The following is the statement of Juanito Magbanua, the nom de guerre of the spokesperson of the New People’s Army’s Apolinario Gatmaitan Command in Negros island.
We are printing it in full and in its unedited form.
IN FULL | Reject Duterte’s budget for fascism! Collectively call for his ouster! Ka Juanito Magbanua
Apolinario Gatmaitan Command-New People’s Army strongly denounces the 16.4 billion budget allocation of the anti-communist program-the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC), in the almost 4.5 trillion national budget proposal of the US-Duterte regime. This will only sow terrorism and further the atrocities against the people.
Amidst the rapid escalating positive cases of Covid-19 in the country, fascism and monstrosities remain as the top priority measure of the Duterte regime. He also allocated a massive amount on his favored lapdogs – P204 billion to the AFP and P190.85 billion for the PNP plus the allocated pork barrel fund for the NTF-ELCAC, agencies which recorded a lot of anomalies, corruption and bureaucratic red tape. These are way too much bigger compared to P131 billion allocated for the Department of Health (DOH).
It is imperative that the Filipino people must condemn and reject this traitorous and deceptive move by the state. Once approved by Duterte’s lackeys in Congress, this would entail the regime’s aggressive steps on launching its counterrevolutionary campaigns of harassment, vilification, redtagging of dissenters, spreading black propaganda and schemes, bombing of Lumad and peasant communities, shutting down of critics and destruction of progressive group as ordered by the retired generals which in turn follows the command and dictates of their US imperialist masters.
This is yet another desperate move by the reactionary state whose main objective is to destroy the ever-growing and deepening revolutionary armed movement being waged by the CPP-NPA-NDF in the Philippines.
They will only use the people’s money for their bogus projects and schemes like fake encounters, fake and forced surrenders and fake development programs as pretext to their failures in addressing the pandemic and in solving the problems on insurgency. This will only serve as their milking cow and unlimited source of plunder in order to fill their pockets, especially the greedy generals in the like of Año, Lorenzana, Esperon and Parlade. While the people who suffer most from their terroristic activities and atrocities receive nothing but anguish and deteriorating injustice.
Expose the rottenness to the core of the reactionary government that doesn’t take appropriate step in order to address the root cause of armed conflict in the country. Just like the past regimes, Duterte’s “counter-insurgency” program is also destined and bound to fail.
The proposed 2021 National Budget of the Duterte regime has enough funds to curb the spread of the coronavirus. Instead of giving appropriate funds and attention in improving the health care system and socio-economic conditions of the people, the regime remains limp, inutile and a butcher. Even the P175 billion intended for Covid-19 emergency fund remained unliquidated and questionable. He remains apathetic amidst the increasing number of unemployment and joblessness that reaches up to 11.7 million based on conservative data of the government when in fact it already reached 27. 3 million or almost 45% due to the retrenchment and closure of companies brought by the militaristic lockdown of the state.
The Duterte government still doesn’t have a comprehensive and scientific measure in order to address the problem brought by the increasing positive cases of Covid-19. Instead, they imposed anti-people policies like the Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020 in order to put the country under undeclared Martial Law and establish a fascist dictatorship in order to stay in power beyond his term.
In this challenging time of tyranny and sharpening contradiction between the oppressed and exploited masses and the ruling class, we encourage the Negrosanons to expose and abolish the regime’s black schemes and fascist agencies such as the NTF-ELCAC. Collectively resist to call for the realignment of funds for the alleviation of the socio-economic conditions of the impoverished masses, improvement of health care system, public education and other social services.
We call on the patriotic and freedom-loving council members of the baranggay who genuinely serve the oppress masses to reject the tyrannical regime’s anti-people programs most especially if it doesn’t serve the interest of the broad masses. Oppose whatever government programs detrimental to the lives of the masses. Do not yield to the money they offer and always uphold the interest and welfare of the masses you promise to serve.
It is Duterte himself and his militaristic approach that will lead the masses to take the path of resistance and advance the armed revolution. Together with the oppressed and exploited masses, all revolutionary forces must collectively unite in order to oust the tyrannical and fascist regime. Advance the protracted people’s war to a higher level. Launch intensive and extensive guerilla warfare and punish the state agents who has committed brutal crimes against the Filipino people.
