Pahayagan ng Partido Komunista ng Pilipinas

Pinapatnubayan ng Marxismo-Leninismo-MaoismoANG

Duterte is undermining the chancefor change and peace

Engl i sh Edi ti on

Vol . XLVI I N o. 1 5

August 7, 2 01 6

www. phi l i ppi nerevol uti on. net

Editorial

Contrary to his promises, GRP President Duterte has yet to implementsubstantive changes to address the urgent needs of the people. He hasbeen more accommodating to big business, the US, the military and

bureaucrat capitalists. The people have yet to experience the much-vauntedclaim that “Change is Here!” These last few days, the measured underminingof the peace process has reduced the possibility that changes sought bypeasants, workers and ordinary citizens will be realized.

Even as the national democraticforces are conscious that thecurrent regime is reactionary at thecore, they have sought a tacticalalliance with Duterte on the basis ofhis promises of progressive changeand history of alliance andcooperation with revolutionaryforces in Davao. The alliance’spotential was enhanced when heappointed mass leaders andelements of the national democraticmovement to his cabinet, repeatedlypromised to release politicalprisoners and NDFP consultants to

boost peace negotiations, and helddialogues with the nationaldemocratic forces.

The national democratic forceshave meticulously put together andadvanced the people’s agenda forchange. They have presentedDuterte the urgent demands forland, jobs, higher wages, lowerprices, housing, and health andeducation services. They havedemanded the release of politicalprisoners, an end to militarization inthe countryside, junking the EDCA,dismantling of US military bases and

the pull-out of all US foreign troopsin the country.

For those who had hoped forsubstantive changes, Duterte’s Stateof the Nation Address (SONA) lastJuly 25 did not run deep. Upon closerstudy, he failed to present anyconcrete steps to address thepeople’s biggest and most urgentproblems. Attention and immediacywas not given to joblessness, lowwages and high prices of food andother commodities.

Instead, Duterte boasted of hisstepped-up “anti-drug war” that hasgrown into a large-scale campaign ofextrajudicial killings. More than 800have been killed by police andvigilante groups under the control ofpolice and drug syndicates. Duterte’ssuccess is measured by countingbody bags and its terrorizing effect

August 7 , 2016 ANG BAYAN2

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Editorial: Duterte is underminingthe chance for change and peace 1

Peace talks may be delayed 4

AFP ignores Duterte’s ceasefire 5

Paramilitary kills pregnant woman 6

72nd IB ambushed 6

Ka Wendell, student Red fighter 7

Socio-economic agenda 7

40,000 join People's SONA 8

The revolution's local teachers 9

Lumbia protest launched anew 10

Conference on people’s rights 10

MRT contractuals laid off 10

Vol . XLVI I N o. 1 5 | August 7, 2 01 6

ANG

across the nation. Duterte should becriticized for his defense andavowed indifference over the largenumber of killings. The victims,whether truly involved in drugs ornot, should be unified to defendtheir rights and attain justice.

The rampant drug epidemic willbe solved by addressing theproblems of joblessness, hunger andpoverty which has pushed millionsinto its clutches. It is wrong to treatdrug victims as criminals. The statehas turned the full force of the stateagainst them, instead of providingthem care and assistance. Worse,

they are made into targets of thePNP and the AFP which arecontrolled by rival syndicates.Eventually, the drug war will be lostand exposed as nothing more but aviolent competition for influence,control and territory of rivalsyndicates.

While Duterte deals brutallywith drug victims, he has beencautious and restrained in dealingwith suspected big-time criminals.Some of them have been entertainedin Malacañang, while others aretreated as visitors in the PNPheadquarters and given the chance

to exonerate themselves in themedia even as they are beingaccused of being heads of drugsyndicates.

As Duterte treads carefullyaround big drug lords, he has alsobeen accommodating to bigbusinesses, criminal bureaucratcapitalists, the military and police,as well as the US.

Despite his never-endingthreats against capitalists whoutilize the “endo” system, he hasnot taken any concrete stepsagainst it. He has not even paidattention to the much-publicizedTanduay case where the companycontinues to refuse to implementthe court’s order to regularize itscontractual workers.

Big capitalists applaudDuterte’s continuation of

neoliberal policies, whichincludes relaxing policiesand regulations for

investments. He hasrepeatedly threatenedperpetrators ofdestructive mining, but

refuses to heed anti-pollutionstandards in the name of“industrialization,” which, based onhis statements, is no different fromthe foreign investment-drivenprograms of the past. Duterte isalso being hailed by big bureaucratcapitalist criminals, namely BenignoAquino III and the recentlyreleased Gloria Arroyo and theirplunder cohorts. He has dispensedwith the people’s demand to holdAquino and Arroyo responsible andpunish them when he declared thathe will not waste his time with thesins of the past.

Duterte is also accommodatingthe US. He no longer spoutsstatements against US military useof facilities in Davao. A visit from akey US official was met with theSupreme Court’s favorable finalruling on EDCA. He cheered whenpresented with $32 million fundsupposedly to modernize the AFP.

Ang Bayan i s publ i shed fortni ghtl y by the Central Commi ttee

of the Communi st Party of the Phi l i ppi nes

Contents

ANG BAYAN August 7 , 2016 3

In all likelihood, he will not transferScott Pemberton, the US soldier whoraped a Filipina transgender, to alocal cell from his current US-protected jail.

The Duterte regime is vigorouslypushing for charter change forfederalism to replace the currentsystem of government. Thereactionary politicians, especially thewarlords and political dynasties,applaud the move because this willfurther strengthen their power intheir own regions and provinces.

The US government and itspuppets are also elated because thechacha will serve as an opportunityto remove provisions from theconstitution that prohibit foreignersfrom fully operating their businessesand owning land in the Philippines.The US has long been pushing forsuch as a prerequisite for thePhilippines to join the Trans-PacificPartnership.

Duterte has been in power formore than a month but has yet torelease a single political prisoner.While the CPP welcomed Duterte'sunilateral ceasefire declarationduring his SONA as a peace talksbooster, what is more important isfor him to fulfill his promise torelease NDFP consultants to allowthem to participate in the upcomingnegotiations.

Duterte has accommodated thepolice and soldiers more. He dishesout praises for the soldiers andpolice and promises to doubletheir salaries and giveadditional benefits. Heignores the very long list ofcrimes and human rightsviolations. Despite hisceasefire order, he allowed toAFP to continue its combatoperations, psywar andmilitarization of communities.The militarists applaudedDuterte when he withdrew hisceasefire declaration.

Duterte repeatedly claimshaving indigenous blood, but untilnow, he has failed to help severalhundred Lumad families whoevacuated in Davao City to return totheir homes safely. Theircommunities are still militarized.Duterte seems deaf to the clamor topull out troops encamped at theirschools, barangay halls and homes.

The peace talks were first set forthe first half of July. This waspostponed after Duterte did not usehis powers to immediately effect therelease of 22 NDFP consultants andaround 550 political detainees. Heinstead subjected it to a circuitouslegal process. As a former fiscal,Duterte knows fully well how chargesare trumped-up and filed againstactivists and revolutionaries to coverup what essentially is politicalrepression against them.

The revolutionary forces maylong for the resumption of peacenegotiations but they are also readyto wait for Duterte to fulfill hispromise of releasing the NDFPconsultants. Aside from paving theway for their participation in thenegotiations, their release will alsoserve as proof that Duterte is a manof honor and can be trusted to carryout whatever agreement he commitshis signature to.

After casting aside his earlierpromise to release NDFPconsultants, Duterte has come up

with another ultimatum against theNPA's use of explosives as conditionfor peace negotiations. If we are togo by Duterte's actions over the pastweeks, it would seem that thepotential to attain substantialchanges through peace negotiationsis dimming.

Despite all these, Duterte'sopenings to the national democraticmovement, including theappointment of mass leaders ingovernment offices and opening hisoffice for direct consultations inorder to present and assert thepeople's demands, must continue tobe utilized to advance the people’sinterests.

More important, the Filipinopeople must firm up their nationaldemocratic stand and organizedstrength. It is fine that the Filipinopeople are enlightened anddetermined to advance their fight.They know the potentials and limitsof the tactical alliance with Duterteand that it is more important forthem to advance their struggles.

The struggles againstimperialism, feudalism andbureaucrat capitalism must beadvanced vigorously. The people arebeset with problems that must beaddressed and opposed. Workers,peasants, urban poor, youth andstudents, government employees,women, migrants, smallprofessionals and other democraticsectors must advance theirstruggles.

While closely awaiting aceasefire declaration to boost peacetalks, the New People's Army (NPA)must wage all-out tactical offensivesnationwide to advance the people'swar and accumulate more victories.Carry out ambuscades, raids andother annihilative tacticaloffensives with the aim of seizing abigger number of weapons to armthe growing number of NPA Redfighters.

August 7 , 2016 ANG BAYAN4

impose on July 28 an ultimatumwithin a few hours for the CPP toexplain. After an accounting wasmade by the responsible NPAcommand on Friday afternoon, heimposed another ultimatum thenext morning for the CPP to issue areciprocal unilateral ceasefiredeclaration until 5 pm the sameday. Half an hour before the CPPwas to issue its declaration,Duterte withdrew his ceasefiredeclaration and ordered the AFP tocontinue with its combatoperations.

According to the CPP, “It wasquite capricious for the GRPPresident to have imposed suchultimatums of a few hours orseveral days for the CPP to act inaccordance with his whims.”

Since June, the CPP leadershiphad been preparing a draft for aunilateral ceasefire in anticipationof peace talks with the Duterteregime. It had long expressedwillingness to engage in a ceasefirefor as long as there are peacenegotiations.

However, GRP PresidentDuterte unilaterally declared aceasefire even before he could fulfilhis promise to release all NDFPconsultants and political prisoners.The CPP took the more prudentpath of moving cautiously whilestudying the situation on theground level even as it ordered theNPA to stay on active defense.

“The CPP will not allow itself tobe browbeaten to order the NPA togo on a ceasefire while operatingtroops of the AFP showed no planson letting up in their search-and-destroy operations and frenziedoffensives that terrorize civiliancommunities. To say the least,continuing offensives of the AFPprevented the CPP from declaringan interim ceasefire sooner,” theCPP added.

Resumption of peace talksmay be delayed—NDFP

The National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) is studying thepossibility of postponing the formal opening of peace talks previously

scheduled on August 20 if its consultants are not released. Thus declared LuisJalandoni, chief negotiator of the NDFP, last August 6. This was after theSupreme Court refused the petition to release eight consultants and twopolitical prisoners last August 5.

Prior to this, the government’slawyer, the Office of the SolicitorGeneral, asked for the provisionalrelease of Tirso Alcantara, AlexBirondo, Winona Birondo, MariaConcepcion Bocala, ReynanteGamara, Alan Jazmines, Ma. LoidaMagpatoc, Adelberto Silva, BenitoTiamzon and Wilma Tiamzon. Thesaid detainees are facing trumped-up criminal cases in regional trialcourts.

Instead of ordering theirimmediate release, the SupremeCourt instructed the solicitorgeneral to deal with the respectiveregional courts where thedetainees’ cases are filed orundergoing trial.

At the same time, the SupremeCourt revoked the provisionalfreedom given to Rafael Baylosis,another NDFP consultant, after heceased attending court hearingsdue to state forces’ threats on hislife.

Meanwhile, lawyers and humanrights defenders expressed concernover the Supreme Court’s impositionof limitations on the movements ofVicente Ladlad and Randall Echanis.While the court confirmed theirtemporary freedom in relation tothe bail they posted while theircases are being tried, it was madeto appear that they are in detention.

The Communist Party of thePhilippines has previously declaredon July 31 that it is ready to declarea unilateral interim ceasefire onAugust 20, simultaneous, butseparate from the Dutertegovernment. The time-frame wouldbe determined through

negotiations.In its statement, the CPP

reiterated its full support for theresumption of the NDFP-GRP peacetalks as a means of discussing theroots of the armed conflict. Itexpected the Duterte governmentto make good its promise to releaseall peace consultants of NDFP aswell as all political prisonersarrested and detained under theArroyo and Aquino regimes.

As earlier planned, thenegotiating panels of the NDFP andGRP could thereafter exchangethese declarations in order todiscuss points for cooperation andcoordination and determine ways ofpreventing armed skirmishes,misunderstandings andmiscommunications during thecourse of the peace talks.

Duterte declared a unilateralceasefire on July 25 but withdrew itafter five days, purportedly becauseof the NDFP’s failure to reciprocate.

When GRP President Dutertedeclared a unilateral ceasefire, theCPP and NPA immediatelyreciprocated with an order for allunits of the NPA to go on activedefense mode, a state just a notchbelow a ceasefire, as it evaluatedthe situation. But the AFP chiefordered combat troops to continuewith so-called "civil-military"operations under Oplan Bayanihan,a euphemism for combat, psywar,surveillance and intelligenceoperations targeting civiliancommunities, which resulted in theKapalong, Davao del Norteencounter.

Duterte used this encounter to

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AFP ignores Duterte’s ceasefire declaration

“communist-influence.” Clearingoperations continue in Magpet town.On July 27, platoons of the 84th IBwere deployed in far-flungcommunities of Toril, Davao City. InSta. Cruz, Davao del Sur, troops ofthe 2nd Scout Rangers Battalionconducted combat operations onJuly 29,” the NPA-SouthernMindanao said in the statement.

In Southern Tagalog, Patnubayde Guia, spokesperson of NDF in theregion, reported unabated militaryoperations in the guise of peace anddevelopment team (PDT) operations,and anti-drug and anti-criminaloperations. Combat operationswere carried out in Barangay DelaPaz, Lopez, Quezon where KaRaymart, a Red fighter wasmartyred.

Meanwhile, forces of the 8th IDin Northern Samar continued tooccupy public facilities such asschools, chapels, daycare centers,waiting sheds, even homes, of thefarmers. According to reports fromRodante Urtal Command (NPA-Northern Samar), combat operationswere conducted to search amonghomes and forested areas from July25-26. The soldiers’ presencegenerated such fear among theresidents that they avoided going totheir farms.

Not a single AFP commandordered its troops back tobarracks. Palparan-trained AFPChief Gen. Ricardo Visaya’s orderof "suspension of offensive militaryoperations" was merely acontinuation of so-called "civil-military" operations under OplanBayanihan.

Not one AFP encampment incivilian communities was takendown. AFP armed combat troopsstationed in and around the scoresof Lumad communities did notbudge an inch. Thousands ofLumads remain in evacuationcenters as they are unable to safelyreturn to their homes.

AFP combat units remainedactive in civilian communitiesthroughout the country. On July27, the NPA ambushed operatingtroops from the 72nd IB and theparamilitary group Alamara inKapalong, Davao del Norte. (Seerelated article on page 6.)

On July 26, 24 AFP combattroops launched operations in SanMiguel, Catanduanes and torturedGerald Teves, a young abacafarmer. He was bound on the wristsand neck, tied by wire to a treewith his head wrappedin a plastic bag,and kicked at theback three times.His uncle UndangTeves wassubjected tointerrogation andwas pressured toadmit that he wasa member of theNPA just to savehis nephew fromfurther torture.

In Sorsogon, additionaloperating troops of the 31st IBwere deployed, according to KaSamuel Guerrero of the CelsoMinguez Command (NPA-Sorsogon). On July 26, a platoon ofthe 31st IB moved into Barcelona’supland barangays. For five days tillJuly 30, their operations coveredthe barangays of San Vicente, SanAntonio, Fabrica, San Ramon, Sta.Lourdes and Bagacay.

In the municipality of Juban,government soldiers conductedoperations in barangays Catanusanand Calateo and also in thebarangays of Sinibaran, Balocaweand Bariis in the municipality ofMatnog. Combat operations werealso monitored in the barangays ofBusay, Lote and Bulala inMagallanes town since July 26.

Rigoberto F. Sanchez,spokesperson of NPA-SouthernMindanao Regional Command,reported that in North Cotabato,the 39IB recently identified 13barrios in Kidapawan City to beplaced under Peace andDevelopment Outreach Program(PDOP) to purge them of

Duterte’s July 25-30 ceasefire declaration was not only ignored, but waseven mocked, by the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and its

paramilitary groups. The AFP’s public expression of support for the ceasefiredeclaration did not reflect on the ground.

August 7 , 2016 ANG BAYAN6

Paramilitary group

kills pregnant woman

A PREGNANT WOMAN was killed and sevenothers wounded when members of NIPAR(New Indigenous People’s Army for Reform)indiscriminately opened fire at a gathering inSitio Tibugawan, Barangay Kawayan, SanFernando in Bukidnon last July 30. Thevictims were attending a wedding togetherwith 150 other Lumads. The NIPAR is aparamilitary group run by the AFP unit in thearea and headed by Alde Salusad, known asButsoy.

Makinit Gayoran was hit on the chest andwas instantly killed. She was holding her first-born child. Five of the seven wounded werechildren. Many of the wedding guests,including the elderly, jumped into the nearbyravine to avoid getting hit. Prior to therampage, Arnold Manhura saw Salusad andhis group fully armed and wearing soldiers’uniforms in Sitio Spring. He advised themagainst going to the wedding. Manhura is theindigenous people’s representative in the localgovernment.

NIPAR and Salusad were also responsiblefor killing Jimmy Laguyon, Barangay Dao’scaptain, in March 2012 for the latter's refusalto grant big mining companies entry to theirareas. Salusad and his group were alsoinvolved in killing Datu Asa Aranyo for thesame reason.

According to Datu Jimboy Mandagit, acommunity leader, the indiscriminate firing ispart of NIPAR and the 68th IB’s campaign todrive them out of their communities so thatSan Roque and Apex Mining can gain accessto their area.

Meanwhile, harassment against Lumadteachers and supportive activists continue.Last July 24, soldiers wearing civilian clothesapproached Ronnie Garcia in an attempt tointimidate him while he was attending to hisgrandfather at Davao Regional Hospital inBarangay Apokon, Tagum City. Garcia is theexecutive director of the Salugpongan TaTanu Igkanugon Community Learning Center.

In Abra, Ronald Gustilo, Makabayan-Abraprovincial coordinator and KakailianSalakniban Tay Amin Nagtaudan officer,received threats via three successive textmessages.

72nd IB ambushed in Davao del Norte

The NPA-Comval-North Davao-South Agusan Sub-RegionalCommand of the New People’s Army in Southern Mindanao

thwarted a military offensive by the Civilian Auxiliary ForceGeographical Unit (CAFGU) of the 72nd Infantry Battalion andarmed Alamara paramilitary troops and carried out anambuscade that killed Alamara member Panggong Bukad, andwounded four others in Bagnakan, Sitio Muling, Brgy. Gupitan,Kapalong, Davao del Norte, July 27.

The ambush was stagedafter the NPA learned thatgovernment soldiers, togetherwith the Alamara, wereconducting operations in anarea the latter believed wasan NPA position, around 20kilometers from thegovernment detachment. Theambush was in adherence tothe NPA-National OperationalCommand’s orders for Redfighters to maintain alertnessand active defense in the faceof Rodrigo Duterte’sunilateral ceasefire declaredin his State of the NationAddress last July 25.

AFP and Alamara troopsignored the orders when theytook off for combat operationfrom their detachment inBarangay Patil on July 26. Tocover up their disregard ofDuterte’s orders, they spreadlies that they were going backto their detachment when theambush happened.

“The NPA abides with thespirit of the resumption of thepeace negotiations inaddressing the roots of thecivil war, respects theceasefire order of GPH Pres.Duterte, and strictly adheresto the directive of thenational leadership and theCPP. It is the militarist cliquein the AFP and itsparamilitaries like the

Alamara that ridicule theirCommander-In-Chief invirulently sabotaging thepeace process,” said ArisFrancisco, spokesperson ofthe NPA-Comval-NorthDavao-South AgusanSubregional Command.

Meanwhile, the AntonioLicawen Command (NPA-Ilocos Sur) punished a smallplant using cyanide in SitioNacawcawa, BarangayPatiacan, Ilocos Sur on July23. As early as January, theNPA had warned the plant tostop using poison in itsoperations. This has long beenendangering health bycontaminating the sources ofdrinking water of SitioMadapoy, Patungcaleo andother downstream villages.

A dialogue was held lastyear between the mayor, thepeasants of barangaysPatiacan, Patungcaleo,Lamag, Malideg, Banoen, andCayos, all in the municipalityof Quirino which was attendedby one mining company. Thedialogue was held after thepeasants petitioned for theclosure of mining operationsin Patiacan due to a fishkill inthe Balas-iyan river. The mayordid not promise to halt destructivemining operations and thedialogue came to nothing.

ANG BAYAN August 7 , 2016 7

Peace talks 2016

The agenda for socio-economic reforms

Essential socio-economic reforms will be discussed at theresumption of formal peace talks between the

Government of the Philippines (GRP) and the NationalDemocratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP). This aims to

solve the roots of the armed conflict and lay down requisites for a just andlasting peace. This agenda was set by the 1992 The Hague JointDeclaration of the GRP and NDFP as the second substative item in thenegotiations.

In the talks that is set to startthis August 20, the NDFP willdiscuss and lay down its proposal inorder to forge a ComprehensiveAgreement on Socio-EconomicReforms (CASER).

The NDFP's proposed CASER isbased on its analysis that Philippinesociety remains semicolonial andsemifeudal, and that the solution tothis crisis is the struggle forgenuine national freedom anddemocracy and social justice.

The NDFP has alreadyconstructed its draft proposal asearly as 1998, and has improved onit in the succeeding years. Theproposal is divided into eightcategories:

1) economic sovereignty andnational patrimony;

2) agrarian reform andagricultural development;

3) economic development andnational industrialization;

4) economic planning;5) rights of the people,

livelihood and social services;6) environmental protection,

rehabilitation and compensation;7) monetary and fiscal policies;

and8) foreign economic and trade

relationsIn general, socio-economic

reforms are the main content of thepeace negotiations. Thebackwardness and worsening state

of Philippine society with regardsthe areas of reforms mentioned,and the resulting extensive povertyand oppression of the people, arethe basis for widespread discontentand armed protest.

The revolutionary movement isaware that in the main, thesereforms are difficult to attain aslong as there remains thedominance of US imperialism, thebig landlords and the big bourgeoiscompradors, and as long as theycontinue to hold control of thereactionary armed forces. Hence,armed struggle remains the primarymethod for change, while legaldemocratic mass struggles issecondary, and negotiations placetertiary. Since the 1980s, the NDFPhas welcomed peace negotiationswith the GRP in order to seize theopportunity, however small, toforge an agreement for the peacefulresolution of the armed strugglethrough basic socio-economic andpolitical reforms.

The Filipino people and therevolutionary movement have adeep desire for a just and lastingpeace, and are prepared to exhaustany means in order to attain this.

(Specifics on each field ofreform will be discussed insucceeding issues.)

Ka Wendell,

student Red fighter

THE NATIONAL DEMOCRATICFront-Southern Mindanao Regionand the entire revolutionarymovement pay tribute to WendellGumban (Ka Joaquin), 30,communist and Red fighter of theNew People’s Army (NPA). KaJoaquin was killed in anencounter in Sityo Pongpong,Andap, New Bataan, CompostelaValley last July 23, together withSario Mabanding (Ka Glen.)

Ka Joaquin became a memberof the Kabataang Makabayanwhile serving as an editor of thePhilippine Collegian in theUniversity of the Philippines inDiliman, Quezon City. He wasrecruited into the CommunistParty of the Philippines not longafter. He worked in the legalmass movement, particularly inthe workers movement, beforeserving full time in the NPA-Southern Mindanao Region.

Inside the NPA, he took onimportant tasks in consolidatingthe Party in guerilla bases andamong the ranks of Red fighters.As a Red fighter, he overcame hisweaknesses borne out of his classorigins, as well as his physicallimitations. His difficultiesincluded the study andfamiliarization of new languagesand cultures. He is rememberedfondly by the Lumads andpeasants he served as a happyand brilliant comrade.

Ka Joaquin is an epitome ofan educated youth who chose toserve the NPA and took activepart in the people’s war.

His remains were interred atthe UP-Diliman where hisschoolmates and fellow activistsin the student movement, as wellcolleagues in Kilusang Mayo Uno,paid him tribute.

August 7 , 2016 ANG BAYAN8

Around 40,000 participantsfrom different parts of the countryjoined the People’s SONA to call onRodrigo Duterte to advance anationalist and progressive programfor the people.

Unlike past SONA protests,police officers greeted and shookhands with the protesters on theirway to Batasang Pambansa.

Groups carried huge muralsdepicting people’s demands. For thefirst time, they were able to reachthe Batasang Pambansa duringSONA.

The rallyists pushed for the 15-point People’s Agenda—a programfor pro-people and patriotic policiesto address the roots of poverty.Among these calls are the abolitionof contractualization, release ofpolitical prisoners, genuine agrarianreform and prohibition of large-scale mining.

The protest also highlightedtheir support for the resumption ofpeace talks between theGovernment of the Republic of thePhilippines and NationalDemocratic Front of thePhilippines.

A 5,000-strongdelegation fromMindanao, almost4,000 from Bicoland thousandsfrom EasternVisayas, SouthernTagalog, Centraland North Luzonattended the rally.

According toBai Ali Andaya, 3rd

nominee of Gabriela Women’s Partyand spokesperson of the Mindanaodelegation, they intend to submitthe 10-point Mindanao people’sagenda to Duterte.

They also asked Duterte to acton the recent cases of Lumadattacks. “Primarily, we ask thepresident to pull out military troopsfrom our schools and communitiesso thousands of Lumad can go backto their homes,” said Indayla.

In Bicol, the region's delegationwelcomed the Mindanao contingentbefore going to Manila. Participantsfrom Bicol were mostly farmers fromdifferent towns. According to them,it was very difficult to be away fromtheir farms for five days butbecause they understood the needto participate in the struggle, sothey joined the caravan.

Bicol delegates also said thatthere are various issues in theirregion that they want to bring to theDuterte regime. Among these arethe airport being constructed in

40,000 join People's SONA

This year’s State of the Nation Address (SONA) was the largest and mostpeaceful for the past two decades. This is how Bayan secretary general

Renato Reyes described the rally that day.

Camarines Sur which is a threat totheir livelihood. The said airport willcut through the irrigation canals oftheir rice fields, said Jen Nagrampaof Gabriela – Bicol.

Singer Aiza Seguerra alsoattended the rally to expresssolidarity with the Lumad people intheir campaign to stopmilitarization in their communities.Partylist representatives fromMakabayan attended the programbefore proceeding to the JointSession of Congress.

Lumad leaders andrepresentatives from progressiveorganizations met with Duterteafter his SONA. Duterte shared hisdesire to achieve peace under histerm and allot funds for socialservices once armed conflict isresolved.

“This mobilization is positiveand historical, but we should bevigilant because our alliance withDuterte is not a guarantee that wewill have 100% agreement ineconomic, social and politicalreforms and direction in ourcountry. We will pursue ourstruggle and we will not bring downour banners,” Reyes added.

Similar mass actions were heldin Cagayan de Oro, Cebu andTacloban.

ANG BAYAN August 7 , 2016 9

The revolution's local teachers

Indeed, having local instructors for the Basic Party Course (BPC) offersgreat advantages. Thus observed Ka Eddie, a member of the local Party

branch (LPB) in a village in Bicol and one of the course's local instructors. KaEddie was speaking at a meeting which was being held to prepare for thecourse. With him were three other members of the LPB who are likewiseinstructors. They take part in the efforts to consolidate and expand the Partyin their province.

Ka Mari, one of the comradestasked to administer the province'sinstruction staff, shares that theParty calls for the increase inmembership to take on greatertasks in advancing the people's war."It was in the latter months of 2011when the Party laid down theobjective of increasing membershiptwofold every six months," said KaMari. In order to rise to thischallenge, there was a need toincrease the BPCs being given as arequisite for increasing the numberof full-fledged Party members.

"Primarily, the number ofinstructors had to be increased,"said Ka Mari. "One of the issuesidentified was to develop LPBcadres to become local instructorsfor the BPCs to be continuouslyadministered even when thefulltime cadres for instruction areassigned elsewhere."

Fellow local instructors KaNorman, Ka RM and Ka Harry recallthat it was in February 2012 whenthey were directed by the guerrillafront's leading cadres to attend aBPC-Instructors' Training (BPC-IT). The three welcomed the task.For his part, Ka RM understandsthat taking on teaching tasks intheir own village and in three otheradjacent barrios is no small feat.

In the two consecutive BPC-ITsheld that year, more than 20participants studied methods ofteaching the course. How are majorpoints expounded? When are visualaids best brought into play? How isteam teaching developed? How dowe spark the interest of thestudents?

Instructors need to gain the

trust of the students, said KaNorman. This is why preparations,as well as proficiency of the topics,are essential. In line with this, KaRM recalls that he requested aspecial study session on PoliticalEconomy so that they canunderstand the subject moreclearly. For his part, Ka Harry saidthat although teaching gives him aheadache, he strives to overcomehis difficulties in his desire toclearly explain the subject to thestudents.

Two weeks after the first BPC-IT batch was held, Ka Norman andhis team set out to their firstteaching task. Three days prior tothe opening of the course, theinstructors had already gathered."Nobody thought of going home. Allinstructors went through theirsubjects," Ka RM remembers. "Wealso dedicated a whole day forpractice teaching."

More batches followed thatfirst BPC session. According to

reports reaching Ka Mari'scommittee, the guerrilla front wasable to launch 14 BPC batcheswithin that year. "This will risefurther," said Ka Mari, "because wehave already put up the machineryfor instruction."

On the average, each BPC takesup six days and is usually conductedwithin houses in the villages.Members of the people's militiasecure the area. While conductingreconnaissance around the villages,they are also able to gathervegetables and other food crops.Allies are also asked for support forother provisions. As classes go on,other members of the LPB and localactivists do support tasks andprovide other needs. Comradesassess that BPCs launched this way,compared to customary methods,are faster, safer and require lessexpense.

Having a local machinery forinstruction hold distinctadvantages. According to Ka RM,because they are villagemates,students are more at ease with theinstructors, hence, students aremore comfortable in raisingquestions during lectures. Becausethe instructors are familiar withtheir students, discussions are mademore relevant to their lives, adds Ka

August 7 , 2016 ANG BAYAN10

Norman.An example, cites Ka Eddie,

was when he had his sister, KaDaisy, as one of his students. Atthat time, he knew that his sisterwas in the process of weighingher decision to serve fulltime inthe people's army. Therefore, indiscussing the FundamentalProletarian Viewpoint andStandpoint of the Revolution, heappropriately illustrated hissister's situation in order toencourage the rest of thestudents, and on the other handencouraged Ka Daisy to gofulltime.

The BPC aims to equip thestudents with the fundamentalprinciples of Marxism-Leninism-Maoism to guide them in theirdaily revolutionary tasks."Indeed, formal education isimportant because through these,revolutionary tasks are properlyintroduced," remarked Ka RM.

Likewise, instructors' ideason how to improve on their tasksspring up. "I told myself tomaster a subject before movingon to another or taking on more,"said Ka Norman. In order toincrease the number ofinstructors, the LPB as well as theother instructors identifyvillagemates who may be trainedto become instructors of formalParty courses.

Having local machinery forBPC instruction renderedconducting the courses faster,resulting in increasing numbers offull-fledged Party members. KaNorman, Ka RM, Ka Eddie, KaHarry and the rest of the localinstructors prove that local Partybranches are not only capable butshould be performing educationaltasks within the villages as theirexercise of leadership andestablishment of the democraticgovernment.

Lumbia Airport protest launched anew

ACTIVISTS HELD A protest action, together with three Americans, in frontof Lumbia Airport on July 29.

American activists Arturo Viscara, Luis Patterson, and Kelsen Caldwelltied themselves to the Lumbia Airport gate to protest US use of the airportunder the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA). They werewith more than 60 local activists.

Lumbia was the domestic passenger terminal in Northern Mindanaobefore the airport was transferred to Laguindingan three years ago. It isnow under the Philippine Air Force.

The American activists said they will petition the US Congress to stopfunding for the EDCA. Meanwhile, local activists submitted a petition toCagayan de Oro Mayor Oscar Moreno and the City Council in support of thelocal government’s plan to ask the national government to transform the oldairport into a socialized housing community and commercial center.

Groups hold international conference

of people’s rights in Davao

THE INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE for People’s Rights in the Philippines(ICPRP) was convened last July 23-24, in Davao City by the InternationalCoalition of Human Rights in the Philippines in cooperation with Karapatanand Bayan. More than 300 delegates from different countries attended,which included activists, educators, students, church people, lawyers,human rights workers, and indigenous people.

The conference celebrated the 40th anniversary of the Algiers UniversalDeclaration on the Rights of Peoples. This 1976 declaration recognizes theformation and legitimacy of people’s liberation movements and other massmovements for change, especially in places where these contradictions aremost intense.  The conference clarified the distinction of “people’s rights”beyond individual liberties and emphasized collective rights.

Conference delegates called for resumption of the peace talks,abrogation of EDCA, release of political prisoners, and respect for people’srights.

Before the conference, delegates were divided into teams for integrationin ten selected areas in the Philippines to show their support for ongoingmass struggles there. Among the areas visited were the Buffalo-Tamaraw-Limus communities in Maramag, Bukidnon, Arakan Valley in North Cotabatoand Zinundungan Valley in Cagayan.

Management lays off MRT contractuals

IN CONTRADICTION TO the Duterte regime’s promises, lay-offs ofcontractual workers or “endos” (end-of-contract) continue. Fifty Metro RailTransit (MRT) employees, who have served the company for 10 years ormore, are among the latest who were “endo-ed” as their contracts were notrenewed. Consequently, 70 other employees were made to sign one to three-month contracts. At present, their contracts run up to six months. Theemployees who were laid-off did not receive their last salaries and overtimepay. To fill in vacated jobs, the MRT management employed contractualswith lower pay and even shorter contracts.