Editorial:
With the onset of 2001, unleash a powerful storm that shall put an end to the US-Estrada regime

Basahin ang artikulong ito sa Pilipino

The situation in the first quarter of 2001, especially in the early part, favors the carrying out of efforts for the immediate ouster of Estrada from power. To ensure this, we must continuously advance, expand and intensify the anti-Estrada mass movement and launch gigantic street demonstrations.

Up to now, despite the legal maneuverings of his lawyers, Estrada�s trial at the Senate has served as a good forum for exposing the corruption, anomalies and criminal operations of Estrada. Testimony and evidence presented by witnesses, especially Gov. Luis �Chavit� Singson and Clarissa Ocampo, vice president of Equitable-PCI Bank, have demonstrated Estrada�s incessant use of his power to illegally amass wealth and immerse himself in opulence.

Nonetheless, it remains another issue altogether whether Estrada will indeed be adjudged guilty. This relies, above all, on the continued expansion of mass actions calling for Estrada�s ouster. This also depends on the strength of incontrovertible evidence or direct instructions to the senators from US personnel to drop Estrada.

Without the widespread mass actions, which comprise the main factor for adjudging Estrada guilty, factors that would favor a postponement of the verdict or an Estrada acquittal would become more decisive. This would include bribes from Estrada and Danding Cojuangco, prolonging the trial until it is overtaken by the election, the possibility that new pro-Estrada senators would be put in place or that the US would change its position.

To ensure Estrada�s ouster in the early part of 2001, we must have firm hold of the primary task of arousing, organizing and mobilizing the broad masses of the people to deal blows that shall put an end to the US-Estrada regime, in accordance with the statement this December 26 of Comrade Armando Liwanag, Chairman of the Party Central Committee. This can be implemented by combining the capability of the broad united front to arouse and mobilize millions of people and the solid organizing work being undertaken by revolutionary forces.

In this regard, we must further expand and consolidate the anti-Estrada united front. In particular, we must pay attention to reaffirming the consensus among the various forces that comprise it, that Estrada can only be ousted, primarily through the actions of millions of people and laying siege to Malaca�ang Palace.

It is important to disabuse certain groups, especially among the anti-Estrada reactionaries, of the illusion that Estrada could be ousted through a judgment by the Senate without a siege of Malaca�ang to force him to resign. This illusion can easily fall into Estrada�s scheme of prolonging the trial at the Senate using this as basis to give false promises that he would respect any kind of judgment just so the protests would die down, thus prolonging his regime.

We must demand that the trial be finished before the election campaign starts in February. We must launch gigantic demonstrations to demand the immediate rendering of judgment on Estrada based on incontrovertible testimonies and documents and to condemn any attempt by Estrada�s lawyers and pro-Estrada senators to prolong the trial.

In case the Senate acquits Estrada, we must launch mass actions that shall equal or surpass the demonstrations that caused Marcos� downfall in 1986. There is even greater need to encircle Malaca�ang Palace should Estrada refuse to relinquish power whatever the Senate decides.

It is correct to ensure that these demonstrations are peaceful and militant. Nonetheless, this does not preclude the possibility that the thin ranks of pro-Erap loyalists will sow violence, especially certain military and police officials led by Gen. Panfilo Lacson and paid lumpen groups, against the key forces of the anti-Estrada united front or attack the mass actions. Thus, the anti-Estrada forces within the military would be justified to launch counter-moves (such as counter-surveillance or arrests of Estrada loyalists) not to establish a military junta but to support the people�s moves to oust Estrada.

The Party advances the tasks to end the US-Estrada regime along with all-sidedly advancing revolutionary objectives. It is clear to all revolutionary forces that overthrowing Estrada is not equivalent to, but serves the overall objective of the national-democratic revolution.

To create an image of popular support and consolidate her future government, Gloria Macapagal- Arroyo may declare her supposed advocacy of land reform and certain policies that supposedly defend the people�s welfare. But as the new chief of the reactionary state and principal puppet of US imperialism, all these promises will fade as she implements the neocolonial and �neoliberal� policy dictates of the IMF-WB and WTO.

While the crisis of the ruling system deepens, the reactionary regime is further compelled to be subservient to the dictates of imperialism, which will in turn further deepen the economic and political crisis. As a result, the people�s basic problems will be exacerbated and their resistance will intensify in the future.

The people�s united front against the new regime will be forged as rapidly as the latter exposes its true antinational and anti-democratic color. The organized and armed strength, capability and militancy that the people have accumulated in the course of resisting the Estrada regime will be put to use in fighting the new regime.

The crisis of the ruling system that is rotten to the core will not be resolved and will instead, worsen. The Party and the entire revolutionary movement stand ready to take advantage of the increasingly favorable situation to continuously advance the new-democratic revolution all over the country.

December 2000
English Edition

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