Pahayagan ng Partido Komunista ng Pilipinas

Pinapatnubayan ng Marxismo-Leninismo-MaoismoANG

Intensify people's war with Aquino exitand installation of new puppet regime

With the coming reactionary elections set to end the old puppetregime and start a new one, the task of intensifying the people'swar across the country is clear to the New People's Army (NPA)

and all revolutionary forces. Red fighters firmly wield the weapons of the re-volutionary armed struggle.

Let us further intensify tacticaloffensives in Benigno Aquino III'sremaining months in the reaction-ary government's seat of power.The people's wrath over the Aquinoregime's six years of rotten, crimin-al, fascist and puppet rule is inter-minable. Drive the momentum oftactical offensives across the coun-try to greet the new puppet regimeto be installed and affirmed by USimperialism through the May elec-tions.

Under the new puppet regime,the people are bound to confrontefforts to pave the way for greaterUS military intervention (in collu-sion with rising militarism in Japan),changes to the 1987 constitution tomake it more congruent with the in-terests of foreign big capitalists andput the Philippines under the USTrans-Pacific Partnershipagreement and other issues ofnational freedom. The newregime will serve as imple-mentor of policies that are setto cause further exploitation andgreater hardship to the workers andpeasants, youth and students,teachers and ordinary employees,small professionals and other ex-ploited classes and sectors.

Whoever among the candidateswins, he or she will don the masks of"pro-poor", "anti-corruption","anti-crime" and promoter of "cleangovernment" and "service to thepeople". In fact, they all representthe interests of big foreign capital-ists and big compradors and are in-volved in the criminal operation ofbureaucrat-capitalists that employstate power to serve their busi-nesses and interests.

Let us immediately rip the maskof the incoming regime and not al-low it to deceive the people. In-

Vol XLVI I No. 6

March 21, 2016

www.phi l ippinerevolution.net

Editorial

tensify the armed struggle togetherwith strengthening the democraticmass struggle. Combine tactical of-fensives from all sides with risingstreet marches. Thus, the Filipinopeople can intensively advance theirnational-democratic struggles torock and put an end to the oppress-ive and exploitative ruling semicolo-nial and semifeudal system.

The Oplan Bayanihan has beencompletely frustrated in its aim torender the NPA inconsequential by2016. Instead of being beaten, theNPA further advanced in SouthernMindanao, North Central Mindanaoand North Eastern Mindanao wherethe AFP concentrated its forces andarmed strength with the support ofthe US. At the same time, other unitsof the NPA are also intensifyingarmed struggle in the entire country.

March 21 , 2016 ANG BAYAN2

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Editorial: Intensify people's war 1

96 NPA tactical offensives since January 3

Radyo Pakikibaka 5

Struggle inside and outside prison 5

2,000 barricade Eastmincom HQ 7

Working Women’s Day 7

3 farmers strafed in Surigao del Sur 8

Groups condemn K+12’s approval 8

UP’s further commercialization 8

TV5 workers launch protests 9

Grace Poe and Danding Cojuangco 10

Basque leader released 11

Vol XLVI I No. 6 | March 21, 2016

The AFP's declarations of "con-flict manageable and ready for de-velopment" provinces are all emptyclaims to give the impression ofweak or defeated NPA in the area.Such declarations are belied by NPAtactical offensives in variousprovinces. In the coming months,the AFP is bound to discard its "con-flict-manageable" line as tactical of-fensives are launched left and rightacross the country.

Let us firmly take hold of ourtask to intensify the people's war.We must earnestly plan and launchmainly annihilative tactical offens-ives to rout the enemy and seizetheir weapons.

All levels of command of theNPA must critically analyze, assessand sum up the factors preventingthe NPA from performing its mainduty of launching tactical offensivesto seize the enemy's arms in num-bers. Let us identify and overcomevarious manifestations of militaryconservatism, guerrillaism and civil-ianization. Strengthen the localcadres of the Party in order to raisetheir capability to lead the peasant

movement and enhance the NPA'scapacity for military work.

Strengthen and raise all-roundedly the capacity of the NPA.Undertake mass recruitment of newRed fighters. Set definite targets forbold expansion. Complete, imple-ment and assess plans to reach thebarrio and community level. Carryout recruitment campaigns conson-ant with antifeudal mass strugglesand building mass organizations,people's militias and other organs ofpolitical power.

We must rapidly increase theweapons of the NPA in order to armall Red fighters as well as all units ofthe people's militia. Hundreds ofdisarming operations must be car-ried out by regular forces of theNPA, as well as by the militia, self-defense units, and mass organiza-tions. The AFP's US-supplied high-powered assault firearms such as theM4 rifle, K3 and the like must be putinto the hands of the Red fighters.

All units and commands of theNPA must form and implement plansto launch tactical offensives thatcan surely be won towards seizing

ContentsANG

big numbers of weapons from theenemy. Identify the weaker de-tachments, police stations, check-points and other military targetswith armories or stocks of weapons.

Ambush the weak and isolatedunits of the enemy to take theirarms. Set sights as well on the ar-mories of private armies of warlordsand politicians, as well as the se-curity forces of big bourgeois com-prador-foreign monopoly-capitalistenterprises.

Together with the big number ofbodyblows, carry out timely head-blows against the enemy.

Ensure politico-military trainingfor all Red fighters in order to raisetheir capabilities in guerrilla opera-tions and manuevers, inmarksmanship and firing weapons,the use of explosives and otherpractical and basic military skills.Regularly carry out training andretraining. Improve the health andphysical fitness of Red fightersthrough regular organized exercisesand encouraging reduction of ci-garette consumption.

Continue to raise military dis-cipline and adherence to the "three-eight" (three points of discipline andeights points to remember). Regu-larly assess the capability and mil-itance of the Red fighters. Practicedemocracy in the three main fieldsof politics, economy and military.Ensure that cultural and educationwork thrives in every NPA unit.Units must daily discuss the burningissues of the people and regularlypropagate, read and discuss AngBayan.

Build, expand and raise the or-ganization and military capability ofall units of the people's militia.Sustain people's militia trainings inplanning and launching appropriatetactical offensives. The active par-ticipation of hundreds of militiaforces in every guerrilla front is oneof the aspects of the people's warthat we need to develop in order tomake it truly widespread and invin-cible.

Continue to build the company-sized guerrilla fronts and inter-front

Ang Bayan is publ ished forthnightly by the Central Committee

of the Communist Party of the Phi l ippines

ANG BAYAN March 21 , 2016 3

and subregional war theaters of milit-ary leadership or operational com-mands. The armed strength of thepeople's army must be properly com-bined with the invigoration and massmobilization of the local Partybranches and revolutionary mass or-ganizations in order to broadly mobil-ize the masses for the people's war.

We must carry out the training ofNPA officers in order to train Redcommanders in military science andraise their capability in leading the warat both the tactical and strategic level.The NPA needs more officers with thecapability to serve as commanders ofplatoons, companies and battalions.

Party activists and cadres from theworking class and educated urbanpetty-bourgeois must be assigned tothe NPA in their numbers.

They are needed to fill in thegrowing demand for Red commandersand officers and to serve the politicaldepartments (propaganda, education,culture), administration, medical, in-telligence, ordnance and research.

The sustained, wave upon waveand solid advance of the revolutionaryarmed struggle can only be achieved byrelentlessly advancing agrarian re-volution and vitalizing the antifeudalmass struggles of the peasant masses.Active antifeudal mass strugglesdeepen and solidify the mass base forNPA recruitment.

Regularly sum up the implementa-tion of the revolutionary program forland reform. Ensure that victories ofantifeudal struggles are consolidatedand that these continue to advancealong the revolutionary path, thatemerging petty-bourgeois influencesare combatted, that poor peasant or-ganizations are strengthened and thatthe basic alliance of workers and peas-ants is built up through the continuousrecruitment of new Red fighters.

These tasks are among those thatwe should firmly take hold of in celeb-rating the 47th anniversary of theNPA. Let us firmly grasp these tasks inorder to continue advancing the pro-tracted people's war to the new stra-tegic stage at the soonest possibletime.

96 NPA tactical offensivessince January

The New People's Army launched tactical offensives on a daily basisagainst the reactionary state's armed forces in different parts of the

country in the first quarter of 2016.

Preliminary reports show thatno less than 96 tactical offensiveswere carried out by the NPA fromJanuary to March 21. In these,the AFP-PNP-CAFGU and otherparamilitary groups sustainedmore than 216 casualties. Thesenumbers do not include other mil-itary actions such as defensiveclashes where the NPA seized theinitiative, meting out punishmenton criminal elements, and penaliz-ing companies that damage theenvironment and harm the people.

The initial reports were sub-mitted by NPA commands inNorthern Luzon, Bicol, EasternVisayas, Negros, Panay, NorthEastern Mindanao, North CentralMindanao, and SouthernMindanao. Among the highlightsof the NPA's victories are theconfiscation of 14 weapons from araid of a police station in EasternSamar, NEMR's one-day syn-chronized attacks, and the anni-hilation of 27 troops from theCagayan Valley RPSB-2. Thesewere complemented by at leastone simultaneous additional tac-tical offensive, and many werecarried out with a developed levelof coordination.

These offensives are theNPA's response to Oplan Bayani-han's culmination and in opposi-tion to the upcoming elections.

Eastern Visayas. Ten M16rifles and four calibre .45 pistolswere confiscated by Red fightersfrom a raid on the BalangkayanMunicipal Police Station in East-ern Samar at around 7:30 p.m.last March 6. This victorious tac-tical offensive was carried out bythe regional command of the NPA

in Eastern Visayas (Efren MartiresCommand) and the NPA's EasternSamar provincial command (Ser-gio Lobino Command).

The Red fighters immediatelytook control of the police stationby employing the elements ofspeed and surprise, thus immob-ilizing the six on-duty police of-ficers. Not a single shot was firedand the raid was completed inaround 30 minutes. All police of-ficers who surrendered weretreated humanely and were safelyreleased by the NPA. Also confis-cated were ammunitions, otherwar materiel, and two laptopcomputers.

National Democratic Front-Eastern Visayas spokesperson Fr.Santiago "Ka Sanny" Salas saidthat the offensive serves as pun-ishment to the Balangkayan Mu-nicipal Police for its support forOplan Bayanihan.

Bicol. Five elements of the31st IB were casualties when theNPA-Sorsogon (Celso MinguezCommand) set off a command-detonated explosive (CDX) andambushed the soldiers inBarangay Sangat, Gubat ataround 10 a.m. last March 19.Wounded in the ambush was 2Lt.Jonathan Baay, commander of theoperating troops.

The 31st IB has been launch-ing sustained military operationsin East Sorsogon since the lastweek of January. It has put sevenbarangays of Barcelona underpsywar operations of the Peaceand Development Teams, whilestrike operations were being ex-ecuted in some barangays ofGubat.

March 21 , 2016 ANG BAYAN4

Meanwhile, three demolitionoperations were undertaken by theNPA-Masbate (Jose Rapsing Com-mand) last March 3, 4, and 6against AFP and PNP troops in theisland.

Initially blasted with a CDX wasa convoy of the PNP-Masbate inBarangay Badjang, Cataingan whilethe police vehicles were headingback to Masbate City from Pio V.Corpuz town. The operation wascarried out at around 2 p.m. onMarch 3. Two elements of the PNPwere killed and another waswounded. Traveling with the convoywas Police Superintendent Brian B.Castillo, PNP-Masbate's DeputyProvincial Director for Operations.

The following day at 2 a.m., asix-by-six military truck of the 9thIB, while heading towards itsheadquarters in Milagros town, washit by a CDX set off by the JRC atBarangay Asid, Masbate City. Thetruck broke down after being hit bythe explosive.

Another demolition operationwas carried out by two JRC com-mando teams on March 6, at 10p.m. against 9th IB troops whowere temporarily stationed inBarangay Cabangcalan, Placer. TheRed fighters were able to set theCDXs next to the two stations beingoccupied by a platoon of the 9th IB.The explosion wrecked the enemy'sstations which they cordoned off inorder to hide the casualties.

This series of operations is partof no less than 20 tactical offens-ives launched by the NPA-Bicol (Ro-mulo Jallores Command) from Feb-ruary 8 until March 6. Underscoringthese are the partisan operationsagainst Sgt. Rodel Rala of the 22ndIB and CAFGU element Nieto Ariasin Barangay San Isidro, Libman-an, Camarines Sur on Febru-ary 9, and the coordinatedharassment operations bymilitia units on February29 against threeenemy form-ations sta-tioned at the

barangays of Altavista, Talisay, andBuenavista in San Fernando, TicaoIsland, Masbate.

Southern Tagalog. Red fighterssuccessfully ambushed troops be-longing to the 4th IB in BarangayHagan, Bongabong, OrientalMindoro at around 10:30 a.m. onMarch 15. No less than ninecasualties were inflicted in this mil-itary action.

Likewise, this offensive beliesthe AFP's declaration that it hasweakened the revolutionary move-ment in the island of Mindoro.

Northern Luzon. Two success-ive ambushes on February 28 andMarch 1 by the NPA-Central Isabela(Reynaldo Piñon Command or RPC)in San Mariano, Isabela dealt the86th IB 17 casualties.

The RPC's first ambush wasstaged on February 28 in BarangayBuyasan, San Mariano against aplatoon from the "A" Coy of the86th IB. Three enemy soldiers werekilled and one was wounded. Ac-cording to the RPC, two helicoptersand a bomber plane arrived to rein-force just a few minutes into thefighting.

Following this, another unitfrom the "A" Coy was ambushed bythe NPA on March 1 at 4 a.m. whileconcluding their military operationsin Barangay Tappa, San Mariano. Inthis encounter, two were killedwhile 11 were wounded on the sideof the enemy. Among thosewounded was "A" Coy CommandingOfficer 1Lt. Randy Alog. The NPAwas able to confiscate five militarybackpacks and a unit of night visiongoggles.

Southern Mindanao. Thirtynine tactical offensives within thefirst two months of 2016 were re-

corded by the NPA in SouthernMindanao Region (SMR).

According

to NPA-SMR spokespersonRigoberto Sanchez, these tacticaloffensives underscore the failure ofOplan Bayanihan.

The NPA displayed skill inguerrilla warfare despite the sus-tained and vicious military opera-tions in the region, undertaken byno less than 13 Philippine Armybattalions, three Division Recon-naissance Companies, a number ofScout Ranger companies, PNPforces, and paramilitaries. The SMRis currently considered the mostmilitarized region.

Moreover, Sanchez said thatthe enemy suffered 79 casualties,including 44 killed. All in all, theNPA-SMR was able to initiatearound five tactical offensives perweek against the fascist troops.

Northeastern Mindanao. TheNPA-Northeastern Mindanao Re-gion (NEMR) fought a valiant activedefense to confront the ArmedForces of the Philippines' unrelent-ing and brutal attacks in the region.According to Ka Maria Malaya, Na-tional Democratic Front-NEMRspokesperson, a total of 40 clashesensued between the NPA-NEMR andthe fascist troops of the AFP andCAFGU this February 2016 alone.

Most notable among these werethe NPA-NEMR’s 19 coordinatedattacks last February 25 againstArmy-CAFGU camps and AFP troopscarrying out bombing and psywaroperations. (Read Ang Bayan,March 7) These resulted in thekilling of 19 and the wounding of 8AFP-CAFGU troops, excluding thecasualties which the militarysecretly retrieved.

Likewise, Ka Maria assertedthat the 402nd Bde has been re-lentless in its operations in themountains of Surigao del Sur,Surigao del Norte, and Agusan delNorte. NEMR has also been turnedinto a training ground for test mis-sions of the Scout Rangers.

In Surigao del Sur, the AFPcontinues to attack the

towns of Lianga,San Agustin, Mari-

ANG BAYAN March 21 , 2016 5

In Southern Tagalog,Red fighters have systemat-ized the practice bypresenting RadyoPakikibaka (Radio Struggle)to propagate theanalyses andcalls of theCommunistParty of thePhilippines(CPP).

The Polit-ical Section of the NPAleads in monitoring andgathering economic, polit-ical, military, international,local and other news. Theseare written down and sup-plied with the appropriateanalyses.

Radyo Pakikibaka is alive broadcasting type ofprogram with news broad-casters, reporters calledRonda Gerilya who sharetheir analysis of some par-ticular news items, and theTinig ng Rebolusyon (TNR, orVoice of the Revolution)which expounds on a fea-tured news item or sums upthe program. The TNR paystribute to Radyo Pakikibaka'sfirst broadcaster, Gregorio

hatag, Cagwait, Tago, San Miguel, Cantilan, Cortes, andTandag City. Since the second week of February, anotherseries of attacks was executed by the AFP in the townsof Alegria, Claver, and Gigaquit in Surigao del Norte, andalso in Kitcharao, Agusan del Norte. In these areas,

communities were bombed for more than a week. Malayasaid further that around 20 large bombs were droppedby Philippine Air Force planes, and 13 cannon projectileswere fired by the 29th IB.

Radyo Pakikibaka: deliveringnews and analysis whilewaging war

Across the country, one of the tasks performed by revolutionary forces isthe sustained monitoring of burning national issues, their analyses and

propagation of the revolutionary stand and calls among the people. In vari-ous regions, “balitaan” (sharing news) and discussions within units of theNew People’s Army are carried out to ensure this task. Red fighters meticu-lously monitor news from the radio and television and share these with fellowfighters and the people.

Struggle inside and outside prison

AS AQUINO exits the presidency, he will leave behind a heavy pile of debt,oppressive poverty, rampant cases of corruption and a grim record of humanrights abuses. Among these are numerous cases of illegal arrests and deten-tion, filing of trumped-up charges and indefinite detention.

According to Karapatan, 2,326were illegally arrested and 911were detained for political reasonsby the US-Aquino regime since itcame into power up to September2015. Of the present 560 politicaldetainees, 290 were arrested underthe regime. Among these are 102 ofthe 136 youth detainees.

In Oplan Bayanihan, criminaliz-ing political offenses falls under“security sector reform” (SSR).John Does and Jane Does (used tocount unnamed suspects) in chargesheets of criminal cases are waitingto be replaced with the names ofnewly arrested political offenders.SSR employs the “whole-of-nation

“Ka Roger” Rosal, the late CPP spokes-person.

In some guerilla fronts, RadyoPakikibaka usually “airs” Mondaythrough Friday with a special edi-tion on Saturday that features thesummed up news of the week or adiscussion of Ang Bayan, Kalatas,and the local revolutionary news-paper. Sundays feature specialperformances of various culturalworks such as revolutionary songs,poems and skits. This becomes thevenue for the popularization ofsongs and revolutionary literature.

News sharing such as RadyoPakikibaka is an effective propa-

ganda and education tool becauseit broadcasts the concerns ofthe masses of workers, peas-ants and other oppressed sec-tors of society. This is part ofthe invigoration of propa-ganda and cultural workwhere Red fighters are alsotrained to write, analyze anddiscuss the news from the

viewpoint of the revolutionarymovement.

March 21 , 2016 ANG BAYAN6

initiative,” wherein the judiciary,as a “stakeholder” of Oplan Bay-anihan, is urged to assist the milit-ary.

Political arrests and detentionsare common under all US puppetregimes. These aim to break therevolutionaries’ fighting spiritthrough prolonged incarcerationand “rehabilitation."

Trumped-up criminal chargesare used to prolong the imprison-ment of detainees. The fascists in-tend to make them rot in prison,destroy their standpoint and weak-en their bodies. If this happens,they will be soon be considered“neutralized” and losses of the re-volutionary movement.

Therefore, while avoiding ar-rest and detention, every revolu-tionary must be prepared for thispossibility. If it does happen, theymust thoroughly carry on thestruggle inside prison to defeat theenemy’s objectives.

Foremost among the tasks ofdetained revolutionaries is to at-tain freedom through legal or illeg-al means, primarily illegal, and thusrejoin the mainstream of the re-volutionary movement. They shouldnot be content with waiting for thebourgeois state’s judgement orpromises of amnesty. At the soon-est, find ways for the most effect-ive and speediest methods of self-release. Even under the worst re-pression of martial law, manycomrades were freed through col-lective, organized and planned es-capes and some through escapesexploiting opportune moments.

Second, keep lofty the superiorintegrity and prestige of the Partyand the revolution while in prisonand in the face of the enemy. Thediscipline and high level of col-lectivity while working outsideshould not be abandoned while inthe hands of the enemy. Member-ship in revolutionary organizationsare not invalidated upon arrest, soreturning to decadent and exploit-ative behavior must be avoidedwithin prison. The enemy purposely

baits detainees with rottenpractices to corrupt them. Thesemust be guarded against.

Third, maintain revolutionarysteadfastness and develop the re-volutionary standpoint. Partygroups are secretly organized in-side prison and political and ideo-logical studies can be undertaken.What is secret remainssecret and the enemy’s ter-rorizationand de-ception

are rendered ineffective. Partymembers are recruited from de-tained activists or sympathizers.Singular strength of conviction isneeded to overcome the physicaland psychological torture com-monly inflicted by police and milit-ary personnel to get informationfor arresting other revolutionaries.Detainees must also develop theirhealth and wellness with the per-spective of returning to the armedstruggle in the countryside or tothe challenges of undergroundwork.

The fourth task is to fight forthe rights and welfare of detaineesinside the prisons. The revolution-ary movement’s long experiencehas seen successful struggles foradditional food budgets, better ac-comodations, visitation rights,conjugal quarters, exercise, sun-ning and others. Medical treatmentor release of elderly or ailing de-tainees, pregnant or new mothershave been asserted.

Fifth, raise the political aware-ness of visiting relatives andfriends and correctly handle non-

political prisoners. Detainees whohave not been able to visit theirfamily or friends for a long timedue to enemy surveillance have theopportunity to explain to them thecountry’s situation and the roots ofrevolutionary struggle. It is bestto encourage them to join demo-cratic or nationalist organizations.

It is important to deal with oreven raise political awareness ofother prisoners to achieve relativerelief in the situation of detainees inprison, more so in provincial or cityjails. This will help blunt the en-emy’s scheme to use lumpen ele-ments in prison to make thedetainees' lives difficult or evenharm them bodily.

The sixth task is to supportmass struggles outside prison.Various forms of struggle can bedone by detainees to show theirsupport for the issues of the toilingmasses’ struggles. Just recently,hunger strikes, singing of pro-gressive songs, and open state-ments of support coinciding withmobilizations and other mass ac-tions on general issues have beenlaunched.

Struggles inside prison forgethe revolutionary standpoint andstrengthen the detainees’ aspira-tions to return at the soonest timeto the mainstream of revolutionaryaction. These create a clamor thatpierces the enemy’s ears evenwithin their own prisons.

ANG BAYAN March 21 , 2016 7

six years. These include fires inKentex, Asia Micro Tech and NovoJeans.

Meanwhile, Kadamay womenmembers brought 500 empty pails toMendiola to symbolize the lack ofwater and other basic services intheir communities. They denouncedthe 4Ps program, which they discernas the reactionary state’s way ofmanipulating and controlling womenin urban poor communities.

During the rallies, Gabriela alsopointed out the rising violenceagainst women and children underthe US-Aquino regime. According tothe group’s statistics, the number ofcases of abuse and violence againstwomen rose 200% from 2010 to2014. The number of rape victimsrose by 92%, wherein seven out often victims were minors.

In the meantime, Makibaka re-cently held a lighting rally in Manilato commemorate the NPA’s forth-coming 47th anniversary.

Kerlan Fanagel, chairperson ofPasaka Confederation of Lumads,said that they have had enough ofdialogues with so many governmentagencies. According to him, theseagencies have "remained blind anddeaf to the demands of the people."

Likewise, the protesters de-manded that the government put astop to the harassment of farmersand Lumads, disband and disarmparamilitary groups, rehabilitateLumad schools, arrest and prosec-ute the perpetrators of human

2,000 barricade Eastmincom HQ

Around 2,000 farmers, Lumads, and small-scaleminers barricaded the headquarters of the Philip-

pine Army's Eastern Mindanao Command in Davao Cityon March 18 to reiterate their demand for the pullout ofmilitary troops from their communities and schools.

rights viola-tions, drop alltrumped-upchargesagainst lead-ers and mem-bers of pro-gressive organizations, and ensurethe safe return of evacuees to theircommunities. Primarily, Lumadevacuees come from CompostelaValley, Davao del Norte, Bukidnon,and Surigao del Sur.

The barricade paralyzed a por-

tion of the Davao-Agusan Highwayin Panacan for almost a day, withthe protesters unfazed even whenthe Davao City LGU representativemet for a dialogue. Fanagel furthersaid that they will not give in untiltheir demands are addressed.

Women commemorate Working Women’s Day

Thousands of women and their male supporters marched on the streetslast March 8 to commemorate the International Day of Working Women.

Led by the Gabriela Nationalist Alliance, they denounced Benigno Aquino’ssix-year rule under which women’s plight worsened. Invited candidates of thecoming elections took part in the rallies and promised to uphold the women’sagenda if they get elected.

In Manila, rallyists marchedfrom Liwasang Bonifacio to theMendiola Bridge. Similar actionswere also held in Baguio, Cebu,Cagayan de Oro and Davao, as wellas in cities and town centers inSouthern Tagalog and Bicol.

Foremost among the women’sdemands were regular work and de-cent wages, as well as equality inthe workplace and better workingconditions.

According to the Center forWomen Resources, there are atleast a million unemployed women,and another 2.5 million underem-ployed. Only 55% of the employed15 million women are wage andsalary earners. The majority (2.64

million) work in low-skilled jobs andearn only an average of P150/day.

Since 2010, the lack of regularjobs among women has worsened.The number of women working ascasuals rose 16% while those em-ployed by the day or week rose 73%.

With wages as low as theyalready are, women earn even lesscompared to men. Women com-monly receive P163/day, comparedto men’s P230/day for the samenumber of working hours. In ruralareas, women farm workers earnP243/day, compared to P257/dayfor men.

Aside from these, women alsomake up the majority of victims ofwork-related accidents in the past

March 21 , 2016 ANG BAYAN8

Groups condemn K+12’s approval

Students, parents and teachers condemned the Supreme Court’s de-cision last March 26 that paves the way for K+12 program’s imple-

mentation in the coming schoolyear. Because of this decision, more thana million students who can not be absorbed by the public education sys-tem will be milked for profit by private schools.

Relatedly, the Aquino regimehas increased its General Assist-ance for Students in Private Edu-cation or GATSPE by 300% for2016. From P8.34 billion lastyear, Aquino allocated P21.19billion to fund private schools.More than half of the country’s5,400 private high schools willbenefit from the program.

The decision also removed allobstacles for the full implementa-tion of the program’s objective toalign the Philippine educationalsystem to the needs of big busi-nesses in the country and abroad.

The K+12’s implementation isin line with the Aquino regime’scompliance to “integrate” thelocal economy to the internation-al market under the framework ofneoliberal globalization. Its agen-cies even boast of its objective ofsubsuming the local curriculum toEuropean and US technical andacademic standards to fit theFilipino students’ knowledge totheir technical and professionalneeds.

Its touted “quality educa-

tion” is nothing but the produc-tion of graduates for the labormarket. It prepares the Filipinoyouth for low-paying and vulner-able jobs inside and outside thecountry. It merely strengthensthe state’s previous anti-workerand anti-people policies such asthe exportation and flexibilizationof labor.

Aside from the K+12, the US-Aquino regime has also imple-mented other neoliberal measuresin education. These include theabolition of Filipino, literatureand other courses related toPhilippine society and system incollegiate curricula.

Neoliberalism also pushes forgreater commercialization ineducation. Many capitalists havelong “invested” in educational in-stitutions to train workers spe-cific to their businesses. Theyalso directly benefit from aca-demic analyses and researches.Due to these “investments,” edu-cation is now more and moreturning into a commodity whichstudents and their parents needto pay for.

UP’s tribute to a compradornotorious for being anti-workerand an implementor of contractu-alization is nothing short of crasscommercialization. The Sy familyowns the SM malls and Banco deOro, the country’s biggest bank.

The building was named as

such after the Sy family“donated” a 9-story buildingworth P400 million to the uni-versity. It will act as the UP Pro-fessional School, where graduatestudies and doctorate classes onengineering, business, statistics,urban and regional planning and

3 farmers strafed

in Surigao del Sur

THREE farmers became victims ofindiscriminate firing by the 2ndSpecial Forces Battalion in Surigaodel Sur. Farmers Benjie dela Peña,Saldy Maca and Pampias Venturasuffered shock and damages fromthe fascists' strafing.

Dela Peña, 25 years old, andMaca, 34, were in their respectivefarms in Barangay Carromata, SanMiguel on March 18 when theywere fired upon at 10 am. DelaPeña was wounded in the leftthigh. His delivery to the hospitalby barrio folk was extremelydelayed because their group wasblocked at several checkpoints.This, despite the presence of anambulance waiting for him. DelaPeña was subjected to severe in-terrogation and intimidation, andwas forced to admit that he was amember of the NPA.

The third victim, Ventura, 48,was earlier shot by the 2nd SFB inthe same barrio on January 22.The strafing was done three daysafter the AFP declared theprovince as "conflict-manageableand ready for further develop-ment". The 2nd SFB is illegally en-camped at the Surigao del Sur Na-tional Agricultural School.

Meanwhile, Karapatan-SMRcondemned the 10th ID for absolv-ing high-ranking military officers inthe torture case of father-and-sonfarmers on February 19.

Orlano Engo, 52, and his 15-year old son suffered severecruelty in the hands of Cpl. SandyBatolbatol of the 72nd IB and fourelements of the CAFGU at theircamp in Barangay Demoloc, Mal-ita, Davao Occidental. Engo andhis son were brought to thecamp's gate and were subjected toinhumane hardships. The torturewas caught on video and was up-loaded to Facebook. This earnedthe AFP in Mindanao severe con-demnation.

UP’s further commercialization

Students denounced the University of the Philippine’s (UP) naming ofits main building for Henry Sy Sr., the namesake of his son, the big com-prador and SM’s Henry Sy, Jr.. The building was built for UP’s new cam-pus in Bonifacio Global City, Taguig City.

ANG BAYAN March 21 , 2016 9

six years. These include fires inKentex, Asia Micro Tech and NovoJeans.

Meanwhile, Kadamay womenmembers brought 500 empty pails toMendiola to symbolize the lack ofwater and other basic services intheir communities. They denouncedthe 4Ps program, which they discernas the reactionary state’s way ofmanipulating and controlling womenin urban poor communities.

During the rallies, Gabriela alsopointed out the rising violenceagainst women and children underthe US-Aquino regime. According tothe group’s statistics, the number ofcases of abuse and violence againstwomen rose 200% from 2010 to2014. The number of rape victimsrose by 92%, wherein seven out often victims were minors.

In the meantime, Makibaka re-cently held a lighting rally in Manilato commemorate the NPA’s forth-coming 47th anniversary.

TV5 workers launch protests

regularization in 2015. Under theleadership of Talents Association ofGMA (TAG), the dismissed workersand their supporters persevereddespite company repression. TAGmembers act as crew to televisionprograms Brigada, Jessica SohoReports, Reporter's Notebook andothers.

In ABS-CBN, workers who aremembers of the Internal Job MarketEmployees Union were victorious inasserting their status as ABS-CBNworkers and not of its labor agency.In 2012, the Court of Appeals is-sued its final decision recognizingthe ABS-CBN Internal Job MarketEmployees Union as a legitimateunion and ordered the company topay its dismissed workers theirbackpay, separation pay and dam-ages.

Meanwhile, radio workers of theRMN Broadcasting Network-Davaowere successful in 2012. After go-ing on strike for several weeks, theunion effectively fought the illegaldismissal of their union leaders andmembers and for other benefits.

TV5 workers held a picket in front of their office at Reliance St., Man-daluyong last March 4 against low wages, the withholding of their bene-

fits and contractualization. The protest is the latest in the series of protestsin big television networks in the past six years.

Struggles in TV5TV5 workers under the ABC Em-

ployees Union (ABCEU) launched aseries of protests after negotiationsfor a new collective bargainingagreement hit a snag last Septem-ber 2015. According to the ABCEU,negotiations deadlocked after thecompany refused to significantlyraise their wages and regularizehundreds of contractual workers.

The workers refused the man-agement's offer to raise wages byP3,000, to be implemented withintwo years. This was way lower thanthe negotiated P9,500 additionalwages in 2010. Worse, the addi-tional wages will depend on com-pany earnings and performances ofindividual workers under the two-tier wage system.

According to the union, thecompany earns millions from can-didates' advertisements duringelections. A 30-second advertise-ment costs P444,000, they say.Meanwhile, a TV5 rank-and-fileworker in its Metro Manila stationearns P11,500, as workers in theprovinces receive only P8,000.

The union likewise condemnedthe management's unilateral ruleswhich it arbitrarily implements.

Heavy penalties, including dis-missals, are often imposed even forlight violations. The workers knowthat the management will use therules for swift dismissal of unionmembers.

The union also called for theregularization of the station's hun-dreds of contractual workers. TV5Media Center is being run byManuel Pangilinan, one of thecountry's biggest compradors.

Victories in GMA Networkand ABS-CBN

At GMA and ABS-CBN, workerswon against contractualization, ar-bitrary dismissals and various re-pressive measures.

Last January 16, the NationalLabor Relations Commission upheldfor the third time its decison to de-clare GMA Network's "talents" asregular workers. Therefore, theyshould be afforded job security andother benefits. The company callsits workers "talents" to obscuretheir contractual nature. Their con-tracts run from three months to fiveyears.

The struggle in GMA startedafter the company arbitrarily dis-missed talents after they demanded

labor and industrial relations will beheld. The Sy family formally turnedover the building to UP last March1. This is not the first time UPentered into an agreement with bigcompradors and foreign companiesdue to budget constraints.

Meanwhile, thousands of stu-dents walked out of their classeslast February 24 to protest tuitionfee increases for the comingschoolyear.

Students from the PolytechnicUniversity of the Philippines, UP-Manila, UP-Diliman and the Uni-versity of Santo Tomas held protestsin their respective campuses beforemarching to Mendiola in Manila.Similar activities were also held inUP-Los Baños and UP-Cebu.

In Baguio City, students fromUP-Baguio, University of the Cordil-leras, and Saint Louis Universityalso walked out of their classes. In

Davao, students held a rally in frontof the Commission on HigherEducation Regional Office.

Tuition fees in private schoolshave doubled from P30,000-50,000in 2010 to P60,000-P100,000 in2015. Universities and colleges be-ing run as corporations raked inhundreds of thousands in profits.Five of these schools make it to thecountry’s Top 1000 corporationsevery year.

ANG BAYAN March 21 , 2016 10

Grace Poe and Danding Cojuangco

Basque leader released

SPAIN released political detainee Arnaldo Otegio on March 1 after oversix years of unjustimprisonment.

Otegi is the secretary general of Surto, an organization fighting forsecession or independence of the Basque region from Spain and France.He was a member of the Basque parliament under Spain. He was also amember of the Herri Batasuna and Euskal Herritarok, both parties de-clared illegal by Spain for their alleged links to the armed group EuskadiTa Askatasuna (Fatherland and Freedom for Basque or ETA) that isstruggling for secession.

Otegi was arrested in October 2009 for allegedly attempting toreestablish Batasuna, and was sentenced to 10 years imprisonment. Hissentence was shortened to six and a half years in 2012. Upon his re-lease, Otegi declared to hundreds of supporters gathered in front of theprison that he and his fellow detainees entered and departed from jailwithout any change in their conviction to struggle for independence andas advocates of socialism.

The National Democratic Front of the Philippines joins the Basquepeople in celebrating the release of Otegi and hails them for their fightfor the release of their leader and other political detainees. Last Janu-ary 9, more than 70,000 joined a rally in Bilbao in Basque to demand thereturn of 400 political prisoners accused of ETA membership and im-prisoned in distant and far-flung jails in and out of Spain. Simultan-eously, 10,000 residents held a march in Bayonne, the largest Basquecity in France.

The ETA was established in 1959 to wage armed struggle for the in-dependence of the Basque people divided between Spain and France.Basque people’s nationalism advanced especially when the fascist GeneralFranco brutally suppressed this region due to its support to the Republic-ans during the civil war. It was then that the city of Guernica in Basquewas devastated by German bomber planes. At present, a ceasefire de-clared by the ETA since September 5, 2010 is in effect and holding.

Cojuangco's party, Na-tionalist Peoples' Coali-tion, she is now becom-ing Cojuangco'smouthpiece and apologist.

Poe also earned criticism aftershe announced in a campaign sortiein Roxas City, Capiz her plan to as-sign Benigno Aquino III as her anti-graft czar should she win thepresidency.

This is a lot of drivel as Aquinoand his allies masterminded thepork barrel and Disbursement Ac-celeration Program, which was cre-ated to manipulate governmentfunds for expenditures not includedin the national budget.

Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP) recently criticized presidentialcandidate Grace Poe in her statement absolving Eduardo "Danding"

Cojuangco on the multi-billion peso coco levy fund issue. According to Poe,Cojuangco no longer controls the fund and the Supreme Court has alreadymade a decision to distribute the coco levy fund among coconut farmersand utilize funds to develop the coconut industry since 2014.

The coco levy fund came fromthe tax imposed by the US-Marcosdictatorship upon coconut farmers.After the EDSA uprising, CorazonAquino's regime used the Presiden-tial Commission on Good Govern-ment (PCGG) to recover ill-gottenwealth of the Marcoses, includingproperties controlled by theircronies like Cojuangco through thecoco levy fund such as the UnitedCoconut Planters' Bank (UCPB) andSan Miguel Corporation (SMC) in1983.

Despite the coconut farmers'struggle for the coco levy fund'sreturn, PCGG blocked its actual dis-tribution among farmers. The fundcurrently amounts to P83 billion –P73 billion from sequestered sharesof SMC stocks, more than P10 billionworth of shares from UCPB and oilmills controlled by the Coconut In-dustry Investment Fund. Thecoconut farmers have waited so longthat P56-58 billion have alreadybeen lost.

Despite the Supreme Court'sdecision to distribute the fund,Cojuangco was able to retain 20% ofSMC's shares which was boughtthrough coco levy funds. The Su-preme Court, Cojuangco and hisnephew, President Benigno AquinoIII schemed to further exploit thecoconut farmers.

Instead of giving justice to al-most 3.5 million coconut farmers byholding Cojuangco and his cohortsaccountable, Poe is quick to absolveone of the largest plunderers of thecoco levy fund. It is an insult to thefarmers who have endured povertysince the Marcos dictatorship up topresent. It appears that after Poesecured endorsement from