By Prof. Jose Maria Sison
Chairperson
International League of Peoples’ Struggle
16 December 2010
We, the International League of Peoples’ Struggle, convey our warmest greetings of solidarity to the national officers and all the allied organizations of the multisectoral alliance, Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (New Patriotic Alliance, BAYAN) on the occasion of the celebration of the 25th anniversary of its founding on May 5, 1985.
We congratulate you for your achievements in pursuing the Filipino people’s struggle for national independence and democracy, uniting the patriotic and progressive forces and mobilizing them in 1985 and 1986 against the US-instigated Marcos fascist dictatorship and against the subsequent similarly anti-national and antidemocratic regimes.
The name of BAYAN resounds in the Philippines and in the world because of its accumulated and continuing accomplishments in political education, alliance work and mass mobilization. We are proud that BAYAN and its allied forces are major member-organizations of the ILPS and have made significant contributions to the ILPS.
We are confident that you will reap still greater victories in the year ahead as you respond to and carry out the call of your 8th National Congress to further strengthen BAYAN and militantly advance the national and democratic struggle of the people amidst the grave crisis of the world capitalist system and the domestic ruling system of big comprador and landlords.
The current grave crisis of the US and world capitalist system is rooted in the fundamentals of monopoly capitalist exploitation of labor and the wanton abuse of finance capital in a vain attempt to override the recurrent crisis of overproduction and raise the rate of profit.
The policy of neoliberal globalization (denationalization of dominated countries, liberalization, privalization and deregulation) has accelerated and deepened the global economic and financial crisis and has led to the rise of repression, state terrorism, foreign military intervention and wars of aggression.
The chronic crisis of the semicolonial and semifeudal ruling system has rapidly become worse under the impact of the crisis of the world capitalist system. The Philippine economy is more than ever underdeveloped and dependent on the export of raw materials, semi-manufactures and cheap labor and on a rising level of public debt in order to cover budgetary and trade deficits.
While the foreign monopolies and the local reactionaries keep on raising the level of exploitation, they also keep on raising the level of oppression. The reactionary puppet state serves the US global war of terror and follows the US Counterinsurgency Guide in its war against the people . Under the pretext of combating terrorism, it engages in state terrorism and allows the US military forces to violate national sovereignty and territorial integrity under the Visiting Forces Agreement.
The new regime of Aquino represents the local exploiting classes and is servile to US imperialism. It has not differentiated itself from the preceding Arroyo regime. Aquino has had no real intention of fulfilling the promise of change, especially the promise to end poverty and corruption. He has not made any effective move to fulfill his promise to try and punish Arroyo and her criminal accomplices for corruption and human right violations. These crimes and poverty thrive under the continuing conditions of underdevelopment and plunder by the foreign and local exploiters.
The resumption of formal talks in the peace negotiations between the National Democratic Front and the reactionary government, does not guarantee that an agreement on the social and economic reforms demanded by the Filipino people would be reached. By all indications, the reactionary government will continue to avoid addressing the roots of the armed conflict and to demand in vain the capitulation and pacification of the revolutionary forces and people.
The Filipino people continue to suffer the worsening of the socio-economic and political crisis and the further escalation of exploitation and oppression. But they are moved to wage a resolute and militant struggle against the exploiters and oppressors by their own suffering and by their demands and aspirations for national independence, democracy, social justice and all-round development.
It should not be too difficult to fight a regime whose shallowness and gimmickry cannot cover up its incompetence and blatant character of puppetry, corruption, brutality and mendacity. But BAYAN and all its allied organizations must seriously study why the national democratic movement did not suceed in removing Arroyo from power before 2010 despite her isolation and the intense hatred of the people for her crimes.
Why was the effective denunciation of the Arroyo regime not complemented by expansive mass organizing and mass mobilization comparable to that against the Estrada regime?
Was it simply because the US-Arroyo regime was good at repressing the people? Or was it because there was an inability to organize and mobilize large numbers of people due to certain errors and shortcomings?
There is no end to learning lessons from experience and becoming more effective in arousing, strengthening the organized forces of BAYAN and mobilizing the broad masses of the people. There is an outcry for BAYAN and its organized forces to develop their capability for advancing the national democratic movement not only by taking up issues and making token protests but by being able to mobilize the people in their millions in the national capital region and on a national scale.
In conclusion, we the International League of Peoples’ Struggle take this opportunity to thank BAYAN and all its organized forces for supporting ILPS and for resolving to send their delegations to the Fourth International Assembly of the ILPS in July next year. We and the ILPS Philippines rely on the continuous support and cooperation of BAYAN for the success of the assembly. ###
