NDF urges more strikes

Rubi Del Mundo
Spokesperson
National Democratic Front-Southern Mindanao
April 19, 2005

The National Democratic Front Southern Mindanao acclaims the successful April 18 nationwide transport strike participated in by both organized transport and labor groups and other major transport associations. The tremendous support showed the widespread people�s outrage against the unabated oil price hikes and the rotten US-Macapagal Arroyo regime.

Expectedly, this bankrupt regime has met the demand to regain state control in the oil industry and wage increase with yet another deceptive ploy: favoring a whooping 50% fare increase while, simultaneously, pushing through with increased taxation through the E-VAT.

The regime has proved itself to be inutile against the big three oil companies in the country that went ahead with another round of oil price hike, the fifth this year, in the wake of massive protests. There is no stopping Shell, Caltex and Petron from further raking in megaprofits since the industry had been deregulated nine years ago, controlling as much as 80% of it.

Time and again, the oil cartel slyly justifies the oil price hikes with their frequently used alibi: that high pump prices are inevitable due to increasing costs of crude in the world market. Each time, this regime has actively connived with them as they bleed more profits from the already hungry and suffering masses. Worse, it is even conditioning the people�s minds to accept another increase once the value-added tax (VAT) is imposed on petroleum products.

But more people are becoming awake now. No amount of cover-up can anymore hide the fact that every successful attempt of the oil industry players to hike prices is proof of a breakdown of the state�s ability to protect its people. The ills of �imperialist globalization� are more and more unraveled as poverty statistics grow, as the regime loses popularity even from its paid pollsters, and as more misery befalls on the toiling masses.

The NDF calls on the drivers to see through the fare increase as another ploy to divide their ranks and their unity with the society at large. The NDF calls on the workers to initiate general strikes to press for the wage increase. The NDF urges the people, and the business community to mount militant and other forms of protest to press for state control in the oil industry and to overthrow the roundly anti-people US-Arroyo regime.

When an awakened people fight, there is no stopping them. A regime that chooses to be apathetic to the demands of the people in the face of a worsening economic crisis is bound to be overthrown by a people impelled to avail all means to end their oppressed state.

(SGD) RUBI DEL MUNDO
Spokesperson

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