News of the people�s struggle
Peasants launch successful march-caravan
Thousands of poor peasants from northern and central Luzon and southern tagalog launched a week-long march-caravan in the third week of October to expose and oppose widespread violations of human rights as well as rampant land-use conversion and landgrabbing from peasants in the countryside, push for the implementation of genuine land reform and demand the ouster of Estrada.
The march-caravan was successfully launched despite several instances of harassment by the police and military against the demonstrators before they reached Metro Manila.
Highlighting the peasants' protest action was a rally at Mendiola on October 20 where the demonstrators denounced the Estrada regime for its grave accountabilities to the peasant class and cried out their desire to remove him from power. The night before, at a torch-lit vigil held in front of the Department of Agrarian Reform, the peasants condemned the Estrada regime's bogus land reform program. The demonstrators also held programs in towns where they spent the night.
Alliance formed, series of rallies held to demand Estrada's resignation
A multisectoral alliance, The "ESTRADA RESIGN MOVEMENT", was formed in October to lead the movement to force Joseph Estrada to voluntarily resign or be ousted. Tens of thousands of people from various classes, sectors and political forces launched a series of protest actions in the second half of October to cry "Erap resign!" following Estrada's involvement in the jueteng scandal exposed by Luis "Chavit" Singson as well as other criminal activities.
On October 18, up to 20,000 people massed up along Ayala Avenue in Makati City to manifest their desire to remove Estrada from power. Among the rally speakers were representatives of militant organizations, former military rebels, church people, businessmen and anti-Estrada politicians. As with the massive rallies in the 1980s against the Marcos fascist dictatorship, confetti rained from towering buildings in Makati. Different groups and organizations unfurled their varicolored banners, all of them united in calling for Estrada's resignation. The Makati demonstrators declared that they would hold weekly rallies so long as Estrada refuses to resign.
This was followed by other protest actions on October 25 and 27 not only in Metro Manila but in the cities of Bacolod, Cebu, Cagayan de Oro, Davao, Butuan, Pagadian and Iligan. Regions outside Metro Manila also formed their own alliances like "No-Erap" (Negros Occidental-Estrada Resign as President) in Negros, I-scrap Erap (Ilonggos Solidarity Campaign to Remove Erap as President) in Panay, "Resign Now" in Davao City and "Resign, Impeach and Oust Erap Now Movement" in Butuan City.
Prior to this, a prayer rally was held on October 17 by different anti-Estrada personalities led by Corazon Aquino and Jaime Cardinal Sin. The prayer rally attended by more than 2,000 people was held at the EDSA Shrine in Mandaluyong City. The rallyists denounced Estrada for having lost the moral right to govern. Aquino also called on Estrada to resign.
Victorious tactical offensives launched in Bicol
A series of victorious tactical offensives was launched by the New People's Army in Bicol in October. Aside from the high-powered firearms seized by the Red fighters, four enemy troops were killed and eight were wounded in the offensives:
A cal .50 and cal .30 machine gun, an M16 and two radios were confiscated when the NPA ambushed elements of the 31st IB of the Philippine Army in Sitio Patag, Barangay San Isidro, San Lorenzo Ruiz, Camarines Norte. Two soldiers were killed and six were wounded in the ambush.
Based on correspondence reports from NPA-Bicol, the ambushed soldiers were aboard an armored personnel carrier and were supposed to reinforce other 31st IB troops in Sitio Butan (in the same village) who suffered a raid by the NPA that morning. The APC was completely damaged when it hit a land mine. The soldiers, who were then subjected to a volley of fire by the Red fighters, scampered in all directions.
In related news, a soldier from the 42nd IB of the Philippine Army was killed and another soldier was wounded in an NPA ambush in the early morning of October 3. The ambushed soldiers were on foot patrol in Barangay Haguimit, Lupi, Camarines Sur. Based on a correspondence report from Comrade Ramona Caceres of the NPA-Camarines Sur Public Information Office, the offensive was succcessfully undertaken through information supplied by secret contacts within the AFP.
Meanwhile, a policeman was killed when Red fighters raided the Philippine National Police detachment in Tanday, Nabua, Camarines Sur on October 7. That same day, the NPA punished Cpl. Arnulfo Esquelo in Barangay San Roque, Bulan, Sorsogon.
1 soldier killed, 4 wounded in Abra ambush
A Philippine Army sergeant was killed while Capt. Hector Adriano and three other sergeants were wounded in an ambush by NPA Red fighters in Baay-licuan, Abra on October 23. The ambushed soldiers all belonged to the 17th IB.
1 soldier, 3 CAFGU killed in Agusan ambush
A soldier and three CAFGU elements were killed in an NPA ambush on October 17 in Barangay San Policarpio, San Luis, Agusan del Sur. The ambushed troopers belonged to a composite team under the 32nd and 36th IB of the Philippine Army.
Logging company punished in Isabela
Red fighters under the NPA Benito Tesorio Front (BTF) launched a punitive action against a logging company in Isabela. NPA fighters raided on September 21 the logging pond of Liberty Logging Corp. (LLC) in Barangay Dicamay Uno, Jones and burned nine trucks, two bulldozers and a tanker. Damage to the LLC was estimated to have reached P5 billion. Based on a correspondence report from the BTF, the company was punished for its continued violation of the revolutionary movement's ban on corporate logging in the area. The NPA also promptly addressed the local folk's demand for a stop to logging. The offensive was successfully carried out despite relentless operations by the 502nd Brigade of the Philippine Army.
1 soldier killed, 1 wounded in Mt. province ambush
A soldier was killed and another was wounded in an ambush by Red fighters on October 2 in Bontoc, Mountain Province. The ambushed soldiers belonged to the 19th Special Forces Company of the Philippine Army.
New political party formed
A new political party, "Bayan Muna", was established on October 27, with its constituents coming from the poor sectors of society. It aims to address the issues of government corruption, foreign domination and feudal exploitation. The party led by Satur Ocampo (president), Dr. Reynaldo Lesaca (chairman), Crispin Beltran and Nathaniel Santiago will take part in the "party-list" elections in 2001.
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