ANGPahayagan ng Partido Komunista ng Pilipinas

Pinapatnubayan ng Marxismo-Leninismo-Maoismo

EDITORIAL

Engl i sh Edi ti on

Vol . XLVI I I N o. 1 0

M ay 2 1 , 2 01 7

www. phi l i ppi nerevol uti on. i nfo

Foreign-fundedinfrastructure is notwhat people demand

Without letup, the Duterte regime's technocrats are painting apositive picture of Philippine economic progress in the comingyears which they call as the "golden age of infrastructure."

They insist that large investments in the construction of roads, rails,ports, dams and labor enclaves will bring about economic growth in thecountry.

They have become even more in-sistent with such declarations uponarrival from China with Dutertebringing renewed promises byChina's officials that it will investlarge capital in the Philippines forprojects identified by the Dutertegovernment. Duterte is full of praisesfor China for its sincerity in helpingthe Philippines and in sharing itswealth.

Aside from aiming a far bigger

capital than the past regimes (es-timated at more than eight trillionpesos up to 2022, mainly fromChina), the Duterte regime's declar-ations are mere echoes of the past.All past regimes (including the Mar-cos regime) pushed for big-ticket in-frastructure projects as centerpieceeconomic program.

These are clearly hollow declar-ations. As shown in the past, theseinfrastructure projects, however big"22 firearms. . . , " continued on page 3

NPA confiscates22 firearmsSIX COMMANDS of the NewPeople's Army in different partsof the country have launched of-fensives within two weeks lastMay 4-17. These include one raid,two ambuscades, eight harass-ment operations and one disarm-ing operation against an abusivebusinessman. Twenty two fire-arms were confiscated by the Redarmy. Reactionary armed forcessuffered up to 35 casualties.

In Southern Tagalog, theNPA-Laguna (Cesar BatralloCommand or NPA-CBC) reapedsuccess in its consecutive tacticaloffensives against the AFP andPNP in the towns of Majayjay andLuisiana in Laguna, and in theneighboring town of Lucban in theprovince of Quezon.

The NPA-CBC consecutivelyattacked three detachments ofthe 59th IB and 80th IB in thevillages of Ibabang Banga and Piitin Majayjay. The action was un-dertaken last May 14, from 6:25until 7 in the evening. Three werekilled and another three werewounded among the soldiers. Thetargeted units of the AFP areprotectors of the destructivecompany Global Heavy EquipmentInc.

After this, troops belonging tothe 80th IB and the commandfrom the 202nd IBde reinforcedaboard two six by six trucks, oneweapon vehicle and an armoredpersonnel carrier. Upon reachingSan Antonio in Luisiana, the NPA-CBC ambushed the convoy. Twoof the military vehicles were hit

May 21 , 2017 ANG BAYAN2

The people's resistance willsurely be roused if the plan to buildrailways will ram through the an-cestral land, rights and welfare ofthe Lumad people and the toilingmasses in Mindanao and otherplaces; if the plan to build ports willdisplace the fisher-folk; if buildingbridges and paving roads will driveaway peasants and ruin agriculturalproduction; and if reclamations willdestroy marine wealth and the en-vironment.

The entire people will surely riseand resist if in pushing for theseprojects, the Duterte regime will putthe entire Philippines deep into theforeign debt rut from which it cannot rise and which will consequentlytie the country to conditions in-volving the surrender of its patri-mony and sovereignty. The peoplewill also stand firmly if these pro-jects will involve corruption and willbe milked by the big bourgeoiscompradors close to Duterte. Evenif the Supreme Court yields amidthreats against issuing TROs onthese projects, the people will nothesitate to stand against bureau-crat-capitalist corruption.

The people must be fully con-scious that, contrary to Duterte'sclaims, China is not motivated bysincerity in offering hundreds ofbillions of dollars for such infra-structure projects. China is anemerging and continuously growingimperialist power that closely pro-tects its own interests. China's offerof funds are loans which must bepaid at an interest. These are debtsallotted for specific projects thatfavor China and meant to be used tobuy its oversupply of steel and othercommodities.

All in all, it is not these infra-structure projects which theDuterte regime must prioritize. Inany economic plan, it is the in-terests and welfare of the workers,peasants and entire people whichshould come first, not those of thebig bourgeois compradors, biglandlords and foreign big capital-ists.

Editorial: Foreign-funded infrastructureis not what people demand 1

NPA confiscates 22 firearms 1

Dutertenomics: Burden to the people 4

CASER should come before ceasefire 5

Balikatan 2017 commences 6

Anti-Balikatan offensives in EV 7

“Junta” joke not funny 7

MARBAI successfully reclaims land 8

From the regions 9

No respite from violence 9

Militarization victimizes Lumads 10

37 paramilitary forces killed in India 11

Vol . XLVI I I N o. 1 0 | M ay 2 1 , 2 01 7

Contents

or grand, failed to resolve the coun-try's basic economic problems.

With absolute power, Marcospushed for left and right infrastruc-ture projects from highways,bridges, dams, geothermal plants,LRT and monuments. Theseburdened the people with a bloatedforeign debt (reaching $26 billion in1986) and tied the country to con-ditions imposed by the IMF andWorld Bank which favored foreignbig capitalists. Marcos and hiscronies accumulated wealth fromcommissions in these big projects.

All post-Marcos regimes soughtto implement their own infrastruc-ture projects: from Cory Aquino'sflyovers, Ramos' Expo Filipino, Ar-royo's Macapagal Boulevard andClark Airport and Benigno Aquino's"public-private partnership" pro-jects. All these amounted to billionsupon billions of dollars and werefunded by increasingly bloated for-eign debt now reaching $120 billion.Each project was tainted with an-omalies and milked by close croniesof each regime.

At best, these projects brought

about superficial changes. Eventaken as a whole, these projectsfailed to alter the basic social con-ditions and state of livelihood of theworkers and peasants and the en-tire people. These generated tem-porary jobs, but failed to resolve thechronic unemployment crisis. Theseprojects are invariably accompaniedby demolitions, forced displace-ments, destruction of productivelands and the environment. In manycases, these projects brought aboutmilitarization.

In planning several hundredbillion-dollar infrastructure pro-jects, it is not unlikely that theDuterte regime will trample on thewelfare and rights of the toilingmasses and ignite their resistance.Among his big plans is the ChicoRiver Dam project. A similar projectin the 1980s was militantly opposedby the Cordillera people because ofthe damage it will wreak on theirlives and livelihood. The Cordiller-ans and the entire people will surelynot remain timid if the planned damproject will threaten their lives,their rights and the environment.

ANG

prwc_info

youtube.com/PhilippineRevolutionWebCentral

@prwc_info

facebook.com/philrevwebcentral

cppinformationbureau@gmail.com

Ang Bayan i s publ i shed i n

Pi l i pi no, Bi saya, H i l i gaynon,

Waray and Engl i sh.

Ang Bayan wel comes

contri buti ons i n the form of

arti cl es and news i tems. Readers

are encouraged to send feedback

and recommendati ons for

i mprovi ng our newspaper.

Ang Bayan i s publ i shed fortni ghtl y by the Central Commi ttee

of the Communi st Party of the Phi l i ppi nes

ANG BAYAN May 21 , 2017 3

The basic problems of the semicolonial and semi-feudal system must be addressed. If there are no funda-mental changes, the Philippine economy will remainbackward and be limited to supplying China and otherimperialist countries with raw materials, cheap laborand semi-manufactures. Like the trains of US colonialdays used to transport sugar cane and other commodit-ies, the modern trains from China will primarily servethe transportation of raw materials and other semi-manufactures for China.

In the history of economic modernization, like inChina, progress was attained by building its fundament-al industrial capacity including that for iron, steel,chemicals and other capital goods in order to create thecapacity to produce machinery and other means of pro-duction. Concurrently, agricultural productivity is raisedthrough genuine land reform to break the old chains offeudal and foreign land monopoly, pushing cooperation

and other forms of mutual help and through mechaniza-tion.

We must inform China, if it wants to earn theFilipino people's friendship, it must be ready to supportefforts to end the semicolonial and semifeudal systemwhich US imperialism brought about and continues todominate. In particular, it would have to support theprogram for genuine land reform and national industri-alization.

Both count as the principal content of the revolu-tionary movement's economic program as stated in theParty's program for a people's democratic revolutionand in the 12 Point Program of the NDFP. This is what isdetailed in the Comprehensive Agreement on Socio-Eco-nomic Reforms (CASER) which the NDFP has presentedin peace negotiations with the GRP. The revolutionaryforces anticipate that this matter will be given principalattention in the scheduled fifth round of peace talks.

by command-detonated explosives.Up to 20 soldiers were killed orwounded.

In Benguet, the NPA-Benguet(Jennifer Cariño Command or NPA-JCC) successfully raided a policedetachment in Brgy. Loo, Buguiaslast May 16 at 9 p.m. The Red fight-ers were able to immediately takecontrol of the police station withoutfiring a single shot. The NPA-JCCconfiscated a 9mm pistol, a gren-ade, magazines and ammunition,and other military equipment. TheBuguias police force is notorious forextorting from motorists and veget-able growers. They are likewise in-volved in the proliferation of anti-social activities.

In Agusan del Sur, 21 firearmswere confiscated by the NPA-Northeastern Mindanao Region'sFront 14 from the Lademora familyin Sitio Sinug-ang, Bayugan 3, Ros-ario. The NPA undertook the opera-tion last May 13 at around 7 a.m.The confiscated firearms includetwo M16s, one AK47, one BAR, oneM14, one Garand, four carbines,three M79 grenade launchers, threeshotguns, four .45 calibre pistols,and one .38 calibre pistol. The Redfighters also seized assorted am-munition, magazines and other mil-

itary equipment.According to the NPA-NEMR,

the Lademora confiscation is a pun-itive action in response to the fam-ily's long record of abuse, crimes,destruction of the people's liveli-hood and exploitation of small-scaleminers. The Lademoras also employthe remaining members of the no-torious Lost Command, the armedgroup formed by former PhilippineConstabulary Col. Carlos Lademorain the latter part of the 1970s fromcriminal elements and former sol-diers. Presently, the Lademorafamily utilizes this group to terror-ize farmers and strip them of theirlivelihood.

In Bohol, one soldier was killedand three CAFGU elements werewounded when the NPB-Bohol(Francisco Dagohoy Command orNPA-FDC) attacked the 47th IB andCAFGU detachment in Brgy. Datag,Inabanga last May 3, at around 10p.m.

According to the NPA-FDC, theattack serves as punishment for theAFP's abuses in the nearby civiliancommunity and its all-out bom-bardment in Brgy. Napo last April11 under the guise of "war againstterror" against the terrorist AbuSayyaf Group.

In Cagayan Valley, three con-secutive harassment operationswere carried out by the NPA-Quirino (Venerando Villacillo Com-mand or NPA-VVC) against threedetachments of the 86th IB. LastMay 4, the NPA harassed the BravoCompany's camp of the said bat-talion in Dinapatan, Maddela.

Also last May 6, the NPA har-assed the Alpha Company's camp inTappa, San Mariano. The 86th IB'sdetachment in Villa Gracia, Mad-dela was likewise harassed last May10 at 9 p.m.

Meanwhile, Red fighters inQuezon and Mindoro Occidentalvaliantly faced the enemy's attackslast May 8. In Quezon, the NPA-Mt.Sierra Madre (Rosario LodronioRosal Command) foiled an attack bya company of the 1st IB in Brgy.Magsaysay, Infanta. A soldier waskilled while two others werewounded.

In Occidental Mindoro, threeelements of the assaulting 76th IBwere killed when they were hit bycommand-detonated explosives setoff by the NPA-Mindoro (Lucio DeGuzman Command) in Sitio Tag-bungan, Brgy. Barahan, Sta. Cruz.One Red fighter, Aileen "Ka Pia"Serna, was martyred in the battle.

"Editorial, . . . , " from page 2

"22 firearms, . . . , " from page 1

May 21 , 2017 ANG BAYAN4

Dutertenomics:A heavy burden to the people

“Dutertenomics,” the much touted economic program for foreign-funded big infrastructure projects, will be a heavy burden to the

people. Even now, it is clear who will benefit most from these projects. It isnot improbable that it will result in big corruption cases.

The sheer size of needed fundswill necessitate a large injection ofloans that will eventually be passedon to the Filipino masses.

Dutertenomics is worse thanthe Public-Private Partnership pro-gram of the previous regime. Ac-cording to the Ibon Foundation,what Duterte's technocrats pro-mote as a “golden age of infra-structure” is actually a “golden ageof oligarchs and foreign compan-ies,” as they will benefit the most.

Under what the Duterte regimecalls its “hybrid” PPP, the govern-ment will shoulder the funding andconstruction of infrastructure pro-jects. Thus, under Dutertenomics,the people will directly carry theburden of loan payments, as well asprofit guarantees and other privatebenefits. After the projects arecompleted, these will be auctionedoff to private capitalists for opera-tion. Included are projects beingpushed by big compradors them-selves for the benefit of their own

businesses.Even before Duterte's second

China visit last May 14-15, healready announced his plans toavail of loans, particularly from theAsian Infrastructure InvestmentBank, to fund his fancied projects.According to initial reports, Chinais ready to loan up to P172.4 billionto the Philippines this year. This ispart of the P350 billion Duterteplans to borrow for 15 projectsalready earmarked for Chinesecompanies and their local cohorts.These include the South Line ofNorth-South Railway Project inLuzon worth P151 billion and theMindanao railway system worthP218 billion. Aside from China, theregime also plans to borrow an ini-tial amount of P442.42 billion fromJapan and P3.25 billion from theWorld Bank.

But on May 12, Sec. BenjaminDiokno of the Department ofBudget and Management divulgedthat Dutertenomics needed a muchhigher amount. The Philippines will

need up to $167 bil-lion (P8.2 trillion) tofund the regime'ssix-year infra-structure plans,he said. This will

immediately bring the Philippinedebt to $290 billion at the end ofthe regime's term from $123 thisyear, discounting interest rates.According to an article from thepro-US Forbes Magazine, the coun-try's new debt can even shoot up to$452 billion if China imposes a 10%interest rate, bringing the debt-to-GDP rate to 197%. Total debt caneven reach up to a trillion dollars in10 years, it says. The Philippinecurrent debt-to-GDP ratio is at44%.

In addition to the direct bene-fits for foreign companies and localoligarchy, the regime's minions whoserve as intermediaries betweenChinese banks and companies andlocal businesses will also rake inprofits. Bureaucrat-capitalists un-der the regime can reap up to 2-5%in commissions in the form of find-er's fees. This is similar to the cor-ruption case of the Arroyo regime infavoring the anomalous NBN-ZTEagreement.

After the said article was pub-lished, Diokno and other Dutertetechnocrats denied that the Philip-pines will borrow the entire amountfrom China. The regime's plan isactually worse, as Diokno an-nounced that 80% of the infra-structure funds will be generatedthrough new taxes. These includeincreasing value-added taxes from12% to 15% and imposing taxes onprocessed sugar and petroleumproducts that will mean an addi-tional P6/liter. On the other hand,the regime will grant more benefitsto businesses, including thoseowned by oligarchs poised to bene-fit from the new loans, as it plans todecrease real estate and otherprivate transaction taxes.

Loans in exchange for nationalrights

The National Democratic Frontof the Philippines (NDFP) alsoraised questions on the Duterte re-gime's plan to borrow from China,the concessions that will be de-manded in exchange and its implic-

ANG BAYAN May 21 , 2017 5

ations to the negotiations regarding socio-economic re-forms. According to Jose Maria Sison, chief politicalconsultant of the NDFP negotiating panel, if the Philip-pines borrows from China such large amounts in such ashort time, it will become a “debt slave” to China. In ad-dition, its “build-build-build” program will siphon theneeded funds and resources needed for national indus-trialization.

There will come a time, Sison said, when China willdemand the Philippine surrender of its sovereign and ex-clusive rights to the islands and formations in the SouthChina Sea in exchange for loan payments. Even now, theDuterte regime's minions have already offered theseterritories for joint explorations. Duterte is also silenton China's militarization of Philippine islands and reefsin the area, including the latest installation of rocketlaunchers in the Kagitingan islands.

In addition, it is not far-fetched that China will keepthe Philippines as a producer of raw materials and semi-processed manufactures to supply its own industries.What China has touted as “zones of economic coopera-tion” it has built in other countries (especially in Africa)are actually labor enclaves for the processing of raw

materials. These zones serve as dumping ground forChina's excess heavy machinery, steel and consumerproducts, and at the same time, produce commoditiesfor export to countries which have stringent standardsfor Chinese products, such as the US and countries inEurope. Other enclaves produce manufactures that areexported back to China for the final stage of production.In Asia, this arrangement is under the framework ofbuilding its Factory Asia.

As such, the Philippines can be kept as a mere con-sumer of Chinese products and manufactures that willbloat its trade deficit, and will eventually need moreloans to pay off, Sison said. In addition, the Philippineshas already numerous bad experiences in trading withChina, including the overpriced NBN-ZTE deal under theUS-Arroyo regime and the purchase of substandardtrain coaches under the US-Aquino regime. Chinesecompanies involved with the Duterte regime are knownfor being involved in big corruption cases.

Sison raised his views to ensure that the Filipinopeople's rights and interests are respected and that thebest deals based on mutual respect, non-interferenceand mutual benefit will be achieved.

CASER should come before ceasefire—Sison

The NDFP cannot agree to any prolonged or indefinite ceasefire beforethe signing of the Comprehensive Agreement on Socio-economic Re-

forms and the amnesty and release of the political prisoners.Jose Maria Sison, Chief Political

Consultant of the NDFP for thepeace talks, reiterated this standwhich he had already explained inthe fourth round of the peace talkslast April.

At the last round of talks, theNDFP and the GRP signed an agree-ment to agree on a ceasefire assoon as the guidelines and groundrules are agreed upon. “The GRPwill no longer be interested in theaccelerated negotiation of CASERafter getting first a prolonged andindefinite kind of ceasefire,” he ad-ded. Sison also stressed that socio-economic reforms include agrarianreform, national industrialization,wise utilization of the environment,and people’s rights to free socialservices, among others.

NDFP and GRP teams held bilat-eral meetings on the CASER and theceasefire in the Philippines during

the last week of April until the firstweek of May. This was held to sortout and arrange the contentious is-sues between the respective draftsto accelerate the coming talks.

In this connection, Fidel Ag-caoili, NDFP chief negotiator,slammed the illegal arrest of NDFPconsultant Rommel Salinasin Gango, Ozamis City,Misamis Occidental.This is a clear violationof the Joint Agreementon Safety and Im-munity Guarantees.Salinas was arres-ted on May

11 despite showing his ID as NDFPconsultant number #ND978453.

With Salinas were Bishop CarloMorales of the Iglesia Filipina In-dependiente, the latter’s wife,teacher Ma. Teofilina Morales, anddriver Isadome Dalid. Salinas andMorales were charged with illegalpossession of explosives based onplanted evidence.

Rev. Jonash Joyohoy, GeneralGovernor of the National Priest

Organization, condemnedthe arrest as harass-ment and persecutionof churchpeople whoare working for the

liberation of thepeople and he

called on his

May 21 , 2017 ANG BAYAN6

Balikatan 2017 commences under Duterte

BALIKATAN 2017 pushed through last May 8-19 despite GRP PresidentRodrigo Duterte's previous stance against it. "Despite declarations of an 'in-dependent foreign policy' by the Duterte regime, US military presence in thecountry remains pervasive," declared the Communist Party of the Philippineson the "Balikatan" joint military exercises between American and AFP sol-diers.

The military exercises of thetwo armed forces were set to beheld in the provinces of Samar,Panay, Nueva Ecija, Isabela, Auroraand Cagayan. This is the first Ba-likatan under the Duterte regimeand among the scheduled 257 milit-ary exercises between the US andthe AFP. The pro-US officials insideDuterte's government prevailed tocontinue the military exercises con-trary to the latter's declarationslast October 2016 that he will putan end to these.

Participating in the Balikatanare 2,600 American troops andmore than 2,800 AFP soldierscarrying out so-called "human-itarian assistance and disasterresponse" and also exerciseson "counter-terror-ism" in the saidprovinces. Theseconceal the US milit-ary's aim to morefirmly establish foot-hold in the Philippinesamid the Duterte re-gime's efforts to establishcloser military and economiclinks with China. Duterteshifted the "Balikatan" exer-cises on "territorial defense"and "maritime security" fromthe South China Sea in order not toprovoke China.

However, the joint US and Phil-ippine naval maneuvers like the onecarried out in Calayan island inCagayan last May 16, seek to rein-force US military presence in thePhilippine eastern seaboard. Atpresent, the AFP pushes for theconstruction of a naval base for the

US in Casiguran, Aurora. This willreinforce the military facilities builtby the US in Guiuan, Eastern Samarsince 2013, and likewise in NuevaEcija. These aim to impede Chinafrom its increasing presence ineastern Philippines or the PacificOcean.

US military bases and facilitiesare also being constructed in Clarkand Subic, Palawan, Cebu, Cagayande Oro, Zamboanga City and others.The Duterte regime has so far failedto carry out steps to abrogate sev-eral unequal military treatiesbetween the Philippines and US.

The Enhanced De-fense CooperationAgreement, VisitingForces Agreementand the Mutual De-fense Treaty all serveto further US milit-ary interventionism.

In any case,the "Balikatan"exercises, as wellas China's incur-sions into Philip-pine territory, areboth violative ofnational sover-eignty and will face

firm opposition. Onlya few weeks earlier, three Chinesenaval ships docked at the SasaWharf in Davao City. This move byChina, including its patrolling ofPhilippine territorial seas andbuilding spree of military facilitiesin and around the Spratlys, areparallel to the projection of militarymight and extension of reach byrival imperialist US.

congregation to “take all oppor-tunities to expose and denouncethe evils unleashed by PNP andAFP. In whatever forms imaginable,these evils must be stopped,” hesaid.

Salinas is the third consultantto be arrested since the start of thepeace talks. Still imprisoned arePromencio Cortez, who was arres-ted on February 9, in Baguio City,and Ferdinand Castillo who was ar-rested February 12 in CaloocanCity.

There are also several cases ofharassment against other consult-ants. On May 9, obvious militaryagents on motorcycles tailed Benitoand Wilma Tiamzon after they vis-ited the peasant campout in Men-diola. They noticed the surveillancefor the third time since Januarywhen they arrived from The Neth-erlands. Last April 24, CordilleraDay, soldiers at a checkpoint on aBalbalan highway were looking forKennedy Bangibang, another con-sultant. It has also been reportedthat the AFP Eastern Mindanao hasreleased a shoot-to-kill orderagainst Pedro Codaste, and thereare also plans to abduct PorferioTuna Jr.

On the other hand, DefenseSecretary Delfin Lorenzana againshowed his interference when hespoke at the Regional Peace andOrder Council meeting in DavaoCity that if he were to decide, hewould rather stop the peace nego-tiations with the communist rebels,since the NPA is not stopping itsoffensives. It is clear to the revolu-tionary movement that the NPA hasthe right to engage in active self-defense and defend the people inthe face of brutal AFP and NPA at-tacks even as the peace talks con-tinue.

The fourth round of the seriesof peace talks will resume on May27 to June 22 in Noordwijk AanZee, The Netherlands.

ANG BAYAN May 21 , 2017 7

“Junta” joke not funny—CPP

The Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) is not amused by Pres.Rodrigo Duterte’s joke that his “junta” would be complete with the ap-

pointment of another retired military official in his Cabinet.

“Duterte's joke must beseverely criticized. It smacks ofcontempt of the hardships, oppres-sion and military abuses which theFilipino people were subjected tounder the 1972-86 military dictat-orship of Marcos and his militaryand police clique, as well as underthe successive AFP oplan wars ofsuppression from Oplan LambatBitag up to the current OplanKapayapaan,” the CPP said.

Duterte’s appointment of Pal-paran-trained Gen. Eduardo Año,current Chief-of-Staff of the AFPand former Philippine Army com-mander, last May 15 as secretary ofthe Department of Interior andLocal Government is a “shamelessact against the thousands of vic-tims of hisreign of terror.By heading theDILG, he is setto further en-rich himselfthrough bur-eaucrat capit-alist corrup-tion, as he hasdone in themilitary,” CPPadded.

Año is no-torious for hisdirty methodsof suppression,such as his in-volvement inthe abductionand disap-pearance ofJonas Burgos in2007, and theillegal arrestsand killings ofLumads in Pa-quibato and

other places in Mindanao when heheaded the 10th ID in 2014-15.

Two days prior, Duterte ap-pointed former AFP chief-of-staffGen. Roy Cimatu to the DENR toreplace Gina Lopez. Cimatu is oneof the principal implementers of theArroyo regime’s violent OplanBantay Laya, especially extra-judi-cial killings of anti-mining activists.He initiated the formation of the"investment defense force", specialAFP units funded by mining com-panies.

There are now no less than 27former military officials occupyingkey positions, which comprise thebiggest clique within the Duterteregime. They bear the fascist mili-tary orientation and are pro-US

NPA-EV military actions in

response to US

"THE NEW People's Army-EasternVisayas' (NPA-EV) more than 14offensives are in defense of thepeople against the US and its milit-arist stooges in the Duterte gov-ernment." Thus stated Fr. Santiago"Ka Sanny" Salas, spokesperson forthe NDF-EV, in connection with Ba-likatan's conclusion in the region.He added that these likewise upholdnational sovereignty and demo-cracy.

NDF-EV's statement is also inrelation to the resumption of thefifth round of the NDFP-GRP peacetalks. Fr. Salas criticized the milit-arists' influence on the talks andtheir moves to force a ceasefireagreement which would lead to theeventual surrender of the revolu-tionary forces. He asserted that thematter of any ceasefire agreementshould only be brought about inconnection with the release of allpolitical prisoners and the signing ofthe CASER.

Alongside this, progressive or-ganizations in EV staged a protestaction against Balikatan. Spear-headed by Bayan-Sinirangan Bisa-yas, national democratic organiza-tions marched along Rizal Avenue inTacloban City last May 12 to de-clare their opposition to the "Ba-likatan" and demand the expulsionof US troops from the region andthe country. Balikatan was held inOrmoc, Leyte and Guiuan, EasternSamar.

According to the group's state-ment, exercises on "humanitarianassistance and disaster response"conceal the US objective to condi-tion the people's minds to accede totheir basing in the Philippines. Forits part, the alliance of calamityvictims People Surge said that "aid"from the US cannot redress its vi-olation of the country's nationalsovereignty.

May 21 , 2017 ANG BAYAN8

MARBAI successfully reclaims landfrom LFC

AT THE third attempt, peasant members of Madaum Agrarian Reform Bene-ficiaries Inc. (MARBAI) successfully claimed their lands from LapandayFoods Corporation in Madaum, Tagum City last May 18.

Together with 5,000 farmersfrom different towns, supportersand officials from the Departmentof Agrarian Reform (DAR), thegroup marched from Madaum Gymtowards the gate of the plantationto press for their right to land.

Lapanday security guards metand taunted the farmers, saying,‘Welcome to dying field, you arefree to enter.’ The guards declinedto open the gates citing theirsupposed job to prevent anyonefrom entering the plantation.

LFC also hired an additional800 guards to stop the farmersand their supporters. They evenset up booby traps and threatenedan armed confrontation even if it isagainst the government.

Peasants had to forcibly takedown the barricades to enter theplantation.

During the program, leaders ofMARBAI congratulated their mem-bers and supporters and ex-pressed gratitude to DAR Secret-ary Rafael Mariano in his solidaritywith the farmers to ensure theirinstallation to their lands.

According to the Ugnayan ngManggagawa sa Agrikultura(UMA), it was the mass of peasants

who persevered to achieve victory.Because of their persistence duringthe campout and after the dialoguewith Duterte, a task force was setup, led by DAR to finally reclaimtheir land. Even the local policeforce was compelled to assistthem.

Their victory will serve as in-spiration for farmers who had beenrobbed of their lands by landlordsthrough agribusiness venturesagreements paving the way forlarge banana plantations and otherproducts for export.

Since last year, members ofMARBAI have attempted severaltimes to take back their lands butthey had been dispersed, harassedand threatened by Lapanday'sprivate goons. The company andlocal police officials disregardedDAR’s order. Because of this, morethan 200 members of Marbaitrooped to Manila last April 20 andset up camp in Mendiola, in frontof Malacañang, from May 2 untilMay 13. Duterte visited the cam-pout last May 9 and pledged tosupport their struggle. They re-turned to Tagum City in time toprepare for their mobilization todecisively reclaim their lands.

zealots who follow US imperialistdirection. These past severalmonths, former military officials likeDefense Secretary Delfin Lorenzanaand National Security Adviser Her-mogenes Esperon have been themost virulent against the peace ne-gotiations.

This prompted Jose Maria Sis-on, NDFP chief political consultant,to declare that the said junta can be“a threat at the expense of thepeace negotiations, the people andMr. Duterte himself…He must re-member that Gen. Fidel V. Ramosturned against his second cousinMarcos. And Gen. Angelo Reyes alsoturned against his compadre,Joseph Estrada.”

The dominance of the militaryclique, combined with Duterte'sauthoritarian rhetoric, raises thelevel of impunity of military forcesin the conduct of their campaigns ofsuppression, and a new wave of at-tacks against activists, advocates ofthe interests of the toiling massesand defenders of the country's en-vironment and patrimony.

There will be worsening all-outcampaign of aerial bombings andshelling of rural communities wherepeople have actively struggled forgenuine land reform and resistedlandgrabbing by big landlords, min-ing companies and big plantations.

The pro-US clique will ensureimperialist policies againstDuterte’s independent foreignpolicy declarations, to the extent ofremoving him from power if the USdecides that he poses a threat totheir control.

The number of appointedformer military and police officersin the Duterte government are al-most as many as the six appointedto the Ramos cabinet (Barbers,Abat, Aguirre, Yan, Alunan, Enrile)and four to the Arroyo cabinet (Er-mita, Ebdane, Reyes, Mendoza).One hundred former military of-ficers were in the Ramos govern-ment and 51 in Arroyo’s.

ANG BAYAN May 21 , 2017 9

No respite from violence in the Duterte regime

Under the Duterte regime, reactionary troops relentlessly wagedestruction upon peasants and indigenous people in the countryside,

likewise against human rights advocates. Bombings, killings, abduction, illegalarrests and other brutalities continue to be perpetrated by the state to sup-press the resistance of the people.

Davao City. In Calinan District,the AFP launched aerial bombingsfor two successive days, coordin-ated with 3rd IB combat operationson the ground. The violence of the3rd IB soldiers began on May 5 inSitio Cabagtukan, Brgy. Dominga inCalinan. That same day, one resid-ent was gunned down by the sol-diers. The next day, bombings byAFP helicopters began.

The AFP again conductedbombings the next day, May 7,around 7 a.m. A resident with fam-ily name Lascuna was mauled by the

soldiers. At least six bombs weredropped by the AFP in the com-munity. In addition, RodolfoDagahuya, 33, a farmer, was killedwhen 3rd IB soldiers relentlesslyfired upon his house.

Some 990 residents in seven si-tios in Brgy. Dominga were affectedby the bombing and rampage of the3rd IB. This prompted the residentsto evacuate, but soldiers barredthem from leaving. One barangayofficial was threatened by a soldierwho accused him of being an NPAmember.

According to some residents,they cannot return to their fields toattend to their farm animals and goon with production. They were ableto take along only a few items andfood is very scarce.

Maguindanao. Almost 5,000residents from the towns of DatuSaudi Ampatuan and Shariff Aguakwere forced to flee from their com-munities due to bombings and AFPoperations. The AFP wrought thedisaster on this town on May 8,when reactionary troops launchedoperations against the BangsamoroIslamic Freedom Fighters.

Batangas. The Scout Rangersare serving as instruments of thebig bourgeois comprador RamonAng in evicting the residents of

End to RCEP negotiations demanded

THE PEOPLE Over Profit Network held a picket in Manilalast May 10 to demand the halt of the 18th series of ne-gotiations for the Regional Comprehensive EconomicPartnership (RCEP). The following day, the group, alongwith Bayan, went to Mendiola to criticize the Duterteregime's hosting of the negotiations and warn about theagreement's subsequent destruction. People Over ProfitNetwork is composed of progressive organizations ofpeasants, workers and professionals.

According to the group, the Philippines does notneed the RCEP. What the people need are land, sup-port services from the government, living wage andprotection from foreign monopoly corporations. TheRCEP will only bring about further destruction to thelocal economy because this institutionalizes neoliberalpolicies which have long devastated the people.

Negros farmers protest

FARMERS UNDER the National Federation of SugarWorkers, Pamalakaya, Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinasand National Network of Agrarian Reform Advocateslaunched a protest action last May 10 in Escalante City,Negros Occidental.

The rallyists marched to the office of the Departmentof Agrarian Reform to protest the snail-paced processingof the Hacienda Felomina case in Escalante. Because ofthis, the hacienda owner is able to plot the eviction of thefarmers. The protesters stood firm that they will not leavetheir farms since these are the source of food for theirfamilies. They demand land, food and justice.

Seized land reclaimed by the Lumad

THROUGH LAND occupation in Sitio Saboy, Brgy. Lunen,Tupi, South Cotabato, around 70 Lumad families fromfour clans successfully reclaimed last May 3 part of theancestral land stolen from them for many decades. TheLumads come from the Aksasato Dad Blaan n' Tboli.They are reclaiming at least 125 hectares.

Tupi Mayor Reynaldo Tamayo, Jr. negotiated withthe Lumads who came with their farm implements, indi-genous weapons, and posters made of sacks bearingtheir stand “To grab our lands is to kill us!”

100th day of HTI fire commemorated

PAMANTIK-KMU launched a protest action last May 12to commemorate the 100th day of the fire that guttedthe HTI factory. The group lambasted the Cavite pro-vincial government’s silence regarding the tragedy thatbeset the workers. Oliver De Guia of Pamantik-KMU saidthat Gov. Crispin Remulla even served as HTI spokes-person in saying that no worker was killed and that only126 were wounded. In truth, 1,328 workers are still un-accounted for up to the present.

Pamantik-KMU urged the workers to expose the realevents that transpired inside HTI.

Likewise, family-members and workers of Kentexcommemorated the second year of the fire that hit theslippers factory, killing 72 workers. Justice for KentexWorkers Alliance and Kilos na Manggagawa assailed theschemes of the Kentex management to divide the ranksof the workers and evade any accountability.

May 21 , 2017 ANG BAYAN10

zealots who follow US imperialistdirection. These past severalmonths, former military officials likeDefense Secretary Delfin Lorenzanaand National Security Adviser Her-mogenes Esperon have been themost virulent against the peace ne-gotiations.

This prompted Jose Maria Sis-on, NDFP chief political consultant,to declare that the said junta can be“a threat at the expense of thepeace negotiations, the people andMr. Duterte himself…He must re-member that Gen. Fidel V. Ramosturned against his second cousinMarcos. And Gen. Angelo Reyes alsoturned against his compadre,Joseph Estrada.”

The dominance of the militaryclique, combined with Duterte'sauthoritarian rhetoric, raises thelevel of impunity of military forcesin the conduct of their campaigns ofsuppression, and a new wave of at-tacks against activists, advocates ofthe interests of the toiling massesand defenders of the country's en-vironment and patrimony.

There will be worsening all-outcampaign of aerial bombings andshelling of rural communities wherepeople have actively struggled forgenuine land reform and resistedlandgrabbing by big landlords, min-ing companies and big plantations.

The pro-US clique will ensureimperialist policies againstDuterte’s independent foreignpolicy declarations, to the extent ofremoving him from power if the USdecides that he poses a threat totheir control.

The number of appointedformer military and police officersin the Duterte government are al-most as many as the six appointedto the Ramos cabinet (Barbers,Abat, Aguirre, Yan, Alunan, Enrile)and four to the Arroyo cabinet (Er-mita, Ebdane, Reyes, Mendoza).One hundred former military of-ficers were in the Ramos govern-ment and 51 in Arroyo’s.

Militarization victimizes Lumads in Sultan Kudarat and Bukidnon

Calatagan.On May 10, some 100 soldiers

launched operations in Brgy. Hukayto abuse the peasants and fisherfolk who are strongly fighting Ang’sseizure of their land. In the afore-mentioned operation, four civilianswere held at gunpoint by the sol-diers. Ang attempted to grab the2,300-hectare land for his AsturiasMining Corporation.

Cavite. The state also contin-ues to support Henry Sy’s attemptsto grab peasants’ and fisher folk’sland in Brgy. Patungan, Maragon-don. On May 12, the court issuedorders to demolish more than 300households to give way to Sy’s tour-ism project. This covers 602 hec-tares of prime agricultural land thatserve as the residents’ source oflivelihood. The said project will alsoseize abundant fishing grounds ofresidents in Brgy. Patungan and ad-jacent areas.

In response, the residents andtheir supporters organized a"Bantayan at Kampuhan" to resistthe demolition.

Compostela Valley. The picketline of Shin Sun Tropical Fruit Corp.workers in Brgy. San Miguel, Com-postela was attacked last May 15.This was after Judge Jill Rose

Jaugan-Lo of the Regional TrialCourt Branch 14 issued orders tobreak up the line and arrest 13 uni-on officers. The case is already withthe Department of Labor and Em-ployment so the court no longer hasjurisdiction over this.

A hundred elements of the com-bined forces of PNP CompostelaValley and the 66th IB attempted tobreak up the workers’ picket line.

In other provinces, the statecontinues to attack activists andtheir families. In Batangas, ele-ments of the PNP-CIDG Region 4A,Philippine Air Force and Intelli-gence Service of the AFP illegallyarrested Jacquiline Alog on May 3.Alog was a former member of theKarapatan-ST regional council andpresently Gabriela-ST volunteer.She was arrested after attendingthe wake of a relative. Trumped-upcharges had been filed against herin the past, together with 71 otheractivists. It was only a day aftershe was arrested when Alog wasshown a warrant of arrest based ontrumped-up charges. The day themilitary was searching for Jacquil-ine, her brother-in-law RoderickAlog was also arrested in his housein San Carlos, Pangasinan.

In Bohol, men believed to be

soldiers of 47th IB and ISAFP ab-ducted a student, Rey AntonOlayvar, 21, son of peasant leaderAdolfo Olayvar on May 8, around 7p.m. He was taken away in a van butwas able to escape at a stop, andwas assisted by farmers in the area.

The Olayvars are activists inBohol. Adolfo is presently an officerof the Hugpong sa Mag-uumangBol-anon (HUMABOL-KMP) andstaff of the Farmers DevelopmentCenter (FARDEC). Rey Anton’smother Regina had been abductedby military agents in 2008. Mean-while, his uncle Victor Olayvar, whowas once a leader of HUMABOL andBayan, was a victim of extra-judi-cial killing under the Macapagal-Arroyo regime.

In Quezon, 69 members of aKarapatan-led fact-finding missionin Lopez were surrounded andthreatened by AFP soldiers of theSouthern Luzon Command last May10. The group was on its way to Si-tio Alat-alatin, Brgy. San Franciscoto investigate the military’s humanrights violations in the area. Thesoldiers took pictures of the area’sresidents and illegally detained afarmer, Ruel Segui, for severalhours.

Elements of the Marine Battalion Landing Team-2 andpolice personnel terrorized groups delivering reliefgoods to Dulangan Manobo evacuees in Sitio Blanga,Brgy. Nalilidan, Kalamansig, Sultan Kudarat last May 18.The military, police and the local government headed byMayor Ronan Garcia connived in denying the evacueesmuch needed help and support.

Around 1,000 Dulangan Manobos have evacuatedsince last May 12 due to the continuing militarization oftheir communities. This came after an encounter lastMay 10 between the New People's Army (NPA) and sol-diers who were assisted by the security force of DavidM. Consunji Incorporated (DMCI), the biggest plundererin the area.

The National Democratic Front-Far South Mindanaostrongly condemned the collusion of the local govern-ment with the military and their servility to the interestsof DMCI. Intensified military operations in Sultan

Kudarat have been ongoing since March. These haveresulted in the hamletting and food blockade of 11 com-munities in three of Kalamansig's villages. Alongsidethese are gross violations of the residents' human rightssuch as illegal detention, coercion and destruction ofproperties.

In Bukidnon, up to 50 Lumad families were evictedfrom their communities as a result of the militarizationby the AFP and the paramilitary group Alamara in thelast week of April until the start of May.

In San Fernando, 24 Tigwahanon families wereforced to leave their homes in Sitio Salumpikit, Brgy.Bunacao last April 23, when the 60th IB launched oper-ations following an encounter with an NPA unit nearby.According to the residents, soldiers ransacked theirhomes purportedly in search of Red fighters. UgsalayLagundong's house was also fired at with M203 grenade.

This forced around 99 residents to evacuate to the

ANG BAYAN May 21 , 2017 11

barangay center taking with them only a few of their be-longings. It took two days since their evacuation beforeofficials from the local government visited them, butonly to prod them to return to their communities despitethe dangers.

Fearing the 60th IB's retaliation, the Tigwahanonsagain evacuated, this time from the barangay to theprovincial capitol in Malaybalay City last May 1. There,they set up a protest camp to demand assistance fromthe local government.

Meanwhile, 25 Umayamnon families evacuated lastMay 4 from the sitios of San Vicente, Saloringan, Mahin-aga and Tagbacan in Brgy. Cananga-an in Cabanglasan.They too, went to the capitol in Bukidnon because ofthreats from the Alamara, the paramilitary group con-trolled by the AFP.

Headed by Sammy Diwangan, the Alamara accusedthe Umayamnon datus as the ones behind the recent NPAattacks against the Alamara. The group threatened thedatus that they will be killed along with their families.

The Umayamnons asked the mayor of Cabanglasan

to mediate on the Alamara's harassment. But on thedesignated day of dialogue last April 20, only the armedmen of the Alamara led by Diwangan and the Delamancebrothers arrived. Because of this, around 100 Umayam-nons were forced to flee to safety.

Meanwhile, seven more Umayamnon families whowere to join the evacuees were blocked by Diwangan'sgroup at the marketplace of Centro Iba, Cabanglasan.The Alamara terrorized the evacuees and confiscatedtheir belongings. Despite this, and the standing warrantof arrest against Diwangan, the police and the localgovernment unit of Cabanglasan took no action.

In connection with this, the group Katribu filed aformal complaint with the NDFP-GRP Joint MonitoringCommittee against the AFP. The filing of charges wasdone at the same time that the United Nations is con-ducting its Universal Periodic Review of Human Rights inthe Philippines. According to Katribu, the AFP brazenlyviolates the CARHRIHL most especially with its continu-ing counterinsurgency operations which targets indi-genous people's communities all over the country.

PLGA ambushes kill 37 paramilitary forces in India

Thirty seven (37) members of the Central Reserve Police Forces (CRPF), aparamilitary group funded and ran by the Indian reactionary state, were

killed in two successful ambushes by the People’s Liberation Guerrilla Army(PLGA) of the Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-M) this March-April.

An ambush occurred in theChintagufa-Burkapal border inSukma, Bastar in Chhattisgarh statelast April 24 where 25 paramilitaryforces were killed. The PLGA seized22 high-powered rifles (including 13AK and five INSAS rifles), up to4,000 rounds of ammunitions andother military materiél.

Prior to this, on March 11, thePLGA raided another CRPF detach-ment in Bheji, Sukma where 12paramilitary forces were killed. Onboth occasions, the PLGA used indi-genous firearms, such as the Ramboarrow (an arrow with a small ex-plosive on the tip) to drive theforces away from their camps anddefeat them in open battle.

According to the spokespersonof the Danda Karanya Special ZonalCommittee of the CPI-M, both am-bushes were punishments for theabusive paramilitary forces whichcarry out widespread abuse and ex-

ploitation of women in the area.These attacks are in retaliation, indefense and to defeat the anti-people policies and carry forwardthe people's struggles; in particular,the Bheji and Chintagufa-Burkapalambushes are in defense of, andrespect for the indigenous women'sdignity.

CPRF forces are deployed onthe said towns to provide securityfor road construction companies inthe area. According to the DK-SZC, these roads are beingbuilt mainly in areaswhere the revolution-ary army is present.They serve infacilitating the extrac-tion of raw materials andexploitation of the masses,as well as transportation ofstate security forces to thesaid areas.

At present, there are 118

battalions or 120,000 forces de-ployed in Chhattisgarh to defeatthe revolutionary forces. They sowterror among the people, particularamong the Adivasi or indigenouspeoples. They drive away the Adi-vasis from the forests to pave theway for the entry of big foreigncompanies intent on mining, loggingor constructing mega dams. Therape and exploitation of Adivasi

women areamong theirmost heinouscrimes.