We commemorate today the 53rd anniversary of the imposition of Martial Law by the US-sponsored Marcos Sr fascist dictatorship amid the backdraft of the growing protest movement of the people against corruption sparked by the disclosure of multi-billion anomalies in flood control projects.

Corruption is endemic in a state bureaucracy dominated by bureaucrat capitalists serving under the behest of imperialist interests and that of local landed and comprador elites. The flood control scandal served as the tip-off point of the much deeper and larger corruption in the system and to the actuality of bureaucrat capitalism.

Corruption and fascism or the systematic use of state terror to suppress disent coexist and both serve to buttress the perpetually corrupt, oppressive and callous semi-colonial and semi-feudal ruling system.

The 14-year Marcos Sr fascist dictatorship perpetrated horrendous crimes against the people and looted the country’s coffers estimated at $10 billion.

To deflect the issue of flood control scam away from himself and evade responsibility, Marcos Jr put up an elaborate show to convince the public of his non-involvement and solidarity with the brewing anti-corruption movement.

Contractors could not operate their corruption schemes without Malacañang’s green light. The reason why this is made public is the contradiction among contractors and Marcos Jr bureacrats over kickbacks and the former’s failure to centralize to Malacañang a much larger share of the loot.

Marcos Jr is in fact more liable than the contractors. His corrupt regime made possible and facilitate the corruption schemes of Discaya and other contractors.

It is but just for the people to unleash their anger on the contractors over the flood control anomalies. While the contractors and the families of their bureaucrat cohorts flaunt their luxury cars and fashion brands in social media, the people are suffering from intense flooding and other natural calamities, dislocation of livelihood, slave-like wage, landlessness, lack of social services,demolition among others.

But we should not lose sight on the the culpability of Marcos Jr, the kingpin of corruption and fascist dictator wannabe. While his regime amassed massive wealth and power, it set loose a brutal campaign of suppression against the people under the guise of unity, peace and development.

The expected mammoth demonstration slated today is an indictment of government corruption under Marcos Jr. It’s a collective outrage against a system that breeds corruption. The fight against corruption cannot be detach from the over-all struggle for fundamental system change.

While the issue of corruption take the center stage of this year’s Martial law commemoration, we should not forget all the victims of state terrorism such the victims of Escalante Massacre, Sagay 9, Fausto Massacre and others and unwaveringly persevere on the struggle for justice.

NDF-Negros is one with the Negrosanons in the the fight against corruption. We urge the people to unleash their outrage and wage all forms of protest and struggle.

The people will win because the people united will never be defeated.