In a September 1 statement, the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) condemned the Aquino regime for the series of violent demolitions of urban poor communities in Metro Manila and Cebu province.

“The Aquino regime is clearly showing its anti-poor bias in employing state brutality to forcibly demolish homes and drive away the people from their communities in order to give way to big business interests and their public-private partnership projects,” said the CPP.

The Aquino regime has allocated at least more than one half billion U.S. dollars for various projects to be carried out under its public-private partnership scheme.

On Aug. 29, 39 people, including three students and a 70-year old man were arrested by the police when local residents resisted the fencing of a 140-hectare lot in Barangay Bonbon, Aloguinsan town in Cebu. The land is being claimed by the Gantuangco family.

At least 200 policemen accompanied demolition teams and their bulldozers to forcibly remove the residents from their homes and fence off the area. A barricade set up by local residents was brutally attacked by the policemen. Close to a hundred families will lose their homes because of the planned construction of a shipyard and economic zone.

Yesterday, at least two residents of Old Balara community in Quezon City were arrested when local homeowners set up a barricade to resist the demolition of their homes by policemen and armed goons of the Metro Manila Development Authority and the National Housing Authority.

The area is being claimed by Susana Realty, a big-comprador land developer. At least 1000 families will be rendered homeless by the demolitions.

“That the Old Balara demolition was carried out under pouring rain, underscore the complete disregard of the Aquino regime for the plight of the urban poor,” said the CPP.

In communities around the C-5 road project, at least 35,000 families have already been driven away either through forcible demolitions or so-called relocation programs which residents are forced to accede to under threat of demolition.

The CPP called on the urban poor to resist the Aquino regime's campaign to demolish their homes. “The Aquino regime continues to carry out the Philippine Development Plan designed and funded by the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank which gives premium to big-scale comprador projects in partnership with foreign big capitalists at the expense of urban poor communities.”

“The Aquino regime has chosen to abide by its commitments to the IMF and foreign big banks instead of heeding the clamor of the people for jobs, higher wages, price controls, decent housing and other social services,” said the CPP. “In doing so, the Aquino regime continues to isolate itself from the people and push the people to the path of resistance and struggle.”

#ManilaPhilippines #Manila #Philippines #CorazonAquino #Asia