PRESS RELEASE
Information Bureau
Communist Party of the Philippines

Broad anti-Arroyo alliance bound to emerge to launch another uprising -- CPP
January 20, 2005

The Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) today said that a broad anti-Arroyo alliance is bound to emerge after four years of antipeople acts perpetrated by the Arroyo regime. The regime, which took power after the EDSA 2 uprising, has "intensified the people's oppression and aggravated their hardships," said the CPP. "It is stoking the people's anger and rousing them to launch another uprising to end the regime."

CPP spokesman Gregorio "Ka Roger" Rosal said that "even surveys cannot help but reflect this widespread clamor to end the Arroyo government. The measures and policies Arroyo pursues enrage the people."

Among the Arroyo government's antipeople acts cited by Rosal are the dismissal of 35 leaders of the Central Azucarera de Tarlac workers' union. "Its supposed role as an 'arbiter' between the Cojuangcos and CAT workers has been shown to be a farce," Rosal said. "The Arroyo regime has clearly acted in favor of the Cojuangcos' big landlord and big business interests."

The CPP spokesman also deplored the Arroyo government for "vigorously pushing for a 20% increase in the VAT rate, as well as other antipeople tax measures."

Rosal said the passing of these tax measures will only benefit foreign creditors as the government allots a greater portion of its budget to service its onerous external debt.

He also denounced the Arroyo government for rushing the passage of the Consolidated Investments and Incentives Bill. "While busy thinking of new schemes to tax the people, the Arroyo regime has reaffirmed the deplorable policy of granting tax holidays and other incentives to foreign big business to entice them to come to the Philippines and exploit Filipino workers."

"And yet," said Rosal, "Arroyo is coordinating with big business to block the passage of the bill calling for a P125 legislated wage increase," Rosal said.

"The detrimental effects of such measures on the people is undeniable. Nobody believes Arroyo's lies that the Filipino people are not poor, that unemployment is down and that more people have food on their tables," Rosal added.

"Arroyo has the gall to call herself an economist even as she manifests the logic of an Imelda Marcos who manipulates statistics to draw absurd conclusions in a desperate attempt to prettify grotesque social realities," Rosal said.

Anti-Arroyo united front

Rosal said that the CPP supports the widespread clamor and efforts to put an end to the Arroyo regime. "It is but just for the Filipino people to overthrow a regime that has caused them endless hardship and oppression."

"Arroyo is dreadful of the emergence of a broad anti-Arroyo alliance," Rosal said.

"This is the reason why she is working tooth and nail to divide the elite political opposition by forging secret deals with them and dangling juicy government positions. The elite political opposition has become the least of her worries," Rosal said.

"She also trusts that the loyalty she has cultivated among military generals will be able to preempt mutinies and coup attempts," Rosal explained.

"But a broad alliance of anti-Arroyo forces is bound to emerge, not through the efforts of elite politicians, but from the groundswell of protests in the coming months. The broad masses, both in the cities and rural areas, are keen on launching mass protests actions against price increases and tax measures, and to demand wage increases and employment," Rosal said.

Reference:
Anne Buenaventura
Media Officer
Cellphone Number: +63910-240-3553



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