Full Text of the Answers of Prof. Jose Maria Sison
to the Questions of Delfin T. Mallari of Philippine Daily Inquirer:
Reply of Prof. Jose Maria Sison as Political Observer
to Delfin T. Mallari of PDI, January 20, 2018
http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/962371/joma-sison-calls-for-mass-protests-vs-duterte
- Duterte is definitely being exposed as a humbug and as someone greedy for autocratic power like his idol Marcos. He is being isolated by his own statements and actions which manifest his scheme of fascist dictatorship. Therefore, I would say as political observer that Duterte is effectively exposed and isolated by his actual and intended victims such as the journalists who are up in strong protest against his actions and threats against press freedom and the former chief justices Davide and Puno and legal experts and luminaries who are exposing the autocratic, dynastic and fascistic content and thrusts of Duterte´s pseudo-federalism and chacha plans. The broad masses of the people are getting more informed than ever before by the self-exposure of the Duterte ruling clique and by the responses of the aggrieved journalists and by respected personages.
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The anti-Duterte movement can sustain the growing rage against Duterte and his regime. The student youth of today can and should launch huge mass marches and rallies in the national capital region and in the provinces, like during the First Quarter Storm of 1970. They should begin now to celebrate, emulate and honor the militancy of the student youth who rose up in January 1970. With the signal act of the student youth, the rest of the people will participate in the mass movement: the workers, the peasants, women, youth of other sectors, cultural workers, professionals and religious. All patriotic and progressive classes and sectors can take their respective initiatives and undertake mass campaigns and mobilizations against the Duterte regime. The rising prices of basic goods and services are already outraging and enraging the broad masses of the people. Even the unorganized masses are now predisposed to act in unison with the mass organizations.
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It is not true that Duterte enjoys high trust rating and popularity despite the notoriety it has gained in the Philippines and abroad for the mass murder of drug suspects, the killing of peasants and the indigenous people, the destruction of Marawi, the abuses of martial law and the scheme of fascist dictatorship through Con-Ass and ChaCha. The commercial survey firms, like Pulse Asia and SWS, are not asking the correct questions and are not using the correct methods in their small sampling of public opinion.
We should not forget that Duterte was elected by a minority of the total electorate in 2016, only 39 per cent (25 of that in Mindanao and Cebuano part of Visayas and 14 from the baliwicks of Marcos, Danding Cojuangco, Arroyo, Estrada and Remulla in Luzon). By September 21, 2017 on the issue alone of human rights violations, the mass murder of drug suspects (especially the young ones), public sentiment against Duterte had risen and reduced drastically the traditional respect and awe that the public has for a president. Any survey that simply asks the question whether the respondent trusts the president is stupid. The respondent would tend to be prudent, polite and hospitable. The people should be asked whether they like the policies and actions of Duterte that are aggravating their exploitation and oppression.
We must confront the commercial poll survey firms like SWS and Pulse with the questions that they do not ask their poll respondents: Do the people like the mass murder of drug suspects with impunity assured by Duterte for the warrantless police criminals, the involvement of Duterte relatives and friends in drug smuggling, favoritism and corruption in the military and police, the destruction of Marawi City by indiscriminate bombing and shelling, Duterte´s termination of peace negotiations with the NDFP, the killing of peasants, Lumads, journalists and social activists, the exoneration of plunderers like Estrada and Arroyo, the rising prices of basic goods and services, the sell-out of the West Philippine Sea and its rich marine and mineral resources to China in exchange for overpriced infrastructure projects and high interest loans, and so on.###