Pahayagan ng Partido Komunista ng Pilipinas

Pinapatnubayan ng Marxismo-Leninismo-MaoismoANGEngl ish Edition

Vol XLVI No. 6

July 7, 2015

www.phi l ippinerevolution.net

All-out neoliberalismand imperialist psywarunder Aquino

Aquino's rule from 2010 has been six years of weaving illusions ofgrowth and of all-out neoliberal perpetration. In his scheduledlast state of the nation address (SONA), Aquino is again set to

churn out empty rhetoric with the aim of fooling the people.Aquino's "clean governance" is

a fraud. Such an image was manu-factured by US imperialism to lendcredibility to its puppet govern-ment. Aquino's "daang matwid"("straight path"), "anti-corruption"and "inclusive growth" are catch-phrases coined by American ad-visers who specialize in psywar andmanipulating public opinion.

Aquino's six years at the helmof the puppet state form part of thebig psywar operation of the US. Thisis in line with the US "counter-in-surgency" plan aimed at destroyingall those who challenge its globalhegemony. US political interventionin the Philip-pines through

supporting and directing its puppetstate form part of the US efforts toprotect its interests around theworld.

The International MonetaryFund and its various agencies hypethe Philippine economy as a "brightspot" amid continuing global crisisand give it high credit ratings in thedesire to draw in foreign capitaland loans.

A large component of the effortto paint the image of "growth" isthe "pantawid pamilya" program(which received a 2015 budget that

Editorial

More on page 3

1957-2015

The entire Central

Committe, Military

Commission and all

cadres and members

of the Communist

Party of the

Philippines and the

National Operations

Command and all Red

commanders and Red

fighters of the New

People's Army stand

to execute their

Red salute to

Comrade

Leoncio Pitao,

the Filipino

people's beloved

Commander Parago,

commanding officer

of the NPA 1st Pulang

Bagani Battalion.

- Central Committee,Communist Party of the

PhilippinesJune 30, 2015

ANG BAYAN July 7 , 20152

Vol XLVI No. 6 | Ju ly 7, 2015

Ang Bayan is publ ished fortnightly by the Central Committee

of the Communist Partyy of the Phi l ippines

Contents

EEddiittoorriiaall:: All-out neoliberalism

and psywar under Aquino 1

Red Salute to Ka Parago 3

Aquino-Binay at loggerheads 5

Victory at Sumifru 5

Massacre at Paquibato 6

Camp-protest at DepEd-Davao 7

10 soldiers dead in Paquibato 8

ST advances 9

Rallies in Bukidnon and Isabela 9

Rising Japanese militarism 10

US rushes TPP 11

ANG

is seven-times bigger compared to2009). This is carried out in linewith the Oplan Bayanihan and thePAMANA and Kalahi-CIDSS pro-grams directly implemented by theAFP and other agencies of the reac-tionary government. These are dir-ected in areas where there is strongpeople's resistance. The aim ofthese programs is to deceive thepeople, disorganize and draw themaway from the path of struggle.

In his upcoming SONA, Aquinowill double efforts to fool the peoplebecause it is clear that they havegained nothing from the emptypromises. He will again sing thetune of the "daang matwid" eventhough its corruption has beenthoroughly exposed in the use ofpork barrel funds, smuggling, Pub-lic-Private Partnership contractsand others.

Aquino will again sing hosannasto neoliberalism. The people will betold that three decades of liberaliz-ation, privatization, deregulationand denationalization are notenough and must be intensifiedeven if it means sacrificing the 1987constitution itself on the altar of

the foreign monopoly capitalists.For the Filipino people, the US-

Aquino regime failed to bring thembetter lives.

Unemployment continues toworsen. More than 12 million Filipi-nos seek jobs or more sources of in-come. Job-seeking labor migrationhas worsened. Since Aquino as-sumed power in 2010, the numberof migrants leaving the countrygrew by two and a half times.

Exploitation of workers contin-ues to intensify. Wages are ex-tremely low. The daily minimum ofP466 set for Metro Manila is utterlyinadequate compared to P1,066 forthe daily needs of average-sizedfamilies. There is nonational minimumand variousschemes to pulldown wages areimplemented.Safety regulations arebeing removed result-ing in increasingcases of accidentsand deaths infactories,buildingcon-struction and other workplaces.

Education continues to deterior-ate. Under the K-12 Program, it willchurn out more cheap semi-skilledworkers to the benefit of the bigcapitalists. More will fail to completehigh school because of the additionaltwo years and due to the rising costsof tuition and other fees.

Quality of life continues to godown as prices of food and othercommodities rise. The Aquino re-gime failed to act as prices of riceshot up in 2014 as well as in theface of clear manipulation of localprices of oil.

Public service infrastructurecontinues to rot as in the case ofthe train and metrorail system that

cause daily suffer-ings to thepeople. There isgrave lack ofteachers, class-

rooms, books andother public school fa-

cilities. Public hospitalsare being closed downwhile the rest are let todecay.Aquino is pushing for

further privatization of social infra-structure. The poor are driven awayfrom their communities to clear theland for the big bourgeois compra-dors like the Ayalas, Pangilinans,Cojuangcos, Tans, Sys, Consunjisand their partners among foreignbig capitalists and bureaucrat cap-italists.

Under Aquino, they havetightened their control of the elec-tricity and power industry, telecom-munications, water services, medicalservices, education, roads, trains,sea ports and airports. These areprovided state funds and guaranteesbut are run as private businesses.

There is worsening landgrab-bing by big landlords, developersand big foreign capitalists. Thereare worse forms of feudal and semi-feudal exploitation of the peasantmasses through high feudal rentand prices of farm inputs; low buy-ing price of palay, copra and other

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ANG BAYAN July 7 , 2015 3

revolutionary commander."Ka Parago "was devoted to the

theory and practice of Marxism-Leninism-Maoism and applied itsuccessfully together with othercomrades and the people in South-ern Mindanao Region. He excelledas a cadre of the Communist Partyof the Philippines and as a com-mander of the New People’sArmy."

"He had a mastery of thestrategy and tactics of guerrillawarfare," added Sison. "As a res-ult of correct political line and hiseffective tactical command, theheroic and glorious First PulangBagani Company has grown intothe First Pulang Bagani Battalion."

"Ka Parago remained strongand vigilant under no less than fivereactionary regimes, from theMarcos dictatorship to the currentUS-Aquino regime," said the NPASouthern Mindanao Regional Com-mand.

Commander Parago led count-less disarming operations since the1980s. He led in capturing a highofficial of the AFP Gen. VictorObillo and Capt. Alex Montealto in1999 and in detaining them asprisoners-of-war. He strictly fol-lowed international humanitarianlaws.

Commander Parago cooper-ated with NDFP officials in peacetalks, with the International Com-mittee of the Red Cross and other

officials to carry out the suc-cessful safe release of theprisoners. General Obilloand Captain Montealtopraised Ka Parago for,according them, humanetreatment as prisonersof the NPA.

farm produce; usury and low wages.Under Aquino's "daang matwid", the local economy

has further slumped. There are no new industries. Man-ufacturing is down. There are no improvements in thesystems of production. Dumping of imported rice, garlic,

onions, poultry and other agricultural products worsento the detriment of local production.

Aquino's six years of reactionary rule succeeded onlyin implementing more neoliberal policy-dictates of itsimperialist masters. Aquino has simply perpetuated thesemicolonial and semifeudal system and administeredthe reactionary state amid worsening crisis. AB

Red saluteto Commander Parago

Long live the revolution! Long live the oppressed masses! Thesewere the last shouts of defiance of Comrade Leoncio Pitao, therenowned Commander Parago, head of the 1st Pulang Bagani

Battalion of the New People's Army (NPA), during the last moments ofhis life.

Ka Parago was in no position tofight when he was assaulted andmowed down by the fascist troopsof the 6th Scout Ranger Company,under the 2nd Scout Ranger Bat-talion of the 1st Scout Ranger Regi-ment last June 28, 2015 at 2:30p.m. in Barangay Pañalum, Pa-quibato District, Davao City.

Ka Parago, 57, was recuperat-ing from hepatitis, diabetis and hy-pherthyroidism. Ka Kyle (VanessaLimpag) who was caring for Ka Par-ago, was shouting that she was amedic, when she too was rakeddown by the soldiers. Both died in-stantly.

Tributes and recognitions byrevolutionary forces in and out ofthe country streamed for Ka Par-ago.

The Central Committee and theMilitary Commission of the Com-munist Party of the Philippines andthe National Operations Commandof the New People's Army extendedits Red salute to Ka Parago and re-cognized him as "a hero of theFilipino people".

"Ka Parago'slifestory of nearlyfour decades of re-volutionary struggleas Red commanderand fighter is foreveretched in the golden

history of the Filipino revolution,"said the leadership of the CPP andNPA.

It added: "The entire people,especially the peasants and Lumadof Southern Mindanao, grieve overthe death of Ka Parago. Affection-ately called "Tatay" by the peopleof Paquibato who knew him, Ka Par-ago possessed unfailing love for thetoiling people. His determination toserve the people's interests andwelfare gave him the courage andstrength to tread the difficult roadof the people's war."

Comrade Jose Ma. Sison,Founding Chairman of the CPP, alsopraised Ka Parago. "He is a great

patriot, out-standingcommun-ist fight-er and

from page 2

ANG BAYAN July 7 , 20154

Banana plantation

workers triumph

once more

ON June 19, workers fromSumitomo Fruit Corpora-tion’s (SUMIFRU) PackingPlant 90 in Compostela Val-ley victoriously ended theirnine-day strike. The Nagka-hiusang Mamumuo saSuyapa Farm (United Work-ers in Suyapa Farm orNAMASUFA) led the strike todemand the reinstatement of147 workers the companyarbitrarily dismissed lastJune 8.

NAMASUFA denouncedthe dismissal as an attackagainst the union especiallysince the workers have beenactive in the struggle againstwage cuts under thepiecework scheme last May.The workers have been suc-cessful in the fight againstthis scheme.

Simultaneous with thestrike, workers from SUMI-FRU’s Packing Plant 92launched a sympathy strike.Other plants launched workslowdowns and other pro-test actions in solidaritywith the workers in PackingPlant 90. Operations inthese plants have returnedto normal. SUMIFRU is thelargest employer amongPhilippine agricultural busi-nesses.

SUMIFRU’s manage-ment signed an agreementstating that it will not bringcharges to those who joinedthe strike. The workers cel-ebrated their successivegains. However, they areaware that it will not belong before SUMIFRU, whichthey call a "serial violator"of workers rights, attacksagain. AB

Ka Parago also led the DavaoPenal Colony raid without firing asingle shot in April 2007 where theyconfiscated five M16s, 45 carbines,46 shotguns and seven cal .38 pis-tols. He also led in numerous tactic-al offensives of the Pulang BaganiCompany.

The NPA-SMR recognized KaParago's service to the nationaldemocratic revolution. "He spent thegreater part of his adult life servingthe people, in unstinting dedicationto the cause of national democracy.As a Red commander, he led andtrained so many young warriors inthe art of guerrilla warfare."

Even when he was captured in1999 and offered "reward money",he did not turn his back on thepeople and revolution. "He re-mained stalwart in his convictionsand ever faithful to the communistspirit of defending the security ofthe revolutionary forces and the in-terest of the people."

Ka Parago exercised "politicalwisdom" even when he was grievingand agonizing over the rape andkilling of his daughter Rebelyn bymilitary agents in 2009. "Thepeople in Southern Mindanao re-member him as their most belovedson who was always at their side,ready to help them solve their prob-lems—so unlike the AFP generalswho do nothing but attack and bur-den the people."

"He lived very simply... Ka Par-ago’s spartan life became an endur-ing example for every revolutionarywho knew him or worked with him,"added the NPA-SMR. "As a matter offact, for many years since the onsetof his illness, he declined the Party’soffer of a sick leave. All he wanted tohis last dying breath was to live withthe masses and to serve them."

For his part, Ka Simon Santiagoof the Regional Political Departmentof the NPA-SMR, said: "a tree fallsbut the forest lives forever. Ka Par-ago may be gone but a thousand KaParagos have risen."

He added, "as we grieve the de-mise of Comrades Parago and Kyle,

we turn this grief into an occasionto better understand and appreci-ate the challenges that lie ahead.We turn this grief into greater re-volutionary passion and commit-ment. For as long as the basic prob-lems of our people remain, thepeople's war continues."

Ka Luis Jalandoni, chief of theNDFP panel in peace negotiations,asserted that Maj. Gen. EduardoAño and other officials of the 10thID must be investigated under theinternational rules of war, theComprehensive Agreement on Re-spect for Human Rights and Inter-national Humanitarian Law (CAR-HRIHL) and the InternationalCovenant on Civil and PoliticalRights (ICCPR) for killing Ka Par-ago and Ka Kyle who were bothhors d'combat.

The NPA-North Central Min-danao Region gave its highest re-cognition to Ka Parago. Ka AllanJuanito, spokesperson of the NPA-NCMR said, the ruling classes andtheir henchmen are surely rejoicingfor having murdered Ka Parago, butthey will forever be haunted by thePulang Bagani Battallion as thepeople's war advances towards thestrategic stalemate to completevictory.

The environmental group Kali-kasan Network expressed theirdeep respect to Ka Parago forfirmly standing by the NPA policyagainst large-scale mining projects.It said, the tears shed for Parago isfor the hundreds of thousands ofhectares of mountains, forests andfertile lands in Mindanao that wereand continue to be ravaged by bigloggers, large-scale miners, andplantations."

Large numbers of activists, pro-gressives, media-people, politiciansand various sectors visited Ka Par-ago's wake. Davao City MayorRodrigo Duterte also praised him asa friend and a fighter. Even someofficials of the Philippine NationalPolice saluted him as a soldier.

Commander Parago will be in-terred on July 10, 2015. AB

ANG BAYAN July 7 , 2015 5

just sought the regime’s support forhis candidacy in 2016.

However, Binay’s criticisms ofthe Aquino regime confirm whatpeople have long railed against theregime’s “incompetence and indif-ference”. He should be challengedto likewise denounce Aquino’sblatant puppetry to US imperialismand fascist brutality.

Statements from the Binaycamp and the Aquino regime’scounter-maneuvers highlight theintensification of rivalries and con-tradictions among the reactionaryclass, and the bankcruptcy andinutility of the upcoming reaction-ary elections.

The people should take advant-age of the intensifying rivalries bypushing forward with theirstruggles to denounce and opposeAquino’s neglect of basic services,high prices of goods, unemploymentand decent housing, and for otherpeople’s issues. The movementshould persevere in ousting Aquinoand demand all prospective candid-ates to join the call to further isol-ate and exclude the ruling clique. AB

Aquino and Binayat loggerheads

Political maneuverings between rival reactionaryfactions are intensifying as the 2016

elections draw near. The people shouldtake advantage of these rivalries to fur-ther hold the Aquino regime responsibleand make it accountable for its crimesand neglect of the people.

Last June 22, Vice-president Je-jomar Bingay resigned fromAquino’s cabinet. For the past tenmonths, Binay has been under at-tack by Aquino’s Senate allies in theguise of investigating corruptioncases and anomalies in Makati City.

In the following days, Binay cri-ticized what he called the “indiffer-ent and incompetent” Aquino regime.He identified issues that the peoplehad long endured, including poorMRT/LRT services, high costs of so-cial services, the bungled police op-erations in Mamasapano and others.

He also called Aquino’s muchvaunted “righteous path” a sham.Binay denounced attacks againsthim on corruption issues, whereas

not a single Aquino ally who re-ceived funds from the DisbursementAcceleration Program (DAP) andPriority Development AssistanceFund (PDAF) has been indicted.

Aquino’s allies counter-attackedby suspending Junjun Binay asMakati City mayor. This is thesecond time Ombudsman ConchitaMorales, an Aquino appointee,ordered the younger Binay’s sus-pension. The Binays defied the or-der but ceded the following dayafter their supporters and the policefeatured in a clash.

The issues Binay hurled againstAquino are not actually new. He is,thus, being chastised for denoun-cing the Aquino regime when he had

AFP massacres 3 civiliansin Paquibato

In the past weeks, cases of unrestrained killings of peasant leadersand their families inside their own homes in Mindanao are on the

rise.DDaavvaaoo CCiittyy.. Three civilians were

killed and a 12-year old child waswounded when elements of the 69thIB strafed Aida Seisa’s house inBarangay Paradise Embac, Pa-quibato District last June 14. Seisais the spokesperson of PaquibatoDistrict Peasant Association(PADIPA) and secretary-general ofKilusang Magbubukid ng PIlipinas-Southern Mindanao Region.

Those killed were Datu RubenEnlog, Randy Lavarcon Carnasa andOligario Quimblo, all communityleaders. Datu Enlog is chairman of

Nagkahiusang Lumad sa Paquibato(United Lumads in Paquibato) whileCarnasa and Quimbo are membersof PADIPA.

Seisa’s daughter who was thencelebrating her birthday was leftwounded. Rosita Sandola, Seisa’smother, was spared, while Seisa,her husband and two children man-aged to get out of the house.

Families, progressive organiza-tions and human rights groupsstrongly condemned the killings.They also denounced assertions ofthe 69th IB and 10th ID that the

massacre was a legitimate en-counter between their troops andthe New People’s Army (NPA.)Families and barriomates beliedAFP claims that those killed wereNPA members, and slammed theplanting of bombs, grenades andfirearms beside their corpses tomake it appear that they were notcivilians.

According to Sandolan, the mil-itary interrogated her about Leon-cio Pitao (Ka Parago) and anotherRed fighter while ransacking thehouse and getting Seisa’s things.Numerous soldiers went in and outthe house from midnight to dawn.They cordoned the house and pre-vented the wounded child from get-ting out. Police belatedly respondedto the incident at noon the follow-ing day.

The 69th IB which carried out

ANG BAYAN July 7 , 20156

Lumads hold camp-out protestat DepEd office

Since June 16, parents and students of Salugpongan Ta’ Tanu Ig-kanugon Community Learning Center (STTICLC) have camped out

in front of the Department of Education (DepEd) Regional Office inDavao City to protest the closure of STTICLC schools. The Save OurSchools (SOS) Network and members of the Alliance of ConcernedTeachers (ACT) participated in the protest.

Datu Doloman Dawsay, spokes-person of Salugpongan Ta ‘TanuIgkanugon, said they remain out-side the DepEd office until the theDepEd revokes its order to close 36Salugpongan schools in Talaingodand Kapalong, Davao del Norte, inMalibago and Taytayan, Cateel,Davao Oriental, and in Mangayon,Compostela, Compostela Valley.The closure order is part of thecontinuing harassment by the 67thIB of Lumad schools that startedlast May. STTICLC and schools runby the Mindanao Interfaith Ser-vices Foundation Inc. (Misfi) aretagged by military and some localofficials as NPA schools.

According to Datu Benito Bay-aw, member of the Salugpongan Ta’Tanu Igkanugon Council, theLumad people have long been ask-ing the DepEd to build schools but

have been ignored. “Now that ourcommunity has built its own school,they want to close it down.”

Ronnie Garcia, administrator ofSTTICLC, scored Sec. Dinky Solimanof the Department of Social Welfareand Development (DSWD), for thesevere neglect of the situation ofthe Lumad. “Since August last year,we have reported the harasments,the red tagging and the threats.But, where were the DSWD and theNCIP [National Commission on Indi-genous Peoples]?” he said.

In all callousness and ignor-ance, Soliman said children shouldnot be used in rallies, and insteadshould be in school. Said Garcia, “itmerely shows that Soliman does notknow what she is talking about.First, there is no school to go backto. The Salugpungan schools arebeing attacked.”

Despite numerous witnesses andvideo footages showing military en-campments within the schools, theDepEd denied that they are orderingthe closure of Lumad schools. It in-sisted that the permit simply expiredbecause the schools have failed tocomply with the new requirements.DepEd has added as requirements afree, prior and informed consent(FPIC) clearance from a tribal coun-cil, now controlled by the paramilit-ary group Alamara; and the endorse-ment of the provincial peace andorder council, which includes high-ranking military officers in the area.

According to Garcia, a permitwas already shown them by theDepEd Regional Office XI last June22, but they were not given a copy.They are also worried that even withthe permit, the military will still har-ass them because neither the DepEdnor any other government agencyhas issued a stand against continu-ing militarization of Lumad villages.

AAFFPP aattttaacckkss oonn LLuummaadd sscchhoooollssThe government has violated its

own laws through the DepEd andAFP's directive of allowing soldiersto use schools for civilian-militaryoperations. RA 7610 prohibits theuse of schools for military purposes.

the massacre is known as the "Palparan battalion." ThisAFP unit was involved in the Hacienda Luisita massacrein 2004 and the abduction and torture of Raymond andReynaldo Manalo in Bulacan in 2006. Eduardo Año, 10thID commander, is also a Palparan henchman involved inthe abduction and forced disappearance of Jonas Burgosin 2007.

In June 17, KARAPATAN and Katribu staged aprotest in front of Camp Crame to condemn the killings.In Davao City, members of KARAPATAN-SMR and Lumadgroups also launched a rally to express their indignationof the massacre. Progressive representatives plan tobring up the result of their own investigation to Con-gress.

CCoommppoosstteellaa VVaalllleeyy.. Elements of the 66th IB fired onBello Tindasan’s house in Sitio Mambusao, BarangayNgan, Compostela last June 21. Tindasan is the chair ofCompostela Farmers Association (CFA), a local peasantgroup.

The CFA has been opposing operations of the Agusan

Petroleum and Minerals Corporation (Agpet). Two daysbefore the crime, Tindasan led the barricades at thegates of the Agpet mining site to force the company tostop operations. The CFA had earlier barricaded Agpet’smining site in March, then again in May.

Tindasan’s wife and small children were inside thehouse when soldiers fired at it. His son was wounded.Tindasan was not in the house during that time. The mil-itary asserted that the strafing was a legitimate en-counter between their troops and the NPA.

Agpet is owned by Benigno Aquino III’s uncle,Eduardo "Danding" Cojuangco.

DDaavvaaoo OOrriieennttaall.. Elements from the 67th IB killedRicky Basig in his house in Kaputian, Mahan-ub, Bagangalast June 25. Basig was then sitting on his veranda whensoldiers under the command of a certain "Pfc Maca"open fired. Basig is a member of Barug Katawhan, an or-ganization of typhoon Pablo’s survivors. Basig was one ofthose who led protests against the Aquino regime’s neg-lect and inutility in the past two years. AB

ANG BAYAN July 7 , 2015 7

Binondo, Baganga, Davao Oriental,soldiers threatened parents that theywill be denied government subsidy un-der the Pantawid Pamilyang PilipinoProgram if their children continue tostudy at Misfi Academy. Soldiers alsotold DepEd teachers not to give schooldocuments to parents whose childrenwere transferring to Misfi.

In Sitio Kaputian and Sitio Kasunugan, Barangay Ma-han-ub, Baganga, Davao Oriental, soldiers threatenedparents against enrolling their children in Misfi schoolsand coerced tribal leaders and village officials to stop theconstruction of the schools. Its two teachers were alsotailed by 67th IB intelligence operatives. Threats alsocontinue against schools in Sitio Cogonon, Barangay Sal-vacion, Trento, Agusan del Sur.

Last month, the office of the Alternative LearningCenter for Agricultural Development in BarangayDiatagon, Lianga, Surigao del Sur was ransacked andvandalized by military elements.

Lumad organizations and communities and the SOSnetwork decried all these violations in a series of protestactions from Mindanao to Manila. AB

They are also violating interna-tional laws that expressly prohibitthe use of schools for military pur-poses such as command posts,barracks, detachments, and sup-ply depots.

On March 2014 in Davao delNorte, 309 Talaingod Manobofamilies fled their homes aftertwo helicopters and four warplanes dropped bombs,destroying school establishments including their homes.

On March 27, a paramilitary group, Alamara, did notallow the Mindanao Interfaith Services Inc. (Misfi)Academy to hold moving-up ceremonies in Sitio Patil,Barangay Gupitan, Kapalong, Davao del Norte. Theyalso disallowed this even when parents tried to continuethe ceremonies at Sitio Muling. The Misfi Academy wasonly able to hold it in Davao City last May 25. Thisschool remains closed because the teachers are beingblocked entry by the paramilitary group Alamara.

Meanwhile, teachers and students of other Misfischools that were able to assert their operation thisschool year are still being harassed by soldiers of the67th IB and accused of being NPA members.

In Sitio Mantapay, Limot and Barangay Bagangan,

12 soldiers killed, 10wounded in Paquibato

The 1st Pulang Bagani Company ambushed elements of the 69thIBPA last June 17, at about 3:40 p.m. in Sitio Pag-asa, Barangay

Paquibato Proper, Davao City. Twelve soldiers were killed and tenwounded.

According to Rigoberto San-chez, spokesperson of the NPA-Southern Mindanao Region, this at-tains revolutionary justice for vic-tims of the strafing perpetuated bythe 69th IBPA at the house of peas-ant leader Aida Seisa where DatuRuben Enlog, Gary Quimbo, andRandy Carnasa were killed and the12 year-old child of Seisa waswounded. (See related article on

page 6) . The NPA gave honors to KaJanjan and Ka Marlo, both Redfighters who gave their lives duringthis military action.

In related news, NPA units inAgusan del Norte, Bukidnon and Ca-marines Sur launched military ac-

tions.BBuukkiiddnnoonn.. Thirteen firearms

were seized by Red fighters of theNPA-South Central Bukidnon Subre-gional Command during a raid on adetachment of the 69th IB in SitioMahayag, Barangay Namnam, SanFernando last June 14. Among thefirearms confiscated were one ma-chinegun and one M203 grenadelauncher. The military troops havelong been occupying the Sitio’s vil-lage hall. They were deployed toguard a company constructing theValencia-Davao Highway.

AAgguussaann ddeell NNoorrttee.. Three mem-bers of the Special Action Force(PNP-SAF) were killed in separate

military actions carried out byNPA-Western Agusan Norte-Agusan Sur (WANAS) SubregionalCommand last June 9, 2015 around7 p.m. in Barangay Olave, Buenav-ista. The ambush was launched as areaction to the enemy operations inthe area. Meanwhile, the people’sarmy suffered no casualties.

CCaammaarriinneess SSuurr.. The NPA - To-mas Pilapil Command (NPA-TPC)meted revolutionary punishment tothe destructive Bicol Chromite andManganese Inc. operating in Brgy.Himagtocon, Lagonoy, CamarinesSur last June 18, 2015 around 6p.m.. The NPA operatives torchedone backhoe, one bulldozer, oneowner-type jeep, and generatorsets all estimated to cost aroundP10 million.

Residents of the mountain vil-lages of Himagtocon, Pinamihagan,Del Carmen and Bocogan inLagonoy municipality have longbeen complaining against the saidmining company. AB

ANG BAYAN July 7 , 20158

Armed

struggle

advances in ST

From mid-2014 untilMay 2015, armed

struggle in the SouthernTagalog Region has con-tinued to advance.

The New People's Army(NPA)-Southern Tagalog car-ried out a total of 49 tacticaloffensives and military ac-tions from June 2014 till May2015. Red fighters confis-cated 32 high-powered fire-arms including 15 M16, onebaby M16, five M14, one M1carbine, six shotguns and twocal .22 rifles and 12 pistols(among them one cal .45,four 9mm, and three cal .38),ammunition, magazines,ammo pouch, backpack,sniper scope, and other milit-ary materiél from the enemy.

Most significant amongthese was the NPA raid lastNovember 2014 against thePublic Safety Maneuver Bat-talion (PSMB) and the 76thIB at the police station inPaluan, Occidental Mindorowhere 24 firearms wereseized. The commander ofthe 76th IB was relieved asa result.

On the part of theArmed Forces of the Philip-pines, 34 were killed in ac-tion, 25 wounded and 13surrendered and capturedby the NPA. Among the tar-gets of the military actionswere the detachments andtroops of the 76th IB andPSMB of Region IV-B, alongwith the 85th IB, 1st IB,16th IB, 4th IB, 4th MarineBattalion Landing Team, andthe 59th IB (Cadre Battalionof the 2nd ID). AB

Peasants rallyin Bukidnon and Isabela

Around 2,500 peasants demonstrated last June 9 in Kitaotao,Bukidnon to assert their rights to the municipality’s calamity fund.

Led by the Kahugpungan ng Mag-uuma sa Kitaotao-KASAMA Bukidnon,farmers from 11 barangays marched to the municipal hall to addresstheir grievances to the mayor regarding their difficulties and hungerbrought about by the drought over the past six months.

Kitaotao hasbeen under a stateof calamity sinceMay but until June,the local govern-ment has not re-leased any funds.

At the sametime, peasants alsodemanded the im-mediate removal of the 33rd IBfrom their barangays because oframpant human rights violations bythe soldiers. Violations included themauling of Emilio Ruplo, a barangaycouncilman, which resulted in hisdeath last May 15. The soldierscame upon Ruplo in a farm near thesite of an encounter between milit-ary troops and Red fighters lastMay 4. (See Ang Bayan, Special Is-sue, June 1, 2015). The soldiersencamped at the barangay halland the school, in violation of therules of war.

Meanwhile, hundreds of farm-ers under Danggayan dagiti Man-nalon ti Cagayan Valley (Danggay-an-CV) staged a rally in front ofthe Department of Agrarian Re-form (DAR) office in Isabela andCagayan last June 8 to oppose theearlier planned economic charterchange (amendments to some eco-nomic provisions of the 1987 con-stitution) and the extension of theanti-peasant ComprehensiveAgrarian Reform Program (CARP).They also protested the LandBank’s anomalous charges onlands that have already been dis-tributed under the phoney CARPwhile they are already paying rentto the landlords.

According to BinoAbrogena, chairper-son of Danggayan-CV, until now, therights of farmers tothe land they havebeen tilling for solong are still not re-conized. Worse, theyare being driven

away from their land to give wayto the expansion of foreign-owned plantations of cassava,coffee, rubber and sugar cane.

Among these are the farmersof Hacienda Dimzon and HaciendaZulueta in Benito Soliven and SanMariano in Isabela. Last 2013,these were planted with sugarcane for ecofuel production. Alsoincluded were the farmers ofHacienda Isabel and Hacienda SanAntonio in Ilagan, Isabela. Someof them are planting tobacco andcassava for ethanol of big ag-ribusiness. Some farmers have losttheir lands because they could nolonger afford to pay amortiza-tions.

In Cagayan, peasants have in-creasingly lost lands and descen-ded into destitution and hungerdue to CARP. Among them are thetillers of the 3,000-hectareHawkins Estate in Amulong Westand the haciendas of the Madrigal,Lorenzana and Puzon families.

Last June 10, farmers fromCagayan and Isabela joined therally in front of Congress. Theyopposed the bills for economiccha-cha and the extension ofCARP, both of which were yet tobe approved by Congress. AB

ANG BAYAN July 7 , 2015 9

Rising Japanese militarism

Naval exercises were held in Palawan by the Philippine Navy andthe Japan Maritime Self Defense Force last June 22-25. The mod-

ern maritime surveillance aircraft Lockheed P3-C of Japan was used,along with a Philippine warship and helicopters.

The said Philippine-Japan milit-ary exercises were synchronizedwith the Cooperation Afloat Readi-ness and Training (CARAT) betweenthe US and the Philippines conduc-ted in the same area last June 18-30. Some 600 American and Filipinotroops were involved, utilizing thelittoral combat ship USS Fort Worth,(a warship capable of operating inshallow waters), US patrol aircraftand missiles, and Philippine navalwarships and helicopters.

The said military exercises arepart of the continuing militarizationof the South China Sea and Philip-pine maritime territory. The US andJapan have taken advantage of thePhilippine-China conflict to justifyincreasing military intervention ofUS and Japan in the region.

Japan's involvement in the Phil-ippine military exercises last Junecomes at the heels of the first jointmilitary exercises between Japanand the Philippines last May 12. TwoJapanese destroyers and the Philip-pine's newest second-hand warshipconducted the maneuvers some 300kilometers from the ScarboroughShaol that is being claimed by China.

The latest military exercises arepart of the Philippines-Japan Visit-ing Forces Agreement signed by Be-nigno Aquino and Prime MinisterShinzo Abe last June 8 when Aquinovisited Tokyo.

JJaappaanneessee mmiilliittaarriissmmUnder US imperialism's aim to

strenghten its military position inAsia, Japan has expanded its milit-ary through the modernization of itsmilitary hardware and more fre-quent participation in joint man-euvers outside its country.

When Abe came to power in thelast part of 2012, one of his chief

priorities was to do away with thepacifist stance of Japan towardswhat he calls normalization of its po-sition on military issues. This wouldentail ammending the Japanese con-stitition to remove the restraints onJapanese involvement in war.

Abe termed this as the “right tocollective self-defense,” wherein Ja-pan's Self-Defense Forces would notbe limited to a defensive role, andlimitations on the military budgetwould be removed. The US openlysupported these proposals to giveway to a bigger role for Japan in en-hancing US military presence inAsia. The US is also interested in Ja-pan's purchase of military hardwarefrom the US.

The constitutional ammendmentdid not prosper due to the Japanesepeople's vehement protests, thusthe changes were done throughlaws. Parliament in 2013 passed theState Secrets Act and the creationof a National Security Council.

In 2014, changes to the US-Ja-pan Defense Cooperation Guidelineswere permitted. The military budgetwas increased to $42 billion in 2015,the highest since World War II. Thebulk of the budget was for the pur-chase of 30 amphibious vehicles,three unmanned reconnaissanceplanes and six stealth fighters fromthe US.

On Au-gust 6,2014, Ja-panlaunchedthe $1.24billionDDH 183Izumo, oneof thelargest air-craft carri-

ers in the world with its own fleetof counter-submarine helicoptersand modern warplanes to bebought from the US. The govern-ment also strongly supported theexpansion of Camp Schwab, a USmilitary base in Okinawa.

Japan's rising militarism hasbeen condemned by the peoples ofChina, Korea and Japan. Lastmonth, some 35,000 Okinawansincluding local officials of the is-land rallied against the Japanesenational government's approval ofCamp Schwab's expansion.

People from other countriesinvaded by Japan during WorldWar II also protested the Abegovernment's efforts to revise his-tory in school books to cover-upthe atrocities committed by theirsoldiers back then. During the firstanniversary marking his coming topower, Abe visited the YasukuniShrine, a war memorial of the sol-diers who committed crimes duringthe war, to whip up militaristic“nationalism”.

China lodged a protest onwhat they said was Japanese in-tervention on the issue of theWest Philippine Sea and its pos-ture in the East China Sea.

BAYAN condemned the simul-taneous military exercises in theWest Philippine Sea. Last June 23,it held a rally in front of the Ja-panese embassy in Pasay City.

Lila Filipina-Gabriela, an or-ganization of “comfort women” orwomen oppressed by Japanesetroops during the 2nd World War,joined the protest. AB

ANG BAYAN July 7 , 201510

US rushing TPP

The US Congress approved last June 23 a process that would fast-track or hasten negotiations for the creation and approval of the

proposed Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP). The TPP is an agreement for“free trade” between the US and no less than 12 countries in thePacific Rim. The US seeks to use this to form an economic block againstChina.

Under the TPP, all impedimentsto investments and trade betweenparticipating countries will be dis-mantled giving way to unfetteredaccumulation of profit by corpora-tions. It is an agreement to imple-ment widespread deregulation andliberalization wherein the interestsof monopoly capitalist businessoverides any national law.

RRaaiillrrooaaddeedd sseeccrreett aaggrreeeemmeennttThe Trade Promotion Agree-

ment (TPA) was approved by theSenate and Lower House of the USCongress at the end of June. TheTPA grants authority to the USpresident to enter into trade deals,such as the TPP, that cannot beammended by Congress. It can onlybe approved or rejected. This aimsto give the US leverage to fast-track TPP negotiations.

The TPP has been enveloped inextreme secrecy. Only US Con-gressmen and select staff are per-mitted to read the 29 chapters ofthe proposed TPP agreement. Nonotes, pictures or copies can bemade, and no discussion of the con-tents to the public are allowed. Thebest estimate of the number ofcongressmen who have read theagreement is in the single digit.

The TPP was formed by 566advisers from US corporations andnone of the discussions was dis-closed to the public and media. Thelevel of secrecy surrounding theagreements is unparalleled, whereinparamilitary teams scatter outsidethe premises of each round of dis-cussions while helicopters circleoverhead.

TTPPPP:: MMeeggaa--FFrreeee TTrraaddee AAggrreeeemmeennttThe US seeks to include in the

TPP 12 countries: United States,Japan, Mexico, Canada, Australia,Malaysia, Chile, Singapore, Peru,Vietnam, New Zealand and BruneiDarussalam. These 12 countries ac-count for 40% of global Gross Do-mestic Product and a third of worldtrade.

It is meant to enforce and con-solidate a set of standards to servethe interests of monopoly capital-ists and big capitalist countries tothe detriment of billions of workersand people as well as developingcountries. It has been described bythe International League ofPeople's Struggle as “an attack onthe sovereignty, environment andlivelihood of Asia-Pacific peoples.”

The TPP is the economic arm ofUS imperialism's “Asian pivot.” TheUS aims to set the rules and domin-ate trade in a large part of Asia,then use this to contain China. TheUS lures in economies through thepromise of unrestricted access toUS markets. In turnthe US ropes in

strategic economies into a legallybinding corporate-governance re-gime.

The TPP is a mega-Free TradeAgreement (FTA) in terms of thelarge number of countries to bedeeply integrated into it. In 2013,there were already 252 FTAs.Among these FTAs was the NorthAmerican Free Trade Agreement(NAFTA) between the US, Canadaand Mexico.

FTAs arose after negotiationsunder the World Trade Organiza-tion collapsed due to the protec-tionism of the US and other bigcapitalist countries, along with theassertion of national interests bythe rising large economies of China,India and Brazil.

NNeeoolliibbeerraall pprroovviissiioonnssIn 2013, in spite of the secret-

ive construct and deliberation ofthe TPP, details of some of itschapters were released in the in-ternet (through the Wikileaks web-site). Among these were the provi-sions on intectual property andissues related to health and food.

The revealed provisions includepermitting capital to freely andeasily enter a country; for profits tobe just as easily repatriated; forwholesale privatization of publicenterprises; and for proposals toallow corporations to sue govern-

ANG BAYAN July 7 , 2015 11

ments in global secret courts if na-tional laws are passed that chal-lenge any provision of the TPP.

Most threatening is the TPPprovision on Investor-State DisputeSettlement (ISDS) wherein the rightof an investor to make profits couldnot be hindered as countries whoenact laws can be sued by corpora-tions who feel these laws have re-stricted their potential profits.

These suits will no longer bedone in domestic courts. Any limiton corporate profits, e.g. a ban onchild labor, new minimum wage,building codes and others, can beoverturned. There will be the addi-tional likelihood of fines againstthose who insist on defendingforests, rivers, and mountains withnonviolent action or with lawsuits.Worse, the merit of the lawsuitwould be judged by a panel of arbit-rators to be chosen by the plaintiffsthemselves.

Through the mechanism of theISDS, TPP brings neoliberalism to anew high wherein the accumulationof profit by banks and corporationswill be accelerated and removes re-strictions over and beyond whatFTAs achieved.

Under TPP, laws that requirecompanies to label foods with con-tent from genetically modified or-ganisms (GMO) will be illegal. Suchlaws were fought for by advocatesof consumer rights to know if foodtaken from the shelves contain in-gredients that could be harmfull totheir health. Under TPP, internettermination for households, busi-ness and organizations will be anaccepted penalty for copyright in-fringement. This will bring aboutstifled research, increased educa-tion cost and even making it a crim-inal offense to temporarily storefiles on a computer without author-ization.

With the provisions on intellec-tual property rights, the TPP wouldmake it harder for nations toprovide access to generic medica-tions for their citizens.

TPP would make it impossible toban regulations against trading oractivities that may bring about fin-ancial crisis similar to what oc-curred in 2008.

UUSS--CChhiinnaa rriivvaallrryyUS fast-tracking to create the

TPP signals the continuing intense

competition of the main centers ofcapitalism. The US fears that Chinawill sweep in a good number of the10 countries in the current TPP ne-gotiations outside of the US and Ja-pan. China has been seeking to ne-gotiate the Regional ComprehensiveEconomic Partnership (RCEP) whichhas been referred to as “China’sTPP.”

China is also pushing for theFree Trade Agreement on Asia Pa-cific (FTAAP) as an alternative tothe TPP during the APEC meeting inShanghai last 2014. Under this pro-posal, both China and Russia will beincluded aside from the 12 compos-ing the TPP.

Obama's camp ascribes theneed for the TPP to the reality that95% of consumers of US productsare to be found in other countries.In addition, if the TPP fails as itseconomic pivot, then the US militaryand political pivot, wherein 60% ofUS armed forces will be focused onAsia, would become irrelevant.

An estimated 75% of Americansthink that TPP should be rejected.Nearly two-thirds favor some formof trade restriction such as againstthe NAFTA. AB