In the days to come, the Filipino people will face a critical battle to defend their historical judgement against tyranny and dictatorship. Democracy- and freedom-loving people are called upon to unite and take to the streets to manifest their determination to stop the return of the Marcoses to power and prevent the extension of Duterte’s reign.

The anti-tyranny movement has gained much ground over the past few months in connection with the Robredo-Pangilinan presidential and vice presidential campaign. This served as an opportunity to shatter the fear and silence imposed by Duterte’s six year terrorism. It is now determined to frustrate schemes to steal the elections to install the Marcos-Duterte tandem to power.

The upcoming elections do not present a level field since the system of counting favors the candidate of the ruling regime. Duterte’s minions in the Commission on Elections have prepared and are now in control of the automated vote counting, a massive system of vote-shaving and vote-padding favoring the tyrant’s candidate. There is also the reported pre-shading of ballots in exchange for money. The fraud is in the machines themselves that are programmed to shave and pad votes depending on the percentage set by the election controllers. This has taken away the people’s right to count their votes, denying them the means to cross-check and verify the machine count.

Duterte and candidate Marcos are doing everything to make the upcoming elections seem clean. Questionable surveys make it appear that Marcos has an “insurmountable lead” over Robredo despite the clearly overwhelming current of the anti-tyranny and anti-Marcos-Duterte movement over past weeks of nationwide rallies of hundreds of thousands of people. Despite his clear bias, Duterte claims he is not supporting any candidate to evade charges of stealing the elections for Marcos. Marcos declares he might get cheated even if he and Duterte are, in fact, in control of the fraud machinery.

To frustrate this plan, the democratic forces must show irrefutably the people’s rejection of the Marcoses and Dutertes. In the coming days before the elections, on the night of counting and beyond, the people in their millions must march and demonstrate to manifest who really won the elections. They must be vigilant, expose and denounce all forms of cheating and mobilize the people to block attempts to undermine their will.

If the Marcos-Duterte camp forces their way through cheating despite the people’s clear judgement, the political pitched battle may last several days or weeks. During these days, the broadness and strength of unity of all democratic forces and their capability to mobilize millions will be one of the key factors in tilting the balance, not only to assert who really won the elections, but possibly to swiftly end Duterte’s tyrannical rule. Also important factors are the intervention of US and Chinese imperialists, especially of the US, which has had a decisive word in the politics of accommodation among the rival factions of the ruling classes.

In the event that Marcos prevails, the people must resist attempts to reverse the people’s historical judgement against the Marcos dictatorship and martial law declared 50 years ago. Persevere to recover all of the wealth stolen by Imelda and the Marcoses during the period of unequalled plunder, thievery, oppression and suppression of the people under the 1972-1986 dictatorial rule. Oppose the continuing policy of state terrorism using Duterte’s machinery of tyranny.

In the event that Robredo prevails on the crest of the anti-tyranny movement, she will confront the challenge of dismantling the tyranny, including abolishing the NTF-Elcac, releasing political prisoners, ending red-tagging and criminalizing activists and critics, ending militarization in rural villages, and the relentless aerial bombing drive. She will face demands to address the roots of the civil war through peace negotiations, which contradicts the desire of military officers who favor war and purchasing arms. She will also face the challenge of defending the Philippine seas against Chinese incursions, and defend the country’s sovereignty against US military intervention.

Whoever prevails in this battle, the Filipino people must persevere in strengthening and broadening their anti-fascist and anti-tyranny united front. They must demand the immediate incarceration and prosecution of Duterte for his innumerable crimes and military and police abuses under his tyrannical reign.

The people must also tirelessly push their demand for urgent measures to alleviate their conditions: substantial wage increases, pulling down the prices of fuel, food and basic necessities, free medical service especially amid the pandemic, jobs, return of jeepney operations, safe opening of schools, ending land grabbing, reducing the tax burden, stopping the destructive and anomalous infrastructure projects, and others.

In the final analysis, the 2022 elections is still a contest among the rival factions of the ruling classes to choose who will administer the ruling semicolonial and semifeudal system and head the neocolonial state. It is good, however, that it has become a field for the people to advance their anti-tyranny movement and their struggle for freedom and democracy.

The broad political movement of the masses are fertile ground for the Party and revolutionary forces to intensify their task of arousing, organizing and mobilizing the people to advance the people’s national democratic aspirations. All Party cadres and branches must double their efforts to unite with the broad anti-tyranny movement and guide the masses towards the path of revolutionary change.