Pahayagan ng Partido Komunista ng Pilipinas ANG Pinapatnubayan ng Marxismo-Leninismo-Maoismo English Edition Vol L No. 8 April 21, 2019 www.philippinerevolution.info

EDITORIAL NPA offensives Resist US military result in 31 AFP domination and Chinese casualties TWENTY FOUR soldiers were intrusions killed when the New People's Army (NPA)-Negros ambushed a unit of the 62nd IB in April 1 at vents over the past several weeks reveal the country's dismal Quintin Remo, Moises state of non-independence and the necessity to struggle for na- Padilla, Negros Oriental. On April tional sovereignty. The country was turned into a virtual play- 9, the NPA bombed the same en- Eground where big power bullies showed off their military and economic emy yunit in Sitio Asaran, might, while the US-Duterte regime displayed slavishness and inability Barangay Buenavista, Himamay- to uphold the country's patrimony and sovereignty. lan City. Seven soldiers were wounded. On the one hand, China em- direct and arrogant display of mil- Compostela Valley. The NPA placed hundreds of fishing vessels itary superiority, 3,500 American ambushed troopers of the 71st IB believed to be carrying armed troops swaggered into the country, in Sitio Bagong Silang, Barangay troops around the Spratly Islands. welcomed by grovelers in the AFP. Teresa, Maco last April 3 at 6:45 They practically took over the fish- They brandished weapons such as a.m. Four soldiers were con- ing grounds and other resources in nuclear warships, jet fighters and firmed killed. Among the areas which form part of the Philip- amphibious assault vehicles in line wounded was the unit's com- pine maritime territory. In addition, with the April 1-12 Balikatan exer- mander 1Lt. Serwin E. Matas. they continue to ravage coral reefs cises. Using the exercises as cover, Prior to this, three elements of in incessant land reclamation oper- the US military turned the country the 66th IB were killed in March ations to build military facilities and into a launchpad to sail its USS 30, 9:30 a.m., in Sityo Dasuran, fortify their military presence. Wasp and fly F-35Bs in the vicinity Barangay Golden Valley in On the other hand, in a more of the Panatag Shoal traumatizing Mabini. After these battles, AFP "Resist...," continued at page 2 "31...," continued at page 3 "Resist...," from page 1 terests, he has betrayed the coun- in civilian ports, and train and have Filipino fishermen. This show of try's patrimony and sovereignty. operational control over AFP units. force aims to strengthen its military Duterte has given up the coun- The remains bound to foothold in the country, and assert try's maritime territory which is re- unequal military agreements. In its hegemony in the South China cognized even under the UN Con- exchange, the US has extended Sea and the entire Pacific region. vention on the Law of the Seas. He military assistance to Duterte's all- Compared to China, the US has also entered into onerous loan out war supplying it with rifles, ar- mounts bigger and more aggressive agreements and government con- tillery, refurbished helicopters, interventionist military operations tracts under which the country's drones, and other equipment. behind what it calls "freedom of patrimony has been turned into These big power bullies profess navigation operations" and military collateral, in exchange for fat kick- friendship and alliance with the treaties with the Philippines. backs for Duterte and his cronies. Filipino people. In fact, they only in Big power saber-rattling in- On the other hand, with the pursue their own strategic geopol- creases the threat of war in the Pa- collusion of Duterte and the AFP, itical interests. China claims using cific and undermines Philippine US military forces are exercising all- its military might to make other national sovereignty. These form out power. He has allowed the US to countries grow. It merely covets part of the heightening struggle for use the Philippines as base for its the country's mineral resources to military and economic superiority Operation Pacific Eagle-Philippines. feed its industries. It makes large between the big powers. Both sides He has allowed the US to build amounts of loans to export surplus are interested only in advancing secret facilities and stockpile capital and make other countries their competing aims to control weapons within AFP camps, buy its surplus steel. trade routes, sources of raw mater- mount more and The US claims "ironclad com- ial, cheap labor, spheres of invest- more war exer- mitment to defend the Phil- ment, export markets, and military cises, set up radars ippines" against outposts. and conduct drone "Chinese aggres- The self-serving Duterte regime surveillance, sail sion." In fact, it is has acted servile and kowtowed to their warships the US that has both sides. Seeking to further his across Philippine long held the coun- bureaucrat capitalist and fascist in- seas and dock them try in its clutches. The US maintains military dominance ANG Contents in the country to defend its own ul- tranational interests, not Philippine Editorial: Resist US military domination sovereignty. Vol L No. 8 | April 21, 2019 and Chinese intrusions 1 US imperialism is not a friend, AFP suffers 31 casualties 1 rather an enemy. It has long sub- Ang Bayan is published Standoff in Philippine seas 3 jugated the country through a cen- in Pilipino, Bisaya, Iloko, US and China, out now! 4 tury of colonialism and neocoloni- Hiligaynon, Waray and English. Ang On the Chico dam project 4 alism, employing armed aggression Bayan welcomes contributions in the The Igorots' struggle 5 and suppression. It has imposed formof articles and news items. Undercharging vegetables 5 trade agreements and economic Readers are encouraged Fascist propaganda 6 policies which force dependence on to send feedback Rampaging state terrorism 6 imports, debt and foreign invest- Brownouts in Metro 7 and recommendations ments. Big American corporations State kills Manobo leader 7 for improving our newspaper. have plundered and devoured the AFP's fake encounters 8 country's forests and natural re- AFP misencounters 8 sources, grabbed vast agricultural instagram.com/progressiveviews Increasing wealth and exploitation 9 Bloated bureaucrats 10 tracts, exploited cheap labor, and @prwc_info Drug syndicates 10 siphoned super profits. It has Justice for Negros 14 10 stunted the economy, prevented it fb.com/groups/prwcnewsroomv2 The people's calvary 11 from industrializing and kept it as

[email protected] Other protests 11 an exporter of cheap raw materials Foxconn dismissals 11 and semimanufactures. Relative to the US imperialists, Ang Bayan is published forthnightly by the Central Committee which have long plundered and of the Communist Party of the Philippines devastated the Philippines, China is

2 April 2 1 , 2 01 9 ANG BAYAN a late-comer, scraping the bot- STAND-OFF IN PHILLIPINE SOVEREIGN SEAS tom of the country's wealth. China: From January to March, ough) three times during the same The country remains under 275 Chineses fishing vessels suspec- period. In January, USS Hopper US imperialist domination. The ted as Chinese Coast guard launched so-called freedom of nav- ruling state in the Philippines is surveillance ships were spotted near igation operations near the island. a client-state of the US, with the Pag-asa Island (international name: In April, US Airforce A-10 Warthog US-trained and -indoctrinated Thitu Island). Some reports sad that patrolled the area. The USS Wasp Philippine military serving as its these ships carried Chinese paramil- had the biggest presence, with its strongest pillar. Duterte is its itaries named “Little Blue Men.” 10 F-35Bs, believed to be the most current chieftain. Armed with Pag-asa Island is the biggest is- advanced US fighter planes, four US-supplied weapons, the fascist land in the Spratly Group of Islands Ospreys and two attack helicopters. regime employs and directs state which is located 285 nautical miles It has a 1,000 crew and carries violence against the Filipino from Palawan. 1,600 Marines for its amphibious people and all their patriotic and US: US war vessels were spot- vehicles. Before Filipino fishermen democratic forces. ted near Panatag Shoal (Scarbor- divulged its presence in the area on These forces, including the April 9, it secretly carried out Communist Party of the Philip- plane and helicopter pines, stand firmly and militantly flights and landings for the cause of national and near the shoal. social liberation. They demand The USS Wasp is foremost an end to US imperial- part of the 35th ist domination and condemn the Balikatan exer- subservience of the Philippine cises which was government. They clamor for the launched last abrogation of US-RP military April 1-12. (For treaties and US military inter- additional de- ventionism and seek to free the tails, read re- country from its economic and lated article in political clutches. Ang Bayan, April As patriots, they also con- 7, 2019.) demn China's bullying, military Panatag Shoal presence and occupation of or Bajo de Masinloc is Philippine maritime territory in 35-40 nautical miles the South China Sea and de- from Masinloc, Zambales. spoiliation of sea resources and denounce the failure of the Duterte regime to carry out the "31...,' from page 1 necessary diplomatic and polit- units relentlessly shelled and out in April 15, at 11:20 a.m. while ical steps to assert the country's bombed the area. the soldiers were inspecting a road rights. They oppose as well the Masbate. Two police personnel project under PAMANA. onerous loans and anomalous were sanctioned in separate partis- overpriced infrastructure con- an operations by the NPA in IN ORIENTAL MINDORO, the NPA tracts with China. Barangay TR Yangco, Dimasalang arrested Peter Delos Santos, Rocky While denouncing China's and Barangay Bugang, Pio V. Cor- Bueta and Remando Malupa in intrusions and economic op- puz. The NPA-Masbate said that the Barangay Malu, Bansud in April 5. pression, they do not lose sight two were active in "counterinsur- Using their positions in the village, of the bigger enemy and reserve gency" and anti-people operations. they arbitrarily arrest civilians sus- the stronger condemnation to US A caliber .45 and 9mm pistol were pected of having ties with the re- imperialism whose military seized from them. volutionary movement. They also forces continue to maintain a Samar. Two soldiers were killed spy on the NPA's activities in the foothold on Philippine soil, who after the NPA fired at the 543rd En- area. Confiscated from them were a control and arm the Philippine gineering Construction Battalion pistol, ammunition and two radios. neocolonial state and which pose along the road connecting ba- Delos Santos and Bueta were re- as the biggest impediment to the rangays San Antonio, Aguinaldo and leased while Malupa remains under Filipino people's aspiration for San Isidro in Las Navas, Northern the NPA's custody as a prisoner-of- national and social liberation. Samar. The operation was carried war.

ANG BAYAN April 2 1 , 2 01 9 3 US and China, out now! 54 AFP casualties in Sultan Kudarat

MORE THAN 500 residents of THE MARINE BATTALION Landing Team (MBLT)-2 and the 33rd IB suffered Batangas converged in front of at least 54 casualties in five offensives by the New People's Army (NPA) in the provincial capitol on March 29 Sultan Kudarat from January 22-March 10. to oppose and condemn Balikatan In March 10, the NPA ambushed soldiers of the 33rd IB operating in the 2019 which was then scheduled to mountains of Daguma. The soldiers were aboard a truck when they were de- be launched in their communities. molished in Barangay Titulok, Bagumbayan, Sultan Kudarat. Twenty three More than 7,500 Filipino and AFP elements were wounded. American troops participated in The ambush is part of the series of tactical offensives launched by the Balikatan 2019 which was NPA-Sultan Kudarat to combat the enemy's campaign in the Daguma moun- launched in various areas in tain range. The MBLT-2 and 33rd IB serve as guards of DM Consunji Incor- . porated who grab ancestral lands for its plantations and mining op- This exercise is a bane to the erations. people and only results in human The NPA started off the series of offensives in January 22 with a har- rights violations. Residents of assment operation against a Marine detachment in Maat, Barangay Sangay, Barangay San Diego, Lian repor- Kalamansig where two soldiers were wounded. ted that helicopters were fre- This was followed with an ambush in January 24 against Marines aboard quently sighted flying overhead two trucks along the highway in Sitio Kabukbukan, Barangay Kipungot, Pal- which disturb the community. imbang. The enemy convoy was demolished resulting to severe damage on Residents of Barangay Sto. one of the trucks. Another truck fell into a ravine after its driver lost control. Domingo, Batangas City also No less than 20 soldiers were killed, along with some wounded. complained about the operations The following day, another ambush was carried out in neighboring of US and AFP troops in their Barangay Paril of the same town. Two soldiers were killed and two more communities. were wounded after the NPA exploded a bomb under the truck carrying Military and surveillance op- them. erations (under the guise of con- In February 3, the NPA ambushed an enemy column in Kiblis community ducting census) were heightened in Barangay Hinalaan, Kalamansig where five soldiers were wounded. by joint forces of the PNP and 1st IB in the towns of Nasugbu, San Juan and Rosario. Soldiers de- Chico dam project violates sovereignty ployed in five coastal barangays in Lian used barangay halls as their THE CHICO RIVER Pump Irrigation Project in is faced with increas- camps and detachments. ing opposition after grave violations of the nation's sovereignty and patri- Meanwhile, hundreds of ral- mony were exposed. lyists converged in front of the The Duterte regime surrendered the country's mineral resources as col- Chinese Embassy in Makati City on lateral in exchange of a $62 million loan for the said project from China. April 9, Day of Valor, to condemn Whatever dispute that may arise from the project will be filed and decided Chinese intervention in the coun- not in Philippine courts but in a court established by China for its foreign try and its imposition of unequal projects. Moreover, the project was given to Chinese contractors and work- agreements. The Pilipinong ers, instead of . The Duterte regime also agreed to keep quiet about Nagkakaisa para sa Soberanya the details of the contract which was signed in April 2018. (P1NAS) spearheaded the protest Aside from these, China imposed a very high annual interest of 2% in and criticized China for conduct- contrast with the standard 0.25%-0.75% in loans from other countries. Ad- ing reclamation activities and ditional charges such as the $186,260 "management fee" and annual 0.3% erecting infrastructures at the "commitment fee" will also be paid. The ”commitment fee" is imposed to en- West Philippine Sea. sure that China keeps on profiting from the construction during future pro- The group also condemned the ject delays or suspension, which usually happen with big dam projects. reactionary government for en- China also loaned $211 million for the Kaliwa Dam in Quezon, with al- tering into unequal loan agree- most similar conditions. ments with China for the Chico The dam is set to be constructed in the ancestral land of the Igorot River Pump Irrigation Project and people in Pinukpuk, Kalinga. Residents were taken aback at the arrival of Laiban Kaliwa-Kanan Dam. heavy equipment and personnel of the contractor China CAMC Engineering Similar protest actions were Co. Ltd.. Quarters for the Chinese workers were built and dredging was mounted in Cebu, Davao and Iloilo started by the contractor despite the absence of consent from the Igorot City on the same day. community, in violation of their right to self-determination.

4 April 2 1 , 2 01 9 ANG BAYAN The Igorots' revolutionary struggle

f not for the hard and spirited struggles waged by the national minorities Iwith the help of the people’s army to protect the ancestral land, the Cor- dillera would have long been gone.

Thus declared Simon Naogsan municipal level, genuine democratic (Ka Filiw), Cordillera People's political power was placed in the Democratic Front (CPDF) spokes- hands of the people for the first person, on the undeniable role of the time. This was met with intense vi- New People's Army (NPA) in the Ig- olence by the reactionary state orot people's struggle for self-de- supported by imperialist countries termination and democracy, and with big mining interests in the national liberation. mountains of the region. In his March 21 statement, Ka The face the Filiw acknowledged the NPA's challenge to carry on with the fight used in "counterinsurgency." painstaking mass work, social in- against destructive mining and dam The fake autonomy being vestigation and study of the partic- and energy projects in the Cor- pushed by politicians in Cordillera ular situation of various tribes in dillera. Alongside this is the intense also pose a challenge. Meanwhile, Cordillera. In the latter part of the militarization and psywar to sup- agricultural backwardness pre- 70s, the revolutionary movement press the struggle of the com- vails, made even worse by gov- had already taken root in the six munities and destroy their unity. ernment neglect. Indigenous cul- provinces of the Cordillera. Docu- Igorot peasants and youth are co- ture and traditions are ments tracing the national oppres- erced into enlisting as soldiers and commercialized, and decadent sion in Cordillera—the particularity paramilitaries, and tribal socio- culture is propagated to erode the of their struggle—were published. political systems such as the dap-ay militant tradition of the Cordillera The Chico Dam and Cellophil and bodong are being corrupted and people. struggles were among the first to break the tyranny of the Marcos dictatorship. These struggles, to- Traders undercharge Cordillera farmers gether with the succeeding mass struggles reaching the border of DURING THE FIRST quarter of 2019, farmgate prices of vegetables , strengthened the resolve dropped in various trading posts in Cordillera. Traders set prices of cab- of the Igorot people to defend their bage and carrots at P1/kilo purportedly due to oversupply. ancestral land and mineral re- These vegetable farmers (also called gardeners in Cordillera) who sources. have already been battered by monsoons and typhoons Rosita and Om- Most of the mass struggles were pong are already suffering huge losses and are mired in debts. anti-mining, reclaiming of ancestral Despite low farmgate prices, vegetables prices in public markets lands and against the destruction of continue to rise. Average prices of vegetables are at P65/kilo in big cit- the socio-political system of the Ig- ies like Manila. This is because big vegetable traders and financiers who orot people. act as middlemen control vegetable prices in markets. These traders, in The revolutionary armed cahoots with other traders, buy farmers' crops at very low prices, then struggle of the Igorot people had overcharge the same products. Because of this, vegetable prices in pub- taken its peak with the founding of lic markets remain high. the CPDF in 1989. The CPDF is the All the government can offer is crop-insurance which the farmers concrete form of the Igorot people's pay for. Those who don’t have insurance can borrow P25,000 to sustain revolutionary struggle. This is the their daily needs. But farmers maintain that such amount, and even the alliance of all democratic sectors P35,000 offered by Department of Agriculture, is insufficient as it only and classes in the region, and serves covers 1/4 of the capital needed to cultivate an hectare of vegetable as the united front or NDF in the farm. Cordillera. This also doesn't resolve the main issue of oversupply brought about The CPDF was key to the estab- by excessive importation. Prices of vegetables drop as foreign products lishment of the first organs of polit- swamp the market and compete with local vegetables. Through the all- ical power up to the far-flung parts out liberalization policy on agriculture by the Duterte regime, foreign big of Cordillera. With the formation of capitalists can freely enter the Philippine economy without paying taxes. the Council of Leaders up to the Using big local traders, they sell vegetables according to their prices.

ANG BAYAN April 2 1 , 2 01 9 5 Rampaging state terrorism in the first quarter of the year

This report was culled from Ang Bayan's reportage of hu- number of victims (106) in 2018, it is important to note man rights violations perpetrated by the Armed Forces of that the number of victims in the Negros Island was high. the Philippines, Philippine National Police and other armed As in the previous year, the region recorded the highest agents of the US-Duterte regime across the country in the number of victims of killings. In Negros Oriental alone, first quarter of year 2019. 15 peasants were killed under SEMPO (Synchronized En- hanced Managing of Police Operations) or Oplan Sauron, ased on the initial tally of Ang Bayan, there have the regime's suppression campaign in the island. Bbeen at least 772 victims (or nine per day) of various Illegal arrests and arbitrary detention. There have types of human rights violations from January 1 to March been at least 65 victims of illegal arrests and illegal de- 31. This figure excludes the tens of thousands of indi- tention in the past three months. Twenty two (34%) were viduals who evacuated due to sustained military opera- "Rampaging...," continued at page 7 tions and campaigns in their respective communities across the country. On average, a victim was killed every three days while three others were illegally arrested. In addition to this, at least seven were subjected to threats, harassment and intimidation per day. The intense first quarter offensive against the people is a direct result of the extensive implementation of the National Internal Security Program (NISP) and Oplan Kapayapaan by the regime. Killings, frustrated killings and torture. In the past three months, there have been at least 32 civilian victims of political killings across the country. Nine (28%) were killed in Luzon, 16 (50%) in and seven (38%) in . Meanwhile, Ang Bayan also recorded five cases each of frustrated killings and torture. Although the total number of victims of killings this first quarter of 2019 is equivalent to a fourth of the total

Fascist propaganda, an element of all-out war

IN LINE WITH its intensified attacks against the people and revolutionary Duterte and his henchmen are ped- movement, the Duterte regime has intensified fascist propaganda against the dling lies and slanderous state- Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP), New People's Army (NPA) and all ments against the CPP, NPA and all revolutionary forces, as well as legal democratic forces. revolutionary forces. The AFP is utilizing both traditional and social The regime's fascist propaganda incidents of murder of peasants, media as platforms for its propa- drive seeks to prepare and shape who are then reported as NPA ganda, while controlling the flow of public opinion to justify its suppres- members; accusing Lumad schools information from areas that are be- sion of the toiling masses' legitimate as “NPA training schools" to stop ing attacked by its troops. It also struggles. This campaign particu- their operations; parading civilians subjects journalists to threats and larly aims to depict the CPP and NPA as NPA surrenderees; coercion by harassment to prevent them from as "terrorist organizations." Open the AFP of local government units exposing the abuses perpetrated by and legal progressive institutions to issue "persona non grata" resol- the military and police. and mass organizations are brazenly utions against the NPA; etc. The AFP is also utilizing sus- tagged as "communist fronts." The AFP directly subsumed loc- tained peace and development op- Among the salient features of al government units from barangay erations (PDT or COPDs) to sow this campaign are as follows: to provincial levels in an attempt to disinformation and threaten the churning out fake news of AFP-NPA deny the revolutionary movement people, and to stifle their struggles encounters to cover-up widespread its mass bases. Almost everyday, and make them passive.

6 April 2 1 , 2 01 9 ANG BAYAN "Rampaging...," continued from page 8 3rd IB operation kills Manobo leader arrested in Luzon, 18 (28%) in Visayas and 25 (38%) in Mindanao. The highest number of cases of DATU KAYLO BONTULAN, Manobo leader and official of Pa- illegal arrests were recorded in the saka and Salugpungan, was killed by elements of the 3rd IB Northern Mindanao Region or NMR who indiscriminately bombed and strafed (14 victims), Negros Island (11) and Barangay Kipilas, Kitaotao, on (8). Among the April 7. Datu Kaylo visited the area to starkest cases was the illegal arrest check on the situation of Manobo evacu- of two children, a minor and four ees from Talaingod. He was a known members of the Misamis Oriental leader of Talaingod who has long Farmers' Association by elements of participated in struggles in de- the 65th IB and PNP-CIDG on Janu- fense of Lumad ancestral lands. ary 13. Meanwhile, seven civilians were illegally arrested by state forces this Bombing, strafing and militar- April in Iloilo, Bulacan and Valley. "Rampaging...," continued at page 7 ization. At least six incidents of in- In Iloilo, 61st IB elements arrested Remy Diaz, a member of Tuman- discriminate bombings and strafing duk Panay, in Barangay Masaroy, Calinog on April 16, at 12 a.m. The vic- were reported by Ang Bayan in the tim was then presented as an NPA member. Barangay officials who at- same period. On top of this, 42 incid- tempted to rescue the victim were threatened by the soldiers with ents of military occupation and at- gunshots. tacks on communities were also re- In Bulacan, elements of the 48th IB abducted John Griefen Arlegui ported across the country—one of and Reynaldo Remias, Kadamay community organizers in Pandi, last April which was perpetrated in Luzon, 23 13 at noon. They were accosted while mounting posters of Bayan Muna (55%) in Visayas and 18 (43%) in and senatorial candidate Neri Colmenares along Angat-Pandi Road. A Mindanao. day after, the victims were found under the custody of CIDG Malolos and The highest number of militariz- were charged with fabricated cases of illegal possession of firearms. ation incidents reported were in In Cagayan, police operatives arrested Ariel Madriaga, Felix Mad- Negros (13), NMR (12) and Eastern riaga, Jovito Madriaga and Adrian Panturgo in Barangay Dafunganay, Visayas (9). The brutal military op- Amulung on April 15, at around 5 a.m. Prior to the arrest, at around 3 erations which are being mounted a.m., unidentified gunmen surrounded the houses of the victims. The across Negros and Eastern Visayas perpetrators then ransacked the houses and planted several rifles, am- are a result of Duterte's Memor- munition and bombs as evidence against the victims. andum Order 32 which effectively Meanwhile, a campaign group of Bayan Muna headed for Abatan, imposed de facto martial law and , Mt. Province, was held at a military checkpoint. The soldiers took directly deployed additional bat- pictures of the group's vehicle and members and illegally searched their talions in the said regions. personal belongings. They were also accused of hiding firearms. Forcible evacuation. These re- lentless military operations have resulted in the evacuation of about Metro Manila to experience rotational brownouts 19,936 individuals from various communities across the country. The METRO MANILA RESIDENTS are set to experience rotational brownouts highest number of evacuees (16,300) even as water supply problems are yet to be resolved. This is due to the were recorded in the Autonomous simultaneous shutting down of 20 power plants which supply electricity to Region in Muslim Mindanao due to Luzon. the military's indiscriminate aerial The simultaneous shutdown during summer is a way for independent bombardment and strafing in power producers (IPP) to control power supply and raise prices. The IPPs, Maguindanao and Sulu. About 1,614, in cahoots with distribution companies like Meralco, pass the increase to evacuated in Eastern Visayas, 900 their consumers. This arrangement is made possible due to the deregula- and 831 in NMR and Caraga, re- tion of the energy sector where production and pricing of electricity is spectively. passed on to private companies. Threat, harassment and intim- Meralco and its IPP cohorts are using the brownouts to push for the idation. Among the victims were 646 construction of new energy plants. Manuel Pangilinan, Meralco’s chief individuals subjected to threats, executive, even threatened more brownouts if these are not built. It will harassment and intimidation. Ma- take at least $30 billion to build the said plants in the next years. Like in jority of the victims were from the past, the expense will be passed to the people in the form of higher Negros (452) and Davao Region electricity bills.

ANG BAYAN April 2 1 , 2 01 9 7 AFP uses fake encounters to cover-up crimes

n an attempt to hide its growing crimes against the people, the AFP con- 3. The NPA unit added that there Itinues to weave lies while declaring those murdered and arrested civilians was no encounter between the NPA as members of the New People's Army. and PNP, but instead was an en- counter between police forces and In Masbate, the AFP announced they foiled NPA-Panay's attack on armed syndicate supported by the that there was an encounter their police station on March 31. military and involved in extortion between the NPA and 2nd IB, 9th ID This was belied by the Red fight- activities in Mercedes, San Vicente, and PNP in Barangay Buri, Mandaon ers, who said that the San Lorenzo, Daet and last April 8. This is to cover-up the PNP is using the lie Basud towns. Killed murder of their asset led by a Ro- as an excuse to in this armed ac- lando Bajera Epil. Epil and his group further militarize tion was Jonath- were former NPA fighters who have civilian communit- an Brondia, a long surrendered to the AFP. ies and to make it member of the According to the NPA-Masbate, appear that the syndicate. Bron- there was no NPA unit present in the NPA is weaken- diahad long been area during that time. In fact, only ing. coming in and the 2nd IB and PNP-RMG were Before out of 22nd IB present in the vicinity along with this, on March detachment in Epil and six of his co-members. In 17, the AFP Barangay Guina- this fake encounter, the military and PNP also tungan, San killed Epil and three of his announced a Lorenzo. Based on the companions. fake encounter in Barangay Mu- NPA's investigation, Brondia was Epil and his group have long langan, Igbaras, Iloilo. Soldiers of killed to cover up his syndicate's been protected by the 2nd IB and the 61st IB strafed the village. connection to the military. Resid- elements of private armed group After this, three farmers were ar- ents have long complained the controlled by Sgt. Rico Amaro, a rested and presented as members presence of the said syndicate notorious military intelligence of- of the NPA. The 61st IB also did which used the NPA for their crim- ficer. Amaro is involved in numer- the same when they arrested a inal and anti-social activities. ous crimes against the people, in- Tumanduk in Barangay Masaroy, Prior to this, AFP and PNP-MI- cluding the murder of Randy Calinog on April 16. MAROPA also faked an encounter to Masamoc, last December 2018. NPA-Camarines Norte contra- cover up the murder of Roland The 31st IB and Sorsogon Police dicted the AFP's statement that Sibulan, a farmer in Bongabong, Provincial Office also faked an en- there was an encounter between Oriental Mindoro last March 1. counter in Barangay Lajong, Juban, the PNP and NPA fighters in (Read related article in Ang Bayan, Sorsogon last April 1 to cover up the Barangay Tuaca, Basud in March April 7, 2019). AFP and PNP's salvaging of Michael Ismer, a civilian accused to be a member of NPA. AFP misencounters In a statement by the NPA-Sor- TWO MISENCOUNTERS between AFP units rampaging in peasant com- sogon, there was no NPA unit munities were reported recently. present in the area at that period. Last April 10, at 3:00 a.m., two columns of the Bravo Coy of 85th From the NPA’s investigation, Ismer IB clashed in Sitio Labrahan, Barangay Butanguiad in San Francisco, left his residence in Magallanes to Quezon. One column of the said unit wore civilian clothing to imitate attend to something important. On Red fighters while the other column wore military uniforms. A soldier April 1, he was seen alighting from a was killed while many were wounded. white vehicle followed by a police To cover-up the fiasco, the 85th IB claimed that an encounter mobile in Barangay Lajong. He was between their troops and NPA occured. AFP troops also presented the immediately shot to death by the killed soldier as a Red fighter despite being identified otherwise in a men from the white vehicle. The po- funeral home in San Francisco. lice immediately retrieved his body Meanwhile, more than 20 elements of Marine Battalion Landing and presented him as Red fighter Team-2 were killed by their own mortars while maneuvering against killed in an encounter. the Red fighters last February 5 in Kapuyan Blag, Barangay Datu Meanwhile, police forces in San Wasay, Kalamansig, Sultan Kudarat. Remigio, Antique spread lies that

8 April 2 1 , 2 01 9 ANG BAYAN Exploitation heightens as wealth increases

ealth of the biggest bourgeois compradors in the Philippines have ballooned in the last few years. In 2018, the combined wealth of the make them pay for their own uni- W forms. top 10 richest individuals in the country reached up to $55.3 billion. This is because of the intensified anti-worker practices and brutal suppression of Comprador companies not only their struggles, as well as higher prices of their goods and services due to the pay miserable wages, they are also US-Duterte regime’s persistence in carrying out pro-foreign and pro-capital- the most repressive employers. Last ists policies. year, JFC laid off 400 contractuals after they demanded that they be In the last 11 years, Henry Sy Sr. PLDT bought foreign internet and regularized. was considered the biggest bourgeois telecommunication companies. In 2017, Ramon Ang’s San comprador, with a value of $18.3 These include Phunware in the US Miguel Corporation (SMC) made the billion. Between 2016 and 2017 and Paywhere and Appcard in news when the homes of hundreds alone, his family’s wealth increased Singapore. Pangilinan’s internet of urban poor families in Mangga- by 31%, from $13.7 billion to $18 companies already have close ties han Floodway were demolished to billion. When Sy died, he was re- with US companies like WhatsApp, give way to its infrastructure pro- placed by Manuel Villar, with a value Viber, Netflix and Google TV. Re- ject in Pasig City. This year, fisher- of $5.5 billion. Even so, if the wealth cently, the Ayala family acquired folks in Bulacan are set to be dis- of the richest Sy children are com- the C-Con Group, a German com- placed to give way to SMC’s airport bined, their wealth still reaches $6.5 pany which manufactures car parts. project. billion, higher than Villar. Also known for being evil are Following Sy and Villar, the companies of the Consunji family richest Filipino individuals include The wealthier, the more miserly which use soldiers and paramilitar- John Gokongwei, Jaime Zobel de and brutal ies to attack and drive away Ayala, Lucio Tan, Tony Tan Cakti- These compradors rake in mil- and peasants from the mountains of ong, Ramon Ang, Andrew Tan, Edu- lions mainly through shortchanging Daguma in Far South Mindanao. ardo Cojuangco, Enrique Razon and their workers and/or grabbing re- After denuding Daguma, the Con- Isidro Consunji. Manuel Pangilinan sources and lands from the poor sunjis now want the land for plant- is not on the list, but he presides and farmers. Their companies are ation and to mine coal found in the over the country's biggest compra- considered the worst employers in area. dor businesses. the country. Companies run by Manuel In the case of the Sy family, Pangilinan are among the biggest, Close ties to foreign capital their billions mainly come from their and thus, the most miserly and re- While the wealth of the big SM Malls. Almost all workers in pressive in the country. In 2018, compradors increase, their com- these malls are contractuals, re- PLDT, the country’s biggest tele- panies’ ties to foreign banks and ceive low wages and are not paid communications company, laid off businesses also tighten. overtime and night differentials. 8,000 contractual workers after Jollibee Foods Corporation (JFC) They are made to work for eight they insisted on being regularized. of the Tan Caktiong family is an ex- hours straight without sitting The termination was the biggest ample. The company went on a ac- breaks. The cheapskate Sys even single lay-off in recent years. quisition spree of fast food chains and restaurants in , China, US and Mexico this past years. Using foreign loans and cap- ital, JFC bought fastfood chain Smashburger in the US, Tortas Frontera in Mexico and Superfoods in Vietnam. JFC also bought Yonghe King (a noodle foodchain) and Hong Zhuang Yuan (congee foodchain) from its Chinese associates. Like JFC, SM Malls and Lucio Tan’s real estate companies also have extensive interests in China. Meanwhile, Manuel Pangilinan’s

ANG BAYAN April 2 1 , 2 01 9 9 Bloated bureaucrats Justice for Negros 14! THE DUTERTE FAMILY'S unexplained wealth once again made VARIOUS ORGANIZATIONS condemned the news after a report analyzing their declared Statement of the massacre of 14 peasants in Negros Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth when they served as local of- last March 30 by state forces. They held ficials was made public. According to the said report, Rodrigo programs and protests within and outside Duterte’s wealth increased by P28.5 million from 1998 to 2017. the country to demand justice. ’s wealth, meanwhile, increased by P44.8 million and The Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas by P22.7 million form 2007 to 2017. (KMP), Malaya Movement and Interna- Meanwhile, Manuel Villar became the richest Filipino this tional Coalition for Human Rights in the year. This is after his wealth rose form $1.6 billion to $5.5 billion Philippines (ICHRP) spearheaded the In- due supposedly to the 1,300% in profits of his funeral services ternational Day of Protest last April 10. company, Golden Bria, for the first quarter of the year. Alongside Hundreds of peasants, human rights de- this, his wife Senator Cynthia Villar is the richest senator. His fenders and their supporters marched son Mark Villar serves as the secretary of the Department of from Morayta to Mendiola in Manila to Public Works and Highways. The Villar family is a political dyn- hold the Duterte regime responsible for astiy in Las Pinas City and is the known owner of the biggest the widespread peasant killings. housing companies. The ICHRP launched similar protests in 18 centers in the US, Canada, Australia, Drug syndicates inside the bureaucracy Britain, Belgium, The Netherlands, Japan, Korea, Singapore, Saudi Arabia, APPOINTED a retired colonel who is in ca- Hongkong, Senegal and Sri Lanka. hoots both with drug and electoral syndicates as executive dir- Prior to this, peasants and Bayan ector of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed members protested in front of Camp Conflict last March 25. Crame, Quezon City, while youth and Ret. Col. Allen Arat Capuyan is known for his role in the P6.4 students protested in UP Diliman, General billion shabu smuggling case in the Bureau of Customs (BoC) last Santos at Manila City on April 2. The fol- 2017. He was then the chief security officer of the Manila Inter- lowing day, protests were also held in national Airport Authority. He was identified by Mark Taguba, a Davao, Iloilo and Cebu City. BoC personnel who was involved in the scam, as part of the influ- The alliance “Stop the Attacks! De- ential Davao Group whom druglords pay to have their shipments fend Life and Rights!” was founded in exempted from inspections. The group includes Duterte’s son Cebu City on April 10. Among its speakers Paolo and son-in-law Manases Carpio. was the Most Rev. Gerardo Alminaza, In 2011, Capuyan’s name already surfaced as the chief of the D.D., a bishop in San Carlos City in Negros Intelligence Service of the Armed Forces of the Philippines who Occidental. received and burned the “Hello Garci” tapes of the 2004 elec- Meanwhile, a concert of unity and tions. The tape contained the negotiation between Gloria Maca- struggle billed “Fight Sauron” was organ- pagal-Arroyo, the presidentiable, and Virgilio Garcillano, Com- ized by the Sama-samang Artista para sa mission on Elections commissioner, for an additional one million Kilusang Agraryo (SAKA) and Concerned votes for Arroyo. Artists of the Philippines in Kamuning, Another individual, a certain Michael Yang, a Chinese busi- Quezon City last April 12. nessman and Duterte’s close advisor on Chinese issues, was identified as an associate in the widescale production and sale of shabu in Mindanao and Luzon. In a report submitted by then PSSupt. Eduardo Acierto, Yand and his associates Johnson Chua and Allan Lim were directly im- plicated in the smugling and selling of drugs mainly in Mindanao. According to Acierto’s report, Yang and Lim supervise shabu dis- tribution inside the country and in nearby countries using their BoC contacts while Chua takes care of their laboratories. Lim and Yang get as much as P50,000 per kilo of shabu, according to Acierto. This syndicate uses their legitimate businesses as a cover for their illegal transactions. Capuyan and Yang are just a few of the personalities in Duterte’s ambit who have direct links to drug syndicates. He gives them the freedom to plunder and exploit the nation, in exchange for their money, loyalty and support to his dictatorial ambitions.

10 April 2 1 , 2 01 9 ANG BAYAN The People's Calvary Foxconn to dismiss 100,000 workers THE KALIPUNAN NG Damayang Mahihirap (KADAMAY) and Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU) spearheaded the protest of hundreds of progressives at Liwasang FOXCONN TECHNOLOGY, one of Bonifacio in Manila on April 12. The protest action dubbed as the "Kalbaryo ng the world’s biggest manufactur- Mamamayan" (People's Calvary) depicts issues that are shouldered by the ing companies, is planning to people under the US-Duterte regime. dismiss 100,000 workers in Among the highlights of the protest were demands for justice over the China and other parts of the Negros 14 massacre and to junk the TRAIN law, and the people's resistance world. Last year, it already fired against Duterte's ambition to establish a fascist dictatorship. Similar protests, 30,000 workers in its Zhengzhou dubbed as "Kalbaryo sang Pumuluyong Pilipino 2019" were mounted in Iloilo factory. City and Kabankalan City on April 11. Foxconn is one of the biggest On April 17, members of Anakpawis held a picket in front of Camp Crame contract producers of Iphones in Quezon City. They compared the cross to the widespread killings and the for Apple. Due to stiff competi- onerous TRAIN law which are currently shouldered by and impoverishing the tion, Apple announced that sales people. in China fell for the first time in In Bukidnon, hundreds of Lumads and peasants launched the "Kampuhan two decades last year. More sa Kabus batok sa Balaod Militar" (Camp of the poor against Martial Law) on than 20% of its sales is in China. April 9 in Valencia City. They intended to proceed Cagayan de Oro City where More than half of Foxconn’s other Lumads and peasants, who were evicted from their communities due to profits come from producing militarization, are currently encamped. They were blocked at a checkpoint in IPhones. Due to Apple’s weak Manolo Fortich and were barred from proceeding to their target. sales, Foxconn’s plans to put up big factories in Brazil, the Ma- harashtra in India and Pen- nsylvania and Wisconsin in US Filipino migrants protest in sion on March 25 to reinstate the did not materialize. US. In Washington DC, the Malaya workers. On April 12, the workers movement led a die-in protest in the protested in front of the headquar- US Senate led at least 300 individuals ters of Sumifru to demand its com- in condemning the Duterte regime's pliance with the said order. killing campaign and demand a stop to the provision of US military aid to Nexperia workers' protest. the reactionary government of the Workers of Procter & Gamble and Philippines. members of WALR-Nexperia-LIGA The Duterte regime received protested in front of the Light In- $184.5 million in military aid in 2018 dustry and Science Park Gate 1 in and is expecting to receive an addi- Calamba City, Laguna on April 2 to tional $108 million this year. demand the compliance of Nexperia with the order issued by the De- Sumifru workers' victory. partment of Labor and Employment Workers under the NAMASUFA-NA- for the regularization of its 182 FLU-KMU won their labor case for workers, as previously agreed upon the reinstatement of more than 665 by LIGA and the management. workers who were illegally termin- ated by the management of Sumifru Drivers' protest. PISTON Philippines in Compostela, Compos- spearheaded a picket protest of tella Valley. However, the manage- jeepney drivers and operators in ment did not recognize and imple- Cubao last April 8 to condemn the ment the labor order issued by the continuous surge in the price of oil National Labor Relations Commis- and other commodities.

ANG BAYAN April 2 1 , 2 01 9 11