The streets of Kathmandu and Jakarta have recently erupted in fire, fury, and the unmistakable power of people’s resistance. From the youth-led uprisings in Nepal to the massive street demonstrations in Indonesia, millions are showing the world that the people will no longer tolerate corrupt governments enriching their bureaucrats at the expense of the people. These uprisings also echo in the Philippines, where corruption festers in every corner of the reactionary government, and where the people are told to endure floods, hunger, and poverty while public officials and their private collaborators gorge themselves on public wealth.

In Nepal, weeks of mass protests forced the resignation of Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli. The movement, ignited by outrage at corruption and a social media ban, drew thousands of youth who proudly declared themselves the “Gen Z” generation of rebellion. Their bravery was met with fascist violence from tear gas, water cannons to live bullets. Twenty-one have been killed, nearly two hundred wounded. Yet the people pressed on, storming parliament, burning the headquarters of the corrupt ruling parties, and exposing the entire political elite as parasites fattening themselves on the blood of the people.

Indonesia too was rocked by public outrage after revelations that every member of parliament was pocketing a monthly housing allowance nearly ten times the minimum wage. In a country where millions struggle to survive, this expose’ ignited days of militant protests. Security forces answered with brutality, killing at least ten people. Among them was 21-year-old delivery worker Affan Kurniawan, crushed by an armored police car while simply doing his job. His death became the spark for an even widespread uprising.

Meanwhile, in the Philippines, billions of pesos meant for flood control projects have vanished into “ghost” projects, run-down construction projects, and into the pockets of favored cronies. While communities sink under floodwaters, the ruling clique drowns in kickbacks. This is bureaucrat capitalism in action: where public office is treated as nothing more than a business venture for the elite, protected by the police, military, and their imperialist masters.

Marcos Jr. now pretends to distance himself from the flood control corruption scandal, obviously using the issue as a demolition job against pro-Duterte politicians. But he cannot fool the people. The Marcoses themselves are neck-deep in the same corrupt schemes before, and flagrantly continues today. His cousin, House Speaker Martin Romualdez’ AKAP (Ayuda para sa Kapos sa Kita) program is also linked to kickback schemes. These kickback operations siphon resources meant for the poor. Marcos Jr. and his clique continues to plunder the nation’s wealth through the Maharlika Investment Fund, a vehicle for large-scale looting under the guise of “infrastructure development.” At the same time, Marcos Jr. continues to enjoy billions of pesos from his so-called confidential and intelligence funds, siphoning public money into secret channels that serve as slush funds for corruption and repression of dissent.

It is no coincidence that dissenters in Nepal, Indonesia, and the Philippines are met with the same intensifying fascist attacks such as enforced disappearances, torture, mass arrests, and killings. The youth, peasants and workers who are often at the forefront of these struggles, are especially targeted, as ruling classes fear their militancy and revolutionary potential.

The fire of national democratic revolution in the global South is further fanned by such incendiary conditions. From Kathmandu to Jakarta to Manila, the workings of bureaucrat capitalism and state fascism are exposed, revealing neocolonial puppet governments that exist to protect the interests of the local ruling classes and their imperialist benefactors. What the uprisings in Nepal and Indonesia, and the brewing anger of the Filipino masses against corruption show is that anger alone is not enough. Spontaneous protests can shake governments and force resignations, but unless that anger is organized and sharpened, the corrupt, fascist and pro-imperialist system will remain intact.

The challenge for the Filipino people now is to turn this widespread anger into organized strength. Outrage at corruption and fascist repression must fuel a movement capable of dismantling the structures that make these abuses inevitable.

The only genuine alternative lies in the struggle to end the rule of bureaucrat capitalists, to break free from feudal exploitation in the countryside, achieve liberation from U.S. Imperialism, and to achieve national freedom, democracy, social justice and peace.

Down with bureaucrat capitalism!
Down with feudalism!
Down with U.S. imperialism!
Long live the national democratic revolution!