Commemorate the Edsa uprising of 1986! Harness the people’s power to frustrate the schemes of tyranny and dictatorship

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The Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) and all revolutionary forces join the Filipino people in commemorating today the 36th anniversary of the Edsa Uprising of 1986.

Let us remember all the heroes and martyrs who gave their all and paid the ultimate sacrifice in waging all forms of struggle against the US-Marcos fascist dictatorship. The overthrow of the detested Marcos and his family and cronies would have been impossible if not for the selfless dedication of hundreds of thousands of people who kept the torch of resistance burning even during the darkest nights of tyranny.

The Filipino people are keenly aware that in marking today the historic uprising of millions against the Marcos dictatorship, they are confronted with schemes of the Marcoses in collusion with the ruling Duterte clique, to complete their restoration and reverse the Filipino people’s historical judgement.

As in 1986, the Marcos-Duterte presidential and vice presidential tandem have full control of the Comelec, and have vast amounts of stolen wealth to dominate the election campaign. The Marcoses and Dutertes are confident they can use the counting machines to ensure their “victory” in the same way that Duterte used the system in 2019 to steal the elections and install his stooges in the senate, congress and local governments. They are handing out endless amounts of stolen money to buy political loyalties and create the image of mass support.

The current social and economic crisis is rapidly worsening in the face of the ruling Duterte regime’s corruption, military wasteful overspending, non-stop borrowing, all-out import liberalization, rising prices, depressed wages and loss of income, widespread unemployment and land grabbing.

The gross conditions of workers, peasants and toiling people, combined with intense state terrorism and political repression against patriotic and democratic forces and the political opposition, are rousing intense outrage against the Dutertes regime and its collusion with the Marcoses. Like Marcos in 1986, Duterte and his fascist regime is extremely hated by and isolated from the Filipino people.

The Filipino people will not permit the Duterte-Marcos clique to steal the upcoming elections in order to impose their plan to strengthen fascist rule in the country. They will not allow their historical judgement to be reversed by the Marcoses and Dutertes. Drawing inspiration from their history, they are determined to derail the tyrannical and fascist schemes and defend their democratic rights and freedoms.

In joining the commemoration of Edsa, the revolutionary masses are profoundly conscious of the fact that the overthrow of the US-Marcos dictatorship through a people’s uprising, while expanding the space for organizing and free expression, did not change the fundamentally oppressive and exploitative social structures and chronic crisis of the ruling semicolonial and semifeudal system.

In the face of the increasingly rotten economic and political situation, the workers, peasants and other oppressed classes and sectors must continue building their organized strength and wage all forms of mass struggles, and persevere along the path of protracted people’s war until complete victory of the revolution.

Commemorate the Edsa uprising of 1986! Harness the people’s power to frustrate the schemes of tyranny and dictatorship