Pahayagan ng Partido Komunista ng Pilipinas

Pinapatnubayan ng Marxismo-Leninismo-MaoismoANG

Revolution! Not elections!

As the din of the campaign for the 2016 elections shifts into high gear,the Party and all national-democratic forces should further exposethe bogus and empty reactionary elections in order to unceasingly

arouse the Filipino people to persevere with their mass struggles, strengthentheir organized strength and take the path of revolutionary struggle.

It is high time to reaffirm andpropagate the basic principle thatthe social change the people havelong been aspiring for can only beachieved through revolutionarystruggle, primarily in the form ofarmed revolutionary struggle sup-ported by a broad democratic massstruggle.

While some progressive andnational-democratic forces engagein critical participation in the elec-tions, the people should also beroused to reject the reformist illu-sion being inexorably peddled bythe reactionaries and counterre-volutionary petty-bourgeois forcesthat participating in the reaction-ary elections will bring about

relevant change.For the reactionaries and US

imperialism, the elections play acritical role in preserving the rulingpolitical system and their classdictatorship.

Through the electoral process,the reactionary government andthe political system of landlordsand big bourgeoisie are made toappear "democratic." This concealsthe class character of the rulingstate and creates the illusion thatthose running and leading the re-actionary government are "chosenby the people."

The reactionary elections re-flect the rotten politics of theparasitic ruling classes, the big

Vol XLVI I No. 4

February 21, 2016

www.phi l ippinerevolution.net

Editorial

landlords and comprador bour-geoisie, and especially the bureau-crat-capitalists linked to the crim-inal syndicates. They covet controlof the government as a source offavors in granting contracts, cut-ting taxes, smuggling commoditiesand protecting their criminal oper-ations.

The reactionary elections areinherently fraudulent. Forms offraud range from vote-buying tointimidation and coercion of votersto manipulating the vote count.

To lend credibility to the elec-tions, the reactionary state startedthe automated election system in2010. Since the counting of votes isconcealed from the public eye,fraud has become even more wide-spread, massive and systematic.

US imperialism's control overthe elections has also becomestronger. Globally, the automated

election industry iscontrolled by afew companieslinked with bigmonopoly cap-italists. It hasbecome easierfor US imperial-ism to determinewho among thecandidates it willput into power,especially nation-al officials of thereactionary state.

US imperial-ism's control overruling class politics

February 21 , 2016 ANG BAYAN2

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Editorial: Revolution! Not elections! 1

Candidates bare pro-imperialist stance 3

NPA wipes out RPSB platoon in Cagayan 4

46th IB's 30 casualties in Pantukan 4

2-day offensives in Negros 4

EDSA Uprising's Legacy 5

Schools launch series of protests 7

Group slams NKTI reduction of discounts 7

Protests against EDCA continue 8

Police attacks Zambales barricade 8

Thousands join OBR: Rise for Revolution 9

Manipulating oil prices 9

Military slays 3 civilians in ComVal 11

US-Aquino regime derails BBL 12

JCET: Instrument for US intervention 13

Vol XLVI I No 4 | February 21, 2016

has further tightened. It uses thereactionary elections to consolid-ate the ruling class, sort out rival-ries among their ranks, anointthose chosen to be in power andobtain the support of various fac-tions.

The coming May elections willresult in none other than putting inplace a new puppet of US imperial-ism and representative of rulingclass interests.

For the Filipino people, the re-actionary elections pose no greatsignificance. They are aware thatthis simply replaces the faces ofthose administering the reaction-ary state. This will not bring aboutany change in its basic policies.

The next administration willonly continue exploiting and op-pressing the Filipino people underpolicies favouring big foreign capit-alists.

Amidst the aggravating anddeepening crisis of the ruling semi-colonial and semifeudal system, theruling classes in the Philippines arebecoming ever more desperatelysubservient to US imperialism.

Early as it is, leading presiden-tial candidates are already com-peting for US imperialism's atten-tion and presenting themselves asfervent advocates of neoliberalpolicies. Among their profferedprograms is the continuation andexpansion of the Public-PrivatePartnership program intensely de-sired by big domestic and foreigncapitalists for its guaranteedprofits.

Also included in these are thepolicies of depressed wages, union-busting and the encouragement ofvarious forms of labor flexibility.Bounded with these also arepolicies favouring the landgrabbingfor the establishment and expan-sion of commercial plantations anddestructive mining operations.

The new reactionary state thatwill be installed under US rulecome May 2016 will only becomemore dependent and servile to thedictates of its imperialist master.The US will ensure the installationof a regime that will certainly con-tinue with policies favouring milit-ary intervention and the construc-

ContentsANG

tion of US military bases in thePhilippines, and serve its goal ofstrengthening its military power inthe Asia-Pacific region.

Amidst ever-worsening povertyand oppression, the national-demo-cratic forces should strengthen thepropaganda movement which ex-poses the semicolonial andsemifeudal system and arouses theFilipino people to fight to overthrowimperialism, feudalism and bureau-crat capitalism.

The revolutionary forces mustexpose and reject the sham demo-cracy under the reactionary elec-tions. At a time when politicalcandidates capture the people'sattention and give them entertain-ment, the people should further bemobilized in mass struggles.

At the same time, mass move-ment activists critically participatein the elections by supportingforces and politicians who arefriendly to or supportive of the na-tional-democratic movement andthe people's welfare.

Patriotic and democraticparties also participate to winseats for their representatives inthe parliament and become theLeft opposition that will bring theissues of mass struggles to the re-actionary congress.

This congress should be re-lentlessly exposed as an instru-ment of landlords, big bourgeoisieand fascist and criminal bureau-crat-capitalists. The illusion thatthe people can achieve basicchange by relying on legal andparliamentary struggle alone mustbe untiringly shattered. Cease-lessly raise the people's militanceto resist the ruling state.

"Revolution! Not elections!" isthe Filipino people's cry in reject-ing the reformist illusion beingpropagated by the ruling class.Under the Party's leadership, theycontinue to march along the roadof people's war with the goal ofsmashing the ruling state and end-ing the exploitative and oppressivesystem.

Ang Bayan is publ ished forthnightly by the Central Committee

of the Communist Party of the Phi l ippines

ANG BAYAN February 21 , 2016 3

ation for the benefit of foreigncapitalists. They have all vowed toincrease government spending forpro-foreign infrastructure. Thisincludes a budget designed to se-cure the profits of big capitalistsinvesting in the projects.

Industries, not ecozonesMeanwhile, the Anakpawis

Partylist criticized Davao CityMayor Rodrigo Duterte for favoringthe construction of economic zoneslike Clark.

According to Fernando Hicap ofAnakpawis, “We criticize Dutertefor siding with foreign businessesin ecozones, instead of promotingrespect for Filipino labor rightssuch as wage hikes, the right tounionize and to strike.”

Anakpawis also condemnedDuterte's announcement that hewill allow up to 70% foreign owner-ship of the country's industries.

Anakpawis made public itsstand after Kilusang Mayo Uno(KMU) slammed Duterte for threat-ening them. On February 9, Dutertesaid he would not allow the estab-lishment of labor unions andthreatened to "kill" KMU memberswho do otherwise.

Candidates barepro-imperial ist stance

Some presidential candidates will continue with the US-Aquino regime'sPublic-Private Partnership (PPP) program should they assume power.

This has been clear all along in their pronouncements. In fact, they do notconceal their intention to continue with the present regime's bankruptpolicy with regard to attracting foreign investment.

The PPP is one of the policiesmost desired by the big compradorbourgeoisie and their big foreigncapitalist partners. In order to at-tract US imperialism's support,Vice President Jejomar Binaypushes for the accelerated imple-mentation of projects under theprogram. For him, the most press-ing issue regarding the PPP is the“inexplicable delay” in the imple-mentation of projects. In a similartune, Senator Grace Poe vowed tofinish seven airports under the PPPin the first half of her term.

Presently, 12 PPP projects"with a combined worth of P217.4billion" have been granted by theUS-Aquino regime. Two ofthese—the P2.01 billion DaangHari-SLEX Link Road Project andthe P16.43 billion PPP for SchoolInfrastructure Project Phase1—have been implemented.

The PPP's fate under the nextregime is one of the biggest ques-tions confronting businessmen in

the country. In fact, the PhilippineChamber of Commerce has beenpushing Aquino to fast-track theimplementation of PPP projectsduring the rest of his term. TheAmerican Chamber of Commerce inthe Philippines has also called uponthe presidential candidates tocontinue with the implementationof duly awarded PPP projects.

In reality, foreign and local in-vestors are not worried about thefuture of the PPP even as the ad-ministration's bet, Sec. Mar Roxas,lags behind in poll surveys. TheCommission on Elections does notban the granting of contracts forPPP projects during the electionperiod. Biddings and the granting ofprojects to favoured businessmenwill continue as scheduled. The PPPCenter aims to grant at least threemore contracts before Aquino'sterm ends. In addition, leadingcandidates have also promised notjust to continue with the program,but to improve upon its implement-

February 21 , 2016 ANG BAYAN4

NPA wipes out PNP-RPSB platoon in Cagayan

Seventeen were killed while 10 other troops of the Philippine National Po-lice-Regional Public Safety Battalion 2 (PNP-RPSB2) were wounded in an

ambush staged by the New People's Army-East Cagayan (Henry AbrahamCommand or HAC) last February 16 in Baggao, Cagayan.

The ambush was carried out atKilometer 13 in Barangay Pallagaoat 10 a.m., when a company of thesaid PNP unit responded to a punit-ive action by the HAC against a de-structive company, Brostan Con-struction, last February 14. As aresult of command-detonated ex-plosives, the whole RPSB forceaboard two vehicles were immedi-ately paralyzed and were unable to

retaliate.Earlier, the NPA destroyed

Brostan Construction's heavyequipment located along the road innearby Barangay Sta. Margarita.These include two backhoes, onedumptruck, one bulldozer, and apayloader. Brostan Construction isowned by big foreign and local cap-italists.

According to HAC spokesperson

Ka Ester Falcon, the ambush servesas punishment to the PNP-RPSB foracting as protectors of BrostanConstruction's plunder. The com-pany pushes for the construction ofthe Ngarutngot dam which it claimswill be the source of the NationalIrrigation Administration's irriga-tion project. In truth, mining in Mt.Ngarutngot is Brostan Construc-tion's real intention. The said damproject and mining operations en-danger the lives and livelihood ofthe people of Cagayan's first dis-trict. Twelve barangays in Baggaoare directly affected.

46th IB sustains 30 casualties

in Pantukan

TROOPS of the 46th IB, PA sustained no less than 30casualties at the close of a series of tactical offensives bythe NPA under the ComVal-Davao Gulf Subregional Com-mand in Pantukan, Compostela Valley last February 3.

The first ambush was executed at 12:30 in the after-noon last February 3 at Sitio Sapang Tin-aw, BarangayTibagon. Nine soldiers were killed, including 2nd Lt. Gar-cia, commander of the unit, while 10 were wounded.

At 7:30 in the evening, Red fighters ambushed anarmy truck in Barangay Cabahian. Two soldiers werekilled, among them 1Lt. Ralph Pantonial while seven wereinjured. Before this, at around 7pm, Sgt. William Moreniowas killed after an NPA fighter fired at him in BarangayBiasong.

According to the National Democratic Front-South-ern Mindanao Region, the NPA will persist in their of-fensives against the 46th IB because the latter protectsthe interest of the large mining companies based in Pan-tukan.

Meanwhile, the Guerilla Front 53 of NPA-SMR (Her-minio Alfonso Command or HAC) punished BernabeAbanilla, chief of the Civil Security Unit in North Co-tabato last February 7 while alighting from his vehicle inBarangay Doruloman, Arakan, North Cotabato. Abanillawas among the masterminds of the killings of Fr. FaustoTentorio in 2011 and Benjaline Hernandez in 2002, bothkilled in Arakan. Isabel Santiago, spokesperson of HAC,declared the punishment of Abanilla as a victory for thepeople of Arakan and the revolutionary movement.

2-day offensives in Negros

A SERIES of tactical offensives was carried out by theGuerrilla Front 1 (Leonardo Panaligan Command) ofNPA-Negros last January in Himamaylan City, NegrosOccidental.

Two soldiers from the 11th IB and an element ofthe Civilian Armed Forces Geographical Unit (CAFGU)were killed. These offensives belie claims of AFP unitsbased in Negros that the NPA “has been rendered in-consequential” in the island.

These also serve as punishment to the said milit-ary unit for the killing of civilians Uldarico Camayodoof Sitio Cunalum, Barangay Carabalan and Jumar Hil-ario of Sitio Pisok, Barangay Buenavista. This is also aresponse to the proliferation of illegal drugs perpet-rated by the soldiers in Carabalan and Buenavista

January 14. A unit of Red fighters harassed theheadquarters of the Charlie Company of the 11th IB inBarangay Carabalan, Himamaylan City. The NPAmanaged to close in as near as 50 meters from theheadquarters so that the soldiers were not able tocounterattack .

January 18. Two elements of the 11th IB werekilled and one injured in an NPA ambush. The AFPtroops were pursuing the NPA who attacked theirheadquarters. This was followed by a series of har-assment operations against the troops operating inSitio Cantupa and Sitio Bantik in Barangay Buenav-ista.

These offensives serve as training for new recruitsand commanders of the NPA as culmination of theirconsolidation activity last December 2015.

ANG BAYAN February 21 , 2016 5

EDSA Uprising's legacy

rushed forward, land grabbing ac-celerated for the use of foreignmining companies, plantations andcommercial establishments includ-ing malls and tourist resorts.

The Corazon Aquino regimeseemingly revived democratic pro-cesses by drafting a new constitu-tion, convening congress, allowingfreedom of the press, and holdingelections. But it did not take longbefore the fraudulent February 2plebiscite and May 11, 1987 elec-tions were exposed for posting anincredible 95% registration of pos-sible voters of which 90% sup-posedly went to the polls. Involvedin these was Lord Mark Malloch-Brown, then Corazon Aquino'spolitical consultant, who now ownsthe machines used in the auto-mated elections of 2010 and to beused again in the 2016 elections.

In line with the regime's bour-geois democratic trappings,Corazon Aquino formally restoredthe privilege of the writ of habeascorpus and released Marcos’ polit-ical detainees. But since then, re-spect for human rights would im-prove no further. The succeedingregimes will put to shame Marcos’srecord of tyrannizing the masses.Six million had to flee their homes,150,000 were killed and 100,000were wounded in military opera-tions in Marcos’s 21-year rule. Atleast 70,000 were detained withoutcharges. Until now, none of thesucceeding regimes showed interestin prosecuting even a single soldieror officer involved in these viola-tions. The Corazon Aquino regime

even raised the military budgetby 47% and the salaries of thesoldiers of the Armed Forces ofthe Philippines (AFP) by 60%,

Thirty years since the EDSA Uprising, the legacy of the US-CorazonAquino regime, brought into power through a popular uprising, contin-

ues. This is a legacy of continued servitude to the imperialists, big landlords,and comprador-big bourgeoisie in oppressing and exploiting the Filipinomasses.

The overthrow of Marcos wasnot a social revolution that crushedthe evils of US imperialism, feudal-ism and fascism. The most obviouschange that the EDSA Uprisingbrought about was the change ofrule from one pro-US open fascistdictatorship to the rule of anotherpro-US faction with the trappingsof bourgeois democracy.

The US retained its hegemonyover the Philippines. The sameclasses of big compradors and land-lords continue to rule the semicolo-nial and semifeudal Philippine soci-ety. The armed forces remain themain component of state rule.

Even before she took over, theUS dictated the terms for its newchief puppet, including the contin-ued use of US military bases in thePhilippines, to which she agreed.When Corazon Aquino was broughtinto power by the EDSA Uprising,she immediately allocated 47% ofthe government budget to servicethe $26-$30 billion foreign debt,which was never enjoyed by theFilipino people but instead went to

the pock-ets ofMarcos

and his cronies. Corruption wentunabated and the debt continued togrow up to the $6 trillion mark atpresent.

Not only did the new regimecontinue Marcos’s anti-people,anti-labor and anti-peasant de-crees, she upgraded these and spedup neoliberal globalization. Amongthe anti-people laws were the Om-nibus Investments Code guaran-teeing unlimited profits for foreigncapitalists exploiting the country’swealth, and the Herrera Law leg-alizing contractualization and im-posing tougher controls by the De-partment of Labor and Employmenton worker’s strikes.

Policies of the InternationalMonetary Fund and World Banktook off, such as the freezing ofworker’s wages, the prohibition ofstrikes, anti-industrialization, im-port liberalization, and privatiza-tion.

Loopholes intentionally builtinto the most expensive, longestand sham land reform program, theComprehensive Agrarian ReformProgram, were used by the land-lords to wrest back and grab moreland. As neoliberal globalization

February 21 , 2016 ANG BAYAN6

increasing further with every suc-ceeding regime.

As early as 1986, upon the dir-ection of the Pentagon and US-Central Intelligence Agency (CIA)chief Gen. John Singlaub and oper-ative Ray Cline, military and para-military forces have attacked activ-ists and mass leaders in the citiesand countryside. Among these at-tacks were the murder, with all im-punity, of KMU chairman RolandoOlalia and his driver, and BayanSecretary-General Lean Alejandro.While openly calling for reconcili-ation, since March 1986, more than15 combat battalions have been de-ployed against the revolutionaryforces in the countryside. Thewidespread massacres, assassina-tions, torture, strafing, zoning andforced evacuation which were im-plemented under Corazon Aquino’sTotal War became the standard ofequally brutal anti-people, US-de-signed counter-insurgency cam-paigns in every succeeding regime.At the same time, military officerswere given sensitive and powerfulposts in high levels of the civilianbureaucracy. Oplan Lambat Bitag 1,2 and 3; Oplan Makabayan; OplanBalangay; Oplan Bantay Laya 1 and2 up to the US-Benigno Aquino re-gime’s Oplan Bayanihan, prove thatfascism is very much alive behindthe camouflage of bourgeois demo-cracy.

Even as the Ramos, Estrada andBenigno Aquino regimes had not yetformally approved the Mutual Lo-gistics Support Agreement and Vis-iting Forces Agreement, US ad-visers, trainors, covert operativesof the Pentagon and CIA, groundand naval troops together with theAFP had been running loose in thePhilippines. They had been con-ducting aerial and naval surveil-lance operations, funding deathsquads and vigilante groups dir-ectly or indirectly through the CIAand international anti-communistorganizations. Upon the EDCA's

ratification, the US has becomemore brazen in its intervention inthe country and preparations fordirect aggression.

Though the semicolonial andsemifeudal system remained, thepeople did not allow themselves tobe limited by the character of thesucceeding regimes. Events showthat the ruling class can no longerrule the old way. From the oldbourgeois democracy, it imposedmartial rule to halt the revolution-ary movement. As the movementgained even more strength, itswitched to bourgeois democracy.But the people’s aspiration to oustan unbearably oppressive and ex-ploitative regime has not waned.

In the face of numerous modesof deception, the masses arearoused, organized and mobilizedfor their liberation. The broaddemocratic people’s movementcontinues both in the city andcountryside. Revolutionary armedforces continue to grow and revolu-tionary bases expand in the coun-tryside, and organs of the demo-cratic people’s government sproutin consolidated areas. These arethe bases of future upsurges in thestruggle.

The US-Aquino regime’s legacyis that of neoliberal globalization’slimitless destruction of the people’slivelihood, the continued rule ofburgeois-comprador-landlord dyn-asties and their privileges for cor-ruption, militarization and viola-tions of human rights withimpunity, and boot-licking ser-vitude to US imperialism. This is alegacy carried on by the second US-Aquino regime’s “tuwid na daan"(straight path), Oplan Bayanihanand EDCA.

On the other hand, the EDSAUprising’s legacy to the people is atradition of struggle to overthrow adespised regime in a way not pro-scribed by the limits of bourgeoislegality.

The EDSA Uprising, like other

historical uprisings of the Filipinopeople, was widely participated inand invigorated by the Filipinoyouth.

One generation before EDSA,the youth previously molded by"anti-communism" and "conser-vatism" unexpectedly led the FirstQuarter Storm of the 1970s andthe Diliman Commune thatbannered the red flag of revolu-tion. One generation later, theyouth martial rule attempted tomold through an educational sys-tem designed by the US-controlledPresidential Commission to SurveyPhilippine Education and who grewup amid the mantra of “sa ikauun-lad of bayan, disiplina ang kailan-gan” (for the country’s develop-ment, discipline is needed) surgedto the streets to join the EDSAUprising.

A generation later, the youthof “Generation X” who ostensiblygained awareness during the timeof “reconciliation,” and “yellowmagic”, and grew up amid the de-ception of “democratic space”,formed the bulk of the secondEDSA Uprising that overthrew theshameless US-Estrada regime.

The present generation of mil-lenials (youth born during the closeof the 1990s) who grew up amidthe milieu of "social media" andthe "YOLO" (you only live once)mentality, a generation molded byindividualism and neoliberal ideas,is the generation that will take onthe legacy of EDSA 1 and 2. Theywill also be the ones who will effectnew uprisings once the illusionsand deceptions clouding their con-sciousness are shattered. Theunity of the youth and studentswith the toiling masses and thor-ough-going advance of the nation-al-democratic propaganda move-ment and democratic massmovement will create a new up-surge of protests that will result ina new historical uprising greaterthan all past uprisings.

ANG BAYAN February 21 , 2016 7

Schools launch seriesof protests

One protest after another was conducted by the students and teachersagainst the commercialization and the colonial system of education

last January and February.

#AyokoMagmahalThe #AyokoMagmahal cam-

paign, a nationwide protestagainst increases in tuition andother fees in colleges and uni-versities, was launched last Febru-ary 12 through the initiative ofAnakbayan, League of Filipino Stu-dents and Kabataan Partylist.

Before this, students protestedlast February 8 at the Commissionon Higher Education (CHED) tocondemn the estimated 5-12% tu-ition increase for the next schoolyear. Among those who will in-crease fees are the same schoolswho have recorded the highest in-comes in previous years, such asFar Eastern University, Lyceum ofthe Philippines and University ofthe East.

The #AyokoMagmahal cam-paign also condemned the plight ofthe increasing number of studentswho have committed suicide due torising costs of education.

Jessiven Lagatic, a 4th yeargraduating student of Central BicolState University of Agriculture,committed suicide last February 11after losing his scholarship. Lagat-ic is the fifth student to commitsuicide under the Aquino regime.

UP series of protestsMeanwhile, teachers and stu-

dents of University of the Philip-pines (UP) in Diliman foiled at-tempts to revise the university'scurriculum after a series ofprotests.

A group of students and teach-ers led by Anakbayan and StudentAlliance for the Advancement ofDemocratic Rights in UP (STAND

UP) held a protest action on thefirst day of classes in UP lastJanuary 19. Students from UP-Diliman marched to the CHED lastJanuary 22. On January 25, theyheld a noise barrage during themeeting of the university councilwhere the revision of the cur-riculum was discussed. During thevoting, 256 voted against whileonly 187 representatives voted infavor of revising the General Edu-cation program (GE).

The students also denouncedplan to reduce the GE programfrom 45 (15 courses) to 21 units.

According to Anakbayan, theproposed curricular reform is acolonial measure that seeks torealign UP education to better suitthe demands of foreign and bigbusinesses for cheap labor. Thisonly paves the way for more spe-cialized courses in the curriculumunder the K-12 program and theintegration among ASEAN membercountries.

Furthermore, the proposed GEprogram makes the adoption ofFilipino courses by UP constituentsoptional and puts warning labelsfor courses taught mainly inFilipino, as if to scare studentsaway from taking such courses.

In a related matter, parents,teachers and students of ManilaScience High School petitioned theSupreme Court last February 15 tostop the implementation of the K-12program. According to Atty. SeveroBrillantes, the Supreme Court shouldact on the appeal because uni-versities and colleges are now con-ducting their entrance examinationsfor the next school year.

Group slams

reduction

of discounts

at the NKTI

PATIENTS of the NationalKidney Transplant Institute(NKTI) held a protest action infront of the hospital last Feb-ruary 12 to denounce thescrapping of the 80% discountfor poor patients with kidneyfailure.

From 80%, the discount forhemodialysis patients was cutdown to 20%. Even those whoare covered by the PhilHealthare obliged to pay P550 forevery hemodialysis sessionand P951 for maintenancemedicines. They will also haveto shoulder P1,500 for a dia-lyzer, a filter used to cleanblood.

Without the discount,overall expenses amount toP4,500 for each session.

Hemodialysis is a medicalprocess for patients withchronic kidney failure. It fil-ters the patient's blood by al-lowing blood to flow through aspecial machine that removeswastes and excess fluids, be-fore it is returned to the body.This method allows the kidneyto function but needs to beperformed regularly and forlife.

NKTI officials told pa-tients that the discount forhemodialysis was reduced topromote kidney transplant in-stead of having to endure sucha medical procedure for life.Both processes are burden-some and expensive for thepoor. A kidney transplantamounts to P1 million, asidefrom P30,000 for maintenancemedicines.

February 21 , 2016 ANG BAYAN8

Police attacks Zambales

barricade

LAST February 7, police forcesviolently dispersed barricadesput up by residents of BarangayBayto, Sta. Cruz in Zambalesagainst mining operations ofZambales Diversified MiningCorporation (ZDMC), FilipinasMining, Benguet Nickel MiningInc. and Eramen Minerals Corp.in their community. Many wereinjured in the dispersal whilefour were illegally arrested bythe police.

On February 10, ZDMC filedcharges against 10 residents forpurportedly violating the MiningAct after barricading the miningsite and blocking company truckssince January. Included in thecomplaint were a councilor inSta. Cruz, two members of thebarangay council, a pastor andtwo officials of Concerned Cit-izens of Sta. Cruz, the organiza-tion that led the barricade.

ZDMC is owned by DM Con-sunji Incorporated Holdings, oneof the US-Aquino regime’s mostfavored compradors.

According to the residents,these companies should stoptheir mining operations in thearea because they violate en-vironmental standards of theMines and Geosciences Bureau.Last April 2015 these companieswere suspended but eventuallyresumed operations after threemonths, insisting that their op-erations comply with the regula-tions.

But according to a fact find-ing mission conducted by theCenter for Environmental Con-cerns, sediments flowed from theexcavation sites after TyphoonLando in October 2015.Moreover, more than 1,000 hec-tares of vegetation were affectedto pave the way for the opera-tions of mining companies.

Protests against EDCAcontinue

IN COMMEMORATION of the 117th year of Philippine-American War,members of Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan) marched to the US

embassy on February 4.

“More than 1.5 million Filipinoswere killed under the violent 'bene-volent assimilation' campaign of USimperialists,” said Charisse Bañez,national chairperson of the Leagueof Filipino Students.

Last February 3, a group ofprogressive lawyers and sectorsled by Bayan filed a motion for re-consideration regarding the Su-preme Court's decision declaringEnhanced Defense CooperationAgreement (EDCA) constitutional.

In relation to this, Bayan-Northern Mindanao Region held arally to oppose the plan to utilizeLumbia Airport in Cagayan de OroCity as a US military base. No onebelieves that the airport will onlybe used to store equipments fordisaster and relief operations, aswas insisted by the regime'sspokesperson.

In a statement released byCesar Renerio, spokesperson of Na-tional Democratic Front – NorthCentral Mindanao Region, the pres-ence of US forces in the region willbe destructive. Through EDCA, theUS will be able to conduct whateverform of operation and activitiesbased on agreed locations.

US-ASEAN SummitIn addition to the EDCA, the

Aquino regime continues itssubservience to the US. LastFebruary 15, Aquino attendedthe first US-ASEAN (Associ-ation of Southeast AsianNations) Summit hostedby the United States inSunnylands, California.The assembly was held toconvince 10 leaders of south-

east Asian countries to create adefinite stand against China. In thepast, the ASEAN has failed to ar-rive at a united stand againstChina, even on the question of dis-puted territories in the SouthChina Sea.

The US also took the oppor-tunity to promote the Trans-PacificPartnership, where Vietnam,Singapore, Brunei and Malaysia aremembers. Trade in products andservices between the US andSoutheast Asia amounts to almost$254 billion, which is equal to halfits entire trade relation with China.This group of countries is the thirdlargest trading partner of the USand its largest capital investmentin Asia.

The meeting served as the peakof US diplomatic maneuvers inSoutheast Asia. Previously, USPresident Barack Obama visited theregion seven times to develop dip-lomatic relations among the coun-tries in the region. The US alsostrengthened economic and milit-ary ties between juntas anddictatorships in Cambodia, Thail-and and Myanmar.

ANG BAYAN February 21 , 2016 9

Manipulating oil prices

Local oil prices are set to go up again this February even as crudeoil prices continue to fall in the world market.

In peso terms, crude oilprices have dropped by up to75% since mid-2014. In con-trast, local oil companies havecut petroleum products pricesby 53% (diesel) and 29% (gasol-ine) only.

Worse, these companieshave repeatedly increased localprices even as prices droppedin the world market. In Febru-ary 2015, oil companies raisedthe price of gasoline by P4 anddiesel by P3.

The IBON Foundation poin-ted out that at $23/barrel,crude oil prices are at year2000 level. Then, diesel waspriced at only P14.24 per literand gasoline at P17.08/liter,which is far from the currentprice of diesel at P19-20/literand gasoline at P34-35/liter.

Public jeepney fares areamong the most affected byfluctuating oil prices. In Janu-ary, drivers and operatorsagreed to reduce fares fromP7.50 to P7 despite the high

cost of vehicle maintenance.Fare reduction of other publicmodes of transportation, suchas the MRT and LRT, as well asships and planes, has beenslower and in smaller rates,despite the fact that these, too,are run by petroleum products.Worse, lower oil prices have noeffect on the prices of basiccommodities, which have in-creased with every oil pricehike.

Falling world oil pricesOn February 16, Russia,

Saudi Arabia and two moreOPEC member-countries agreedto limit production to Januarylevels to arrest the sustainedfall of oil prices in the worldmarket. In the past 18 months,world oil production has risenbeyond its limits despite lowerinternational demand or mar-ket. Towards the end of 2015,oil oversupply in the worldmarket has reached an estim-ated 1-2 million barrels a day.

Thousands join One

Billion Rising: Rise

for Revolution

VARIOUS sectors attended the an-nual One Billion Rising (OBR), aglobal campaign to stop violenceagainst women and children. In itsfourth year, organizations advoc-ating women's and children'srights raised their call to thetheme, “One Billion Rising: Rise toRevolution.”

On February 14, thousands ofwomen assembled in front of Lapu-Lapu Shrine, Rizal Park, Manila.Through dancing, performancesand speeches, groups condemnedthe worsening poverty and abusessuffered by millions of Filipino wo-men.

In Cebu, thousands also atten-ded the OBR held at the Universityof the Philippines-Cebu OblationSquare and at the Provincial CapitolGrounds.

Last February 12, church wo-men participated in OBR in QuezonCity Memorial Circle to expresssolidarity with Lumad people. Ac-cording to Darlene Caramanza ofEcumenical Women's Forum, “Weare here today to express oursolidarity with our Lumad brothersand sisters whose lives are still indanger because of harassment andmilitarization of their ancestrallands.”

Along with this, UP Baguio andDiliman also reaffirmed their posi-tion and solidarity against all formsof violence against women. Ac-cording to data from Center forWomen's Resources, cases of viol-ence among women rose by 200%from 2010 to 2014.

These activities were observedby Eve Ensler, writer and founder ofOBR, who is in the country to joinFilipino women. OBR was also heldin provinces and cities of Davao,Baguio, Sorsogon, Pampanga, Tac-loban and Negros.

February 21 , 2016 ANG BAYAN10

Inthe past five

years, the US has alsosteadily increased produc-tion up to 66%. It flooded its

own markets with cheap oil fromshale and fracking. In 2015, it be-came the largest oil and gas pro-ducer in the world. It continued toincrease shale oil production todepress prices and seize marketsboth in North America and Europe.

Crude oil prices dropped by70%, from $102/barrel in August to$23/barrel on the third week ofJanuary.

Oil exporting countries are nowsuffering huge losses. Even in SaudiArabia, lower profits have led tocuts in social services. Companieshave started to go bankrupt, res-ulting in shutdowns and workerlay-offs (including Filipino migrantworkers). Some countries are onthe brink of economic collapse,such as Azerbaijan and Nigeriawhich have sought a $4 trillionbail-out fund from the banks.

Due to low oil prices, Shellprofits dropped by 87%. The com-pany dismissed 7,500 workers in2015 and plans to lay-off 2,800more this year. Chevron registereda $4.1 billion loss in profits in itsUS operations in 2015. Outside theUS, Chevron’s profits dropped by85%. ExxonMobil registered a 58%drop in its profits in 2015 and hasannounced plans to cut its opera-tional capital by 25%. British Pet-roleum dismissed 7,000 workersafter suffering a $5.2 billion loss inprofits in 2015, as against its $8.1

billionprofit growth in 2014.

Since 2015, workers in shaleoil-producing companies havelaunched strikes left and right inthe US after world prices droppedbelow $70/barrel and productionwas cut by up to 100,000 barrels aday.

There is no end in sight forfalling oil prices. The contractionof the oil market reflects the in-tensifying crisis of overproductionthat is plaguing the world capital-ist system. Though China’s oil im-ports have slightly increased in2015, it is set to decline in thecoming years due to the weakeningof its manufactures.

Even if Saudi Arabia and Rus-sia’s decision to cut down produc-tion pushes through, oil inventor-ies in the world market remainhigh. In fact, oil oversupply is setto increase now that US imperial-ism has lifted the embargo againstIran’s oil exports.

Low oil prices, a weaponagainst Russia

In the past, conflicts arisingfrom overt and covert interven-tions and wars of aggression ofthe US and its allies in the MiddleEast have caused oil prices toskyrocket. But since 2014, severeconflicts in the region have notarrested its downward spiral.

The US decision to manipulateworld prices to pressure Russiapredominates since the latter hashindered US military and econom-ic expansion both in Central Asiaand the Middle East, as well as toforce Russia to withdraw its sup-port to the Syrian and Iraqi re-

gimes.On September 11, 2014,

Saudi Arabia and the USagreed to keep oil production

high to reduce Russia’s profitsfrom its oil and gas exports. Rus-sian oil and gas profits make up60% of its exports and 30% of itsGDP.

By US estimates, Russia needsto keep world prices at $80/barrelto avoid commercial bankruptciesand finance a large part of its na-tional budget. Under the directionof the US Treasury’s Office ofTerrorism and Financial Intelli-gence, Saudi Arabia flooded themarket with its excess oil despitecalls from its fellow OPEC mem-bers to cut down production.Saudi Arabia also offered cheap ordiscounted oil to Asia, notablyChina, in the guise of expandingits markets. China is one of Rus-sia’s biggest allies.

Price speculationA large part of oil prices is

determined not by supply or de-mand but by market manipulationof large finance speculators. Inreality, supply contracts make uponly 2% of all trading in the oilmarket. The vast majority are fu-tures and various financial deriv-atives. It is estimated that 60% ofoil prices are due to speculation inthe oil market. This market iscontrolled by the largest banksand finance speculators based inthe US, particularly Morgan Stan-ley and Goldman Sachs. Prices offutures are set with the help ofrating agencies, so-called oil ex-perts and the imperialist-con-trolled big media.

Last September 2015, Gold-man Sachs announced that crudeoil prices will fluctuate from $20to $40 until the second part of2016.

ANG BAYAN February 21 , 2016 11

Military slays 3 civi l iansin Compostela Valley

ately pull out troops from Lumadancestral lands. Ensler is thefounder of the One Billion Risingglobal campaign to end violenceagainst women.

Around 57 Lumad families haveevacuated their communities andsought refuge at the Haran Com-pound after the grisly murder of aminor and student, Alibando Ting-kas, last January 29.

Not CAFGUThe National Democratic Front

(NDF)-Bicol denied claims by the9th ID and police that the NPA wasresponsible for the killing of BingObias on February 13. According tothe military and police, Obias wasan active CAFGU member, based inBarangay Pili Tabiguian, Cara-moan, Camarines Sur, who wasshot dead by Red fighters.

According to Maria RojaBanua, NDF-Bicol spokesperson,the NPA has nothing to do with thekilling. She also denied that Obiasis a CAFGU member. “Obias camefrom the peasant class and was alegitimate resident of Pili,” shesaid.

Obias' body, with a gunshotwound on the head, was found afew meters from the 22nd IB-CAFGU detachment. Obias was amember of the Pambansang Ka-tipunan ng mga Magbubukid, therevolutionary peasant organiza-tion.

“The NDF condemns the PAand PNP's arbitrary accusations tojustify the killing and point thefinger to the NPA as the perpet-rator. This is part of the 9th ID'sdesperate acts of retaliationagainst civilians,” Banua added.The killing happened two daysafter an NPA harassment operationagainst the 22nd IB detachmentlast February 11.

Three civilians were killed by the military in Compostela Valley this Feb-ruary while one minor was illegally arrested and detained after being

accused of being a member of the New People's Army. Meanwhile, a team ofthe human rights group Karapatan was harassed by the military and barredfrom entering and launching an investigation in militarized communities.

On February 7, Alejandro Laya-og, 36, died from gunshot woundson his back and head, which hesustained while on a bus terminalin Maragusan town.

Laya-og, one of the founders ofKahugpongan sa Mag-uuma saMagcagong (Kamama), was ac-cused of being an NPA member bythe 25th IB. His organization,Kamama, has been opposing milit-ary presence and the human rightsviolations being committed againstcommunities in Maragusan. Laya-og was also instrumental in the es-tablishment of Salugpongan Com-munity Learning Center, a Lumadschool.

On February 9, a gunman killedJennifer Albacite, 40, a bananavendor in the public market ofCompostela town. Karapatan be-lieves that Albacite was taken forher sister, Jeannirose Porras, amember of Compostela Farmers'Association (CFA), who was thereal target. CFA strongly opposesthe entry of Agusan PetroleumMining Company (AgPet) in Com-postela and adjacent towns.

On the same day, Ronel Paas,35, a small-scale miner, was hit onthe chest as soldiers of the 46th IBrelentlessly fired their guns andcannons in Barangay Napnapan,Pantukan. Paas was rushed to thehospital, but died on the way afterbeing detained for an hour with hisrescuers in the detachment inBarangay Tibagan under the suspi-cion that they were NPA members.

A 14-year old boy was also hiton the leg in the relentless shoot-ing. Rather than coming to his aid,

the military arrested the boy andbrought him to Camp Panacan inDavao City, where he was presen-ted as a "child soldier" of the NPA.

The military misleadingly de-clared that the child was arrestedduring a series of armed encoun-ters between the military and NPAin Pantukan last February 11, twodays after the shooting incident intheir barangay.

On February 11, the militaryharassed a 30-strong delegationcomposed of Karapatan and localgovernment officials to investigatethe incident in BarangayNapnapan. While on the way to Si-tio Post 4, they were shot at twiceby the military. According to Ka-rapatan, the 46th IB carries outthe attacks to pave the way for theentry of large-scale mining opera-tions in the province. Small-scaleminers are tortured by the 46thIB to coerce them to cease opera-tions. Troops and cannons werealso deployed at miners' com-munities in Mabini, Pantukan andadjacent towns.

Visiting the LumadEve Ensler, an American fem-

inist playwright and activist, vis-ited the Lumad refugees in theHaran Compound of the UnitedChurch of Christ in the Philippinesin Davao City on February 12.

Ensler was moved to tearsupon learning of the human rightsabuses perpetrated by the militaryagainst the refugees and the re-lentless militarization of theircommunities. Ensler also calledupon the government to immedi-

February 21 , 2016 ANG BAYAN12

US-Aquino regime derails Bangsamoro Basic Law

The Bangsamoro Basic Law has finally been abandoned by the US-Aquinoregime after Congress failed to enact the proposed law as the House of

Representatives adjourned last February 3. This bares the empty promise ofthe US-Aquino regime to the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) that thesaid bill will be passed as a result of MILF's peace agreement with the Gov-ernment of the Philippines (GPH). Unlike the regime's speedy ratification ofother bills, Aquino allowed the BBL to gather dust.

The regime's failure to enact theBBL has all the more strengthenedthe Moro people's resolve to contin-ue with their armed struggle forself-determination. Although theMILF holds on to the BBL's enact-ment in the future, it has likewiseindicated the possibility of resumingits armed struggle. Mohager Iqbal,chairman of the MILF Peace Panel,recently denied a news report say-ing that they have become "tired ofwar", and said that frustration iswidespread among their fightersand followers.

Last February 10, clashes erup-ted between the AFP and the MILFin the towns of Datu Salibu andDatu Saudi Ampatuan inMaguindanao. Also, on February 8,the AFP blocked MILF leader Abdul-lah Macapaar (also known as Ku-mander Bravo) and his troops fromhis hometown in Munai, Lanao delNorte where he was to hold con-sultations with the base communit-ies of the MILF.

Even before the crafting of BBL,some sections of the MILF hadalready broken away and formed theBangsamoro Islamic FreedomFighters (BIFF) owing to their dis-agreement with BBL's imposition ofan indefinite ceasefire. Since lastyear, the military has been relent-less in pursuing the forces of theBIFF. The BIFF has likewise beenpersistent in its armed struggle.

Last February 8, Nur Misuari ofthe Moro National Liberation Frontgathered 2,000 of his men at hiscamp in Indanan, Sulu. This as-sembly is viewed as the MNLF's in-tensification of its protest against

the government's trashing of the1996 peace agreement between theGPH and the MNLF.

According to MNLF spokesper-son Absalom Cerveza, they welcomeBBL's non-passage, and said that itwill be disastrous for the govern-ment if it insists on pushing for theBBL. Also present at the said meet-ing were leaders and members ofthe BIFF and the bandit Abu SayyafGroup. The AFP has since deployeda total of nine combat battalionsand one company solely for theprovince of Sulu.

US military forces in the Philip-pines have long intervened in theMoro people's armed struggle. Onthe one hand, US imperialism ad-duces as pretext its "war on terror"campaign to justify the positioningof an increasing number of itstroops, as well as the arming andtraining of the AFP and PNP.

On the other hand, the US like-wise covets the surrender of the

MILF and other armed groups inMindanao in its desire to exploit therich natural resources of the Moropeople's ancestral lands. Big foreigncapitalists have long salivated overthe deposits of oil and natural gas inthe Liguasan Marsh valued at $1trillion. The MILF and various Moroarmed forces have control over theLiguasan Marsh.

This is why US imperialism haslong intervened in the GPH's peacenegotiations with the MILF. TheGPH's sole objective is for the MILFand the Moro people to surrendertheir arms. The MILF on the otherhand fights for the right to self-de-termination and for the right overancestral domain.

The US and the Aquino regimelikewise intend to take advantage ofa showcase "final peace agreement"in order to pressure the NationalDemocratic Front of the Philippines(NDFP) to follow the MILF's ex-ample and enter into an indefiniteceasefire so as to forge a peaceagreement. In truth, the US-Aquinoregime has taken the MILF for aride in crafting agreements whichthey will ultimately forgo and derail.

With the BBL's trashing and thecontinuing violation of the Moro

people's economic andpolitical rights, the per-sistence of their armed

struggle for the rightto national self-de-termination and

the right toancestral do-main is certain.More and more

people of the Bang-samoro will join the armedstruggle being waged bythe BIFF, as well as the

national democraticrevolution.

ANG BAYAN February 21 , 2016 13

2nd Part: US clandestine war in 135 nations

JCET: Instrument forUS military intervention

The holding of trainings incountries where brutal and abusivearmed forces abound is not limitedto Africa.

In Colombia, five JCETs wereheld in 2012-2013, despite the re-cord number of extra-judicialkillings by the reactionary armedforces here, insubordinate collab-oration of the military with armedcriminal groups, and disappear-ances.

In Saudi Arabia, four JCETswere launched from 2011 to 2013while the armed forces were busysuppressing demonstrators whowere calling for an end to seculardiscrimination.

Three JCETs were held byBahraini troops in 2012. In thesame year Bahraini armed forcesperpetrated arbitrary and extra-ju-dicial killings, arrest and detentionof protesting citizens with trumpedup charges.

Also in 2012 five JCETs wereheld in El Salvador, four in Lebanon,four in Romania and two in Mexico.All these countries experience viol-ations of human rights, such as ex-tra-judicial killings and cruel treat-ment of detainees (El Salvador),torture and abuses (Lebanon), mis-treatment and harassment by policeagainst detainees (Romania) andforced disappearances of civilians(Mexico).

The Joint Combined Exchange Training (JCET) is the USweapon for intervention, seizure of power and the

maintenance of puppet dictator regimes in various parts ofthe world.

JCET is a program for jointtraining exercises, as exemplifiedby the US-Philippine Balikatan ex-ercises, undertaken by the US Spe-cial Operations Command. Throughthis, the US trains local troops andgroups that will defend their in-terests in countries afflicted by dis-turbances and on the brink of disin-tegration. This is done up to fivetimes a year.

It is in the African region wherethe interests of the US and its alliedcountries such as France and Ger-many are immense that the use ofthe JCET by the US is most blatant.Under the Trans-Sahara CounterTerrorism Partnership, the US con-solidated a regional army that itdirectly trained and funded to putin place and maintain in power itsfavored armed groups in the region.In five countries—Mali, Burkina-Faso, Mauritania, Niger andTunisia—military officials trainedunder JCET led failed and success-ful coups d'état. In Mali in 2012, amilitary official trained by US GreenBerets led a coup d'état against theelected government. The eventualarmed conflicts arising from thecoup led to a high number of civiliancasualties. During the early part of2013, US and French troops dir-ectly attacked Mali under the thinguise of countering the threat of al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb(Aqim) in the country. In truth,France and the US are actually justprotecting their interests in Mali,including the puppet dictator put inpower.

In 2014, a graduate of a USmilitar academy and the JCET over-

threw the gov-ernment inBurkina Faso.JCET-trainedmilitaryofficialsalsolaunched US-supported coupsd'état in Mauritania in 2005 and2008, in Niger in 2010 and inTunisia in 2011.

Violence, abuses and other vi-olations of human rights charac-terize the troops trained by the US.Bloody records mark the armies inAlgeria, Cameroon, Chad, Kenya,Mauritania, Morocco, Senegal,Tunisia, Niger, and Uganda—coun-tries where regular and frequentJCETs are launched.

From 2011 to 2013, for ex-ample, the US Naval Special War-fare Unit 10 (NSWU-10) gave spe-cial trainings to armed forces ofCameroon and Chad in spite of re-ports of continuing and severecases of abuses by their respectivemilitary units against the civilianpopulations. These include killingand mistreatment of detainees andprisoners and extra-judicial killings,threats, beatings, shooting and in-juring of civilians. The Chad secur-ity forces are also involved in themassive recruitment of child sol-diers, and an attack on the neigh-boring Central African Republic(CAR) in 2013.

JCET trainings were also held inAlgeria and Kenya from 2012 to2013, where killings, forced disap-pearances, torture, rape and ex-cessive use of force by securityforces are widespread.