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End US-Marcos Dictatorship

By VVAW

The Philippines lies approximately 600 miles southeast of the coast of Asia. As such it provides US imperialism with a strategic position to defend its interests in the area, 'safely' surrounded by sea and yet close enough to launch massive B-52 raids from its large military installations there as it did on Vietnam. In addition the Philippines contains vast mineral resources that have been exploited by the US businesses for about 75 years. To keep this position in the Philippines, the US has propped up and encouraged the dictatorship of Ferdinand Marcos, who declared martial law over a year and a half ago. At that time he declared himself head of all branches of government in order to "save the nation and create a new society." Shortly after this coup, in September of 1972, Marcos stated that he did so after receiving several signs from God that this would be correct! He stated, "It seems as if I was being led and guided by some strange mind above me." In fact, that strange mind belonged to the US.

Foreign intervention in the Philippines is nothing new. As far back as the 16th century, the Spanish entered the country and ruled the people, while it exploited the mineral, farming, fishing and labor of the Filipino people. This colonial rule was met with stiff resistance and during the course of three hundred years there were over 200 revolts by the Filipino peoples. As conditions became more oppressive, the Filipino people united in 1896 and fought off the Spanish.

By the time US troops entered the Philippines, in 1898, under the guise of promising liberation to the Filipino people, the Spanish were isolated in Manila; the rest of the country being liberated. A deal was made between spain and the US whereby the Spanish surrendered and the US together with the Spanish fought the Filipino people in order to preserve the country for foreign interests. The Spanish landlords kept their lands and Spain was paid $20 million. Resistance to US troops was fierce, but in 1902, the US won the battle, with the Filipino people suffering casualties of 600,000 or about 1/6 of the entire population.

The situation remained the same until 1946, when the US decided to grant 'independence' in order to continue the economic enslavement, to protect its interests in the Pacific and to maintain its two large bases, Clark Air Base and Subic Naval Base. From 1946 until the present dictatorship, US intervention hasn't changed in the Philippines, only its form. The Philippines still represents a source of raw materials, a market for American products, and a field of investment for US corporations. For example, from 1956-1965 Us corporations reaped $380 million dollars in profits that was sent back to the US, while at the same time only 1/6 of that total was used in new investments in the Philippines.

Resistance to the tyrannical rule of the US-Marcos dictatorship is growing steadily. Marcos insists that these rebellions are religious Muslim revolts, when in fact the real struggles are for a national democracy, and against his sham land reform programs and US imperialism.

Dating back to the Spanish colonial rule, Christianity has been used to divide the Filipino people. About 85% of the Filipino people are Malay and Christian. The largest national minority is the Muslims who number about 3.5 million. Recently steps have been made to bring together the struggles of the peasant Malay and the Muslims. In February of 1974 an alliance was made between the two largest sectors of the Muslim people, the Mindanao Independence Movement and the Moro Bangsa Army. Present at these meetings were members of the national mass anti-imperialist organization Kabataan Makabayan, representing the Malay people.

Other developments include the formation of a National Democratic Front made up of all strata of Filipino people. Workers, peasants, small business owners and even some of the large national business owners are included in this front along with communists and Christians. The purpose of the front is to unite all who can be united in order to overthrow the US-Marcos dictatorship and pave the way for a national democratic coalition government made up of all sectors of Filipino society.

The reconstitution of the Communist Party and the formation of the New People's Army (NPA) are also steps taken in the advancement of the struggle. The NPA is made up of mostly peasants, some workers and even some priests. Their stronghold is the northeast and southeast sections of the country's largest islands, Luzon. Peasant support has made it possible for many of these areas to become liberated zones.

In the cities activity is also on the rise. In Manila there are about 30 underground papers, with about 75 being published throughout the country. In March of 1974, many poor workers marched on the presidential palace protesting the conditions in the city where prices for such staples as sugar and cooking oil have skyrocketed over 200%. There are not annual rice shortages; the result of poor agrarian planning. Workers have staged sporadic walk-outs in recent years.

As the National Democratic Front grows, the resistance to the US-Marcos dictatorship increases. At this time the rural areas are the strongholds of resistance, but this is changing. The Philippines bears watching as the people there who are being held down by the tyranny of Marcos grow stronger and will eventually overthrow the dictatorship, as another bastion of US imperialism bites the dust.

END THE US-MARCOS DICTATORSHIP!