May 16, 2012

The umbrella group Bagong Alyansang Makabayan today assailed the entry of a United States nuclear-powered attack submarine in the former Subic Nava Base in Zambales. The USS North Carolina (SSN 777), a Virginia class attack submarine considered one of the “stealthiest, most technologically advanced” in the world.

“It’s as if US military bases are back in Subic. Virtual basing and hosting of US warships are being justified by the Visiting Forces Agreement and the Mutual Logistics Support Agreement. Philippine ports like Subic are again providing logistics support for US ships. We might see more of these port calls now that the US is rebalancing towards Asia,” said Bayan secretary general Renato M. Reyes, Jr.

“The Philippines is de facto hosting US warships presumably armed with nuclear and other weapons of mass destruction. The entry of the nuclear submarine may be in contravention of the Philippine constitutional ban on nuclear weapons. The problem is that under the VFA, the US neither confirms nor denies that its ships carry nuclear weapons. However, the presumption is that they do, especially the more advanced ships,” Reyes said.

Article II, Section 8 of the Philippine Constitution states that “the Philippines, consistent with the national interest, adopts and pursues a policy of freedom from nuclear weapons in its territory.”

Negative impact on dispute with China

Bayan also noted that the entry of the high-tech US submarine may have negative repercussions in the Philippine’s dispute with China, saying perceived US involvement may further escalate tensions.

“The port calls made by US warships is part of a greater strategy to project US military power in the region. It is directed at all

countries in the region, but most especially China, in order to keep China subservient to US dictates,” Reyes said.

Statements from the US military support the view that the port call is being used for US power projection. According to a US official, the USS North Carolina “brings to the region the capability to conduct the full spectrum of potential submarine missions including anti-submarine warfare, anti-surface ship warfare, strike, naval special warfare involving special operations forces, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance, and mine warfare,”

Recently, Washington and Manila held a high profile meeting that reaffirmed US defense interests in the Philippines. These include more frequent war games, port calls of US warships and the retention of the 600 US Special Forces stationed in Mindanao for the last decade.

Rest and recreation

Bayan also expressed concerns that the Philippines continues to play host for rest and recreation activities of US troops saying this creates a host of social and legal issues.

“Aside from the historical fact that so-called rest and recreation activities for US troops breed prostitution, there is also the unresolved provision in the VFA which places erring US troops under the custody of the US government, even if convicted by a lower court,” Reyes said.

“In the event that another Filipina is raped, like what happened in Subic not so long ago, the Philippine government will again be at a serious disadvantage. Our sovereignty will again be compromised,” he added.

Aquino has promised to review the provisions of the VFA regarding custody for US troops facing criminal raps. No results have come out from this nearly two years since Aquino came to power. ###

The umbrella group Bagong Alyansang Makabayan today held a protest in Manila to mark the closing of the Asian Development Bank’s 45th Governors Meeting in the Philippines. The militant group said that no matter how hard it tries, the Aquino government cannot whitewash poverty just so it could reinforce the ADB’s “anti-development” policies.

The BAYAN led protest was able to breach the PNP’s first line of defense near Ermita church and were able to reach the edge of the Rajah Sulaiman Plaza just near Roxas Boulevard before being blocked by hundreds more from the PNP. The protesters were pushed outside the Plaza.

The protest came a day after the Social Weather Stations released a survey showing that self-rated poverty increased in the first quarter of 2012 compared to the last quarter of 2011. The Aquino government has drawn flak for trying to cover up poverty and alleged eyesores by putting up walls to conceal slum communities near the ADB’s conference venue.

“No amount of high walls from the Philippine government can conceal poverty. The reality is that poverty is on the rise and cosmetic changes cannot hide this. The latest survey on poverty is a rebuke of the Aquino government and the ADB. The chronic problem shows that the economic impositions of lending agencies like the ADB and World Bank are not working for the people. Even the ADB and WB-funded Conditional Cash Transfer is not making a dent on the poverty,” said Bayan secretary general Renato M. Reyes, Jr.

The first quarter Social Weather Stations survey on self-rated poverty, coming out in time for the 45th ADB Governor’s meeting hosted by Manila, showed some 11.1 million families consider themselves poor. This is up from 9.1 million households in December last year.

Some 9.1 million families also consider themselves food-poor, a figure that is up from the 7.2 million families from the previous quarter.The surveys showed that there was a sharp increase in self-rated poverty in Mindanao. Rural poverty also seemed in to increase while urban poverty appeared to remain the same.

Growth one-sided

“The prediction of a 5-6% GDP growth does not amount to much for the poor. The projected growth, assuming it will even happen, will not likely be felt by the poor. Wages remain depressed. Land reform is a sham. Prices keep going up. Joblessness is chronic,” Reyes said.

“Even the Conditional Cash Transfer program funded through loans from the ADB and World Bank has not made a dent in poverty despite the billions of pesos already spent for the program. Poverty is up especially in the provinces,” he added.

The ADB expected continuing advances in technology, globalization and market liberalization. Bayan however said that this is a recipe for worsening poverty especially in countries like the Philippines.

“Unbridled liberalization of the economy drains domestic wealth and destroys local industries in favor of foreign investors. The regime of liberalization, privatization and deregulation being pushed by the ADB has had the most disastrous effects on the economy,” Reyes said.

“Prices have gone up, local industries are shutting down, joblessness is on the rise, domestic resources are being plundered and profits are shipped back to the more industrialized countries. Aquino has opposed a substantial wage hike. There can be no inclusive growth under such a regime. The people do not share the optimism of Aquino’s economic managers,” he added. ###

May 3, 2012

The umbrella group Bagong Alyansang Makabayan today said that increased poverty incidence in the Philippines is the strongest argument that economic prescriptions from the Asian Development Bank are not working.

“The Philippine government can build walls to cover up poverty during the ADB meeting, but the reality is that poverty is on the rise. The chronic problem shows that the economic impositions of lending agencies like the ADB and World Bank are not working for the people. Even the debt-driven, ADB and WB-funded Conditional Cash Transfer is not making a dent on the poverty incidence,” said Bayan secretary general Renato M. Reyes, Jr.

The first quarter Social Weather Stations survey on self-rated poverty, coming out in time for the 45^th ADB Governor’s meeting hosted by Manila, some 11.1 million families consider themselves poor. This is up from 9.1 million households in December last year.

Some 9.1 million families also consider themselves food-poor, a figure that is up from the 7.2 million families from the previous quarter.

The surveys showed that there was a sharp increase in self-rated poverty in Mindanao. Rural poverty also seemed in to increase while urban poverty appeared to remain the same.

“The prediction of a 5-6% GDP growth does not amount to much for the poor. The projected growth, assuming it will happen, will not likely be felt by the poor. Wages remain depressed. Land reform is a sham. Prices keep going up. Joblessness is chronic,” Reyes said.

“Even the Conditional Cash Transfer program funded through loans from the ADB and World Bank have not made a dent in poverty despite the billions of pesos allocated for the program Poverty is up especially in the provinces,” he added.

The ADB expected continuing advances in technology, globalization and market liberalization. Bayan however said that this is a recipe for worsening poverty especially in countries like the Philippines.

“Unbridled liberalization of the economy drains domestic wealth and weakens local industries in favor of foreign investors. The regime of liberalization, privatization and deregulation being pushed by the ADB have has had the most disastrous effects on the economy,” Reyes said.

“Prices have gone up, local industries are shutting down, joblessness remains high, domestic resources are being plundered and profits are shipped back to the more industrialized countries. There can be no inclusive growth under such a regime. The people do not share the optimism of Aquino’s economic managers,” he added.

Bayan will lead protests again tomorrow as the ADB meeting closes at the PICC. ###

Chanting “ADB, back off! Philippines not for sale!”, activists from the Multisectoral group Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan) picketed today the opening of the 45th annual meeting of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) at the Philippine International Convention Center (PICC) in Manila.

The group burned a mock ADB logo that displays the words “Anti-Development Bank, Promoting poverty in Asia and the Pacific”,

Bayan criticized the Aquino administration for the red carpet treatment it is giving to the ADB assembly, saying that the bank is behind the many anti-poor and anti-development policies that impoverish the people and bankrupt the domestic economy. It said that the ADB is the main creditor and proponent of programs that facilitate the sell-off of Philippine patrimony to profit-oriented private business, including foreign corporations.

It cited the Electric Power Industry Reform Act (Epira), which the group said is the reason why Manila has now the most expensive electricity rates in Asia. Even Mindanao, which is also being plagued by rotating brownouts due to lack of energy supply, has higher power rates than Hong Kong, Seoul, Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok and other major Asian cities. Electricity rates in the country have doubled since Epira was implemented.

ADB is the main proponent of Epira and the neoliberal restructuring of the country’s power sector in the past two decades. It bankrolled the design, legislation, and implementation of Epira which it funded through debilitating foreign debt of about $1.6 billion in the past 14 years.

Aside from power, ADB has also funded the privatization of the country’s water services, irrigation systems, dams, and even the commercialization of the National Food Authority (NFA). These reforms have resulted in skyrocketing cost of living and further hampered the poor Filipinos’ access to basic social and economic services.

Worse, the odious loans used to finance these neoliberal reforms have also been draining the country’s resources and siphon off funds that should be used for public education, mass housing, health services, social security, land reform, and other social services. The ADB is the single biggest foreign creditor of the Philippines, which as of 2011, owes the bank some $5.84 billion. More than 50% of the country’s multilateral debt comes from the ADB. For 2012, the Aquino administration is willing to spend P738.6 billion for debt servicing while the budget for social services is pegged at only P575.8 billion.

The Manila meeting is supposed to center on so-called “inclusive growth”. But Bayan said the impact of ADB’s policies and loans has been excluding and marginalizing the poor while only profiting the big corporations. (end)

May 1, 2012

The umbrella group Bagong Alyansang Makabayan today slammed the Aquino government and its “Aquinomics” as being patently anti-worker and anti-people. The statement came amid nationwide protests commemorating International Labor Day and a day before the Philippines hosts the Asian Development Bank ministerial meeting.

“The Aquino government has opposed any meaningful wage increase, the regulation of prices as well as genuine national industrialization. Aquinomics favors business interests over workers interests. Aquinomics favors deregulation, privatization and further liberalization of the economy. No wonder Aquino’s approval marks on economic issues has gone down consistently,” said Bayan secretary general Renato M. Reyes, Jr.

Bayan also found as most insulting the proposal by the Employers Confederation of the Philippines for a measly P8.00 daily wage hike.

“The P8.00 wage hike proposed by ECOP is most insulting to workers. It is unacceptable. It’s not even enough to pay for the minimum jeepney fare of P8.50 or for extra rice in a carinderia. Government must not even dignify this ludicrous proposal from greedy capitalist employers,” Reyes said.

Meanwhile, Aquino is expected to announce some “good news” during a breakfast with labor leaders in Malacanang this morning.

“We’re not holding our breath. Workers and people are really tired of the promises of good news every labor day. We fear this year won’t be any different. Government will again focus on non-wage benefits while ignoring calls to regulate rising prices of basic commodities, electricity and oil. Aquinomics is also Consuelo de bobo-economics for the workers and people,” Reyes said.

Bayan said that Aquino’s commitment to neo-liberal economics can be seen when it hosts the Asian Development Bank meeting tomorrow at the PICC in Pasay. The militant group has blamed the ADB for many of the current economic policies that it says are oppressive. It cited the power restructuring programs of the EPIRA which were pushed in exchange for ADB loans.

“Aquino will roll out the red carpet for finance ministers and officials of foreign lending institutions tomorrow at the ADB meet. Meanwhile, Aquino can’t even give a lifeline to workers reeling from high prices. The priorities of this government are tilted in favor of big business, big banks and foreign creditors,” Reyes said. ###

The umbrella group Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan) today slammed the recently concluded “two-plus-two” meeting between the Philippines and United States, saying this merely reinforced the dependence of the Philippines on its former colonizer but will not amount to much in terms of helping the Philippines assert its claims over disputed territories in the region.

“The Philippines will again be waiting for more second-hand military equipment being thrown its way by the US government. The PH government will again pin its hopes of armed forces modernization on US hand-me-downs. But the reality is that all these do not really help in strengthening Philippine sovereignty nor in asserting our claims over disputed territories,” said Bayan secretary general Renato M. Reyes, Jr.

“The only concrete outcome of the talks is a second Vietnam-era ship, a 1967 Hamilton class cutter, which will be transferred to the Philippines this year allegedly to modernize our armed forces. This is the kind of mendicant foreign policy which has prevented our country to develop its own credible defense posture, because it is so dependent on US military aid,” Reyes said

The group sensed that the US government was downplaying the impact of the meeting vis-à-vis US relations with China. “The US obviously did not categorically take the side of the Philippines over China. The US was very careful. It is an indication that the Mutual Defense Treaty is not a framework where we can always expect automatic US support for our territorial claims. Neither can we expect automatic US retaliation against China. The MDT only gives the illusion of US support so that the US can get more from the Philippines,” Reyes said.

MLSA likely extended

Bayan noted that the US will get more from its agreements with the Philippines as it reaffirmed the Mutual Defense Treaty and the Vesting Forces Agreement. Bayan also noted that the joint statement between the two governments indicated that the Mutual Logistics Support Agreement will likely be extended since this was mentioned as among the major agreements between the two governments. The MLSA allows US forces to be serviced by the Philippines through logistical support of various kinds.

“The US will enhance is maritime surveillance program in the region under the guise of maintaining freedom of navigation. The US will maintain its 600 Special Forces in Mindanao even without a basing treaty. These troops have been in the country for the last 10 years and are believed to be engaged in combat roles. The US will also conduct more high-impact military exercises not limited to maritime exercises,” Reyes said.

According to news reports, a subsidiary of the U.S. defense contractor Huntington Ingalls Industries will be working with Hanjin Heavy Industries, which maintains a large shipbuilding and repair facility at the former base at Subic Bay. This is believed to pay the way for large-scale servicing of U.S. military ships in Subic Bay for the first time in 20 years. Such servicing of US ships is allowed under the MLSA.

“The US certainly got more out of this meeting than the Philippines. It’s part of the bigger US agenda in the Pacific. On the same day, US President Obama met with Japan PM Noda on the transfer of US troops from Okinawa to other areas in the region such as Guam, Hawaii and Australia. The Philippines has previously been reported to be another country that may host the rotational troops that will be displaced from Okinawa.

Read US-PH joint statement here: http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2012/04/188977.htm

Rebolusyunaryong pagpupugay para sa mga dakilang manggagawang Pilipino at sa lahat ng mga manggagawa sa buong daigdig ang ipinaaabot ng Bayan at ng lahat ng balangay nito sa loob at labas ng bansa sa Pandaigdigang Araw ng Paggawa!

Maaga pa lamang, natunton na natin si Pangulong Aquino bilang bagong kinatawan ng naghaharing uri – ng mga panginoong maylupa, ng mga malaking burgesya kumprador, at ng mga burukrata kapitalista – sa nabubulok na lipunang Pilipino. Gayundin, inilantad na natin si Aquino bilang bagong tuta ng imperyalismong US.

Pinatunayan mismo ni Aquino ang reaksyunaryong katangian ng kanyang rehimen. Mula nang maging Pangulo, ipinakita niya kung kaninong interes ang kanyang pinagsisilbihan, at kung sino ang kanyang totoong boss – hindi ang manggagawa, hindi ang mamamayang Pilipino, kundi ang malalaking kumprador kapitalista’t panginoong maylupa, at higit pa, ang kanyang tunay na among imperyalismong Kano.

Kaya akma ang tema ng ating paggunita sa Araw ng Paggawa ngayong taon – Labanan ang inutil sa masa, papet, at pasistang rehimeng US-Aquino!

Labanan dahil tayo ay walang habas na inaatake ng rehimeng ito.

At isa sa pinakamatinding atake ni Aquino sa mamamayang Pilipino ay ang walang hiyang pagkakanulo nito sa soberanya ng bansa. Para sa iba nating mga kababayan, marahil nakakagulat ang ganitong pahayag. Paanong inaatake ni Aquino ang pambansang soberanya gayung mukhang agresibo ito sa pagtatanggol sa Panatag Shoal at Kalayaan Islands laban sa panghihimasok ng China? Hindi ba’t makabayan si Aquino?

Ito ay malaking ilusyon!

Si Aquino ang pinakamatapat na tuta ng imperyalismong US. Nakikipagsabwatan ito sa US at ginagamit ang tensyon sa China para bigyang-katwiran ang mas malaking presensya at interbensyong militar ng US sa Pilipinas at sa Asya Pasipiko. Nag-iilusyon ito sa pag-aakalang dedepensahan ng US ang bansa sa ilalim ng inutil na Mutual Defense Treaty.

Tandaan nating ang galaw ng US ay kalkulado ayon sa imperyalistang mga layunin nito sa rehiyon. Sa gitna ng kinakaharap nitong napakatinding krisis, habol ng US na lalong pumiga ng supertubo sa murang lakas paggawa, yamang likas, at merkado sa mga bansa sa daigdig. Kaya kung sa hanayan ng mga bansang nais dambungin at kontrolin ng US, di hamak na mas mahalaga para rito ang China, sa simpleng lawak at laki nito. Ginagamit lamang ng US ang Pilipinas para sa estratehiko’t taktikal na layunin nito sa China habang handang-handa itong makipagkaisa sa naghaharing uri sa China para sa pagsasamantala sa mamamayang Tsino at sa lahat ng mamamayan sa Asya Pasipiko.

Pero nag-aambisyon ang mga naghaharing-uri ng papalakas na kapitalistang bansang China na maging dominanteng kapangyarihan ito sa rehiyon, kundi man sa daigdig. Pinalalakas nito ang kanyang militar para ipagtanggol ang kanyang ipinagpapalagay na teritoryo at labanan ang anumang banta ng panghihimasok ng mga imperyalistang kapangyarihan, pangunahin ang US. Iginigiit nito ang kanyang posisyon sa Panatag Shoal at Kalayaan Islands.

Kaya ang banggaan ay banggaan ng US at China para sa kanya-kanyang sariling interes ng kanilang mga naghaharing uri. Pero sa halip na kilalanin ang ganitong katangian ng tunggalian ng US at China, buong-buong itinaya ni Aquino ang pambansang interes sa imperyalistang adyenda ng gobyerno ng US.

Habang ipinapanawagan nito ang pagsusulong daw ng diplomatikong pamamaraan para resolbahin ang tensyon, naglulunsad naman ito ng mga ehersisyong militar katuwang ang US, kabilang sa karagatan kung saan nandoon ang sigalot. Ginagatungan nito ang banta ng gera habang nagpapanggap na para sa kapayapaan at pagkakaisa sa rehiyon.

Habang sinasabi ng rehimeng Aquino na dapat gamitin ang mga pandaigdigan at panrehiyong mga institusyon para ayusin ang gulo, panay ang takbo nito kay Uncle Sam upang makakuha ng mga pahayag at pangako ng pagkampi sa Pilipinas. Higit pa, bigay-todo ang gobyernong Aquino sa mga pabor sa US tulad ng pagpayag sa mas malaking bilang ng mga tropa at gamit-pandigma ng Kano sa teritoryo ng Pilipinas, pagdaos ng mas malalaki’t mas madadalas na ehersisyong militar, at tuwirang pakikisangkot ng US sa kampanyang kontra-insurhensya laban sa anti-imperyalistang New People’s Army.

Paglapastangan ito sa mga Nicole, mga Gregan Cardeño, mga Ahbam Juhurin, at sa marami pang ibang biktima ng paglabag sa karapatang pantao ng mga tropang Amerikano! Pagyurak ito sa soberanya ng bansa! Payag ang rehimeng Aquino na magpatuloy na mistulang isang malaking base militar ang buong bansa sa pamamagitan ng VFA at iba pang tratadong makaisang-panig.

Ginagatungan ng matinding krisis ng imperyalismo ang agawan ng mga teritoryo’t rekurso sa daigdig.
Kaya ngayon, higit kailanman, kailangan ang pagiging makabayan ng mga manggagawa’t mamamayang Pilipino sa larangan ng ekonomya, pulitika’t patakarang panlabas.

Pero hindi ito ang makitid at mababaw na patriyotismong nag-aanyaya ng di kinakailangang gera kontra sa China habang ibinebenta sa US ang pambansang kalayaan. Hindi ito ang patriyotismong sumisigaw na ipagtanggol ang teritoryo ng Pilipinas laban sa panghihimasok ng China habang walang habas na ibinebenta sa imperyalistang pandarambong ang yamang likas at mga manggagawa ng bansa.

Ipokrito ang pagiging makabayan ni Aquino at mga alipores nito kasama na ang huwad na makabayan na partylist ng Akbayan. Maingay sila laban sa China pero tahimik sa pagpasok ng libu-libong sundalong Kano. Maingay sila laban sa China pero tahimik, at ang totoo’y sunud-sunuran pa nga, sa pagpapatupad ng mga imperyalistang dikta sa ekonomya’t pulitika ng Pilipinas.

Simula bukas, idaraos sa bansa ang malaking pulong ng Asian Development Bank – imperyalistang bangko na nagbaon sa Pilipinas sa utang habang ibinebenta sa mga dambuhalang dayuhang negosyo ang pambansang patrimonya – ang ating yamang mineral, yamang enerhiya, pagkain, at marami pang iba. VIP treatment ang pasalubong sa ADB ni Aquino, sa ADB na matagal nang nilalapastangan ang ating ekonomya’t kalayaan! Salubungin natin ng malakas na protesta ang pulong ng ADB!

Si Aquino’y tuta ng imperyalismo! Hindi makabayan kundi taksil sa interes ng mamamayang Pilipino!

Dapat pangunahan ng mga manggagawang Pilipino, kasama ang mga magsasaka, kabataan, kababaihan, katutubo, mga propesyunal, maliliit na negosyante, at ng lahat ng inaapi’t pinagsasamantalahan ng imperyalismo na isulong ang tunay na pagiging makabayan!

Isulong natin ang patriyotismong laban sa lahat ng porma ng dayuhang panghihimasok!

Yakapin natin at isabuhay ang nasyunalismong magtatatag ng isang bansang tunay na may demokrasya’t kalayaan!

Panghawakan at ipagtagumpay natin ang pambansa demokratikong pakikibaka ng mamamayang Pilipino!

Mabuhay ang mga manggagawang Pilipino! Mabuhay ang mga manggagawa sa buong daigdig! (end)