Editorial:
Oppose the anti-people maneuvers of the reactionaries

Basahin ang artikulong ito sa Pilipino

The current burning issue regarding the impeachment of Supreme Court chief justice Hilario Davide Jr. is just a manifestation of the more intense jockeying, infighting and collusion among the various factions of the ruling class. Whatever the merits of the case Davide faces, behind it one can clearly see that the groups that are at loggerheads over the chief justice represent huge political and economic interests.

Foremost among those who schemed to file a case against Davide is Eduardo "Danding" Cojuangco Jr. who has played kingmaker and principal crony of previous presidents. Now at stake are the preservation and expansion of his empire and his power in reactionary politics.

Cojuangco wants to ensure the reversal of the Supreme Court decision on the public nature of the coco levy funds which he has long coveted, and consequently pave the way for his control of 27% of United Coconut Planters Bank stocks in San Miguel Corporation (SMC) which he bought using these funds. He has already secured a reversal from the Sandiganbayan of the Presidential Commission on Good Government's sequestration in 1986 of 20% of SMC stocks he has likewise long been claiming.

This is also a show of force by Cojuangco for the 2004 election. He was able to garner a sufficient number from among his minions in Congress to sign the impeachment complaint against Davide, achieving this with Arroyo's cooperation. Arroyo took a supposedly neutral stance, claiming that the presidency is a "middle ground". It is her greed for the financial and political support promised by Cojuangco for 2004 that has prevailed even as Cojuangco has not yet even uttered a word regarding the possibility of his own candidacy or support for a candidate of the opposition. Arroyo continues to go along with Cojuangco's dirty schemes. On the other hand, such machinations by Cojuangco have merely underscored and worsened Arroyo's weakness.

This early, all this jockeying has led to serious rifts in the ruling system. Opposing camps are fighting to acquire the privilege and opportunity to become the principal puppet of imperialism and partake in plundering and depleting the nation's coffers,

Conditions are most favorable for the progressive and democratic forces to take advantage of. The Davide impeachment case further brings to the fore the rampant corruption in the reactionary government they are all fighting tooth and nail over and the avarice of both the Arroyo ruling clique and the camp of the big bourgeois-comprador Cojuangco. The people have no one to choose from save them and their surrogates. It has become ever clearer that reactionary elections are inutile as a means of purging the rottenness that cuts into the very core of the existing system.

It is particularly infuriating how Arroyo and Cojuangco have schemed and conspired to deny millions of poor coconut farmers ownership to the funds that for years were exacted from and must be returned to them. It is important for the poor coconut farmers, workers in Cojuangco's enterprises and people in various sectors to mobilize and denounce Gloria and Danding's machinations and demand the return of the coco levy fund to its rightful owners.

We must use all means and opportunities to inform the broad masses of the people about the worst cases of corruption, the schemes and conspiracies against the people's interests and explain matters to them. Not only should we tell them about cases that are now being uncovered but also those that have long been exposed and have not been meted justice. More cases will be exposed in the process.

We must be creative in mobilizing the broadest number of people for various forms of mass actions against corruption and the schemes of the biggest reactionaries. Aside from the toiling masses, youth and students, it is important to win over church organizations and people, small businessmen, teachers and government employees, and even the positive elements in the AFP and include them in the united front.

In the process of exposing and criticizing the maneuvers, dirty tactics and collusion of big reactionaries against the people, we will be able to show that the ruling government and system are rotten, reactionary and antipeople to the core, and why it is necessary to overthrow it and replace it with a government and system that are unsullied, revolutionary and for the masses.

07 November 2003
English Edition

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