she became of the Southern Tagalog Regional Committee pregnant, she worked for a year Communist Party of the Philippines as a member of an urban-based February 2011 medical staff. After giving birth, she was assigned to a guerrilla oming from a peasant family with roots in Albay province, zone in Quezon in November Comrade Rosemarie Dumanais (better known as Ka Soly/Ensa) 1984 and joined an APU operat- Cwas born on October 31, 1959 in Camarines Sur. Ka Soly knew ing in three municipalities. early on the meaning of poverty and social crisis. As the eldest of From being an ordinary Red three daughters, she helped her mother eke a living by hauling fighter, she became the logistics abaca even at a tender age. These circumstances piqued her inter- officer (S4) in 1985 and the vice est in politics and she became active in youth organizations in her squad leader of a newly formed locality. It is this interest and consciousness that opened the doors consolidation team operating in to Ka Soly's unhesitating embrace of the revolutionary movement. Central Quezon. Before the year Her being a woman did not as they transferred to other sub- ended, Ka Soly was assigned prove to be a barrier in fulfilling villages and helped gather sup- Secretary of a newly established her revolutionary tasks. In Jan- plies for the NPA. Ka Soly Party branch within a military uary 1979, comrades from the showed courage and determina- sector (Sangay sa Militari Sektor revolutionary movement came tion in whatever task she ful- or SMS) operating in three in contact with Ka Soly and re- filled. Due to her intense desire towns. In May 1986, she became cruited her. In the first phase of to contribute more to the revo- the deputy secretary of a Guer- her political involvement, she lution and be of deeper service rilla Front Committee covering led the establishment and ex- to the people, she joined the Laguna and Central Quezon. Not pansion of youth groups in oth- Communist Party of the Philip- long after, she became a regular er barangays of their town and pines and the New People's Ar- member of the District Commit- became an instructor of various my (NPA) in the Quezon-Bicol tee in Central Quezon. In 1987, mass courses. From time to Zone in March 1980 at the age Ka Soly also became a regular time, she would guide comrades of 21. She chose to tread the member of the Front Committee and the District Executive Com- mittee and continued serving as the Secretary of the SMS in four towns in Quezon. She also worked in Laguna in 1991, serving as the Secretary of a platoon-size Sub-District Commit- tee. From 1993 to 1994, she became the Deputy Secretary of the District Committee. In 1996, Ka Soly was assigned Secretary of the guerrilla front in Central Quezon. She fulfilled all her duties with a renewed firmness and faith in the Party. Due to her exemplary per- formance, she was appointed member of the Southern Tagalog

10 ANG BAYAN May 7, 2011 CORRESPONDENCE REPORTS Regional Committee in 1994 mother to many other children lutionary that she was live on. and elected a regular member brutalized by poverty and ex- Her contributions to the during the Third Regional Party ploitation. The depth of her love revolution's continuing strength Conference in 1997. She later for her fanily was equalled by and advance are her legacy to became a member of the Execu- the depth of her love of coun- the next generation of revolu- tive Committee during the Re- try—she was a neverending, un- tionaries—the younger genera- gional Party Committee plenum surpassed wellspring of love. tion who will follow in her in 2000. It was in a gunbattle in Mau- footsteps and wield the weapon Ka Soly displayed admirable ban, Quezon on February 7, that had fallen from her grasp. fortitude in the face of adversi- 2011 that Ka Soly died while Long may you live, Ka Soly! ty and firmly held fast to revo- courageously fighting the mer- Your memory will stay alive lutionary theory. She constantly cenary military. She is a martyr and afire in the hearts and deepened her knowledge of the- of the revolution whose life and minds of the people you served. ory and its application in order struggle were exemplars of It is a flame that will never die. to fulfill her tasks better. She faithful service to the exploited refused to be swayed by tenden- and oppressed masses. cies that would affect her serv- Ka Soly did not show any 2-day transport strike ice to the people. Instead, she fear in the face of death in the shakes Panay continued to break against such hands of the enemy. Her bravery waves and successfully over- and steadfastness as she ma- PROGRESSIVE drivers and came various contradictions. neuvered through steep trails to other democratic groups She knew how to accept her protect their ranks was une- successfully waged a two- errors and listen to criticism, qualled. She did not waver amid day transport strike all over using this in her remoulding as the smoke and exchange of gun- Panay island. Led by the a revolutionary communist. Ka fire during battles. It was clear Kahublagan Kontra Kartel Soly was the image of simple to Ka Soly that life would some- (KKK) and PISTON, almost living and hard struggle. She day end, but that what really 100% of public transporta- was loved and embraced by ev- mattered was how one spent tion in Iloilo, Capiz and ery mother, sister and daughter this life and to whom it was Aklan joined the strike she met. dedicated. Up to the last mo- from 10 a.m. of May 2 to It was in the movement that ment, Ka Soly lived in struggle May 3. Drivers of public she met her husband, the father and died a hero and martyr of transport between cities of her children and her partner the revolution. and towards Antique also in struggle—Comrade Gregorio Her death is as heavy as the stopped plying their "Ka Roger" Rosal, the spokes- Sierra Madre and Banahaw routes. person of the Communist Party mountains. The revolutionary The drivers protested to of the Philippines. Together, people, the Party and people's demand the junking of the they built a revolutionary family army mourn her death and re- 12% value-added tax on and supported each other in fur- member her life full of heroism. petroleum products and the ther honing their revolutionary They remember her as a model repeal of the Oil Deregula- standpoint and improving their comrade, revolutionary, woman tion Law. They also called revolutionary practice. Ka Soly's and mother. on the regime to investi- family inspired her to persevere Like many other sons and gate the oil companies' in pursuing the revolution's daughters of the people, Ka Soly overpricing of their pro- goals. At the same time, the never turned her back on her ducts by up to `7.50 per li- revolutionary couple inspired duties. She spent 32 years of her ter. They said it would be other comrades desiring to build life in loyal service to the revo- more relevant for the re- their own families. As a mother, lution's interests, to the people gime to remove the VAT on she raised and moulded her and the country. The bullets oil instead of giving away daughters to know both the that ended her life failed to "pantawid pasada" cards. sweetness and bitternes of war. stop her blazing desire to be This band-aid solution by She chose to take on the sacri- free of the chains of bondage. the regime is futile espe- fice of being separated from Her heart has stopped beating cially in the face of relent- them in order to pursue a deep- but the memories of the com- less hikes in the prices of er goal, and that was to be rade, woman, mother and revo- petroleum products.

ANG BAYAN May 7, 2011 11 NEWS May 1: Day of Rage Shell, Exxon show rapidly growing profits in 2011 THOUSANDS of workers marched in various parts of the country to assail the antiworker US-Aquino regime and demand hikes in wa- PROFITS of two giant oil compa- ges and salaries. nies rose dramatically in the Led by the Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU), thousands massed up at first quarter of 2011. The Amer- the Liwasang Bonifacio before marching to Mendiola. They lam- ican-owned Exxon registered a basted Benigno Aquino III's decision to relegate the issue of a $10.5 billion profit or a whop- wage increase to the Regional Wage Boards which have never ping 69% hike in profits while granted sufficient or significant wage hikes. The small wage hikes the Dutch-owned Royal Dutch they have approved have been quickly rendered useless in the face Shell saw $6.5 billion or a 41% of spikes in the prices of goods and services. rise in income. The two compa- Similar mass actions were likewise held in various urban cen- nies' ballooning profits were due ters throughout the country. to hikes in the price of crude The KMU also assailed Malacañang for announcing that it oil. would merely be granting "nonwage benefits" from Pag-ibig and Meanwhile, Ibon Foundation PhilHealth just to avoid raising the issue of a wage increase. reported that the three biggest On May 2, KMU members marched in front of the DOLE office oil companies in the Philippines where the Regional Wage Board was conducting a hearing on a raked in `141.7 billion in prof- possible wage increase for Metro Manila. The RWB refused to face its. Ibon pointed out that this the rallying workers and instead talked only with the yellow lead- was bigger than the `114.3 ers of the Trade Union Congress of the Philip- combined income of 2.36 mil- pines (TUCP). The TUCP was content with ask- lion of the Philippines' poorest ing for a mere `40-75 wage increase. In other families. parts of the country, yellow unions petitioned The prices of petroleum pro- for a measly `13-25 wage hike. ducts have been rising relent- The regime did not even bother to raise the lessly in the past few months. issue of a `6,000 across-the-board salary hike Shell and its subsidiaries claim demanded by government employees. that they will lose if they do not The KMU said the latest significant wage in- raise the prices of their pro- crease took place way back in 1990. This real val- ducts. In fact, they and their ue of this wage hike has been greatly eroded since mother company have been it was granted 20 years ago. earning gargantuan profits.

Possible return of US military bases Unemployment in Spain worsens opposed SPAIN reported in May that its unemployment rate THE revolutionary movement and democratic had breached 21% this May. Almost five million forces strongly opposed the possible reesta- Spaniards have been jobless since the first quarter blishment of US military bases in the Philip- of the year. Thus, more and more of the Spanish pines. people have been forced to look for temporary em- The possibility loomed with the visit to ployment or jobs in the "underground economy." the Subic Naval Bay Port of American sena- Spain is the fifth biggest economy in the Euro- tors Daniel Inouye and Thad Cochran on pean Union (EU). Its situation is not far off from April 26. There had been earlier news that that of Greece, Ireland, Portugal and Ice- the US was looking for an alternative loca- land—countries that the EU has had to rescue be- tion in the face of recent disasters and grow- fore their economies moved on to inexorable col- ing calls for the removal of their base in Oki- lapse. But unlike these countries, Spain will be nawa, Japan. needing a much bigger rescue package in order to Subic Naval Base was a former US military salvage its economy. base. The US was forced to abandon it in On the whole, the average unemployment rate in September 1991 after the Philippine Senate the entire Eurozone is 10%. This encompasses almost voted against the treaty that would have ex- 16 million Europeans. This situation has caused con- tended the US bases' stay in the country. tinuing protests in various parts of Europe.

12 ANG BAYAN May 7, 2011 NEWS

Bin Laden, Gaddafi's son killed in US operations

US Pres. Barack Obama an- killed in a firefight. But after followers. nounced on May 1 the death of questions had been raised Meanwhile, US allied forces Osama bin Laden, known to be about this, the US later admit- also killed Moammar Gaddafi's al-Qaeda's leader, in an inter- ted that Bin Laden was un- son Saif al-Arab, 29 and his ventionist operation by US Spe- armed when he was shot. After three young grandchildren in a cial Forces inside Pakistan. US the assault on the mansion, bombing raid by NATO airplanes intelligence agents had pin- helicopters bombarded the on Saif's house on April 30 sim- pointed his location in a man- house to raze it to the ground. ply on the suspicion that Gad- sion in Abbotabad, a town near The operation was undertak- dafi was in the house. the Pakistani capital of Islama- en without the knowledge or The death of civilians has bad. The US immediately sent permission of the Pakistani earned criticism, even from helicopters to bomb the man- government. those who had initially sup- sion. Aside from Bin Al-Qaeda, which ported the bombings. As a re- Laden, Bin Laden had led sult, opposition has grown five oth- has been accused by against attacks by the US and ers, in- the US of bombing its allies on Libya. The US' crit- cluding the World Trade Cen- ics say that the US' use of ex- a wom- ter in New York in cessive force against the Gad- an were 2001. The then Bush re- dafi family has resulted in the also killed in gime invoked the bombing to deaths of innocent civilians the attack. attack and occupy Afghan- and must be stopped immedi- At istan and Iraq in the ately. The US and NATO have first, the next few years. The US been conducting the bombings US claimed and its allies have despite Gaddafi's call for a that Bin La-d- stepped up security ceasefire and negotiations with en had measures in anticipation of re- local forces whose rebellion has been taliatory attacks by al-Qaeda been instigated by the US.

ANG BAYAN May 7, 2011 13