#title:Strengthen unity and intensify the struggle for the defense of land, life and rights<br>A message for Cordillera Day 2009<br>
@@@@@<h1>Strengthen unity and intensify the struggle for the defense of land, life and rights<br>A message for Cordillera Day 2009</h1><!-- Simon "Ka Filiw" Naogsan, Sr., Spokesperson, Cordillera People's Democratic Front </em><br><br>
This year's Cordillera Day carries an appropriate and meaningful theme. Since it was established, the Cordillera People's Democratic Front, has shared your aspiration to broaden and strengthen unity among the people of the Cordillera with the rest of the people in the country and abroad to intensify the struggle for the defense of our ancestral land, lives, and political and economic rights. We need a strong and higher level of unity for the life and death struggle against foreign and local ruling classes who have interests in big mining, large-scale commercial agriculture and other enterprises where they gain huge profits by grabbing ancestral lands and exploiting the sweat and talents of the people of the Cordillera. This is also a struggle against the Arroyo regime that is abusing its authority, blatantly corrupt, and brutally repressing the people by using its fascist military machinery.<br>
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Oplan Bantay Laya 2 (OBL2) is a disaster for the people of the Cordillera and other parts of the country. It is a big threat to the lives, rights, and livelihood of the people. But the Arroyo regime's plan to crush the revolutionary movement before the end of 2010 will fail, as did other military campaigns since the Marcos dictatorship. This is nothing more than an empty dream of the little devil in Malacanang and her fascist generals.<br>
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Since the start of Oplan Bantay Laya 1 in 2002, more than 30 Cordillera residents have been killed by the Arroyo regime. Since his abduction by elements of the MIG-ISU last September 17, 2008, we are still searching for James Balao, one of the founding members of the Cordillera People's Alliance who has been with us in several past celebrations of Cordillera Day. Thousands of people in many villages of the Cordillera are victims of harassment, abuse, and violence by the military.<br>
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Last February, the 41st IB imposed a 5:00 PM to 5:00 AM curfew in Talampac, Lacub, Abra. All residents who go to their fields or small-scale mines and are unable to return home before the curfew are forced to sleep in their fields or in their mining sites. The soldiers prohibited the use of flashlights. They forced the residents to get safe-conduct passes at the army detachment and carry these wherever they go. In Bulalacao, Mankayan armed troops of the 50th IB entered houses to conduct a census. They tried to force their way into the office of legal organizations in the community but were bravely prevented by the people. They returned the next day to photograph and harass organizers in the office. In the barrios of the towns of Lubuagan, Balbalan, Pinukpuk, and Tabuk in Kalinga, troops conducting Reengineered Special Operations Team (RSOT) operations have been harassing and abusing civilians since last year.<br>
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OBL2 is aggravating the national oppression of the people of the Cordillera.<br>
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First, there is intensified expropriation of our ancestral lands. Last January, Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro admitted that the military has been deployed in the Cordillera to secure mining areas. RSOT operations of the AFP are now being conducted in communities in Abra, Benguet, and Kalinga that have bravely resisted the entry of big mining interests. During their operations, the military prohibit the people from going to their ricefields, kaingin, pastures, and hunting grounds. The military does not care if crops are damaged or unharvested, if livestock go hungry, are lost, or die. They bomb kaingin, pasture grounds, and forests. They have killed many hunters they met on the way. Last December, retreating troops of the 41 st IB burned pine forests in Lacub, Abra. In Tonglayan, Natonin operating troops of the 54th IB harassed a farmer in his hut in the fields. They destroyed his pot, defecated on his blanket, and then burned his hut.<br>
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Second, there is increasing disrespect for our lallakay, dap-ay, and other indigenous political institutions. Even the authority of local government officials is disregarded by the military. In Mankayan, Lt. Abdul Rashid Avila of the 50th IB announced his unit will not obey municipal or barangay ordinances and resolutions because the military has its own orders to follow. Lt. Avila made this announcement after he as informed about a petition by barangay chairmen in Mankayan for the pullout of the 50th IB. In other parts of the Cordillera, the military has imposed virtual martial law. They violate local ordinances and customs. They disregard the tradition of respect that national minorities accord to the dead. Last April 2008, the 50th IB prevented the people of Tubtuba, Tubo from locating and retrieving the cadaver of one of their kailian who died from an accident during an intense military operation.<br>
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Third, social services are even more denied to the people. The people cannot use their daycare centers, multi-purpose halls, schools and other public buildings whenever the military use these as their quarters. Since February, the RSOT has been camped at the multipurpose hall in Talampac, Lacub, Abra. Because the hall also serves as the daycare center of the community, 23 daycare children were forced to study in a yard where they were exposed to the hot sun and no longer had chairs and tables to use. In 2007, classes were suspended for a long time because troops of the 54th IB encamped at the elementary school in Dandanac, Tamboan, Besao.<br>
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Fourth, our indigenous culture is even more misrepresented. The community meetings convened by the RSOT include the playing of gongs, salidummay, and other cultural presentations while military and local officials slander legitimate people's organizations. The military deceives community elders and uses them in counter-revolutionary activities. The military aggravates boundary disputes among tribes until these lead to tribal war. This is how hey apply their concept of divide and conquer. They break the unity and peace among tribes. The recruitment and use of CAFGU to spy on their own communities and other tribes breeds mistrust and quarrels. There is widespread discrimination against national minority members of the CAFGU. They are treated as errand boys and second-class citizens because of their ethnicity. In the army detachment in Tocucan, Bontoc a sergeant of the 77th IB was shot dead by a CAFGU element because of his cruel treatment of Igorot CAFGU under his supervision.<br>
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The areas targeted by RSOT operations are the same areas targeted by big mining corporations. These are the same areas where the people put up stiff resistance to big mining and other destructive projects. It is clear that militarization is part of the plan by the ruling classes and the rotten Arroyo regime to gain control of the mineral, timber, water, and other natural wealth of the Cordillera.<br>
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The workers, peasants, and the rest of the Cordillera people bear the effects of the grave economic crisis in the country. The livelihood of the peasants, especially vegetable gardeners, has become worse because of the low prices of vegetables aggravated by the importation and smuggling of vegetables under globalization and the high cost of farm inputs. The Lepanto Consolidated Mining Company reduced the number of working days and cheats the workers of their contributions for the SSS, Philhealth, and Pag-ibig Fund. Hundreds of workers in the Baguio City Export Processing Zone and other parts of the Cordillera lost their jobs.<br>
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On the other hand, the rapacious Arroyo regime and its lackeys in local government and government agencies, and corrupt contractors and dummies steal the funds intended for much needed social services. The repair and rehabilitation of the Halsema Highway and other roads in the Cordillera is overpriced and substandard. The cost of concreting for these projects has reached up to P30 million per kilometer.<br>
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The people are rising and resisting. The armed struggle is being intensified to dismantle the current semicolonial and semifeudal system and establish a national democratic system that will recognize and uphold the right of the Cordillera people to self-determination. We must remember that the Cordillera is one of the regions where the New People's Army established its first guerilla fronts. The mountains of the Cordillera witnessed the martyrdom of heroes such as Leonardo Pacsi, Jennifer Cariņo, Lejo Cawilan, Agustin Begnalen, Pedro Dungoc Sr., Wright "Ka Chadli" Molintas Jr., and many others. The history of the Cordillera echoes with the courageous people's movement led by Macliing Dulag, Ama Luciano Lumbaya, Ama Maneksek Mangatam, Ama Daniel Ngayaan, Ama Manzano Domin-eng, Marcelo Fakilang, Fabian Beswilan and many other elders and tribal leaders who bravely stood against state repression.<br>
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In the history of the Cordillera are carved the brilliant victories of the united strength of the broad people's movement and the NPA in foiling the Chico River Dam Project and Cellophil Resources Corporation during the Marcos dictatorship. The armed resistance in the Cordillera is directed towards increasing NPA formations and tactical offensives and defeating the plans and armed forces of the arrogant, corrupt, and much despised Arroyo regime. As in the past, the growing people's movement against big mining and other destructive projects, the brutal OBL2, and the increasing corruption of the Arroyo regime plays an important part in intensifying the armed struggle.<br>
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Kakailian, kakadua, and friends from various places, let us work together to strengthen unity in the Cordillera. Let us strengthen the council of elders, dap-ay, ator, and other forms of traditional governance and self-reliance. Let us help each other in putting an end to tribal wars and other manner of contradiction amongst the tribes and villages so that our strength can be bound and focused in a united struggle for the defense of our land, honor, livelihood, and rights.<br>
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The people of the Cordillera, the rest of the Filipinos, and other peoples of the world are all suffering under the global financial crisis caused by the greed of the monopoly bourgeoisie in imperialist countries. All oppressed and exploited people in the world are bound by the same chains and must unite against imperialism and the local ruling classes in their respective countries.<br>
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<strong>Agbiag dagiti umili ti Kordilyera!<br>Agbiag dagiti umili a Pilipino!<br>Rebolusyon kayet!</strong>$$$$$