On the 110th Independence Day of the Philippines, June 12, 2008

On the 110th Independence Day of the Philippines, June 12, 2008

As Filipinos and Filipino Americans, the Alliance Philippines (AJLPP) with pride and passion, we commemorate the 110th anniversary of the proclamation of Philippine Independence on June 12, 1898 and the victory of the Philippine revolution of 1896 against 333 years of Spanish colonialism and oppression.

On this momentous occasion let us pay tribute to all our heroes who fought for our freedom. On this auspicious day, we remember that the Philippine flag was first displayed, the national hymn was played and the independence from Spain was proclaimed in the balcony of the home of general Emilio Aguinaldo in Kawit, Cavite.

At that time almost all of Luzon was liberated and under the control, of the revolutionary forces except for Manila and some Spanish outpost in the Visayas and in Mindanao was still holding out.

The formation of the first bourgeois democratic republic in Asia on January 23, 1899 followed. But just to be destroyed by a new colonial power- the Imperialist United States of America. By waging an imperialist war of aggression against the young republic and its people from 1899 to 1913 in a “war of pacification” against the Filipinos, the United States occupied the Philippines for 48 years. The Filipinos lost almost 2 million people during the Filipino=-American War.

For 16 years since July 4, 1946, the Philippines celebrate the nominal independence form the United States until, President Diosdado Macapagal by a presidential order changed the Independence Day to June 12 in 1962. With nationalist pretensions, the puppet president wanted to appear as independent.

But reclaiming our heritage and paying tribute to the heroic struggle of the people, the Katipunan and the still born first Philippine republic, it is but proper and fitting and an honor to commemorate the 110th year of the proclamation of independence of the Philippines.

But we must set our minds that we are not truly free. We must struggle to be free. For we are still under the clutches of US imperialism at this era of “the war against terror.”

The rapidly rotting Arroyo Regime

The Arroyo regime to describe the puppet republic as being strong or the Philippine economy as ever growing toward "first world" status is an empty pipe dream.

The US-Arroyo gave up all pretenses to national industrialization and land reform. It is against using public resources and encouraging Filipino entrepreneurs to engage in national industrial development. It has reduced land reform to lopsided commercial transactions between landlords and the tenants and outright commercial conversions of agricultural lands and crops.

The puppet state has drastically removed national restrictions on foreign investments. These are mainly in the field of financial services, trade, tourism, export-oriented semi manufacturing, plantations and mining. It has brought down tariff walls and allowed multinational firms to dump their agricultural and manufactured surpluses in the country.

The rice crisis is aggravating because the agricultural production for local consumption has declined from an average of 1,509 kg/person/year in 1979-81 down to 1,100 kg/person/year in 2000-02, thus making the country a net food importer. Its dependence on food imports increased tenfold in annual import volumes from 1991-95 to 2001-03. The trade deficit from year to year is ever growing from year to year, averaging more than US billion annually from 2001 to 2006. The costs of consumption-driven imports are constantly rising. Export income plus remittances of overseas contract workers cannot cover the costs of imports.

The state always goes into huge budgetary deficits, which the Arroyo regime tries to reduce by increasing the tax burden on the people. Heavy spending for debt service and bureaucratic, military and other counterproductive activities is also rising above the ability of the state to collect tax revenues. From year to year, the illusion of economic growth is conjured through local and foreign borrowing and also through the attraction of foreign portfolio investments in the stock and bond markets.

Worsening Socioeconomic Crisis

The worsening global economic and financial crisis being generated by the rapidly growing US national debt, the US mortgage meltdown and runaway military expenditures are bound to put a squeeze on global credit for the Philippines and lessen orders for raw materials and its low value-added semi manufactures due to the growing recession and contraction of the US consumer market.

The US is in deep crisis, recession and deep inflation. The current level of foreign debt at more than US billion and that of the foreign trade deficit are expected to leap next year, spelling a serious financial crisis and a sharp decline in the value of the peso. The socioeconomic crisis under the Arroyo regime is worsening rapidly. Like in the US with 14 million unemployed,

The Philippines rate of accumulated unemployment is growing. The broad masses are reeling from the pressures of the crisis and the rising rates of exploitation. These are generating social unrest.

The broad masses of the people are enraged that foreign monopoly interests, highly placed bureaucrats and big compradors and landlords have accelerated the rate of exploitation and plunder of the country's natural resources. The net income of the top 1,000 corporations increased by 327% from 2001 to 2005, with their profits increasing by 20% annually.

The Filipino people are widely and deeply offended by the puppetry of the Arroyo regime to the US, Japan and other imperialist powers, by the unbridled corruption of the ruling Arroyo family and its cronies, by the regime's mendacious claim that the Philippines is ascending to "first world" status.

Recycled Slogan of Fighting Poverty of the 1960”s

The US-Arroyo regime revived the old slogan of his puppet father in the early 1960’s that is “fighting poverty. That is while he robbed the Filipino people blind with impunity. Eighty percent of the people or around 65 million Filipinos live on the peso equivalent of less than two US dollars per day. The toiling masses of workers and peasants are living in grave conditions of poverty and misery.

Eighty percent of the population shares half of the national income, while only 20% enjoy the other half. The impoverished masses are most desirous of revolutionary change. The urban petty-bourgeoisie are also hard-pressed by the social and economic conditions and are increasingly drawn to the revolutionary cause.

Overseas contract workers who now remit to the Philippines a total of US billion annually are responsible for the biggest chunk of foreign exchange income, which the ruling system appropriates

Desperately Clinging to Power

But if, despite the people's detestation, the Arroyo regime can manage to stay in power up to 2010 because the broad legal united front cannot yet oust it, the broad masses of the people will be repelled by the prospect of suffering under one reactionary regime after the other through elections and will increasingly rely on people's war to change the entire ruling system. The armed revolutionary movement can thus benefit from the failure of the broad legal united front to oust the Arroyo regime.

The Arroyo regime has unleashed Oplan Bantay Laya I from 2002 to the end of 2006 and Oplan Bantay Laya II since the onset of 2007, and has engaged in gross and systematic violations of human rights in order to comply with the US global war of terror and receive US military and economic assistance, to keep the loyalty of the officers and men of the military and police forces, to intimidate and suppress both the revolutionary forces and the

The Arroyo regime has become isolated in the Philippines and abroad because of the barbarities committed by the military and police forces against the people in their hundreds of thousands in the countryside and the extrajudicial killings and disappearances of more than a thousand unarmed progressive legal activists.

The socioeconomic and political crises and the extreme puppetry, corruption, mendacity and brutality of the Arroyo regime have only served to outrage the broad masses of the people and incite them to oppose the regime and engage in various forms of resistance. The crimes of the Arroyo regime have been exposed on a global scale and the most respected institutions, parties, mass organizations and personages have manifested their international solidarity with the Filipino people in their struggle for national independence, democracy, social justice and peace.

Persevere in All-Out Struggle Against US-Arroyo Regime

The Bangsamoro are persevering in the struggle for self-determination against the Manila government. There are recurrent reports that this government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) are about to enter into a "final peace" agreement. But MILF leaders are always quick to announce that they remain vigilant to the treachery and tricks of the Manila government. They have made clear that they would not follow the path of capitulation taken by some key leaders of the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF).

Prospects are presently dim for the resumption of formal talks between the Manila government and the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP). The main reason is that the Arroyo regime has been responsible for the 12 impediments listed by the NDFP and has shown no inclination to get rid of these impediments.

The Filipino people have all the reason to carry out the new-democratic revolution through protracted people's war. They are being subjected to intensified oppression and exploitation. They are obliged to fight for their national and democratic rights and interests. And they can avail themselves of the crisis conditions of the ruling system for building their revolutionary strength and advancing from one stage of the revolutionary struggle to another.

To be truly free, the Filipino people must struggle for real independence, national freedom and democracy. Onward to finish the unfinished revolution of 1896!

Struggle for national democracy and the road towards socialism!

AJLPP

June 12, 2008