By Prof. Jose Maria Sison
Author
September 22, 2015

I wish to thank all the friends who are here for coming and convey to them warmest greetings of solidarity. I appreciate the Samahan ng Ex-Detainees Laban sa Detensyon at Aresto (SELDA – Northern Luzon), Anakbayan Cordillera, Concerned Artists of the Philippines, International Network for Philippine Studies and Aklat ng Bayan for cooperating and preparing this joint launch of the Illustrated biography, Louie Jalandoni: Revolutionary, and my book, Continuing the Struggle for National and Social Liberation.

It is meaningful to have the book launch proximate to September 21, the anniversary of the declaration of martial law that enabled Marcos to impose a fascist dictatorship on the people. The two books being launched pertain to the process of resisting the dictatorship, overthrowing it and continuing the revolutionary struggle for national and social liberation because there was no system change, only a regime change.

The authoritarian regime of Marcos ended in 1986. But the ruling system of big compradors, landlords and corrupt bureaucrats subservient to US imperialism has remained intact. The broad masses of the people suffer the same system of oppression and exploitation. The gross and systematic violations of human rights continue despite the official attempts to belittle and obscure them.

The successors of Marcos have perpetuated the system of foreign and feudal domination under the US-dictated policies of neocolonialism and neoliberalism. They serve the US as the principal imperialist master and the same exploiting classes. They oppose economic development through national industrialization and land reform. They misrepresent as economic growth rises in the inflow of hot money or portfolio investments, import-dependent consumption, upscale private construction, call centers and the export of raw materials, semi-manufactures and a big part of the labor force, especially women.

They carry out US-designed strategic plans of suppressing the people’s resistance. Sometimes, they pretend to engage in peace negotiations with the armed revolutionary movement to seek the capitulation of the revolutionary forces and the people. They do not take seriously the framework of seeking a just peace by addressing the root causes of the armed conflict.

The most brutal actions are being undertaken by the US-Aquino regime against the indigenous people in a vicious campaign to make way for the foreign and big comprador corporations which plunder the economy and environment with their mining, logging and plantations as well as in a futile attempt to deprive the revolutionary forces of the social and physical terrain for protracted people’s war. But the reactionary campaigns of military suppression in certain areas merely result in more widespread revolutionary resistance in other areas.

The crisis of the world capitalist system and the domestic ruling system continues to worsen. The very conditions that make the people suffer are driving them to intensify their revolutionary struggle. Before the end of this year and during the whole of next year, the financial bubbles in portfolio investments and public debt are expected to burst and the deterioration of the economic and social conditions will be accelerated and become pronounced.

In this book launch, I take the opportunity to call on the outgoing regime as well as the incoming one to engage in sincere and serious negotiations for a just peace based on national independence, democracy, social justice, development through national industrialization and land reform, a patriotic and progressive culture and international solidarity with all positive forces for peace and development.###