As always, the people really have nothing to expect from the presidential candidates in this election

Gregorio "Ka Roger" Rosal
Spokesperson
Communist Party of the Philippines
December 03, 2003

The presidential hopefuls have declared their candidacy in the coming year�s reactionary elections. The speeches and gimmickry have begun, all to court the people�s votes. Jockeying, compromises, shrewd wheelings and dealings and other dirty tactics have intensified. In all of this, it is the people who are bearing the brunt of an ever heavier burden.

In the face of the intensifying crisis of the ruling system, the economic morass and worsening poverty, the oppression, suppression and cynicism of the people, reactionary candidates and parties are scrambling to portray the coming national elections as another opportunity for the people to choose the president and other leaders who could bring the hope, progress and change that the people so fervently desire.

To gain popularity and attract the people�s votes, reactionary candidates will constantly depict themselves as the embodiment of the Filipino people�s hopes and interests. They compete with other factions of the ruling classes in deceiving the people about their being the new hope for a reversal of the people�s wretched conditions.

But the platforms they have presented, and so too their actual records and actions, manifest the absence of any relevant difference among the various reactionary candidates and their political parties�whether this be Arroyo�s ruling party or the parties of the reactionary opposition.

All these reactionary parties are led by and represent the interests of the ruling classes�the big comprador bourgeoisie-landlords and big foreign capitalists. Under the present system in Philippine society, it is these factors, mainly US imperialism and its key minions, that will be most decisive in determining who will be running the reactionary government. It is they who are behind the likes of Gloria Arroyo, Raul Roco, Panfilo Lacson, Fernando Poe Jr. and the others.

The coming national election will have no essential difference with past or even future elections, for as long as they are part of, and serve only to consolidate, the reactionary ruling system. In these elections, the Filipino people are merely made to choose who the lead administrator will be over their oppression and exploitation by the reactionary ruling class.

Elections in the Philippines conjure up the illusion of democracy to convince the people that their aspirations for relevant change can be achieved only through parliamentary means, and thus derail them from the path of revolution.

Philippine elections are one big cockfight. Conflicts among the various factions are intense, dirty and violent. But the conflicts do not revolve around the question of what is beneficial or detrimental to the people�s interests. Rather, they revolve around who among the candidates will hold power for their own self-interest. What they are drooling and fighting tooth and nail over are the multi-billion contracts and other spoils, privileges and benefits emanating from control over political power. Thus, whichever reactionary party wins, the people lose.

But even if they are engaged in intense conflict, they are all united when it comes to taking care of the ruling classes� common interest�the perpetuation of the present system that exploits and oppresses the people and ensuring basic policies and laws to protect the existing system and their own elite interests.

They are all united in continuing to open the economy in accordance with the imperialist policies of �globalization,� neoliberalization, deregulation, privatization and denationalization; in the surrender of the national patrimony and granting privileges to foreign capitalists; in blocking wage hikes for workers; in the continued monopoly of big landlords and compradors over land; in the intensification of the �anti-terrorist war� that is unleashing untold violence and violations of human rights; and in the endless litany of polices and laws that brings suffering to the people.

However much they depict themselves as �pro-masses� or �the people�s hope,� these are all camouflage for their and their parties� essentially reactionary, antipeople and pro-imperialist character.

Considering how cynical the people have become regarding elections, some say that the coming polls are an exercise to repudiate the worst. Behind this lies the basic truth that the coming national election will not bring about fundamental change, just like the past or even future reactionary elections. Whoever wins in the coming elections will merely preside over the further deterioration of the ruling system.

The coming elections� means and ends are likewise no different from those of past elections. Even if reactionary candidates and their political parties offer a supposedly relevant program, everyone knows full well�both the people and even the reactionaries�that what really calls the shots in reactionary elections are the �3 Gs� or �Guns, Goons and Gold.� And the most important factor in all this is US imperialism and its minions� blessings and maneuvering.

There are some progressive political parties that are all-sidedly different from the reactionary parties of the ruling class and truly advocate the people�s patriotic and democratic interests. They have nothing to do with the dirty and antipeople methods and gameplans of reactionary political parties. Among them are Bayan Muna and Anakpawis. These parties sprang forth from the people�s democratic movement and are led by leaders who have close ties with the broad masses, have long records of struggling for the people, and fine records of unstintingly serving the interests of the masses of the people.

Because of these parties� progressive, patriotic and pro-people stand and actions, they enjoy the people�s deep and broad support. But also because of their stand and actions, the reactionaries are doing everything, including using the AFP, the paramilitary and covert forces, to inflict violence, suppress and malign these parties and terrorize those who want to support them. Although it is still possible for them to maximize opportunities to participate in and express their views within the reactionary parliament, they are severely limited by the violence, deception, fraud and dirty maneuvers and moves perpetrated by the reactionary state, reactionary politicians and the ruling classes.

As the crisis of the ruling system keeps on intensifying, mistrust and hopelessness regarding reactionary elections are fast spreading and more and more people grasp the correctness of, and need for, revolutionary struggle. The corruption of the reactionary political system and the crisis-ridden social and economic system it coddles drives the people to tread the path of revolution.

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