On Jose Rizal’s 162nd birth anniversary, Marcos Jr had the gall to launch a campaign against fake news when he duplicitously gained power through disinformation and fake news peddling. If he was still alive, Rizal would strongly criticize Marcos in his writings and be red-tagged as well.

Meanwhile, here in Negros, Marcos Jr’s rabid dogs in the 94th Infantry Battalion, 303rd Infantry Brigade and 3rd Infantry Division of the Philippine Army are scurrying left and right to cover up their criminal deeds highlighted in the recent Fausto family massacre in Himamaylan City. They are so apprehensive about facing accountability that they spew lie after lie, unwittingly exposing their guilt to thae public.

The Filipino people’s democratic and political rights are continuously violated under the Marcos Jr regime. There is a growing tyranny that cannot be ignored. Thus, it is necessary for the youth to aggressively lead the national democratic propaganda movement and cultural revolution.

As propaganda warriors, it is our responsibility to decisively express our stand and reflect the people’s conditions on a multitude of important issues and refute the deception peddled by the fascist dictatorship. Finally, the aim of our propaganda campaign must be to arouse, organize, and mobilize the broadest number of people against this fascist regime.

Alongside multi-sectoral issues, we must continue to protest tuition and other fees increase of private schools, budget cuts in state universities and colleges, mandatory ROTC and other neoliberal, anti-democratic and anti-student policies in the education sector. We must continue to clamor for a nationalist, scientific and mass-oriented education.

Despite the relentless attacks and efforts to silence us, the youth militantly confronted these issues with a strong force of defiance. The youth marched to the streets in droves to register an uncompromising stand of resistance. Many more are treading the righteous path of armed struggle.

Let us recognize Rizal’s martyrdom and contributions to the First Propaganda Movement and Philippine revolution by surpassing his achievements and waging a national democratic revolution under the leadership of the proletariat against the ruling class of big compradors and landlords and their master, US imperialism.

Indeed, the most effective response to the rotting semi-feudal and semi-colonial system is our ceaseless, militant and collective effort to realize the calls of the masses for genuine agrarian reform and national industrialization.

The youth played a major role in toppling the Marcos dictatorship before, and there is no doubt that the Marcos II regime will tremble in the sight of the militant youth arm in arm with the workers and peasants in the forefront of the national democratic revolution advancing the people’s war to greater heights.###