Marcos is no anti-corruption hero
www.ibon.org
It doesn’t take much squinting to look beyond the theatrics and inter-parliamentary finger-pointing to see who ultimately decides about pork barrel.

It’s an oldie, from September 21, but pretty much summarizes what most leftists think of the Marcos Administration’s response to the flood control scandal.

What do y’all think?

  • dg2jeng@lemmygrad.ml
    2·
    13 days ago

    great article-- i think another barometer for me is how closely one aligns with the US military. the balikatan war exercises for example-- fisherfolk not able to sail waters and catch fish and instead get paid a few pesos in compensation

    • LadyCajAsca [she/her, comrade/them]@hexbear.netOP
      2·
      12 days ago

      Oh yeah, the CPP’s website has some articles on it! IBON is focused on the economy generally, and does research on it, but generally follows Makabayan Bloc on how to fix it (Makabayan being one of the legal mass national democratic organizations)

      https://www.ibon.org/high-prices-senatoriables/

      This is my source for IBON and Makabayan agreeing to policies

      https://philippinerevolution.nu/angbayan/progressive-groups-condemn-ph-australia-war-games-in-capiz/

      This one is about Australia mainly, and focuses on the imperialism happening.

      Oh, and note that Makabayan Bloc is focused on electoralism generally, while still being part of Bayan (BAM) the wider natdem organization. Though, it seems that their website is censored in the PH as I had to use… means to see it.

      • dg2jeng@lemmygrad.ml
        2·
        12 days ago

        i have a few, i hope you can forgive me (im not filipino):

        1. what is the relationship between bayan and the cpp-- namely are there any tensions that exist between the more electoral pathway orgs and the guerrillas? If you have any recommended reading for this history, I’d appreciate it.

        2. what is the potential for people centered progressive politics in the philippines? i see a lot of electoral candidates, but do they ever win?

        3. how are things going since NTFELCAC?

        • LadyCajAsca [she/her, comrade/them]@hexbear.netOP
          2·
          12 days ago

          I’ll try to be as honest as I can be, since I’m like super communist in my lib space IRL but pretty much a baby leftist here, and since certain websites are being blocked by PLDT, a telecom company that follows the gov’s ‘laws and regulations’ (bayan’s website, sison’s website) I struggle to link good accessible primary sources but here;

          1. I do not know much about this issue specifically, but due to the government suppression and red-tagging of Bayan related members (KMU, other trade unionists, protesters…) I do not know if they have a direct connection, but since the CPP in their website (the new one that I linked) displays Bayan related statements and news, I think that after the Second Rectification Movement of theirs, which is this they have been ambivalent to the electoral movement, from what I can tell. I haven’t seen any news (I think) about any left division, and I know the media will be all over it since GMA did that here. I think the CPP and Bayan have been careful to not explicitly associate with each other for more than being for national democracy and being the left.

          2. Gotta be real with you, it’s… deadlocked in a lot of ways. Most of the cities, including where I live, are ran by a family, you could say, a political dynasty. So, often, it’s hard to get a left non-dynasty related politican on, especially in the provincial governing areas. As for the national, there’s Akbayan (SocDem type) and Makabayan in the House of Representatives and Partylist stuff, but they are a minority unfortunately, and are almost always either supporting liberals (such as the case with Akbayan in KiBam) or not getting much votes than like tens of millions, such as Makabayan during that time, which you can see here, that they’re somewhat popular, but still dwarfed by the libs, Marcos and Duterte. Though, the general left (including the libs) occasionally get, for example, some reforms done such as this old ‘free tuition bill’ but this is basically step one, and so, the progressives have to work with them in some regards and some bills.

          3. NTF-ELCAC… Ugh, the "National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict’. It is the formal government presidential taskforce to, what? Red-tag all leftists, destroy them and their livelihoods, and be explicitly linked to the human rights violations of the AFP and PNP. It’s… been the usual red-tagging some days, it’s not as oppressive as they’d hoped though. I think if we get our way, it’ll be dismantled, because of the increasing consciousness of Filipinos due to the anti-corruption protests and flood control scandal. But if you want like, proof of people condemning it and the like, it’s:

          Bulatlat Article on Irene Khan, UN Expert recomending abolition of NTF-ELCAC

          CNN Article (unfortunately) about Ka Leody Guzman of BMP against NTF-ELCAC and Anti-Terror Law

          Other sources and statements can be found in this wikipedia article, about it, surprisingly enough.

          • dg2jeng@lemmygrad.ml
            3·
            12 days ago

            thanks for these references. I know things are specifically dire in these times but I look to the ND movement in the philippines as a great source of inspiration!