Macapagal-Arroyo�s "strong republic":
Advancing fascism and neocolonialism

Basahin ang artikulong ito sa Pilipino

Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo�s speech in front of Congress on July 22 declaring her support for a "strong republic" is a tribute to fascism and neocolonialism.

Contrary to its promised development, Macapagal-Arroyo�s "strong republic" is replete with corruption and will merely burden the people and worsen their enslavement and oppression.

The theme of her second State of the Nation Address is a portent of further suppression of civil rights and does away with the remaining obstacles to fullblown US military intervention and the operations of foreign capital in the country.

It is necessary to block these measures. There is need to form broad people�s united front to confront and thoroughly resist Macapagal-Arroyo�s "strong republic".

THREATS TO CIVIL LIBERTIES AND A DIRECTIVE TO INTENSIFY THE ANTIPEOPLE WAR

Through the "strong republic", Macapagal-Arroyo wants to rationalize the laying down of laws and policies that will intensify the fascist oppression of the people.

Macapagal-Arroyo now uses the seeming momentum in the campaign against "terrorism" and her declared victory against the Abu Sayyaf and certain prominent cases of criminality to justify the implementation of laws that will allegedly defeat terrorism and criminality and promote peace and order.

In this regard, Macapagal-Arroyo is asking congress to speed up the passage of bills on "counter-terrorism". The bills were filed by Sen. Robert Barbers at the senate and by Rep. Imee Marcos (House Bill 3802) in congress. They are practically duplicates of the former bill filed by Sen. Orly Mercado and Sen. Juan Ponce Enrile in 1999 that was not enacted due to the people�s thoroughgoing resistance.

According to the bill�s broadened definition of "terrorist", anyone who criticizes government policies may be considered a "terrorist", prosecuted and sentenced to life imprisonment or death. In such a definition, even revolutionaries, progressives and anyone who has resisted or even merely expressed resistance to the regime, may be considered a "terrorist". It is a counterrevolutionary and fascist proposal. If enacted, it will trample on basic civil liberties, including the right against warrantless arrest and detention.

If Macapagal-Arroyo had her way, there would be no room for criticism and protests against her policies. The merciless truncheoning and bombardment by water cannons of peaceful demonstrators on July 22 in Quezon City was done precisely upon Macapagal-Arroyo�s orders, to project herself as a tough leader with the capability to build a "strong republic".

These violent dispersals of demonstrations were conducted as a prelude to Macapagal-Arroyo�s declaration on July 24 that the "maximum tolerance" policy would be discarded in confronting demonstrations. She declared that the way her government dealt with the demonstrations on July 22 would be the last manifestation of "maximum tolerance". The fascist "no permit-no rally" policy will once more be enforced along with the use of a mailed fist policy to disperse militant mass actions by the people. She also declared that the "no maximum tolerance" policy against rallies would be followed during the arrival of US State Secretary Colin Powell in the first week of August.

She and her military have revived the "anti-communist" bogey to justify the ongoing suppression of legal organizations and personalities and provide distorted rationalizations of brutal military operations. According to Macapagal-Arroyo, it is only the "communists" who persist in assailing her. Recently, she has even resorted to calling human rights organizations "criminals" and "terrorists".

Macapagal-Arroyo uses "antiterrorism" as a seemingly all-encompassing license to use force and violance against anyone she or her government has branded a "terrorist".

She has insisted on categorizing the armed revolutionary movement led by the Communist Party as "terrorist" and "criminals who kill in the name of politics". She is looking for ways to rationalize the scuttling of the peace talks between the NDF and the GRP and the launching of brutal attacks against the revolutionary movement. Macapagal-Arroyo and the militarists within her cabinet wish to finally do away with obstacles to the conduct of all-out war against the revolutionary forces and the people in the countryside.

ALL-SIDED DOMINATION BY U.S. IMPERIALISM

In the final analysis, Macapagal-Arroyo�s "strong republic" conforms to and serves the objective of all-sidedly advancing the interests of US imperialism in the Philippines. Macapagal-Arroyo wishes to use the full force of the state to defeat the people�s patriotic movement and lay the ground for US imperialism to ride roughshod over Philippine sovereignty and the national patrimony.

Macapagal-Arroyo is ensuring the permanent presence of American troops in the Philippines through the continued conduct of "joint military training exercises" and the enactment of more laws and treaties.

After focusing on the Abu Sayyaf, the Macapagal-Arroyo regime now wishes to bring these "training exercises" to the territories of the New People�s Army to enable the US to intervene in the counter-revolutionary war.

The approval of the Mutual Logistics Support Agreement (MLSA) that will pave the way for the continued presence of American troops in the Philippines is in the offing. The MLSA will allow American troops to set up semi-permanent facilities and structures for their accommodation in various parts of the country. Thus, it circumvents the constitutional provisions prohibiting the establishment of foreign military bases in the country.

She has also posted rabid US imperialist puppet Sen. Blas Ople at the Department of Foreign Affairs to facilitate the ratification of the MLSA and other pro-US treaties and policies.

In the economy of the "strong republic", the policies of liberalization, deregulation, privatization and denationalization will be pushed to the hilt to thoroughly open up the Philippine economy to imperialist "globalization".

Macapagal-Arroyo plans to create new laws and dismantle the remaining provisions that block the free entry and operations of foreign monopoly capitalists in the country. Among others, she plans to enact the Special Purpose Assets Vehicle (SPAV) that will pave the way for foreign capitalists to own land in the country � which is still formally prohibited by the reactionary constitution.

In her desire to attract foreign capital into the country, Macapagal-Arroyo supports the US� call for major changes in the provisions of the reactionary constitution that are still considered hindrances to the free operation of foreign investments, including the provisions that bar 100% foreign ownership of businesses in the Philippines.

CONFRONT AND FRUSTRATE THE POLICIES OF THE "STRONG REPUBLIC"

Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo�s declaration that she would be establishing a "strong republic" is a mere coverup for her unstable government and the rotting and disintegrating reactionary ruling system. It is a sign of the ruling classes� desperate defense of the exploitative and oppresssive system in the face of a most severe crisis within and outside the country and vis a vis the rapidly advancing acts of resistance to smash reactionary semifeudal and neocolonial rule.

Even as Macapagal-Arroyo was delivering her speech with such overweening arrogance, her knees trembled with dread at the thought that her days in power are numbered. In the face of the swift plunge in her popularity and growing calls for her ouster, Macapagal-Arroyo is laying down measures to gag the people and neutralize her reactionary political rivals.

The revolutionary forces must act swiftly to unite the people in resisting Macapagal-Arroyo�s imminent political measures, as well as her isolation from some middle forces and reactionary elements formerly within her faction, in order to broaden the ranks of forces who will thwart her advocacy of a "strong republic".

The national-democratic forces must stand ready to unite with the various forces against the Macapagal-Arroyo regime, even on a tactical basis. Simultaneously, the national-democratic forces must lead in the formation of a broad united front for democracy, people�s welfare and national sovereignty.

The New People�s Army must take advantage of the Macapagal-Arroyo regime�s instability and rapid weakening by continuously launching big and small tactical offensives it is capable of winning while continuing to expand and strengthen the mass base in the countryside.

In particular, the NPA must prepare for the threat that American troops will directly participate in counter-revolutionary operations by joining intelligence operations, tacticizing or by participating in actual armed operations in the guerrilla fronts of the revolutionary movement.

This early, the patriotic and democratic forces in the cities and countryside must take thoroughgoing action to evict American troops from the Philippines.

Through all-out and militant people�s resistance, Macapagal-Arroyo�s goal of advancing her "strong republic" will be thwarted. Should Macapagal-Arroyo insist on implementing fascist and pro-imperialist policies, the need for collective and decisive action to end her regime will become ever clearer to broad numbers of Filipinos.

31 July 2002
English Edition

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