Duterte, do not use NPA to cover up your government’s terrible disaster response

 

The tyrant Rodrigo Duterte is at it again, accusing the New People’s Army of disrupting relief operations, to cover up the fact that his government’s disaster response is terrible, measly and slow, leaving survivors of supertyphoon Odette in dire straits.

Even now, close to two weeks after the typhoon, millions continue to suffer from lack of clean water, food, electricity, communication services, food supplies, damaged or destroyed homes, and skyrocketing prices.

They are outraged at Duterte for bankrupting the government and, as he claims, leaving nothing for disaster response. To hundreds of thousands of people who lost practically everything, Duterte’s promise to give ₱5,000 per family, is utterly callous.

Worse, the presence of fascist troops in villages are a burden on the survivors of disaster. In Guihulngan City, Negros Oriental, people are being compelled by the 62nd IB to help rebuild their damaged detachments, in complete disregard of their sufferings and efforts to help themselves. People who have organized themselves in “bayanihan” efforts are being red-tagged by the military.

Duterte’s accusation against the NPA of disrupting relief operations is completely baseless. In the first place, units of the NPA who are ever close to the peasant masses in their villages, are among the first to respond to the disaster by immediately dispatching NPA Red fighters to help in rebuilding or repairing homes, in repairing their fields and assisting people organize production campaigns.

In line with the Party’s call, revolutionary mass organizations of peasants, workers, semiproletariat, youth, women and others have also been mobilized to undertake relief efforts, receive donations from private groups and international agencies, and facilitate their transportation and distribution to disaster victims.

Duterte, do not use NPA to cover up your government’s terrible disaster response