Editorial: Further advance the revolutionary movement in the face of the US' war of aggression and intensifying reaction
The regime is taking full advantage of the US' "anti-terrorism campaign" to put in place various antinational and anti-democratic policies and measures. It is the regime's objective to stifle and persecute its perceived enemies, stem the advance of the revolutionary movement, suppress the people's growing resistance to the dictates of US imperialism and oversee its interests and those of its imperialist master.
In this regard, plans are afoot to enact the National ID system. The new proposal is even more vile than that of the previous regime because the Macapagal-Arroyo regime plans to give the US access to information gathered through the system.
The AFP and PNP budgets have gobbled up a far bigger share of the proposed government budget for 2002. The 25% (or P19.8 billion) increase in the AFP and PNP budgets is second to the 40.1% hike (or P44.3 billion) in the budget allocation for servicing the foreign debt.
Meanwhile, at the prodding of the militarists and fascists behind it, the regime has arbitrarily stopped the continuation of the peace talks between the NDFP and GRP. Their cunning objective is to proceed with the further intensification of attacks against the revolutionary movement and the militarization of the people's army's base areas, such as those being currently waged along the Nueva Ecija-Aurora border, in Mindoro, Bohol and Northeastern Mindanao, before the talks are resumed.
Macapagal-Arroyo has shamelessly been manifesting her puppetry to US imperialism and her defilement of the nation's sovereignty. As soon as the war broke out, the puppet regime declared its openness to the unlimited use by US troops of the country's main airports and seaports and its entire airspace. The regime has also offered other forms of assistance such as the sending of Filipino troops, doctors, medicines, food and others.
It has allowed direct US intervention in the war against "local terrorists" with the entry of "counter-terrorism specialists" from the US to supposedly serve as advisers to Filipino troops. Aside from the war against the Abu Sayyaf, these "advisers" will also intervene in the war against the revolutionary movement and the armed struggle waged by the Moro Islamic Liberation Front. The 26-man team of "advisers" has already gone to Basilan and is set to go around all other major AFP camps in the country. To suppress revolutionary armed resistance, US war materiel have also been brought into the country.
Macapagal-Arroyo has also been shamelessly boasting of her being US imperialism's most slavish puppet in the entire Asia-Pacific. She has paraded herself as the US' "number one" supporter in Asia of the US' war of aggression in the face of the refusal by leaders of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation to endorse the US' attack on Afghanistan.
All of this has resulted in the further trampling of the people's human rights. Even now, violations of the AFP, PNP and the regime's paramilitary forces have further instensified. In the regime's very short span of existence, its violations have become more despicable than in the two years of the ousted Estrada regime.
Accompanying the thorough surrender of the nation's sovereignty is the Macapagal-Arroyo regime's complete sacrifice of the people's welfare to further serve the interests of imperialism and its local ruling class allies. Recently, workers were granted a P30 allowance (to be given in two installments). This is a grave insult in the face of the rapid deterioration of the workers' livelihood and their call for a solid P125 hike in the daily wage.
Neither has the regime listened to the demand of peasants for the country to withdraw from its commitments to the imperialist policy of "globalization" and the World Trade Organization, stop the conversion of agricultural lands and implement genuine land reform. The regime also turns a deaf ear to protests by rank-and-file government employees against the International Monetary Fund and World Bank-dictated privatization of more government corporations and agencies and the dismissal of 100,000 government employees.
In the face of all this, it is the duty of the Party and the entire revolutionary movement to further arouse and organize the people, advance the mass movement and armed struggle against US imperialism and local reaction, expand the national united front, further weaken reaction and achieve more revolutionary victories.
Further advance the people's struggles, especially those of the toiling masses. Pursue and advance the struggle for the just P125 increase in the workers' daily wage, antifeudal struggles and protests against "globalization", privatization and other antipeople policies of US imperialism and the government.
Give particular emphasis to our duty to directly arouse, organize and mobilize the Moro people both in the countryside and cities for the national-democratic revolution and the realization of their right to self-determination. Let us further our political work among their ranks to sharpen their growing anti-US sentiments and win over the latter towards the correct revolutionary path. Along with this, let us continue developing and strengthening the current revolutionary alliance between the National Democratic Front and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front.
Advance the broad movement against the intensified trampling of the people's democratic rights in the name of the "anti-terrorism campaign". Advance protests against violations of human rights and the non-implementation of the Comprehensive Agreement on Respect for Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law (CARHRIHL) and the regime's proposals and plans to further repress the people's democratic rights. Expose, assail and oppose the US-Macapagal-Arroyo regime's clearly dominant militarist agenda and policies.
Further intensify tactical offensives of the people's army especially in areas where current enemy deployment is relatively sparse due to the enemy's need to concentrate on its main targets of attack.
Expand and empower the movement against imperialist war. Expose and oppose imperialist exploitation and suppression as the biggest scourge creating the most massive unrest and wreaking the greatest havoc on countries and peoples the world over. Firmly oppose and resist the US attack on Afghanistan and expose the unbridled destruction wrought by the US on the Afghan people.
Advance the struggle to abrogate the Mutual Defense Pact and other agreements and policies that would make the Philippines a tail of US imperialism's policies. Advance a genuine, independent and peace-loving foreign policy. Advance the Filipino people's all-sided anti-imperialist struggle and firmly link this with the emerging worldwide movement against imperialist aggression and reaction.
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