“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.”

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NDFP message of condolence on the death of former President Corazon Aquino

Negotiating Panel

National Democratic Front of the Philippines

August 2, 2009

The National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) Negotiating Panel and its Consultants convey their heartfelt condolences to the family, relatives and friends of former President Corazon Aquino on her passing away yesterday.

Corazon Aquino was an outstanding and inspiring figure in the anti-fascist alliance against the Marcos dictatorship, especially after the assassination of her husband, Benigno Aquino. She was openly critical of the longrunning support of the US for the Marcos dictatorship in exchange for the aggrandizement of US economic interests and the continuance of the US military bases.

Upon assuming the presidency after the fall of the dictator Marcos, she fulfilled her commitment to release all political prisoners, including Prof. Jose Maria Sison, founding chairman of the Communist Party of the Philippines and the Chief Political Consultant of the NDFP.

She engaged the NDFP in peace negotiations, but the military and police caused the termination of the ceasefire agreement between the Government of the Republic of the Philippines (GRP) and the NDFP when they indiscriminately fired on the peasants and their urban supporters marching for land reform on January 22, 1987.

The 1987 constitution, which was framed under the Aquino administration, contains provisions which may be used to counter land reform. But it also carries provisions which uphold human rights and restrain the proclamation of martial law, retain national restrictions on foreign investments and prohibit foreign military bases, foreign troops and nuclear weapons on Philippine soil.

Beset by coup attempts and threats by pro-Marcos and pro-Enrile factions of the military and police, then President Corazon Aquino sent Congressman Jose V. Yap to NDFP officials in The Netherlands in September 1990 to explore the holding of GRP-NDFP peace negotiations. These efforts were, however, derailed by Generals Fidel Ramos and Renato de Villa.

After she finished her term as president, Corazon Aquino strongly opposed the grossly anti-democratic policies and actions of her successors, Fidel Ramos, Joseph Estrada, and Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. In this regard, she was willing to join up with the patriotic and progressive forces of the people in mass protest actions.

Though suffering from failing health, she condemned the anti-democratic machinations of Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to cling to power beyond her term ending in June 2010. From her sickbed, she sent a powerful message of support to thousands of demonstrators protesting Mrs. Arroyo's Con-Ass scheme. She called it “a shameful abuse of power!”.

The NDFP Negotiating Panel and its Consultants express their solidarity with the family, relatives and friends of former President Corazon Aquino in their time of mourning and grief and wish them much strength and courage.

(Sgd.) Luis G.. Jalandoni

Chairperson, NDFP Negotiating Panel

(Sgd.)Fidel V. Agcaoili

Vice-Chairperson, NDFP Negotisting Panel

(Sgd.) Ms. Julieta de Lima – Sison

Member, NDFP Negotiating Panel

(Sgd.) Coni K. Ledesma

Member, NDFP Negotiating Panel

(Sgd.) Asterio B. Palima

Member, NDFP Negotiating Panel

(Sgd.) Prof. Jose Maria Sison

Chief Political Consultant

(Sgd.) Atty. Romeo T. Capulong

Senior Legal Adviser

(Sgd.) Vicente Ladlad

Political Consultant

(Sgd.) Dan Borjal

Consultant

(Sgd.) Randall Echanis

Consultant

(Sgd.) Rafael Baylosis

Consultant

(Sgd.) Elizabeth Principe

Consultant

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