The Filipino people are seething with anger over the sufferings brought by the puppet, fascist and oppressive US-Marcos regime. In the past two years under Ferdinand Marcos Jr, the economy and people’s living conditions have continued to deteriorate, while the wealth of the corrupt few continued to rise. State terrorism and suppression of democratic rights have intensified. At the behest of his imperialist boss, Marcos has allowed the country to be recklessly used by the US in provoking wars.

Marcos’ anti-people, anti-poor and anti-national neoliberal policies have caused the economy to stagnate and the livelihood of the majority of the people to deteriorate. Since he took power, the price of rice and other commodities skyrocketed, while the wages of workers and employees have been kept low. Millions of Filipinos are unemployed or underemployed. Land, fishing grounds, livelihoods and homes are being taken away from millions. The quality of life of workers and peasant masses continue to degenerate.

Marcos has released his rabid dogs of fascist military and police agents to harass people defending and resisting. Undeclared martial law reigns in many parts of the country. Unions and various urban and rural associations are under constant surveillance. He brandishes the Anti-Terror Law to intimidate the people and destroy their unity. In the countryside, military forces encamp at hundreds of barangays, and place these under their direct control. There are repeated cases of killings and massacres, bombings and shelling, and other abuses and violations of international humanitarian law.

Under Marcos, the gross rottenness of the ruling system has become more exposed. Since taking back Malacañang, the Marcoses have recovered hundreds of billions of pesos stolen during the martial law dictatorship. Marcos’ greed for wealth and privilege is insatiable. Corruption is rampant and brazen. There is no “alliance” or “unity” in Marcos’ pursuit of bureaucratic gain.

Marcos has fully surrendered Philippine freedom and sovereignty to US imperialism, in exchange for military aid, political support and promises of investments. Over the past two years, the US has built additional military bases and facilities in different parts of the country. Marcos has allowed the US to make these serve its geopolitical strategy against imperialist rival China. US military forces maintain pervasive presence on Philippine land and seas. Along with the AFP and the Philippine Coast Guard, Marcos has been launching operations to provoke China, with the aim of laying the pretext for the possible use of the Mutual Defense Treaty, when the US wants it.

With Marcos in power, the future of the entire country is dim and the plight of the Filipino people is bound to worsen. Marcos is now the number one burden on the nation’s shoulders, the number one terrorist, number one in corruption, the number one puppet of US imperialism and the number one traitor to national freedom and security. He is now the head of the reactionary state that rules the oppressive and provisional system of colonialism and feudalism. He is the people’s enemy number one. He must be vigorously exposed, condemned, and opposed.

The entire ruling system in the Philippines is in crisis. It is urgent for the entire people to rise up and act together to defend their national and democratic interests. In the coming months and years, the favorable situation should be taken advantage of, in order to further arouse, organize and mobilize all the democratic sectors of the Filipino people, especially the workers, peasants and other classes and sectors of the toiling masses.

The entire people must continually wage struggles in all fields of resistance. From challenging the reactionary elections, demonstrations in factories, rallies in schools, offices, communities and streets, to waging armed struggle in the countryside, the broad masses must express their outrage and disgust at Marcos, and reject and shake the foundations of his reign.

[This is the preliminary statement of the Party in time for the incoming third year of Marcos regime, and the upcoming state of the nation address or SONA. The complete statement will be released in the coming days.]