ANGPahayagan ng Partido Komunista ng Pilipinas

Pinapatnubayan ng Marxismo-Leninismo-Maoismo

EDITORIAL

Filipino workers: Unite andresist! Raise the banner ofthe Party!

Among the biggest tasks of our Party are undertaking wide-reachingorganizing and mobilization of the masses of Filipino workers along thepath of the national democratic revolution. This coming May 1, on the

International Workers Day, let us give attention to the urgent reasons why weshould more firmly grasp and carry out these tasks.

The democratic struggles of theFilipino workers urgently need to bestrengthened to enable them toovercome the widespread harmbrought by almost four decades ofneoliberal policies. Since the 1980s,the rights of workers to form unions,to job security and to decent wageshave been relentlessly attacked.During this time, Filipino workersexperienced unprecedented rever-sals in standards of living, social

conditions, democratic rights andpolitical freedoms.

Through fascist violence, directrepression, arm-twisting, threatsand deception, as well as with thecollusion of yellow leaders and trai-tors, the workers' right to formunions have been widely suppressed.From 12% in the early 1980s, thenumber of unionized workersdropped to just above 3%. Thewidespread massacre of worker'sunions served as the key condition. . . continue on page 3

NPA seizes morethan 50 firearms

FIFTY FIREARMS, hundreds ofbullets and military equipmentwere captured by the NPA fromApril 9 to 14.

In North Cotabato, Redfighters under the Regional Ope-rations Command (ROC), NPA-Southern Mindanao Region,seized 32 firearms in a raid onMichael Lingaro's house, in Brgy.Mahongcog, Magpet, on April 9,at 9 a.m. Lingaro, the barangaycaptain, is a leader of a para-military group. His group is beingused by the 39th IB in the area.The next day, ROC-SMR forcesraided pursuing troops of the39th IB in Brgy. Temporan, ad-jacent to Mahongcog. The en-counter lasted for two hours.

In Palawan, the BienvenidoValleber Command seized 18firearms in a raid in Brgy.Barong-barong, Brooke's Pointlast April 14, 8 p.m. on the houseof known drug lord Gilbert S.Baaco.

In San Fernando, Bukidnon,one soldier was wounded and an-other was killed among 60th IBforces in an encounter with com-bined forces of regular Red fight-ers and people's militia on April10. Two harassment operationsand one sparrow operation wereconducted in Brgy. Bunaco andBrgy. Nabunturan in the sametown.

In Cateel, Davao Oriental, ateam from Front 15 conductedharassment operations againstthe 67th IB on April 11, 8 p.m.Another team from Front 15 set

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both unions and associations.Organize en masse the workersinside the enclaves.

The widespread struggle ofworkers for wage increases andagainst contractualization must takethe form of left and right outbreak ofstrikes in factories and enterprises.At the same time, a broad workers'movement demanding an end tocontractualization must be formed,especially amid the Dutertegovernment's failed promise to fulfillsuch demand. Hold the stateaccountable for its obligation toensure the right to work. Fight for ageneral increase in wages and to seta national minimum. Clamor for anend to the labor-export policy.

These struggles of Filipinoworking masses is part of the broadstruggle of the Filipino peopleagainst imperialist neoliberalpolicies. The whole range of thesepolicies bring about widespreaddamage to the Filipino people andhas brought the Philippines to adeeper crisis.

While advancing these struggles,it is also incumbent upon the Filipinoworkers to lead the people'sdemocratic revolution to end thesemicolonial and semifeudal socialsystem and move forward towardsthe socialist future. The proletariat'sFilipino class leadership is achievedthrough the Communist Party ofPhilippines, its political party. Inorder to strengthen working classleadership of the people'sdemocratic revolution, it is anurgent task of the Party to arouse,mobilize and organize the broadmasses of workers.

Promote the study of Marxism-Leninism-Maoism among the massesof workers, the ideology of theworking class, which they can use asa tool to smash the bourgeois andfeudal ideas being propagated by theruling classes.

The workers movement mustexpose the global capitalist crisis,foreign monopoly capitalist domi-nation in the local economy and howthey make use of their control of themeans of production in the

Editorial: Filipino workers: Unite andresist! Raise the banner of the Party! 1NPA seizes more than 50 firearms 1NPA releases 2 POWs 3Protests in ST, Samar and ComVal 4Attritive offensives in NSamar 4NPA-Ifugao pays tribute to Ka Zola 5Workers win strikes 54 peasants killed 6Condemn Lapanday-PNP collusion 6On the national minimum wage 7Lenin's critique of imperialism 8Russia, April 1917 9Advanced Course completed in 15 days 10People's Calvary staged 11"Abu Sayyaf in Visayas," a US yarn 12US drops bomb in Afghanistan 12

Vol XLVI I I No. 8 | Apri l 21, 2017

which enabled the big bourgeoisieand foreign monopoly capitalists inthe Philippines to impose the worstanti-worker policies.

The Herrera Law (revised LaborCode) and the Wage RationalizationLaw were both enacted in 1989.These paved the way and served asbasis for contractualization andother forms of flexible employment,deregulation of labor standards, dis-mantling of the national minimumwage and implementation of variousschemes to bring down workerswages. These policies aimed to doaway with all labor regulations andother rights which workers have wonin the past. Big capitalists weregiven full rights to stretch theworkday and squeeze every peso ofwages paid in order to appropriatethe maximum surplus value createdby a worker's labor power.

Workers are subjected to theworst forms of exploitation includingthe grossest employment arrange-ments (contractuals, "appren-ticeship", "student training", unpaidwork in franchises of school ownersand others). These aggravated the

attacks on unions as contractualsdaring to form or join face theconstant threat of being axed.

The reactionary state imple-ments investment liberalization byrelaxing or completely removingpast regulations protecting thewelfare and health of workers (aswell as the environment) just sothat capitalists can cut costs at theexpense of the workers' safety fromfire and other accidents. Workersexperience the worst exploitation infactories inside so-called exportprocessing zones or labor enclaves.These enclaves are heaven forcapitalists and hell for workers.

In the past 20 years, wageincreases have fallen far behind therapid rise in the prices of commo-dities. The present average of 454minimum wage in the NCR is noteven half of the necessary 1,119for decent living of a family of six.

The worker masses must regaintheir organized strength in order tofight to regain the rights they haveenjoyed before. Millions uponmillions of workers, regulars orcontractuals, must be organized in

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1 M79 grenade launcher

1 M4 assault weapon

2 M16

2 M14

2 M1 Garand

4 Carbines

2 .45 pistols

2 9mm pistols

1 Uzi submachine gun

12 shotguns

91 ammunition rounds

12 vests

4 radios

2 M4 assault weapons

1 M16

8 9mm pistols

1 9mm submachine pistol

6 shotguns

600+ ammunition rounds

Philippines to extract the country'snatural resources and exploit thelabor power of the Filipino workers.

The masses of Filipino workersmust struggle for national indus-trialization and genuine land reformas the crucial measures to end theeconomy which remains backward,dependent on foreign investmentsand foreign loans and on the exportof semi-manufactured products andcheap labor. Only by doing so can amodern economy be built andgenerate enough jobs for all. Thismust be highlighted in supportingthe NDFP-GRP peace negotiations.

Expose and oppose USimperialist domination and militaryand political intervention, the use ofunequal military treaties such as theEDCA and VFA, the military basesand presence of its military troopsin the Philippines to protect thestrategic interests of UScorporations in the Philippines andAsia-Pacific.

The broad mobilization of themasses of workers in the cities mustserve as the solid base to draw theparticipation of the urban pettybourgeoisie (especially students)and other middle-forces in thenational-democratic movement.They must be mobilized in largenumbers to unite with the strugglesof the basic masses in the cities andcountryside.

While advancing their economicstruggles, the masses of workersand urban semi-proletariat mustsupport and directly participate inantifeudal struggles of the peasantmasses in the countryside. Exposeand oppose militarization and thefascist abuses of the AFP in thecountryside.

The Party must broadly mobilizethe workers to participate in therevolutionary armed movement inthe countryside. Thousands ofworker-cadres (as well as cadresfrom the petty bourgeoisintellectuals) are greatly needed toshoulder the growing number oftasks to strengthen the NPA andintensify the armed struggle,advance the agrarian revolution andbuild the organs of political poweracross the country.

off command-detonated explosives against 67th IB troops in Baganga onApril 13.

In Davao City, Red fighters from Front 55 fired at 60th IB troops inBrgy. Mangani Tapak, Paquibato last April 11.

In Surigao Del Sur, the NPA-NEMR launched harassment operationsagainst the 72nd IB/CAA last April 10, at 2:35 in the afternoon in Brgy.Pagbacatan, Lingig.

"50 firearms. . . , " from page 1

NPA releases two prisoners of war

THE NPA-FAR South Mindanao Region released last April 19 two prisoners ofwar, Sgt. Solaiman Calocop and PFC Samuel Garay in Brgy. Colon Sabak,Matan-ao, Davao del Sur. Both are 39th IB elements captured by Red fight-ers in Columbio, Sultan Kudarat last February 2.

The program for their release was undertaken by a company of Redfighters. Following this, the two were turned over to the organization Sowingthe Seeds of Peace which coordinated the soldiers' release. The POWs un-derwent a check-up by medical personnel in order to confirm their goodhealth.

Among those who coordinated their release and attended the programwere Columbio Vice Mayor Edwin Bermudez, South Cotabato Board MemberRomulo Solivio and former congressman Marc Douglas Cagas. Also presentwere the families of the two soldiers.

The soldiers thanked the NPA for its humane treatment. According toGaray, they were not harmed, even in words.

During the program, Ka Macario Dilaab, spokesperson for the Mt. AlipCommand, explained that the POWs' release is based on humanitariangrounds and as support for the peace negotiations between the NDFP andthe GRP.

Earlier on April 12, NPA spokesperson Ka Oris stated that Garay andCalocop could have been released last Easter. However, this did not pushthrough because of the AFP's stubbornness to suspend its offensive opera-tions to ensure the safe release of the POWs, as well as the safety of theirfamilies and the third party facilitators.

April 21 , 2017 ANG BAYAN4

Protest actions in Negros,Samar and ComVal

In Negros Oriental, hundreds of peasants launched a protest caravan lastApril 20 to Don Salvador Benedicto, and then towards Bacolod City to

demand justice for their slain colleagues in the province. Two of these wereAlexander Ceballos and Wenceslao Pacquiao who were killed this year byarmed goons of landlords and their conniving bureaucrats. The protest actionwas spearheaded by Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas, Bayan and NationalFederation of Sugar Workers-Negros.

Prior to this, workers under thebanner of Kilusang Mayo Unostaged a picket in front of theDepartment of Labor andEmployment's regional office tooppose the anti-worker D.O. 174.

In Samar, more than 1,000families who evacuated to Calbigatown center last April 4 due to themilitary's occupation of theircommunities have returned to theirvillages last April 10. The residentshave successfully demanded in adialogue last April 9 with elementsof the 87th IB that the latter vacatethe occupied 15 villages. This,despite the pig-headedness of thesoldiers' officer to remain in thearea.

In Compostela Valley, survivorsof typhoon Pablo (Bopha) staged aprotest action last April 10 in Davao

City to press for their rights todecent housing. They stood firm toremain in their occupied vacanthousing units of the NationalHousing Authority in San AntonioVillage, Compostela Valley.Kadamay-Davao, in a statementsaid that more than 1,000 housingunits were built for the typhoonsurvivors but have remained vacantfor more than five years. Thesurvivors occupied the housing unitslast November 2016.

They likewise criticised the localgovernment's project in QuezonBoulevard which would displacearound 2,500 families. According tothem, the Urban DevelopmentHousing Act or RA 7279, under theguise of "development projects",legalizes the widespread demolitionof the urban poor.

Series of attritive offensives in Northern Samar

FOUR ATTRITIVE OPERATIONS were launched by Red fighters in Las Navas,Northern Samar since the end of March.

On March 30, NPA snipers wounded an element of the 43rd IBundertaking psywar operations dubbed "Community Support Program" ofOplan Kapayapaan in Brgy. San Miguel.

On March 31, around 7 p.m., Red fighters sniped 16 elements of the 43rdIB carrying out operations in Brgy. San Isidro. Because of acutedemoralization, the soldiers immediately boarded a boat and left around 8:00the same night.

On April 6, 10 a.m., Red fighters launched harassment operations against28 elements of the 43rd IB in Brgy. Poponton who had been conductingmilitary operations since April 4. This prompted the soldiers to retreat anddiscontinue operations after a helicopter airlifted their casualties.

On April 8, people's militia forces fired "double zeros" (home-madeshotguns) at more than 30 soldiers on operation at Brgy. El Empon to Brgy.Poponton. The soldiers were forced to retreat with their wounded. In greatfear, around 140 soldiers of the 43rd IB encamped at Brgy. El Empon andBrgy. Paco till the present, and would not go out of their quarters.

In desperation, forces of the 43rd IB turned their fascist anger againstthe local residents. The soldiers threatened to shoot any male they see at theoutskirts of the barrio.

Ka Zola, 48

THE NPA-IFUGAO (Nona Del Ros-ario Command) paid tribute to Le-ornardo "Ka Zola" Manahan whodied last April 14 at the age of 48.His death was due to a severe ail-ment while in service as a leadingcadre of the Party and the NewPeople's Army in Ifugao.

Ka Zola first took on revolution-ary tasks among the youth sector asa model mass leader and propa-gandist within the League of FilipinoStudents during the latter part ofthe 1980s. Later on, he acted assecretary of the Party section in thePolytechnic University of the Philip-pines (PUP) and became a memberof the Party's National Youth-Stu-dents Bureau. Here, he was knownby the comrades and the studentmasses as "Tolayts" and "Dario".

Since 2003, Ka Zola continuedto perform revolutionary tasks in-side the guerrilla zones. From NorthIlocos Sur-South Ilocos Norte-Western Abra, he was transferredto Western Mountain Province asSecretary of the Guerrilla FrontCommittee. From 2010-2016, hebecame a member of the subregionto which Western MountainProvince belongs. Here, he served asthe subregional unit's political of-ficer. He became a member of theParty Regional Committee from2013, and was assigned as Secret-ary of Ifugao on the latter part of2016.

The NPA-Ifugao recalls KaZola's exemplary attitude whichserves as inspiration to the people'sarmy and revolutionaries in the re-gion. Likewise, the NPA-Ifugao re-members his firm grasp of the re-volution, when immediately hereturned to the countryside afterbeing released from imprisonmenton 2005.

His remains were brought to thePUP chapel last April 20, accom-panied by revolutionary forces car-rying flags of the CPP. Here, he wasfurther given tribute by PUP stu-dents, friends and former comrades.

ANG BAYAN April 21 , 2017 5

Workers win strikes in banana plantations

Two strikes were won by banana plantation workers in Compostela Valleythis past week.

The Maparat Montevista Work-ers' Union won their strike mountedon April 18 against the "pakyawan"(piece rate) scheme of the bananaexport giant Sumitomo Fruits Cor-poration (Sumifru). The scheme hadbeen scrapped in a formal agree-ment last 2015 because it reducedworkers' wages. Within 13 hours,Sumifru was forced to face the strik-ing workers and agreed to stop the"pakyawan" system.

In Brgy. Kingking, Pantukan, theMusahamat Workers Labor Unionalso emerged victorious on April 19against the union busting of Musa-hamat Farms, Inc. and the imple-mentation of the "gardening sys-tem." The workers launched thestrike on April 12 to protest the scheme that aggravated the inhumanworking conditions as it requiredeach worker to maintain five kinds ofoperations on a 3-hectare land. Thisheavy work has resulted in the hos-pitalization of several union mem-bers. To bust the union, the companyalso illegally dismissed 2 officials ofthe union after they opposed the un-reasonable transfer of work.

Because of the strike, the twoofficials were reinstated to their pre-vious work and an agreement wasarrived at to limit the workload to 4kinds of operations over 2.5 hectaresof land. It was also agreed that theunion and Dole would conduct a timeand motion study to investigate theeffect of the "gardening" system onthe workers.

Prior to this, the workers of ShinSun Tropical Fruit Corp had launched

a strike on April 6. Later on April 8,the Freshmax Workers Unionlaunched their own strike in the faceof months of the company's non-payment of wages, withholding ofunion funds and work suspensiondue allegedly to the workers' strikeof the adjacent Shin Sun TFC. Themanagement has been adamantlydenying that Shin Sun TFC andFreshmax Corp. were owned by thesame capitalist. The striking workerswere not cowed even when the com-pany sent more than 60 fully-armedpolice to intimidate them on April 19.

In all, more than 800 bananaplantation workers joined thesestrikes. Meanwhile, workers fromother plantations and packing plantslaunched their own protest actionsin support of the unions on strike.

Under the leadership of the Ba-nana Industry Growers and Workersagainst Sumifru (Bigwas) and theNational Federation of Labor Unions-Kilusang Mayo Uno (NAFLU-KMU),eight unions carried out sympathyprotests for the striking workers onApril 18. In solidarity, almost 1,000workers carried out work stoppageand slowdown in their respectivepacking plants and banana planta-tions around the province.

Foreign capitalists of plantationsin Compostela Valley have widelyenforced neoliberal policies to en-sure enormous profit while oppress-ing the workers and violating theirrights to unionize. In MusahamatFarms, Inc. last year, the workersalso launched protests when themanagement suspended several

members of the union for 30 daysafter the MWLU won in the certifi-cation election (CE). The CE formallyauthorizes a union to exclusivelybargain with the capitalist for wageincrease, rights, and other benefits.

Particularly among bananaplantations operated by Sumifru,aside from the "pakyawan" scheme,workers have complained for years ofprevalent contractualization throughbogus labor cooperatives and agen-cies, the management's refusal torecognize and bargain with theirunions and violations of laborstandards for humane working con-ditions such as the continued use ofthe deadly pesticide Omega in theirpacking plants. 

But for unionists in the area, theperennial struggle against capitalistschemes is part and parcel of beingwage earners. "This is proof of thecontinued militant resistance of ag-ricultural workers against inhumaneschemes, extreme oppression, andunion busting being perpetrated byforeign capitalists," said one strikingworker.

Since 2013 after Typhoon Pablo(Bopha) ravaged Compostela Valley,workers have launched strikes, workslowdowns or protests almost yearlyin banana plantations in the face ofcapitalist owners' various forms ofoppression. "Time and again, thecapitalists try to break us but we foilthem. Even as we fight the crueltyand exploitation of the capitalists,we know that the struggle will con-tinue as long as the capitalists seeour unions as the only obstacle totheir greed for superprofit," oneunionist declared in 2015.

April 21 , 2017 ANG BAYAN6

This April 21 at 7 a.m., elementsof the 39th IB indiscriminately firedupon three civilians in Sitio Macadis,Brgy. Datal Biao, Columbio, SultanKudarat. The civilians were on theirway to the forest to hunt for food.Immediately killed were Jorry Peles,27, and Macmac Peles, 13. Nineteen-year old Jurry Lavella was severelywounded.

In Davao del Norte, EliasPureza, 60, was shot inside his homein Purok Palmera, Brgy. Mamangan,San Isidro, at around 8 p.m. lastApril 6. Pureza was an active mem-ber of Samahang Magsasaka sa SanIsidro (San Isidro Peasants' Associ-ation), under the Pederasyon samga Mag-uuma ug Lumad sa Agusanug Davao (Federation of Peasantsand Lumad in Agusan and Davao).

Meanwhile, the 60th IB illegallyarrested Maui Bago, a 21-year oldLumad, in Sitio Natulinan, Palma Gil,Talaingod. He was arrested afterbeing reported as a member of theNew People's Army (NPA) by theAlamara, a paramilitary group. Hewas subjected to interrogation, hitby a rifle butt and was detained formore than 24 hours before being setfree.

In Compostela Valley, militaryagents under the 71st and 46th IBlast April 8 shot farmer BernardoCalan Ripdos, a resident of Brgy.Sangab, Maco. Ripdos was a memberof Hugpong sa mga Mag-uuma saWalog Compostela (Unity of Peas-ants in Walog Compostela or HU-MAWAC).

In Abra last April 4, elements ofthe 24th IB attempted to blockmembers of the Cordillera HumanRights Alliance who were to invest-igate the human rights violations inBuanao, Umnap, Lat-ey and Matar-agan in Malibcong. The 24th IB oc-

4 peasants killed

Four peasants were killed, a student was abducted and thousands wereforcibly displaced by military operations in the past two weeks. Despite

these, perpetrators have not been punished, but are instead coddled andprodded by the Duterte regime in their operations of suppression.

Condemn Lapanday-PNP collusion!

LAND FOR THE peasants of Madaum Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries, Inc. inTagum City, Southern Mindanao remains elusive.

No less than the secretary of GRP's Department of Agrarian Reform(DAR) Rafael "Ka Paeng" Mariano joined efforts for the formal reinstallmentof the 159 peasants in the 119.25-hectare land in Brgy. Madaum last April18. But even before they were able to enter the area, the overt collusionbetween the powerful Lorenzo clan who owns Lapanday Foods Corp. and thePhilippine National Police (PNP) was laid bare in front of the peasants, theDAR and their thousands of supporters who came from different parts of theregion.      

More than 700 armed goons of the LFC, including some mercenaryLumad paramilitaries, stood guard around the fortified gates of the planta-tion. The PNP refused to accompany the DAR despite the previous under-standing by a special provincial committee assigned to assist the reinstall-ment. Sec. Mariano vowed to exhaust all means to ensure that the peasantsreclaim the land that has become a profitable milking cow for the landlordLorenzo clan. Until now, the peasants, along with their burgeoning support-ers, are still encamped in front of the LFC plantation compound and havecalled on GRP. Pres. Rodrigo Duterte's intervention in their favor.  

Meanwhile, NDFP-SMR has warned the Lorenzo clan and the PNPagainst using violence in order to prevent the peasants from owning theirland. Rubi del Mundo, spokesperson of NDFP-SMR, cautioned that "thePeople's Democratic Government is ready and able to defend the peasants inthe event that the situation should result to anything other than their own-ership of the land." 

This is not the first time that the landlords and the PNP in Davao delNorte connived to avert the just distribution of land to the peasants. In2014, the 112 peasants of Checkered Farms Employees Agrarian ReformBeneficiaries Association, Inc. in Brgy. Tibungol, Panabo City, Davao delNorte won their case before the GRP's Supreme Court. The high court upheldtheir right to own the 281-hectare of land that had been turned into a vastplantation for export banana. However, when around 200 armed guards ofthe adjacent Tagum Development Corporation (TADECO) plantation blockedtheir entry to the plantation, the PNP personnel themselves backed off andrefused to defend the rights of the peasants.

cupied the three latter barrios. InBuanao, soldiers restrained themovement of the residents in theircommunity.

In Panay, the Alyansa ng Panaypara sa Karapatan (KARAPATAN-Panay) and the National Union ofPeople's Lawyers likewise held aninvestigation last April 6-8 to docu-ment human rights violations in

Cabatangan, Lambunao in Iloilo. In-digenous peoples who are residentsreported that the 61st IB occupiedtheir community and has virtuallyimposed martial law. This has af-fected 30 families.

In Nueva Ecija, armed menopened fire at peasants belonging tothe Alyansa ng MamamayangNagkakaisa sa 3100 (United People'sAlliance or ALMANA 3100) in SitioMinalkot, Brgy. San Isidro, Laur lastApril 16, at 5 p.m. Four of the 18farmers were minors. The peasantswere collectively farming the landwhich has been declared for distri-bution since 1991 by the Departmentof Agrarian Reform.

ANG BAYAN April 21 , 2017 7

Thirty years have passed since the reactionary stateabolished the national minimum wage and imposed the

regionalization of wages through Wage Rationalization Act(RA 6727). During this period, wages were pegged at very lowlevels, and were further depressed. Any demand for an increasewas rapidly denied or replaced with extremely low, pitiful wages.

Together with contractualiza-tion and other anti-worker andanti-union policies, wage regional-ization weakened and repressed theworkers' movement. It dismantled alabor standard which the workers'movement have won in a century'sstruggle. Like the right to an eight-hour workday, the right to a mini-mum wage protects workers againstinhuman work conditions and fur-ther exploitation.

Capitalists and bureaucrats,along with yellow unions, have usedthe Regional Triparite Wages andProductivity Board (RTWPB) to ex-tract profit from the workers. It ex-ploits the large number of unem-ployed workers and their backwardconditions. It also exploits and in-tensifies their disorganized condi-tion by localizing their oppositionand struggles.

Wage regionalization is one ofthe major neoliberal policies imple-mented during the end of the1980s. Prior to this, then Pres.Manuel Quezon declared a 1/dayminimum wage during the 1930s inresponse to the strong and militantstruggles of workers unions and thepeasant movement. Quezon usedthis declaration to deceive theworkers and pull them away fromthe then newly-established Com-munist Party of the Philippines.After World War 2, the Congress ofLabor Unions continued to struggle.

In 1951, the Minimum WageLaw (RA 602) was enacted whichset a 4/day minimum wage fornon-agricultural workers and

2.50/day for agricultural workers.This was repealed by the LaborCode (Presidential Decree No. 422)

of the Marcos dictatorshipwhich started the imple-mentation of differentminimum wage levels. In1976, non-agriculturalworkers in the NationalCapital Region werealready paid a peso higher com-pared to workers in the provinces,as well as agricultural workers inplantations compared to non-plantation agricultural workers. Inthe following years, the gapbetween the agricultural workerswidened further ( 8 by 1984). Moreso, the dictatorship used the law tokeep wages down. During the entireperiod of the Marcos regime, wagesrose by only 30-31.

During the 28 years under RA6727, wages rose by an average ofonly 313 despite the RTWPBs is-suing more than 300 wage orders.In addition to numerous violationsto the law, majority (81%) of com-pany requests for exemption wereapproved.

Due to regionalization, thereare 17 wage levels as of today.Wage gap between the highest( 491 in NCR) and lowest ( 235 forRegion IV-B) is at 256. This ismade worse by the two-tier wagescheme where the RTWPB sets onlythe floor wage and any wage in-crease is up to what the companyreports as net profits and individualworker productivity which likewisedepends on the capitalist.

Overall, nominal wages do noteven reach a third of the livingwage. In NCR, real wages are set at

361 only while regional real wagesare at 161- 264. The living wageis pegged at 1,119 for a six-mem-

ber family.From the start,

the state has used wage manipula-tion and other reforms to divide theworkers and pull them away fromthe genuine, militant and patrioticunionism towards substantial andrevolutionary social change. Butsince the beginning as well, theworkers movement has proven thatit has sufficient collective strengthto demand what is due to them andother rights. In fact, a substantialwage increase was realized underthe dictatorship in 1984 —from

21 to 32 (52%) for non-agricul-tural workers and from 17 to 21(23%) for agricultural workers.During this time, the strongest andlongest strikes in the country’shistory took place, together withthe strong anti-fascist workersmovement.

The struggle for wage increaseand other workers’ struggles wasderailed when local and foreigncapitalists took advantage of thegrave disorientations and errors inthe revolutionary movement andthe labor movement in the 1980s.

Wage regionalization was im-plemented together with other ex-tensive neoliberal schemes whichworsened workers’ exploitation andrepression. The state enacted laborflexibilization and widespread uni-on busting. It repealed variouslabor regulations and put up in-dustrial enclaves which gave cap-

Set and increase the nationalminimum wage

April 21 , 2017 ANG BAYAN8

The continuing relevance of the October Revolution of 1917

Revisiting Lenin's critique ofimperialism

Come May 1, the workers' monumental role inproviding for society and advancing history will

again be remembered. Along with this is imperialism'sgigantic role in its all-out effort to obstruct theiradvance. As the monopoly and last stage of capit-alism, imperialism has become more exploitativeand vicious. But behind its show of power, it isbecoming ever more rotten and moribund, andwill go nowhere else but collapse in the face ofthe people's struggle led by the world'sworking class.

"Imperialism is the eve of thesocial revolution of the proletariat.This has been confirmed since 1917on a world wide scale," wroteVladimir Ilyich Lenin in his prefaceof Imperialism, the Highest Stage ofCapitalism. After a century, this re-mains the most correct analysis ofimperialism and guide for studyingpresent events.

Lenin, leader of the CommunistParty (the Russian Social Demo-cratic Labor Party or RSDLP), re-futed the exposition of various eco-nomists regarding the capitalistsystem of his time. He clarified that"unless the economic roots of thisphenomenon are understood and itspolitical and social significance isappreciated, not a step can betaken toward the solution of thepractical problems of the Commun-ist movement.”

Imperialism is the monopoly stageof capitalism

Contrary to bourgeois econom-ists' claim that the essence of thecapitalist system is free competi-tion, Lenin revealed that since the

turn of the 20th century, monopo-lies have dominated the entire sys-tem and have become one of thefoundations of economic life  of thecapitalist countries. Monopoliescontrol the supply of raw materials,supply of labor, deliveries andloans. They destroy unions, cornermarkets, and systematically resortto price manipulation to ruin firmswhich refuse to submit to them.

Among the industries controlledby monopolies at the start of the1900s were the railways in Britainand France, the electric industryand chemical industry in Germanyand the steel and oil industries inthe USA. One of these monopolieswas the Standard Oil Company ofUSA which became the biggestcompany in the country's oil in-dustry by entering into unfair dealsto undercut its competitors. With acapital of around $150 million, itearned net revenues of $838.8Mfrom 1882 to 1906. It re-emergestoday as ExxonMobil, the USA'sbiggest private oil company thatproduces 3% of the world's oil and

italists free rein to extract profits from the workers’ labor.It is only correct that the struggle to reinstate a national minimum wage is carried alongside the struggle for wage

increase to ensure a national standard for a decent living wage. From the 1990s, militant unions have pushed for aP125 across-the-board wage increase to offset rising prices and cost of services. In 2014, the struggle to restore thenational minimum wage was launched together with the call to set it at P750/day for the private sector andP16,000/month for the public sector. This should also be carried together with the struggle against contractualizationand other neoliberal policies of the reactionary state.

2% of energy. It has interests invarious branches of industry andcontrols 8.5 million hectares of landin Europe, South America, Asia,Australia, Africa, and Canada, asidefrom six million hectares within theUS. In December 2016, Pres. Trumpappointed its CEO, Rex Tillerson, asSecretary of State.

Bank or financial monopoliesgrew together with the monopoliesof industry and these merged intoa powerful financial oligarchy basedon finance capital. Using trusts withshares in numerous "daughtercompanies"—both registered anddisguised—and interlocking direct-orates, the finance oligarchy com-mands almost the whole of themoney capital of all the capitalistsand the larger part of the means ofproduction and of the sources ofraw materials of their particularcountry and in a number of othercountries. 

In 1910, Lenin noted that six ofthe largest banks in Berlin had dir-ectors in 344 industrial companies,and board members in 407 others,encompassing such diverse busi-nesses as insurance, transport,restaurants, theatres, art in-dustry,  and others. On the otherhand, powerful industrialists werein the supervisory boards of these

ANG BAYAN April 21 , 2017 9

Russia, April 1917ON THE EVENING of April 16, 1917, Lenin (Vladimir Ilyich Ulyanov) ar-rived at the Finland Station in the Russian capital (then called Petro-grad). Thousands of workers welcomed his return from Switzerlandwhere he had been in exile for more than a decade.

Lenin left Zurich on April 9 with 31 other Bolsheviks and travelledthrough Germany (then a Russian enemy) in a sealed car which wastreated as an "extraterritorial territory."

After three days, they arrived at Stockholm, Sweden's capital (whichwas neutral then) where fellow socialists and Russian emigrants wel-comed them. They were stopped at the border by British troops but wereallowed to proceed when nothing suspicious were found on their belong-ings.

During their precarious travel, they expected arrest upon enteringRussia. But to their pleasant surprise, a giant workers' rally greetedthem, complete with an orchestra playing revolutionary pieces, andarmed forces of the Bolshevik revolution. Spotlights were placed in frontof the station to provide light to his arrival. Here, on top of an armoredvehicle, he gave his famous speech where he hailed the Russian prolet-ariat as the vanguard of the proletarian army which illuminates the so-cialist revolution.

From the station, he proceeded to ballet dancer Mathilde Kschess-inski's mansion which then served as the Bolshevik headquarters. OnApril 19, he published his April Theses. Here, he pushed for the shift ofthe Russian revolution from bourgeois-democratic to socialist. His "AllPower to the Soviets!" called for the transfer of political power to thesoviets from the republican parliament.

A few days later, on April 22, he celebrated his 47th birthday.

banks.In the US, two largest banks

were mentioned, each owned by theRockefeller and Morgan families,which control more than $6B. Thesetwo banks are at present mergedinto the multinational JPMorganChase & Co. which Forbes lists asthe biggest US bank and thirdlargest bank in the world based onits assets which amount to some$2.5 trillion ( 120 trillion). It has288 registered subsidiaries all overthe world, and has directorshipswith John Deere & Co., WalMartStores, Inc., Dow Chemical Co.,Center for Strategic & InternationalStudies, Inc., Rush University Med-ical Center, Apple, Inc., QuinnipiacUniversity, Exxon Mobil Corp., NBCUniversal Holdings, The Museum ofScience & Industry, University ofChicago, Business Council for In-ternational Understanding, andmany others in various fields ofeconomy and society. It earned netrevenues of $22 billion ( 1.05trillion) in 2014 and has now241,359 employees worldwide.

In 1911, capitalist statespassed "anti-trust" laws or appar-ent strictures against monopolies.But these were superficial and wereeasily skirted, especially since alllevels of government itself were fullof members or agents of the finan-cial oligarchy who were representedeven by the presidents or primeministers of capitalist countries.

These are only some examplesof the concentration of socialwealth in the hands of a very fewfinance oligarchs who do not con-tribute at all to social production.They are the image of imperialism'sparasitism, rottenness and exploit-ativeness and impose a heavy yokeon the laboring masses. Their gi-gantic competition against eachother for more profit spurs theperiodic and worsening economiccrises that ravage the toilingmasses more than anything else.Latest and most dramatic of thesewas the financial crisis of 2007-2008 that started off a decade of

depression that remains un-resolved up to now.

Neoliberalism, the face of intenseimperialist crisis

Neoliberalism as an economicpolicy these past four decades hasbeen the last recourse sought bythe capitalist system (read in theissues of Ang Bayan, May 21-July21, 2016). In the vein of the earliereconomists disputed by Lenin,these new economists of todaycontinue to conceal the widespreaddomination of monopolies by de-claring that neoliberalism promotesfree competition to resolve thecrisis.

In fact, this is only the latestvisage of imperialism. This is theremoval of regulations or restric-tions to give the finance oligarchyfree rein to expand their capital.

This is the opening up of the worldto further exploitation in the nameof globalization, and destruction ofthe power of labor, especially or-ganized labor. In waging its waragainst labor, the finance oligarchyis only digging its own grave deeperin the face of the toiling masses'seething anger.

As Lenin expounded, there isno solution to the crisis of imperi-alism other than proletarian re-volution to establish socialism. Thisis a long and difficult struggleagainst a giant. But because it is agiant on its deathbed, the workingclass is sure of victory.

This article is the fifth in a series com-memorating the centennial of the Oc-tober Revolution.

April 21 , 2017 ANG BAYAN10

Advanced Course completed in 15 days

such must likewise be the guide fororganizers in undertaking theirtasks." Ka Mac adds that in theface of neoliberalism's attacksagainst the workers' movement,the objective to organize them intounions must cover even those non-regular workers. Likewise, both KaNova and Ka Mac agree that thefirm grasp of the mass line, basedon their understanding of the APC,will lead to significant leaps in ad-vancing the workers' movement inthe region.

On the other hand, for KaToby, who performs propagandawork, he is driven to improve onresearch work in order to lay downthe important issues and ideasthat the people should be informedof. "For me," he said, "the APChas become significant in compos-ing editorials or commentaries,and dispelling wrong ideaspropagated by the bourgeoisie inthe economic, cultural and politic-al fields.

It can be said that scientificsocialism stood out as the mostlively part of the course. Here,discussion on the form of the suc-ceeding stage following the victoryof the national democratic revolu-tion was thorough. Through illus-trations of practical experiencesfrom Russia, China and Vietnam,

Rich theoretical and practical knowledge were shared and partaken in byparticipants of the Advanced Party Course recently held in one of

Southern Mindanao's guerrilla fronts.

The restructured APC was suc-cessfully completed in 15 days. Itwas participated in by 35 cadres.This abridgment is in line with theprogram set by the recently con-cluded First Central CommitteePlenum of the Second Congress.This likewise supersedes the oldAPC outline which in the pastlasted for up to 45 days. While thenew outline for the course is stillbeing developed, the main refer-ence and framework used wasComrade Jose Ma. Sison's BasicPrinciples of Marxism-Leninism: APrimer, written in 1981-82.

The APC's primary objective isthe Party cadres' in-depth study ofMarxism-Leninism-Maoism (MLM)as the communist standpoint,world view, and method of analys-is.

Adequate time was given indiscussing the major aspects thatcomprise MLM. First part discus-sions consisted of dialectical ma-terialism and the history of philo-sophy until the birth of Marxism.The next part then expounded onhistorical materialism, highlightingthe history of the development ofdifferent systems of society as thehistory of modes of production (orthe economic base and the super-structure). Meanwhile, politicaleconomy explained the Marxistcritique of capitalism and its basiccontradictions that lead to crisisand further crises under imperial-ism. The study of the theory andpractice of scientific socialismgave the opportunity to study thepractical experience in establish-ing socialism and battling the res-toration of capitalism.

Abridging the APC is in linewith the target of ensuring everyfull Party member completes itwithin the first two years ofhis/her full membership. The Cent-

ral Committee plans for all region-al- and subregional-level cadres tocomplete the course within thecurrent year; and front- and sec-tion-level cadres within the nexttwo years. The abridgment of theAPC is important in adapting tothe conditions of the basic masseswhich comprise the majority of theParty. Also, organizational as wellas security problems arising fromlengthy educational meetings maybe avoided.

In the long run, it is expectedthat active propagation of APCswill produce thousands of cadreswith a deep grasp of MLM who willcarry the Party to great advancesin revolutionary practice.

This early, the cadre-studentshave already expressed enthusi-asm in their active participation inthe discussions, considering ma-jority of them already have lengthyexperience in different lines ofwork. For Ka Nova and Ka Mac,they have taken particular interestin Marxist political economy. Bothcadres have organizing tasksamong workers, and both are ex-cited to impart what they havelearned to their organizations.

"The course provides addi-tional orientation for the organ-izers," says Ka Nova. "If the rightto work and join unions was guar-anteed in the former Soviet Union,

ANG BAYAN April 21 , 2017 11

not only the dictatorship of the proletariat and planned economy were given emphasis. The need for a continuingrevolutionary struggle was impressed upon the comrades in order to combat the influences of the old society andthe emerging new bourgeoisie in the bureaucracy.

In the end, Ka Obi, one of the instructors, recommends that reading reference materials for the APC must becontinued. He underscores Mao Zedong's call that communists should enhance their methods of study of theory,history and the practical movement. This matches the likewise continuous combination of theory and practice asan effective method in advancing the revolution.

Urban poor groups stage People's

CalvaryDECENT HOUSING, living wage, job security, termination ofcontinuing and worsening poverty—these were only some ofthe featured calls of the People's Calvary staged in variousplaces across the country.

The national democratic urban poor organizations hold thePeople's Calvary every Holy Week. This is a street play alle-gorizing the people's life and struggle to Jesus' crucifixion.

In Metro Manila, Kadamay-NCR led the Calvary in Ca-loocan, Taguig and Manila cities. They marched to Mendiolaon April 10. The People's Calvary this 2017 aimed to holdPresident Rodrigo Duterte of GRP accountable for his unful-filled promises of change. In his more than nine months inpower, poverty, contractualization, human rights violations,militarization and lack of social services continue unabated.

For Kadamay-Manila, their Calvary is the persistenteviction of peddlers and the homeless by the local govern-ment. Workers of the Manila Harbour Centre who arepresently in a struggle for regularization and other rightsjoined the procession.

Kadamay-Caloocan slammed the planned "Oplan Kalinga,"the local version of Oplan Tokhang which will surely becomemore punishing for the poor. In this plan, more than a hundredpolicemen and elements of the Philippine Drug EnforcementAgency will be deployed in every barangay in the city.

Meanwhile, the Nagkakaisang Residente ng MaysapangHomeowners Association in Brgy. Ususa, Taguig acted insolidarity to the People's Calvary on April 12. They staged theCalvary they were experiencing in the hands of RII Builders.According to the residents, threats of demolition for thecompany's projects continue in their community.

In Laguna, Kadamay-Southern Tagalog successfully helda program at Crossing, Calamba on April 12. In Quezon, Pin-agkaisang Lakas ng Magbubukid sa Quezon (PIGLAS), CocoLevy Funds Ibalik sa Magniniyog (CLAIM-Quezon) and Kar-apatan-Quezon led the People's Calvary 2017 in Bondoc Pen-insula on April 14. More than 2,000 coconut farm workersand their supporters joined the march.

In Compostela Valley, youth from Anakbayan CompostelaValley and Compostela Farmers Association (CFA) unitedwith the Kalbaryo sa Kabus (Calvary of the Poor) on April 12.The CFA strongly condemned the local government's refusalto provide decent housing for the victims of Typhoon Pablo(Bopha). According to them, during the people's occupationof the houses, the government responded with threats.

Facebook closes down

PRWC Page

THE PHILIPPINE Revolution Web Central (PRWC)of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP)criticised Facebook's closure of the PRWC Page onApril 8. Such takedown is contrary to Facebook'sdeclaration of its mission to promote " diversity"and " to make the world more open and connected."

The takedown of the PRWC's FB page wascarried out just after it had exposed the ArmedForces of the Philippines (AFP) for churning outfake news in the mass media and social media. Inparticular, the PRWC page exposed as fake newsthe claims of the AFP of armed encounters withthe New People's Army (NPA) to justify the killingsof unarmed peasants in the countryside and wide-spread violations of human rights.

It was also right after the exposure of the ef-forts of the US-supported military and defenseestablishment to spoil the peace negotiationsbetween the National Democratic Front of thePhilippines (NDFP) and the Philippine government.

The PRWC page has served as a communica-tion tool to convey to the public the views of theCPP as well as daily news of the struggles of thebroad Filipino masses in the country and abroad.

Said the PRWC, "The takedown of the PRWC isFacebook censorship of the CPP revolutionary Left.With it, the Facebook community of members andsupporters of the revolutionary Left, the Philippinemedia and the interested public have been effect-ively denied of a source of news and informationreflecting the views of the CPP and its related or-ganizations."

The PRWC asserted that the PRWC page mustbe put back online, with all its previous posts andrecords of Likes and Followers. In protest, it madea new page (facebook.com/philrevwebcentral)while asserting the restoration of the PWRC Page.

Aside from the PRWC, Facebook also tookdown the pages of Melito Glor Command's DiegoPadilla of the Southern Tagalog and NDFP's Liber-ation International last January.

April 21 , 2017 ANG BAYAN12

"Abu Sayyaf in Visayas," a US yarnTHE COMMUNIST of the Philippines (CPP) strongly condemned the ArmedForces of the Philippines and Philippine National Police for launching overkillmilitary operations in Bohol on April 11 against purported members of theAbu Sayyaf Group (ASG).

According to AFP and PNP re-port, military and police forces weredeployed last April 11 to Inabangantown where they encountered 60members of the Abu Sayyaf result-ing in the killing of three soldiers,one policeman and five "bandits."

Two of the alleged bandits were65-year old spouses Constancio andCrisente Petalco. They were identi-fied by the barangay officials asresidents of Barangay Napo, wherethe supposed encounter happened.

Contrary to the report of Lt.Col. Jose Dodjie Belloga Jr. of the47th IB that the killed spouses weresupporters of the Abu Sayyaf, Col.Edgard Agrevalo, spokesperson ofthe AFP, claimed that they were notsure the victims were ASG mem-bers. To suppress the remaining so-called elements of the Abu Sayyaf,nine bombs were dropped by thePhilippine Air Force in thebarangays of Napo, Calenti and Ba-naha resulting in the evacuation ofmore than 1,200 residents.

"This story is typical of the talltales spun by the US Central Intelli-

gence Agency and their conspira-tors within the Philippine defenseand security establishment," theCPP added.

It is highly suspicious that a fewdays prior to this, the US embassyreleased a travel advisory warningits citizens against travelling toCebu and Bohol because of a sup-posed "terror threat" on April 9,two days before the encounter.

The tall tale of the presence ofthe Abu Sayyaf in Bohol forms partof a US plot to strengthen itsfoothold and increase the presenceof its troops in Central Visayas. Itbroke out just a week prior to theASEAN ministerial meeting sched-uled for later this month in Cebu.Likewise, the Balikatan exercisesare set to be held in the nearby is-land of Leyte. According to the USmilitary's and AFP's official report,the training will stress on deliveryof humanitarian aid for disastersand "anti-terrorism." A few daysafter the Bohol attack, news cameout that elements of the Abu Sayyafwere in Negros.

The CPP noted in its statementthat it is no secret that the US mil-itary has long been eyeing to es-tablish facilities in the Mactan airfield in the island adjoining Cebu. Itis also no longer secret that the op-erators of the Abu Sayyaf criminalbandit group have long been col-laborating with the AFP and the USmilitary. The Abu Sayyaf has sincebeen used by the US and AFP as amulti-tool to discredit the Moropeople's struggle for self-determin-ation. It has been used to carry outterrorist bombings and other dirtyjobs for the CIA to justify its "waron terror" and the presence of USforeign troops in the country. Itsbandit activities, mainly kidnap-for-ransom, have been lucrative for theAbu Sayyaf ringleaders and theirAFP handlers.

The AFP and CIA use theterrorist group’s kidnapping tojustify the former’s all-out war andbombings. For more than fifteenyears now, the AFP has been down-playing the strength of the ASG andmaking claims it can easily wipe outthe criminal bandit group.However, the ASG repeatedly re-emerges when it suits the need ofthe US and AFP.

US drops giant bomb in AfghanistanTHE COMMUNIST of the Philippines together with thepeople of the world condemn the US military under theTrump administration for dropping an at least 9-ton GBU-43 bomb last April 13 in the mountainous area of TangiAssadkhel, Achin District, Nangarhar Province, Afgh-anistan. The US claims the area is a Taliban stronghold.

The GBU-43 or Massive Ordnance Air Blast (MOAB)is the largest non-nuclear bomb ever used in history. Itis tagged the "mother of all bombs" for its power. MOABcan destroy anything within a one-kilometer radius andthus can be considered a weapon of mass destruction.

US reports say that 92 ISIS members were killedwith no civilian casualties. This is contrary to state-ments of residents a few kilometers from the blast say-ing there were civilians in Tangi Assadkhel when thebomb was dropped. Two disabled women and an elderlyman had been brought to Shadal Bazaar by US com-

mandos who went to the site. Rocks fell on houses andsome structures were totally destroyed up to four kilo-meters from the blast. Many people experienced tem-porary deafness and ringing in the ears for severaldays.

"The CPP condemns the US for using such a weaponof mass destruction. The use of such an indiscriminateweapon constitutes a war crime. The massive strength ofthe US bomb was designed to maximize its kill zone," theCPP said.

The US has been waging war on the Taliban inAfghanistan for a decade and a half. There are 8,500 UStroops currently stationed there to support and controlthe puppet government of Afghanistan. While the USpurports to target ISIS, it also tolerates ISIS forces whosupport US-backed terrorist groups against the Syriangovernment.