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Cojuangco-Aquino family intimidated, deceived andbribed the peasants and farm workers of HaciendaLuisita to make it appear that their long-drawn StockDistribution Option (SDO) gimmick enjoyed wide-spread support, thus enabling them to continueavoiding the distribution of the hacienda land. Aqui-

no feigned a hands-off policy regardingthis scheme. But he has only suc-

ceeded in demonstrating his lackof intention to advance genuine

land reform whether in Haci-enda Luisita or other estatesin the country.He has paved the way for

further US intervention in ex-change for political, military, eco-

nomic and financial support from the

US. He is in favor of allout counterrevolutionary

US military intervention in thePhilippines and utilizing the coun-

try as a base for US military domina-tion in Southeast Asia and the

Pacific region. Aquino also fa-vors the permanent presence of

US combat troops in the country. He hasnot fulfilled his pledge to take up the issue of

the Visiting Forces Agreement in meeting withUS Pres. Barack Obama.

Despite his statements on peace, he hasnot shown any serious interest in conduct-ing formal peace talks with the National

Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP).

This issueshighlights...

Grand imperialistdeception PAGE 3

Pandering to foreigninterests at thepeoples expense PAGE 7

5 peasant leaders slainPAGE 11

Pahayagan ng Partido Komunista ng PilipinasPinapatnubayan ng Marxismo-Leninismo-Maoismo ANG

English EditionVol. XLI No. 19

October 7, 2010www.philippinerevolution.net

Editorial

B enigno Aquino III's much-vaunted agenda of change has lost its appeal among the people.After 100 days in power, his government is fastbecoming exposed as a puppet regime that is no dif-ferent from previous reactionary regimes. In the faceof a series of issues that ex-ploded during Aquino's first100 days in Malacaang, hisregime's pro-imperialist, elitist,shallow, inutile, militarist and rottento the core character is becoming evi-dent to the people.

In accordance with a US-brokered agreement betweenAquino and Gloria Arroyo,the current regime has notshown any seriousness inprosecuting Arroyo for her myriad

crimes against the people. Aquinopromised this to court mass support,but up to now, the only thing hehas done is to form theTruth Commission asan investigativebody. The commis-sion now faces several legal andother impediments. This pro-vides Arroyo and her cohorts awide berth to come up with legal, po-litical and other maneuvers toevade prosecution and punish-ment.

One month after theirclan's ascent to power, the

Repudiate the US-Aquino regime

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Ang Bayan is published fortnightly by the Central Committeeof the Communist Party of the Philippines

Ang Bayan is published in Pilipino,Bisaya, Iloko, Hiligaynon, Waray andEnglish editions.

It is available for downloading atthe Philippine Revolution Web Central located at:

www.philippinerevolution.net Ang Bayan welcomes contributions

in the form of articles and news.Readers are likewise enjoined to sendin their comments and suggestions forthe betterment of our publication. Youcan reach us by email at:

[email protected]

Vol. XLI No. 19 October 7, 2010

ContentsEditorials

Repudiate the US-Aquino regime 1Imperialist deception 3

Philippines for sale 5 Jueteng rooted in rottenness of society 6Water rates hiked 6QC-CBD: Boon to foreigners, bane to the people 7Demolition halted 8

Education budget suffers further cuts 9Victorious tactical offensives

1003rd Brigade punished 10

8th ID victories belied 10

Fascist state on a rampage5 peasant leaders slain 1180 days, 8,000 victims 12

Protest for land reform 12

ANG

2 ANG BAYAN October 7, 2010

Instead, he has demanded aceasefire as a precondition forany talks, in violation of The HagueJoint Declaration and other agree-ments. His security and military of-ficials are currently preoccupiedwith their local peace talksscheme which involves nothingmore than the reactionary govern-ment talking to its own shadow.

Aquino's hands are stained inblood with his orders to extend theprevious regime's OBL terroristcampaign even as he readies hisown version of this counterinsur-gency (COIN) operational plan. TheUS-Aquino regime turns a deaf earto the people's widespread grievan-ces against rampant injustice and

violations of human rights. At least16 activists have been killed byarmed agents of the state sinceAquino came to power. The Morong43 are still in detention despite theflimsy case that has been filedagainst them and in the face of widespread calls in the country andworldwide for their immediate re-lease. At least 388 other political prisoners continue to languish in

jails and military camps nation-

wide.The US-Aquino regime's nation-

al budget for 2011 is counterrevo-lutionary, neoliberal, mendicantand antipeople. It allocates thebiggest portion to debt service andpractically doubles the budget of the Armed Forces of the Philippines(AFP) to give further stress toCOIN. The Depart-ment of Social Wel-fare and Development(DSWD) received the hefti-est increase in accord-ance with the US'design to keep im-poverished countriesand peoples dependenton doleouts, andlikewise enablethe DSWD to

play a major role inCOIN. On the otherhand, government sub-sidies for farmersand rice consumersas well as other supportfor agriculture, public colleges anduniversities, government hospitalsand health programs for the poor,housing programs and legal sup-port for migrant workers and otherimportant economic and social

needs have all been slashed.The Aquino regime is giving a

massive push to the further dena-tionalization, privatization, liberal-ization and deregulation of thePhilippine economy. It is frenzied-ly selling strategic industries, pub-lic utilities and other businessesand resources to big foreign capi-

talists. Aquino's main con-cern during his US visit

was to sell to big capi-talists hundreds of billions of pesos

worth of privatiza-tion, invest-ment and com-

mercial projects inthe country that havebeen made more at-tractive through vari-

ous tax exemptionsand other privileges.The people are being made

to bear the brunt not only of the government's bankruptcy

and the losses incurred by its de-graded services, but also of thehigh cost of privatization.

Water companies servicing Met-ro Manila are set to hike their feesthis October and fares at the MetroRail Transit and Light Rail Transit

will also be raised in November, all in a bid to make them more lucra-tive and attractive to prospectiveinvestors.

Contrary to one of Aquino'scampaign promises, his regime ison the lookout for opportunities toimpose new taxes on the people. Ithad planned on collecting the 12%VAT on toll fees on expressways,but was stymied by intense opposi-tion to the move and cases filed bythe people in court.

The country and the entireworld were witness to Aquino andhis administration's grave incom-petence during the hostage-takingcrisis in Manila on August 23. Fromstart to finish, the incident was ademonstration of failure and disor-ganization that culminated in thedeath of eight foreign tourists as

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3ANG BAYAN October 7, 2010

well as the hostage-taker. It thor-oughly exposed the rottennessand incompetence of the rulingsystem and the Aquino adminis-tration. An investigative commit-tee has recommended filing theappropriate charges against atleast ten police and governmentofficials, but has nonethelessfaied to zero in on Aquino's ac-countability.

Aquino has appointed corruptofficials to his cabinet and otherhigh-ranking positions. These aremostly payback for political debts,especially for the huge amountsinvested in his electoral cam-paign. He has turned a blind eyeto the glaring cases these officials

are embroiled in, among them theillegal numbers game jueteng. Hehas defended the guilty and ma-ligned those who have exposedthem. These controversies haveexposed the factional conflictswithin his government and under-scored the fractiousness and dirtypolitical maneuvers, the infirmi-ties of the executive and Aquino'sfailure to govern.

Aquino's demonstrated pro-im-

perialist, pro-landlord and anti-people stance in these issues por-tends even greater suffering forthe masses of the Filipino peoplein the remaining years of the US-Aquino regime. Now that the emp-tiness of Aquino's promises andthe shallowness of his political gimmickry are being exposed oneafter the other, the people haveno recourse but to wage revolu-tionary and militant struggle todefend and advance their inter-ests.

The people will surely rise toresist and repudiate the rotten-ness of the US-Aquino regime andthe entire ruling semicolonial andsemifeudal system that has beenoppressing and condemning thecountry and the Filipino people tosuffering. ~

Grand imperialistdeception

Editorial

T he United Nations set in the year 2000 the so-called MillenniumDevelopment Goals (MDG)eight targets purporting to resolvepoverty and concomitant global problems by 2015. Ten yearsafter, it is clear that the MDG has no other objective but to serve aswindow dressing for neoliberalism and cover up the brutal onslaught of imperialist globalization and aggression.

US imperialism put up the Mil-lennium Challenge Account (MCA)as its own instrument in pushingfor the MDG. The MCA is beingutilized to fund so-called poverty

alleviation programs as well asprojects to uplift the low qualityof life of people living in impover-ished countries. Such assistance isgranted on condition that thedonees implement the imperialistpolicies of privatization, liberali-zation and deregulation and donot default on their debts. It isthese same policiesthat the International Monetary Fund

and World Bank(IMF-WB) have

been pushing for decades.The MDG is now one of the in-

struments being used by imperial-ist countries to keep poor coun-tries backward, unindustrialized,

mendicant and subjugated.Through this, the imperialistsdeflect the people's attentionfrom the root causes of their pov-erty and shift it to shallow indica-tors of poverty and socio-econom-ic problems. Meantime, imperial-ists are able to continue withtheir plunder as they divert thepeople with such lofty targets.

Even as they give doleouts,monopoly capitalists further

tighten their hold on worldwidefood production and supply sys-tems. As it is in the Philippines,many countries are now depend-ent on food imports while the oldfeudal and semifeudal land mo-nopoly exists and foreign imperi-

alists alongwith theirlocal co-

conspiratorsin agribusiness,

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Eight points of deceptionT he imperialists through the United Nations set in 2000 the fol-lowing targets for countries to achieve by 2015. It is absurdthat the problems they purportedly want to resolve are the veryproblems that are being exacerbated by imperialist neoliberal poli-cies worldwide.

1. Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger2. Achieve universal primary education3. Promote gender equality and empower women4. Reduce child mortality rate5. Improve maternal health6. Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases7. Ensure environmental sustainability8. Develop a global partnership for development

changes in global climates andwreaking havoc on the lives of many peoples.

Mountains, bodies of water andentire land masses have been com-pletely destroyed by mining, log-ging and other plunderous opera-tions that are accompanied bywidespread abuse, brutality, evacu-

ations, destruction of liveli-hoods and other violations of the rights of the local popu-

lation.The MDG does not have

any genuine intention of solving poverty, hunger, wide-

spread dis-ease andcorruption.

It pays noheed to de-mands for so-

cial justice andbasic changes that the

progressive forces andpeople's movements have

been clamoring for worldwide.In fact, the MDG is nothingbut a grandiose scheme and

propaganda offensive of monopolycapitalism to halt the advance of the progressive forces and peopleagainst imperialist neoliberal glo-balization.

It covers up imperialist wars of aggression and the squandering of huge resources, the continued exis-tence of colonialism and neocolo-nialism and monopoly capitalistgreed which have condemned mostcountries and the majority of theworld's population to endlessbondage and oppression.

It is currently the duty of therevolutionary and progressive for-ces the world over to expose the

emptiness of this gradiose imperi-alist scheme that is the MDG. Theimpoverished peoples of the worldwho comprise the majority must bemade aware of this scheme, andtheir attention and actions focusedon the need for a decisive solutionto injustice and oppression whichare rooted in the rottenness of so-cieties ruled by imperialism.

In every corner of the globe,wherever are found the poor, thedeprived, the subjugated and op-pressed, revolutionary struggle andwidespread mass movements mustbe thoroughly advanced againstimperialism and reaction. Theremust be massive, allout and con-tinuing education, organizing andmobilization of the majority for na-tional and social liberation and all-rounded development. ~

mining and logging lord it over.Doleouts are provided for pri-

mary education but governmentsslash budgets for public educationas part of the austerity measuresdictated by the IMF-WB. World-wide, almost half of the youth of high school age are unable to go toschool. Simultaneously, the priva-tization and commercialization of education is being pushed. Schoolsare made to serve as molders of personnel whose skills are appro-priate to the needs of multination-al corporations.

Free health programs for moth-ers and infants are offered, butpublic hospitals and health servi-ces in general are allowed to go to

pot. In the name of guaranteeingintellectual property rights, im-perialist companies are able tomaintain atrociously high prices of medicines, thus depriving millionsof people of access to affordablemedicines. Almost nine millionchildren younger than five years of age die annually, mainly because of malnutrition, the spread of pre-ventable diseases and lackof clean water and sanita-

tion.Declarations

have beenmade on theneed to pro-tect the envi-ronment, butthe MDG is ut-terly uselessin the face of the destruc-tion wrought by mo-nopoly capitalistswhose only interest is toplunder and extract super-profits. Monopoly capital-ist companies in the fieldsof energy, manufacturing, transpor-tation, industrial agriculture, min-ing and construction, among oth-ers spew destructive chemicalswithout letup, causing dangerous

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L ike a businessman desperate to make a sale, Aquino declared in hisfive-day visit to the US that the Philippines is now open for busi-ness, as if this is the first time it has been so.


Aquino offered programs andprojects under his government'sPrivate-Public Partnership (PPP) toforeign investors at bargain-base-ment prices. He lured them by pro-viding tax incentives and variousother privileges. The PPP, saidAquino, will serve as the main en-gine in propelling the economy anda key factor in the fight againstpoverty.

Up to $17 billion worth of projects under the PPP were opened

by this regime of privatization toforeigners. Among them are projects for road and airport construc-tion, train systems, power genera-tion, water distribution, irrigationand construction of schoolbuild-ings. Ten of these projects worth$4.5 billion were auctioned off byAquino in the US. Aquino is alsoputting up for sale export process-ing zones, business process out-sourcing, tourism, mining, elec-

tronics, housing and agricultural projects.

Aquino also begged the Obamaregime to pass the Save Our Indus-tries Act and give preferential treatment to the Philippines espe-cially in the importation of gar-ments sewn in the Philippines outof US-made materials. Althoughgarments remain the Philippines'second biggest export, it has suf-fered a 67% drop from its peak in1960-70 and is now down to an in-come of less than a billion dollarsannually.

Although the achievementsclaimed by Aquino were no differ-ent from those of previous puppetsof US imperialism, he boasted up-on his arrival that a number of UScorporations had pledged $2.4 bil-lion worth of additional invest-

ments that would create43,000 new jobsin the next threeyears. He failed to mention thatmany of these had alreadybeen pledged in thepast. One exampleis AES Corporation'sadditional investments of up to $1billion next year in the Masinloccoal-fired plant in Pangasinan todouble its power-generating capac-ity. The pledge had actually already

been announced as early as 2007.Aquino also witnessed the sign-ing of the agreement to provide$434 million in assistance from theMillennium Challenge Corporationin the US, which in turn came fromthe US government's MillenniumChallenge Account (MCA).

The MCA provides aid on condi-tion that the recipient allows fur-ther US intervention in the coun-try's economy, politics and military,

including the implementation of COIN under US military guidance.Although MCC conditionalities donot explicitly mention their coun-terinsurgency character, MCA pro-grams and projects purposely focuson areas where the people's armedrevolutionary resistance is believedto be strong. In the Philippines,this is focused mainly in areaswhere the New People's Army issaid to be strong.

Two-hundred fourteen milliondollars ($214 million), almost half of the fund, has been allotted forthe construction and repair of a200-kilometer road network for thewhole of Samar island that will connect 15 municipalities. Theproject has been given priority be-cause the AFP claims that Samar isone of the islands where the NPA

Philippines for sale

maintains an expansive and con-solidated base, and which govern-ment forces find hard to traversebecause of the lack of roads. Thus,clearing the area and construct-ing a road network becomes crucial in implementing the counterinsur-gency program.

The Department of Social Wel-fare and Development (DSWD) hasalready been implementing the Ka-pitbisig Laban sa Kahirapan-Com-

prehensive and Integrated Deliveryof Social Services (KALAHI-CIDSS)in tandem with the AFP in targetbarrios to soften the locals forcoming military campaigns. TheAFP makes no bones about the KA-LAHI-CIDSS projects being part of efforts to neutralize areas wherethe NPA and CPP are strong.

Way back during the Arroyo re-gime, the MCC, Organisation forEconomic Cooperation and Devel-opment (OECD) and World Bank(WB) had already been supportingprograms combining poverty alle-viation and counterinsurgencyin the countryside. One of the mainprograms funded was KALAHI-CIDSS. At the start of October, theWB approved a $59.1 million loanto supplement funds for KALAHI-CIDSS. ~

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and its wide extent give juetengoperators a significant role in elec-tions and governance. No govern-ment official lasts in office withoutgetting involved in jueteng.

The revolutionary movementfights jueteng through painstakingorganizing, educating and con-ducting propaganda work amongthe people, raising their cultural level and carrying out agrarian rev-olution and other means of improv-ing the peoples livelihood. Theproblem is increasingly being

solved as revolutionary demo-cratic power replaces the old

rotten rule and as thepeoples politics andlivelihood develop inrevolutionary areas.

However, as jue-teng is systemic anddeeply rooted in so-

ciety, it can only be com-pletely eradicated in thecourse of revolutionary

struggle and the decisiveoverhaul of the rotten sys-

tem. ~

Jueteng rooted in rotten society

T he prevalence of jueteng nationwide is a recurring issue. It perme-ates all levels of society as it is abetted by corruption in the gov-ernment and the police. The Senate and the House of Representa-tives have conducted numerous inquiries into the issue where courageouswitnesses revealed the involvement of top police officers and officials inthe national and local governments.

Archbishop Oscar Cruz recentlydisclosed that some personalitiesclose to Benigno Aquino III receivemonthly payolas of `5-8 millionfrom jueteng operators. He re-vealed to the Senate that one of these officials is DILG Usec. EnricoPuno. He also revealed that Aquinocousin and top campaign contribu-tor Antonio Tonyboy Cojuangco

asked him to go easy on his ex-pos.The revelations of Archbishop

Cruz and other whistleblowers haveonce again cast the spotlight on

jueteng, demonstrating its wide-spread operation and how it bene-fits corrupt officials from the bot-tom to the top rungs of the bu-reaucracy at the expense of thepeople. Fearing its impact on hisgovernment, Aquino is trying in

vain to downplay the issue. He re-fused to sack Puno despite clearevidence of his involvement andhis offer to resign.

The prevalence and rampantoperation of jueteng reflect therottenness of the ruling social sys-tem. While it is illegal, the opera-tion of jueteng is untouchable be-cause of the deep involvement andbribery of government and policeofficials at different levels.

No good comes out of juetengand other forms of gambling. It islike opium to the poor. Jueteng op-erators exploit the peoples pover-ty and willingness to cash in oneven the most fleeting relief.

Its operation is systematicallylaid out and reaches the most re-mote villages. Dozens of bet col-lectors openly ply their trade in ev-

ery village. They are hundreds of thousands of unemployed findingemployment in jueteng.

Jueteng operations earn up to`38 billion annually. A system is inplace for the sharing of juetengmoney among bet collectors(kubrador), local group leaders(kabo) and lottery winnerdrawers (bolero) up to the

operators, the police andnational and local govern-ment leaders. PNP and DILGofficials receive up to `300million every year. Jue-teng operators are nowusing the Small TownLottery (STL) to cam-ouflage their illegal gambling operations.

The great numberof people involved in

jueteng operations

Water rates to be hiked anewM etro Manila residents will again have to bear the brunt of wa-ter rate increases this October. Starting October 9, a regularconsumer of the Manila Water Company will have to pay an addi-tional `0.10 per cubic meter while a Maynilad Water consumer will also have to pay for an additional `0.09 per cubic meter beginningOctober 10.

The water service companies justified the increases, saying that

the peso's value had inflated vis a vis the US dollar. They passed onto their consumers the resulting higher interest on their external debt.

Opposition to the new fee hikes is mounting as these compa-nies are known to have previously defrauded their consumers byprematurely increasing charges to raise capital for still unimple-mented projects. The projects include the rehabilitation and im-provement of Wawa Dam, Angat Dam and Laiban Dam; the LagunaLake Treated Bulk Water Project; and the Earthquake ContingencyProject. ~

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East and North Triangles and theVeterans Memorial Medical Centerfor the QC-CBD. It also included theQuezon Memorial Circle and partsof Quezon Avenue and the Univer-sity of the Philippines campus al-ready being leased to foreign com-panies.

Buildings for businesses,banks, residences, private officesand institutions, call centers andtourism are planned to be built atthe QC-CBD.

The QC-CBD will serve as aworld trade and business hub likethe Ayala Commercial Center andother commercial centers in the

country. It isprojected tobecome a

center of gravity inMetro Mani-la and at-tract broad

m a r k e t sowing toits strate-

gic loca-tion.

Big-com-prador and bu-reaucrat-capi-talist inter-ests. Big bour-geois com-pradors will benefit themost from theQC-CBD proj-ect. They in-clude the

7

The Quezon City-Central Business District project

Boon to foreigners, bane to the people

T he Quezon City-Central Business District or QC-CBD is an infrastruc-ture program being pushed by imperialist international banks totransform a strategic location in Quezon City into a commercial center for foreign and local capitalists. It is now aggressively beingpushed by the Aquino regime at the expense of urban poor residents inthe area who stand to lose their livelihoods.

Ayalas (Ayala Holdings Inc.) whohave bought a 29.1-hectare sec-tion of the North Triangle for `22.1billion. The Gokongwei family(Robinsons Land Corporation) hasacquired 15 hectares, while LucioTan is said to have invested `15billion for the QC-CBD. Henry Sy forhis part has been expanding his SMCity in the North Avenue area evenbefore the entry of the Ayalas andother big capitalists.

Construction firm New San JoseBuilders Inc. (NSJB) reaped its

share early, bagging a contractfrom the NHA to occupy the NorthTriangle area for `50 million. Ithas built a transport terminal and abatching plant without paying theNHA.

NSJB is owned by Jerry Acuzar,brother-in-law of Executive Secre-tary Paquito Jojo Ochoa, whowas then Quezon City administra-tor. Then city mayor Feliciano Bel-monte was a partner of NSJB in the

garbage collection business and al-so profited from the Quezon Cityhall sidewalk project. It is alsoNSJB that purchased the land inMontalban, Rizal where it builthouses for the relocation of theNorth Triangle residents.

Eviction of poor residents.The project is going to affect24,500 families in the area. Hous-es have already been demolishedand commercial establishments likethe Trinoma Mall at North Avenuehave been built here. The Metro-politan Manila Development Au-thority (MMDA) has carried out op-erations to clear the sidewalks inthe North and East Triangles.Meanwhile, the UP-Ayala Techno-hub was built in CommonwealthAvenue on part of the UP Dilimancampus despite opposition from

ANG BAYAN October 7, 2010

A World Bank plan. The WorldBank (WB) laid out the plan for theestablishment of the QC-CBD asearly as 2005. The WB also enlist-ed the Asian Development Bankand contracted Japans ALMECCorp. to complete and detail theplan. The projected cost of the

project then was $3 billion. In ex-change for WB funding, the bankshall have a direct hand in theproject by giving policy advice,technical assistance and invest-ment support.

Gloria Arroyo issued ExecutiveOrder 620 in 2007 designating250.6 hectares of land covering the

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students and teachers.The Kalipunan ng Damayang

Mahihirap (KADAMAY), Confedera-tion of Unity for the Recognitionand Advancement of GovernmentEmployees (COURAGE) and small businessmen are firmly against theproject. KADAMAY says the QC-CBDwill only serve the interests of bigcapitalists and will be a bane tothe poor who will be driven out of their homes and lose their liveli-hoods.

KADAMAY opposes the plannedrelocation of the residents to Mon-talban, Rizal as it will take themaway from their jobs and schools.Moreover, the relocation site lackswater and electricity and the hous-

es that have been built there aresubstandard. The families to be re-located are only given token as-sistance comprised of `1000 cash,five kilos of rice and a few cannedgoods and packs of instant noo-dles. They will have to pay `300 to`1000 pesos a month for their re-location housing.

KADAMAY added that the 3,000families which the NHA claimed tohave voluntarily relocated have re-

turned to the North Triangle be-cause of lack of jobs at the reloca-tion site. KADAMAY asserts that if the residents are to be relocated,the site should not be outside Que-zon City so as not to take the poorresidents from their jobs, schoolsand livelihood.

Transfer of government offi-ces. To clear the way for the build-ing of infrastructure for foreign

Mass action averts North TriangledemolitionC ollective action by the residents of Sitio San Roque, BarangayBagong Pag-asa in North Triangle, Quezon City successfully pre-vented the attempt of National Housing Authority (NHA) personnel to demolish their homes for the implementation of the QC-CBD proj-ect.

The residents began setting up barricades as early as September22. They lighted candles outside their houses, with some of themholding a vigil to prevent the police and NHA demolition teamsfrom entering the area. Others fortified their homes. Mass meetingsand discussions were held to explain the importance of defendingthe livelihood of the poor and resist the demolition.

The residents massed up the following day to stop the demoli-tion, getting out of their homes and barricading the streets. Themass action swelled up to Epifanio Delos Santos Avenue (EDSA),

where the people linked arms and put up obstacles to block the po-lice.Violence erupted when the demolition teams forced their way in

and destroyed some houses. Some policemen threatened residentswith their guns. Those manning the barricades were hosed downwith water. Seven residents were injured and two were arrested. Thepeople resorted to throwing stones at the NHA personnel to stopthe destruction of their houses.

At around 3:00 in the afternoon, the Regional Trial Court Branch226 issued a Temporary Restraining Order (TRO) against the demo-lition. Even Benigno Aquino III who was then in the US was com-pelled to order the NHA to temporarily stop the demolition. Thepoor residents have vowed to remain on guard and block any at-tempt to demolish their homes. ~

businesses, even government offi-ces will be transferred to the so-called National Government Centerin Batasan Hills. The offices in-clude the National Housing Author-ity, Sugar Regulatory Administra-tion, Bureau of Internal Revenue

and at least ten other agen-cies. The project will alsopossibly affect the campus of the Philippine Science HighSchool. The buildings andland to be vacated by theseoffices will be leased or soldto private investors.

In line with the medical tourism program, plans areunderway for the privatiza-

tion of such hospitals in the areaas the National Kidney Institute,Lung Center of the Philippines,Philippine Heart Center, VeteransMemorial Hospital and the Philip-pine Children's Medical Center. Thecost of services in these hospitalshas begun to shoot up beyond themeans of the poor.

The organization of govern-ment employees also opposes theQC-CBD project because it servesthe interests of foreign investorsinstead of public service. They arealso concerned that the transfer of government offices will be used asa pretext for the mass dismissal of government employees. ~

Areas and numberof families affected

San Roque (16,000)Brgy. Central (5,000)Pinyahan (2,000)Palanas (1,000)San Isidro (500)

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The regime allocated only`23.4 billion for the 112 state uni-versities and colleges for 2011.This is 1.7% lower than the `23.8billion allotment in 2010.

Pres. Benigno Aquino III out-rightly declared that he is gradual-ly cutting down subsidies for edu-cation in order to push state uni-versities and colleges to generatetheir own funds. The regime is

gearing for the further commercial-ization and privatization of publicschools.

Topping the list of schools af-fected by the budget cuts are theUniversity of the Philippines(20.11% or `1.39 billion), Philip-pine Normal University (23.59% or`91.35 million), Aurora State Col-lege of Technology (22.21%), Ce-rilles State College (21.95%), Uni-versity of Southeastern Philippines

(20.03%) and Bicol University(18.82% or `88 million). No fundswere allotted for the purchase of new equipment as well as the re-pair, construction and improve-ment of facilities.

According to the Kabataan Par-ty, funds raised by state universi-ties and colleges shot up from`1.16 billion in 2000 to `7.78 bil-lion this year and this has coveredan increasing part of their expens-es. Data also show that in the lastdecade, students shouldered only6.6% of the budgets of state uni-versities and colleges. They nowprovide 22.1% of their schoolsbudgets by paying higher tuitionand other fees. The National Unionof Students of the Philippines(NUSP) said the governmentsshare in the total funds of state

T he Aquino regime has slashed the meager education budget, con-trary to its claims of prioritizing education.

Aquino orders further cuts inmeager education budget

support for the mass actions in thePhilippines.

Walkouts were held at UP Dili-man, UP Manila, Polytechnic Uni-versity of the Philippines and PNUwith the support of students fromseveral private schools as well assuch groups as the League of Fili-pino Students, Student ChristianMovement and Anakbayan.

They gathered at the Universityof Santo Tomas before marching to-wards Mendiola. The students seton fire an effigy of Aquino in Qui-apo. Police barricaded the areawith barbed wire to prevent thestudents from proceeding to Mala-caang.

Protest at the Batasan. On Oc-

tober 5, several students led by theNUSP held a protest action insidethe halls of Congress, expressingtheir anger for the cuts in the mea-ger education budget. Guards im-

mediately restrainedthe students andforced them out of the building. Theywere met outside bystudents who were al-

so holding a protest

action at the gate. ~

FBI cracks down on antiwaractivistsA series of raids by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) onhouses of activists opposed to the Iraq and Afghanistan warsand supporting the struggle of the Palestinian and Colombian peo-ples have drawn strong condemnation. The attacks were conductedon September 24 in the states of Illinois and Minnesota in the US.

The US Department of Justice's Joint Terrorism Task Force con-ducted the raids the same day warrants were issued to search theactivists' houses and compel them to face a grand jury. The target-ed activists had released political statements defending the strug-gle of the Palestinian and Colombian peoples. The longtime organ-izers have also denounced the US' wars of aggression and its repres-sion of other countries. They are leaders of organizations like theTwin Cities Anti-War Committee, Palestine Solidarity Group, Colom-bia Action Network and Freedom Road Socialist Organization. ~

universities and colleges hasdropped from 87.74% in 2000 to67.35% this year.

Student walkout. The NUSP leda walkout on the National Day of Action of Youth and Students onSeptember 24 to protest the educa-tion budget cuts.

Some 1,500 students walkedout of their classes in Metro Mani-la. Youth and students also held si-

multaneous mass actions in Ilocos,Central Luzon, Los Baos, Bicol,Tacloban, Iloilo, Bacolod, Cebu andDavao. The Los Angeles, Californiachapter of Anakbayan expressed

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10

VICTORIOUS NPA OFFENSIVES

ANG BAYAN October 7, 2010

NPA metes punishment on 1003rd Brigade

Maj. Gen. Mario Chan, 8th IDchief, had boasted that the mili-tary had seized several abandoned

NPA camps in Samar, resulting inwhat he said was the imminent de-feat of the revolutionary forces.According to Comrade Karlos Manu-el, EMC spokesperson, the militaryhas nothing to brag about becausethe NPA, being a guerrilla army,

does not have permanent bases.In fact, the military's bragga-

docio is only a coverup for its loss-

es in the hands of the NPA and therelentless resistance waged by therevolutionary people, said Manuel.The EMC spokesperson said that itis mass support that is decisive ineach victory, and not militarystrength alone.

NPA belies alleged victories of the 8th ID

T he Efren Martires Command (EMC) of the New People's Army (NPA)in Eastern Visayas has belied claims of victories by the PhilippineArmy 8th ID in the face of a string of losses suffered by the mili-tary in NPA tactical offensives.

According to initial reports ob-tained by the EMC from guerrillafronts, the NPA in the region wasable to launch 51 tactical offen-sives against 8th ID troops, policeand other armed elements of thereactionary government from Janu-

ary to September, resulting in 74dead and 25 wounded on the ene-my side. The NPA, on the otherhand, lost ten comrades and suf-fered six wounded. The NPA was al-so able to seize 18 firearms.

These tactical offensives weresuccessful in spite of the reaction-ary government's much bigger mil-itary force.

Despite the 239 additional sol-diers deployed by the 8th ID in thethree Samar provinces, the BHB iscertain of victory not only due toits armed strength and correctstrategies and tactics, but becauseof the people's continuing support.The EMC said it was concerned notso much for itself but with the peo-ple because the addition of mili-tary troops will only result in morecases of human rights violations. ~

The New People's Army 1st Pulang Bagani Com-pany (PBC) staged a harassment operation

last October 5 against the patrol base of the1003rd Brigade of the Philippine Army 10th Infan-try Division in Paquibato Proper and Paradise Em-bac. Red guerillas also harassed the same troops inBarangay Fatima last September 1. These barangaysare under Paquibato District of Davao City.

The military actions were launched to metepunishment on soldiers of the 1003rd Brigade whohave been deployed in the area to ensure unimped-ed exploration activities of big mining companies.Since last year, 11 applications have been filed atthe Mines and Geosciences Bureau covering over

95,000 hectares. The affected areas include themineral-rich uplands of Davao City, Davao del Norte

and Bukidnon. More than half of the applicationsare for Paquibato District.To silence opposition against largescale min-

ing, the 1003rd Brigade has been launching in-tensified combat operations. There have beenmore than 1,000 victims of human rights viola-tions in a month, including civilians Julius Ta-mondes and Reynaldo Labrador who were mur-dered by soldiers.

The 1st PBC launched ten tactical offensivesagainst the 1003rd Bde from July to September inresponse to persistent requests from residents. ~

Opposition mounts to pension reforms in FranceOPPOSITION to pension reforms pushed by French Pres. NicolasSarkozy has intensified. Last October 2, up to 2.9 million Frenchpeople took to the streets to denounce the globalization policywhich, among others, calls for raising the retirement age of work-ers from 60 to 62 years old.

Around 200 protest rallies were launched in France, according tothe Confederation Francaise Democratique du Travail (CFDT orFrench Democratic Confederation of Labor), one of the biggestworkers federations in the country. This was despite heavy rainfall in the western part of the country and various repressive acts bar-ring workers from taking part in the protest actions. ~

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FASCIST STATE ON A RAMPAGE

5 peasant leaders killed by the military

T he killings and repression of leaders and activists of progressive or-ganizations continue without letup under the US-Aquino regime.Five peasant leaders became the latest victims of extrajudicial kill-ings from September up to the first week of October. Personalities criti-cal of the Aquino government have also been targeted for harassment.

October 1. Military men killedpeasant leader Rene "Toto" Quiran-te, 48, in Sitio Amomoyong, Baran-gay Trinidad, Guihulngan City, Ne-gros Oriental. Quirante is the vicechairperson of KAUGMAON, an af-filiate of the Kilusang Magbubukidng Pilipinas (KMP). He is the 14thvictim of extrajudicial killing under

the US-Aquino regime and the 41stvictim of political killing in Negrosisland.

Quirante was attending a peas-ant consultation and slept over atthe house of Romeo Gador at SitioAmomoyong when some 30 soldiersof the 11th IB attacked them ataround 2 a.m. The soldiers draggedthem out of the house and torturedthem.

Quirante was shot three times

in the head while Gador was freed,according to Fred Caa, secretarygeneral of Karapatan-Negros. Qui-

rante had received several deaththreats, prompting him to seekhelp from the mayor and towncouncil of Guihulngan. In 2007, hewas detained on a fabricated rebel-lion charge but was released oneand a half months later due to lackof evidence.

September 24. Elements of

the 39th IB arrested and torturedEliseo "Ka Bimbo" Tada, an ailingRed fighter. He was arrested at Da-tu Danwata, Malita, Davao del Surwhile being brought to a hospital.Subjected to torture, he was pre-sented to the media as a surrender-ee and forced to confess that heparticipated in an NPA tactical of-fensive in Akboal, Upper Suyan,Sarangani last September 21. Butthis is impossible as the place

where he was arrested was too faraway from the site of the NPA at-tack and he had long been suffer-

ing from a serious illness.September 23. The military

desecrated the bodies of five activ-ists who met a tragic death whenthe vehicle they were riding collid-ed with a ten-wheeler truck in Pig-gatan, Alcala, Cagayan. The fatali-ties were Salvador Doniego, Bene-dicto de Leon, Ileen Robles andtwo others who remain unidenti-fied. Two of their companions wereseriously injured. All of them weremembers of Anakpawis in CagayanValley. Accused as NPA, their bod-

ies were not attended to but weremerely lined up at the back of theAlcala town hall. The military alsorefuses to allow relatives of the in-

jured to visit them at the hospital.September 21. The military

harassed Kelly Delgado, 34, secre-tary general of Karapatan-SouthernMindanao. At around 10 a.m., thePhilippine Army 1003rd Brigade ledby Brig. Gen. Eduardo del Rosarioand Datu Ruben Labawan held a

press conference at Apongcola, An-da Street, Davao City. Labawan isa military agent and the brains be-hind the fake pangayaw (tribal war) in Paquibato, Davao City. Thegeneral accused Delgado of master-minding an alleged plan to liqui-date Eastern Mindanao Spokesper-son Lt. Col. Randolf Cabangbang,citing a witness' affidavit that Del-gado had ordered three New Peo-ple's Army members to implementthe plan. He also claimed that Ka-rapatan and Bayan Muna are frontorganizations of the NPA. Karapa-tan has obtained reports that Del-gado has been targeted for assassi-nation under the government'scounterinsurgency program. He fa-ces a string of trumped-up casesand is included in the 10th ID's or-der of battle (OB).

80 days, 8,000 victimsU p to 90 cases of human rights violations victimizing around8,000 individuals in Mindanao were documented by the 80thday of Benigno Aquino III's administration, according to National Democratic Front-Mindanao spokesperson Jorge Madlos.

In Southern Mindanao Region (SMR) where over 12 battalionshave been deployed, 42 cases of human rights violations were doc-umented, victimizing 7,721 individuals.

In North Eastern Mindanao Region (NEMR), 41 cases of humanrights violations were reported, with 286 families or 1,252 individ-uals as victims. Most striking among these was the evacuation of 300 families from several villages in Surigao del Sur, Agusan del Norte and Surigao del Norte due to intensified military operations.

In Far South Mindanao Region, seven cases were reported,which included rape, theft and illegal arrest last July and August.

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FASCIST STATE ON A RAMPAGE

September 21. Criselda Cabangon-David, 27, act-ing editor of the weekly Ang Diaryo Natin, has beenincluded by the AFP Southern Luzon Command in itsOB. According to a military informant, David is listedas an NPA officer in Quezon province. David foundedthe National Union of Journalists in the Philippines(NUJP)-Quezon chapter and serves as its secretarygeneral. She was also a student leader and campus

journalist at Enverga University in Lucena City. She isknown for her fearless articles against abusive personsand supporting peasants fighting for their right toland.

September 13. Soldiers of the 36th IB abductedRenato Deliguer and Agustino Ladera, fisherfolk fromMarihatag, Surigao del Sur. Their families received re-ports that they had been brought to the PNP stationin Tandag, Surigao del Sur, but police officers denied

having them in custody. The 36th IB has cooked up anopposite story, falsely claiming that NPA members ab-ducted the two fisherfolk.

September 12. Elements of the 50th and 86th IBkilled Elmer Valdez, 33, a farmer and resident of Con-conig East, Sta. Lucia, Ilocos Sur. His decomposingbody was found in a shallow grave three days after he

disappeared.The military also harassed and tried to prevent his

family, barangay officials, and representatives of non-governmental organizations from finding his body.Valdez went up to a nearby mountain around 10 a.m.to cut bamboo poles for the repair of their kitchenwhen he was accosted by the military who accusedhim of being a member of the New People's Army.

Meanwhile, two more farmers were harassed andaccused as NPA members by military troops. "Niel"was cutting bamboo when he was nabbed by patrol-ling soldiers. He was threatened and accused of beingNPA. "Ben", 60, who was grazing his cow also had thesame experience. He strongly belied military accusa-tions that he was NPA, but was nonetheless detainedfor four hours.

September 7. Elements of the 9th Infantry Divi-

sion massacred four members of the Masbate People'sOrganization. Vicente Flores, 41; Richard Oliva, 44;Melecio Monacillo, 45; and Jonathan Monacillo, 21,were resting in the house of a friend in Mobo, Masbatewhen they were shot to death with automatic riflefire. The military concocted a story that they wereNPA guerrillas killed in a gunbattle. ~

10-day protest action for land reform

Farmers began a ten-day protest action on September 29 to pressthe Aquino administration to implement land reform. The last dayof protest on October 8 will coincide with the 100th day of the

Aquino administration."100 days of Noynoy Aquino

Useless to Farmers!" said a placardwhile members of the KilusangMagbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP) andits allied organizations burned 100pictures of Aquino in front of theDepartment of Agrarian Reform(DAR) in Quezon City last Septem-ber 29. It symbolized the farmers'opposition to the policies of thecurrent antipeasant and antipeoplegovernment, said Antonio Flores,KMP spokesperson.

Last October 6, farmersmarched from DAR to Mendiolawhere they were forcibly dispersedby the police. At least seven rally-ists suffered head injuries after be-ing hit by baton-wielding police-

men. The farmers returned the fol-lowing day to continue their pro-test.

Meanwhile, Lito Bais, actingpresident of United Luisita Workers'Union (ULWU) and Felix Nacpil,president of the Alyansa ng mgaManggagawang Bukid sa HaciendaLuisita (AMBALA) called for vigi-lance over maneuvers of the Aqui-no government favoring the Coju-angco-Aquino family in the light of the suspension of the September27 Mediation Panel hearing.

The three-member MediationPanel was formed by the SupremeCourt in the first week of Septem-ber to conduct a series of hearingswithin 30 days purportedly to re-

solve the decades-long Hacienda

Luisita rift. Before the deadlock,the HLI had announced on Septem-ber 14 that it was open to distrib-uting 4,100 hectares of the total 6,543 hectares of Hacienda Luisita.

The HLI management's allegedopenness, however, was condi-tioned on land valuation estimatesof at least `1,000,000 per hectareset by a real state assessor it hadcommissioned instead of the Land-bank's valuation of `167,000 perhectare. It was proof that the Coju-angco family was not interested indistributing the land as it would beimpossible for the farmers to affordsuch a huge amount.

A week before the deadline, theMediation Panel stopped the hear-ing when AMBALA members andtheir lawyer Joebert Pahilda walkedout, saying the HLI was merely ma-

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nipulating the proceedings. AMBA-LA petitioned the Supreme Court todiscontinue the hearing and imme-diately order the distribution of the hacienda lands in accordancewith the decision of the Presiden-tial Agrarian Reform Council.

The Supreme Court, however,dismissed AMBALA's motion andcontinued with the hearing. A fewdays after, Farmworkers AgrarianReform Movement (FARM) membersand their lawyer Christian Monsodalso walked out. The court wasthen compelled to stop the hear-ings which had already becomepointless. ~

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