FQSN-USA Statement on the 38th Anniversary of The First Quarter Storm (FQS) “Battle of Mendiola, January 30-31. 1970

Fight the Resurgence of Fascism, Fight Arroyo’s “Legalized” Martial Law.

Los Angeles— We the activist from the First Quarter Storm Network-USA remembers that thirty-eight years ago, on January 30-31, 1970 fought the Philippine police and army forces who attacked the progressive forces in what is now known in history as the Battle of Mendiola.

Two years after, on September 21, 1972, President Ferdinand Marcos declared martial in the Philippines and plunged the country into 14 years of dictatorship and blatant fascism.

Today, Philippine president Gloria Macapagal –Arroyo is trying to institute another kind of martial law, an undeclared martial law in the guise of fighting the “US war Against Terror”.

FQS activist like Randall Echanis, Elizabeth Principe, Philip Limjoco, Leo Velasco and others were arrested without charges and held in jail. Militant activist who are serving the people are being thrown in jail and incarcerated.

FIGHT THE US-ARROYO REGIME

Now --the US-Arroyo is in the processes of legalizing martial law with the anti-terrorism law or the national security law and the bloody campaign of political killings. A Marcosian reign of terror is now in place in the Philippines.

More than 880 activists were killed, more than 200 were arrested and now missing. They are now targeting legal organizations, NDF consultants and unarmed activists as their targets and are presenting them as “communists”

To intensify the “US War on Terror” the AFP and the US forces are deploying 6,000 US troops and the AFP will deploy the same numbers in the MILF areas of Mindanao. Fomenting war, the AFP is deploying more troops in the M ILF and the MNLF areas to provoke hostilities.

Like Marcos, Arroyo had filled her cabinet with more than 22 former military officials. Her executive secretary is former General Eduardo Ermita, a Vietnam War veteran and was reportedly involved in the US “OPLAN PHOENIX” that killed more than 50,000 Vietnamese during the Vietnam War.

Like Marcos, Arroyo wanted to change the constitution to suit her political ambitions. Like Marcos, she wanted to change the polilitical system from presidential to parliamentary from. Like Marcos, she wanted to change the constitution to make it suit the economic, political, military and other interests of her American masters.

The Struggle Continues

But where there is oppression, there is resistance.

We, the FQSN members lost most of our friends, relatives and loved ones during martial law. What was worst is that we suffered deeper scars during this dark period. One in every five Filipinos have had their relatives arrested, tortured or were harassed in any form or the other during martial law.

We were branded as “communist terrorist.” Even some members of our families and most of our friends treated us a pariahs because we dared to fight and struggle against the dictatorship especially during the early years of martial law. But later we were vindicated.

We burrowed deep among the people. We built mass organizations. We suffered defeats, reverses but we did not falter. We bide our time in the underground until our collective efforts resulted into the downfall of the dictatorship in February 1986 only to be replaced by another regime under the guise of a “liberal democratic “façade. We have to face the music, that the EDSA revolution is a political revolution not a social revolution and we have to struggle on.

Again, on the 38th year commemoration of FQS Battle of Mendiola, we have to struggle against another tyrant who wanted to impose the same dictatorship under another label. We have to fight on!

We still have to fight a war to win it- a war against forgetting and wage a protracted war to relive and reaffirm our collective memories to struggle for national democracy and the social liberation of our people.

FQSN members, the friends and we. Together with our youth activist and community supporters in the United States and in the Philippines who cherish us and our contributions to the movement, takes a solemn oath that we will never waver in our struggle to liberate our people and ourselves from all kinds of oppressions and injustices.

As we commemorate the 38 year of the Battle of Mendiola where four activist were killed in the ensuing battle, we take this time to honor our departed martyrs, those who are still living and are still in the thick of the struggle and those who continue to fight for our people’s national and democratic interests.

“ Fierce browed, head bowed, we serve the children!”