Editorial:
Expose and resist the pro-imperialist and antipeople policies and measures of the reactionary US-Macapagal-Arroyo regime

Basahin ang artikulong ito sa Pilipino

The reactionary character of the US-Macapagal-Arroyo regime has further been exposed with the series of pro-imperialist and antipeople measures it has implemented in the past two months. Among the measures taken by the regime at the behest of the International Monetary Fund and World Bank are the following:

1. Enactment on June 8 of the Power Reform Act. The new law calls for the deregulation of electrical services and the privatization of the National Power Corp. (Napocor). It puts electrical services under the control of foreign private and comprador companies. The Napocor's gargantuan debt and losses as well as the big profits raked in by private electric companies will be shouldered by the people in the form of additonal taxes and higher electricity rates. The 30-centavo decrease in charges per kilowatt-hour mandated by the law is a minor concession that will quickly come to naught as soon as full deregulation sets in.
2. Allowing renewed oil price increases. The oil cartel raised petroleum prices on May 25; meanwhile, another round of oil price increases looms. In declaring that "I don't like begging from the (oil) multinationals", Macapagal-Arroyo directly supported the Oil Deregulation Law that is behind the never-ending oil price hikes.
3. Allowing Maynilad Water Services to raise its fees. Consent was granted to give Maynilad a chance to recover from heavy debts and raise profits. Due to the intensity of people's protests, Malaca�ang has made it appear that it has revoked its June 9 Memorandum of Cooperation allowing Maynilad to abruptly hike its fees by P5 per cubic meter. Malaca�ang will still allow Maynilad to raise its water fees, albeit gradually.
4. Privatization of the administration of Social Security System (SSS) funds. As a result, funds painstakingly deposited by workers and employees for their security and welfare will serve as a milking cow for the big foreign and local capitalist vultures who will be administering the fund.

Macapagal-Arroyo put off implementing these measures during the elections to prevent her candidates from being repudiated by the people. Immediately after the polls, however, Malaca�ang enforced these one after another.

These measures indicate Macapagal-Arroyo's assiduous advocacy of the interests of big foreign capitalists and IMF-WB diktats. All things considered, these are but a continuation of the antipeople economic programs of the US-Estrada regime and all other previous regimes. They are in accordance with the imperialist policies of liberalization, deregulation and privatization that the IMF-WB imposes on neocolonies like the Philippines. The IMF-WB has used as bait almost a billion dollars worth of suspended loans from the Asian-Development Bank and the Export-Import Bank of Japan. The regime is desperate for these loans to fill up its budgetary shortages and the government's ever-widening budget deficit.

It is the intensity of the economic crisis besetting the regime that has forced it to railroad these measures.

But these can only worsen the crisis. They sacrifice the people's interests. The big foreign and local companies that will be benefiting from these measures will rake in tremendous profits, to the people's detriment. The job security of tens of thousands of workers and employees in the government agencies set to be privatized is also endangered.

The US-Macapagal-Arroyo regime's militarism and puppetry have been further highlighted. Guided by its imperialist master, the regime has unleashed its fascist troops to quell the people's resistance and thwart the rapidly strengthening revolutionary movement. Thousands have been victimized by the regime's counterrevolutionary war.

The US-Macapagal-Arroyo regime has revealed a strong militarist streak in its current campaign against the Abu Sayyaf, when it floated the proposal to declare martial law or a state of emergency in Basilan province (as well as nearby islands) where clashes between the AFP and the bandit group have been taking place. Government officials and military leaders have been brazenly encouraging paid informers, private armies and vigilante groups. The brutality of military operations against the bandit group has totally disregarded the masses' interests. This indicates the continued dominance of militarists within the regime and the latter's growing penchant for a military solution.

The regime has been using the masses' popular anger against the Abu Sayyaf bandit group to try to sneak in militarist policies and fascist "special legal measures". Among these are increasing and strengthening the CAFGU and proposing the National ID system anew. The regime is pushing these measures not only to eradicate the criminal Abu Sayyaf, but most especially, to counter the people's revolutionary struggle.

The military campaign against the Abu Sayyaf is also being used to encourage and rationalize intervention by the US government. The AFP is closely coordinating with agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation in the operations being waged in Basilan.

The Macapagal-Arroyo regime has unequivocally advocated the Philippines' neocolonial status in its relations with US imperialism. It actively implements the unequal treaties under this relationship, including the Mutual Defense Treaty and the Visiting Forces Agreement.

In the name of "cooperation", thousands of US troops used the Philippines as launching ground for their two successive large-scale military exercises - Balikatan 2001 in May and Carat 2001 this June.

Intense attacks by the AFP and PNP against guerrilla fronts of the New People's Army have resulted in many cases of violations of human rights and humanitarian laws of war, in various parts of the country. Most striking are the large-scale operations being waged and the military abuses being committed by the AFP and PNP in vast areas of Southern Tagalog. This is especially true in Mindoro and nearby areas, particularly right after the New People's Army released prisoner of war Army Maj. Noel Buan. The same is true in Central Luzon, where the AFP conducted vicious military operations to clear the area for the peace of mind of US troops taking part in the military exercises. In one military operation in Tarlac, the AFP massacred three civilians accused of being Red fighters.

With the US-Macapagal-Arroyo regime's self-exposure comes a crucial lesson that must be imparted to the people: The current regime is no different in its puppetry and reactionary character. Solutions to the poverty and oppression long suffered by the people lie not in the succession of reactionary and puppet regimes. Rather, it lies in basic social change achieved only through revolutionary resistance.

As the current advocate of the interests of imperialism and the local exploiting classes, the present regime bears the main responsibility for the intensified poverty and oppression weighing down on the people. In this regard, we must thoroughly and continually expose and resist the pro-imperialist, reactionary and antipeople character and the policies and measures undertaken by the US-Macapagal-Arroyo regime.

June 2001
English Edition

	Editorial: Expose and resist the pro-imperialist and antipeople policies and measures of the reactionary US-Macapagal-Arroyo regime
	Power Reform Act: Paving the way for further foreign domination of the economy
	Water service fees to be hiked
	Hike in petroleum product prices: Oil company giants continue to amass superprofits
	Fascist state on a rampage In the second quarter of the year
	Reports from Correspondents: Intensifying operations in Oriental Mindoro condemned
	Reports from Correspondents: Mayor Platon and Rep. Punzalan were meted just punishment
	NDFP assails suspension of peace talks by GRP
	NPA punishes Colonel Aguinaldo
	Signalling the resurgence of worldwide struggle: International League of Peoples' Struggle founded
	News of Struggle