As the global economic crisis boils up, the ruling powers are aggressively bolstering the oppressive social order that afflicts the majority of the masses. US imperialism is now more than ever eager to launch wars of aggression for the sake of sustaining its war-based economy at the behest of global monopoly capitalists and the warmongering monsters of the military industrial complex. Wherever it goes, it wreaks havoc on its path.
In the Philippines, the puppet US-Duterte regime finds pleasure in its harlotry with imperialist rivals China and the United States. We have seen how death and destruction has engulfed the city of Marawi for the sake of expanding EDCA-compliant military bases that will host more American troops while our territorial waters on the West Philippine Sea are now teeming with artificial islands guarded by Chinese military forces.
These devastating imperialist conquests are all attributable to monopoly capitalism and its ravenous greed salivating after the extraction and exploitation of our natural resources while subjecting the Filipino people to all sorts of neoliberal attacks. Boozed in his puppetry, Duterte still had the nerve to implore for patriotism from OFWs in Kuwait by urging them to come back, only to retract it later by pointing to China as their next destination.
Approaching his second year in office, the US-Duterte regime is clearly placing the interests of big corporations above the rights and welfare of the working class by legitimizing contractualization, flexible working schemes, union-busting and the perpetuation of regional wage boards. Moreover, unemployment, landlessness and privatization of public services inflict more pain and agony to our poor farmers and workers. Adding insult to injury, this year’s imposition of Duterte’s TRAIN law caused prices of basic commodities to spike rapidly. We can really be certain that under these conditions, millions more of our countrymen will leave the country to look for greener pastures abroad. Desperation has even caused many to end up working in war-torn and hostile countries. Duterte’s attitude on the issue of the OFWs in Kuwait and the case of MJ Veloso displays his lack of a clear and comprehensive program to resolve the long-standing problem of the migrant workers.
All over the Philippines, relentless killings and bombings have gripped communities and displaced hundreds of thousands. A few days ago, armed security ruffians opened fire at protesting farmers in Nueva Ecija. In Cagayan Valley, Father Mark Ventura was gunned down before his congregants just after officiating over his Sunday mass. The government’s fake war on drugs is claiming more and more lives in poor communities while big drug-lords are absolved of their crimes.
There is no denying that US-Duterte is waging war against the people by unleashing State-terror to establish his Fascist dictatorship. But the growing intensity of our unwavering resistance continues to frustrate his vicious ambitions. No amount of state-led repression or intimidation will ever immunize Duterte from the waxing outrage of the struggling Filipino masses. We rest in our strong faith that workers in unity with the farmers and other patriotic sectors will emerge victorious in the battle against Fascism and Imperialism.
The tempest still rages but let us keep pressing on in demanding for genuine agrarian reform and national industrialization to decisively address the roots of forced migration and underdevelopment in our country. As we continually realize our collective strength by struggling for the attainment of justice and national democracy, let us take inspiration from the working men and women of ages past who braved all hardships and persecutions when they fought unjust working schemes that deprived them of their rights and benefits.
The International Workers’ Day is the day when we glorify and honor all workers who struggle to build a just new world where the current oppressive order will finally be abolished and thrown into the dustbin of history. Migrante International salutes all progressive Filipino workers in their strong resolve to build a strong labor movement in the country for the liberation of the entire working class not only in the Philippines but in the entire world.
Migrants and workers of the world unite!
We have nothing to lose but our chains!
Long live the labor movement!
