San José, CA – On April 29, the League of Filipino Students (LFS) in SJSU held a vigil in front of the Victory Statue to honor the lives of the Toboso 19. The Toboso 19 were murdered by the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) on April 23 in Barangays Salamanca, Toboso, and Negros Occidental. A total of 653 residents and 168 households were displaced from Barangays Salamanca and San Jose.

At the vigil, paper roses and candles were set up before the portraits in a beautiful display of solidarity with the martyrs. In a statement released before the vigil, LFS called for “justice for Lyle Prijoles and the victims of the Toboso massacre,” “accountability from the AFP and corrupt Philippine government” and “an end to the U.S.-backed violations of human rights in the Philippines.”

The statement continued, “We are deeply inspired by Ka Lyle’s courage and his genuine love for the toiling Filipino masses. He chose to go to Negros not as an outsider, but to listen, to learn from the people, and to help bring their lived experiences and struggles to light despite knowing the dangers of their militarized situation.”

Throughout the event, LFS students and community members spoke about Lyle Prijoles, one of the martyrs, who was part of LFS at San Francisco State University and was referred to as an exemplary comrade who shared his lessons and experience to organizers and youth alike. A colleague spoke about his love for Star Wars and his passion for worldbuilding and applying its principles to working conditions in the Philippines.

Best friend and fellow organizer Ash Santosh spoke on how he saw Lyle Prijoles like a mentor figure who helped him with every single step of the way and proved himself to be a very humble person in his life. “He tried to make things better and was so instrumental in pushing for people to believe in a brighter future. May we live like Lyle.”

Justher Guttierez gave a personal account of Errol Wendel, who organized alongside them. “Errol was a really funny person who kept a fun atmosphere. He showed me that as an organizer you don’t have to change what kind of person you are,” she recalled. “He was always inquisitive and curious to know the conditions of people’s struggles and lived alongside them. The government is so afraid of activists that it will kill the people they claim to serve, and we will not stop organizing.”

Trizha Aquino from Pilipino Laban sa Korapsyon (PILAK) shared their own experiences in immersion work as they worked alongside Errol Wendel.

“One of the pieces of advice he gave to me is to study the land struggles in different parts of the Philippines so that when you meet a new contact you can ask them where they’re from and connect it to the three big problems,” Aquino said. “When visiting some locals, I would see him off to the side asking some nanays how they were doing and if anything was bothering them. I could tell he was deeply loved and trusted by the masses. It only goes to show how important it is to immerse yourself with the masses.”

Kalyani Blackwell of LFS also spoke about systemic discrimination against the Negrense people in the Philippines, saying, “The farmworkers of Negros produce over half of the country’s sugar and contributes about 90 million to the national GDP annually. Despite that, farmworkers work on a contract system called ‘pakyawan’, where they work 12 hours of backbreaking work a day with no paid overtime.”

#SanJoseCA #CA #StudentMovement #International #Philippines #Toboso19

Chicago, IL – On Wednesday April 22, a crowd of about 50 people gathered in an emergency rally in front of the Chicago Philippines Consulate. They were protesting both the mistreatment and deportation of Kuya J., a Filipino immigrant, and the annual joint military exercises taking place in the Philippines, known as the Balikatan exercises.

Since the escalation of attacks on immigrant communities across the country, Filipino immigrant rights organizations have fought for Filipinos who are held by ICE and at risk of deportation.

A member of Malaya read a letter from Kuya J.’s family stating, “It’s sad to say, if not for Tanggol Migrante, Filipinos going through distress and hardships would have been so hopeless. Because this should have been the responsibility of the Philippines government representatives, mainly the Philippines consulate and Philippines embassy to protect the rights of Filipinos overseas.”

Tanggol Migrante, a central organization to the struggle of Filipino immigrants organized the protest, has also been contacting the Philippines government, mainly through the Chicago consulate, to discuss Kuya J.’s case and coordinate the release of Filipino immigrants at the time they are held by ICE.

“They [the Filipino government and consulate] think time will pass after exposing their accounts of lies and greed, and their negligence of Kuya J. and other cases will be forgotten, but we remember,” said a member of Anakbayan at UIC, a Filipino youth and student activist organization.

The consulate was supposed to support Kuya J. and his family through the Assistance to National Funds that the government provides to Filipino nationals abroad. However, they were denied assistance, despite the embassy being contacted many times online, through phone and even in person. Instead, it was discovered that these funds were being embezzled for personal expenses, such as renovating consulate officials' homes.

“What does this day tell us about the priorities of the U.S. and Philippines government? It shows us that they would rather invest in military and war exercises and the displacement of the Filipino people than genuinely support what is needed for our livelihood and land stewardship,” stated a member of the Philippines-U.S. Solidarity Organization (PUSO).

While many Filipino nationals in the U.S. face deportation, the Philippines government helps bankroll the Balikatan exercises, the joint exercises with the U.S. and other countries.

The same morning the protest was held, news broke of the Philippines Armed Forces carrying out a strafing attack on Negros Island, killing student leader Alyssa Alano and people’s journalist RJ Ledesma, as well as 17 other innocent civilians.

For more updates on actions surrounding immigrant detentions in the Filipino community in the Chicago area follow @migrantechicago and @Tanggolmigrantechicago. For more updates and actions surrounding military suppression of the Filipino people in the Philippines follow @anakbayanchicago, @malayachicago, @puso.chicago, and @anakbayanatuic.

#ChicagoIL #IL #ImmigrantRights #International #Philippines

“In pursuit of its oft-lapsed deadline to end the armed revolution, the US-Marcos regime has escalated bombings, forced evacuations, torture, and extrajudicial killings targeting peasants, workers, indigenous peoples, youth activists and entire rural communities,” said the NDFP in a statement.

According to the NDFP, many civilians were killed in the Toboso massacre. The group also condemned the Armed Forces of the Philippines for its “utter disregard for international humanitarian law and human rights.”

“The killing of civilians and the conduct of military operations with complete disregard for the principles of distinction, proportionality, and humane treatment reveal the criminal character of the reactionary state’s counterinsurgency campaign,” the statement added.

The NDFP further reiterated that “even in the midst of war, there are rules that must be respected” pointing to how the AFP committed violations of the Geneva Conventions in the said massacre in Negros.

The NDFP also blasted the AFP for “dehumanizing the victims and denying them dignity in death.” According to the NDFP, “by reducing the slain to labels and repeating claims that the armed revolutionary movement has been defeated, the regime seeks to justify its war crimes and conceal the political roots of the armed conflict.”

“No matter how the AFP lies to slander the slain martyrs of Toboso, the masses know the truth. They know that those who offered their lives in the struggle to liberate the people from oppression and exploitation are among the best sons and daughters of the motherland,” the NDFP added.

#International #Philippines #AntiWarmovement #NDFP #AFP

The Anti-War Action Network strongly condemns the brutal massacre of 19 individuals by the Armed Forces of the Philippines in Toboso, Negros Occidental on April 19th. We extend our deepest solidarity with the communities impacted by these killings and land displacements, including the International Coalition for Human Rights in the Philippines – US for the tragic loss of a beloved organizer, Lyle Prijoles. 

The timing of this massacre – around the annual Balikatan “war games” – is no coincidence. Every year the U.S. and its imperialist proxies, including the Israeli Occupation Forces, descend on the Philippines to practice an invasion of China. During these drills, they unleash the weight of the U.S. military-industrial complex on the lands and waters of farmers, fishers, and Indigenous communities in the Philippines. These “war games” frequently coincide with increased state attacks on the people of the Philippines. 

During this brutal massacre, over 650 residents of surrounding communities were removed from their lands in an ongoing process of land seizures. This attack is a part of a larger pattern of state violence, including years of massacres and displacements, that allows for multinational mining and agriculture corporations to extract the rich natural resources of the Philippines to the detriment of the people. 

The Anti-War Action Network continues to stand alongside the Filipino people, in the Philippines and in diaspora, in the struggle for a just and lasting peace in the Philippines. Justice for the victims of the Toboso Massacre! Defend Negros!

#AntiWarMovement #AWAN #International #Philippines

79th IB narrative is a desperate piece of fiction

The Apolinario Gatmaitan Command of the New People’s Army (AGC-NPA), alongside the revolutionary forces of Negros Island, offers its highest tribute to the martyrs of Barangay Salamanca, Toboso. Their names are now etched into the long history of the struggle for land and justice on this island. While the 79th Infantry Battalion (IB) attempts to bury their identities under a mountain of black propaganda, the Negrosanon people will remember them as they were: patriots and revolutionaries who understood the plight of the marginalized and chose to defend the peasantry even at the cost of their lives.

The military’s account of the encounter is a study in calculated exaggeration. Of those who fell, only a small squad was composed of revolutionary fighters led by Roger “Ka Jhong” Fabillar. The rest were civilians documenting a peasant activity, standing alongside farmers who are consistently pushed to the margins by land-grabbing and systemic neglect. Among the casualties were local and foreign journalists and human rights advocates who only carried notebooks, cameras, and the grievances of the poor — tools far more threatening to the status quo than any rifle. Notably, the victims included Roel Sabillo, a local farmer from Toboso, who was working at his uncle’s business during the incident, and RJ Ledesma, a Bacolod-based journalist.

Amidst the narratives circulating through communities and social media, one can easily recognize the 79th IB’s script for what it is: a desperate piece of fiction. They were quick to parade a tally of 19 casualties, claiming each was an armed combatant. To bolster this claim, they presented 19 firearms allegedly recovered from the site. This appears mathematically convenient but logically bankrupt; it is a clumsy attempt to paint a picture of a proportionate firefight where none existed.

To believe the military’s account is to ignore their well-documented history of “planted evidence” and “fabricated encounters.” This has become the standard operating procedure to meet liquidation quotas and secure promotions. We must not forget the Sagay 9 massacre, where murdered farmers were paraded as “Red fighters,” or the Negros 14, where civilians were similarly touted by the AFP as armed rebels. In both instances, the military presented firearms with serial numbers already linked to previous operations, or weapons in such disrepair they could never have been fired.

What the military labels a “battlefield success” was, in reality, a cold-blooded assault on individuals whose only weapons were their convictions and an unwavering commitment to the rural poor.

The soil of Negros has been watered with the blood of the brave, and from that soil, the revolution will only grow stronger. The fascist state and its military instruments see only a body count, but the people see a reason to keep fighting.

#Philippines #International #NPA #Negros #Toboso

New York, NY – Filipino community organizations and their allies rallied outside of the Philippine Consulate in New York City, April 20, to call for an end to U.S. military involvement in the Philippines.

The protest marks the beginning of the month-long Balikatan joint military exercises between the United States, the Philippines, Japan, Canada, France and New Zealand. The organizers included the New York Committee for Human Rights in the Philippines (NYCHRP), Malaya Movement, and BAYAN. Speakers also included members of Anakbayan as well as Filipino residents whose families are still living in the country.

An unconscionable waste of needed fuel

In the midst of crisis-level fuel prices, criminalization of labor organizing and protest, and exorbitant military spending, these war preparations come at a steep price for the average Filipino family, and should be terminated immediately.

The United States and Israel’s war on Iran has spiked fuel prices across the globe and has had a devastating effect in the Philippines. The average price for one liter of fuel currently exceeds the daily minimum wage in the country, and many Filipinos are unable to pay. Filipino workers and parents are having to skip meals and make other serious sacrifices in order to make ends meet. Meanwhile, the Marcos-Duterte regime has stockpiled enough fuel for an entire month of military drills—fuel that is desperately needed by the Filipino people.

No support for immigrant workers

Community organizers denounced Marcos’ bid to join the United Nations Security Council, as well as the UN’s decision to use the Philippines’ migrant worker policies as a model for the rest of the world. Those policies have caused severe harm to the Filipino people and should not be emulated.

Speakers denounced the ways that the Marcos-Duterte regime has turned its back on immigrant workers, including by refusing to support Filipino immigrants kidnapped by ICE and detained for months without a trial. The Philippines supplies more than 20% of the world’s seafarers, including commercial shipping workers as well as cruise workers. Right now, many of those same Filipino workers are stranded on oil tankers in or near the Strait of Hormuz as a result of Trump’s illegal war. Those workers are not being paid but are unable to return home, while their government continues to support the United States and Israel’s war.

The expansion of U.S. military presence and the campaign to kick Cerberus out of the Philippines

NYCHRP members also announced a new campaign targeting Cerberus Capital Management (CCM), a Manhattan-based private equity firm that has unjustly acquired 300 hectares of land on a former U.S. military base in Subic Bay, in the Philippines. The U.S. Navy was expelled from Subic Bay in 1991 after massive community uprisings against human rights abuses and environmental destruction by the U.S. military. Now, CCM is leasing that same land to U.S. weapons and defense contractors, and plans were recently announced to build the world’s largest munitions factory on that same land in Subic Bay, which will be the first U.S. ammunition plan in Asia.

The presence of CCM in Subic Bay has additional devastating effects on the local working-class communities: peasant communities are subject to bombings and displacement, fisherfolk are not permitted to fish during military drills, including the Balikatan exercises, and women and children living near U.S. bases are frequent victims of sex trafficking and assault.

NYCHRP and BAYAN members who visited Subic Bay in November 2025 reported: “Fisherfolk whose livelihoods depend on fishing near Subic Bay now face more and more problems with more coastal guards, maritime guards and militarization of the sea. The areas they are able to fish are now heavily restricted. There have been incidents of fishermen venturing out to get better catches and the Chinese Coast Guard is shooting water cannons at them. They can’t even pass close by to Cerberus’s complex because private security will point guns at them.”

This issue is especially pertinent for New Yorkers because the New York City Employees Retirement System and the New York State Teachers Retirement System have invested funds in Cerberus. To join NYCHRP’s campaign against Cerberus, email nychrp@protonmail.com.

#NewYorkNY #NY #NYC #Philippines #Bayan #International #NYCHRP #AntiWarMovement

Fight Back News Service is circulating the following statement from BAYAN USA.

Filipinos overseas are heartbroken after witnessing the news of the 303rd Infantry Brigade led-attack on April 19 of 19 individuals and forcibly displaced more than 653 residents from 168 households in peasant communities in Toboso, Negros Occidental. Among the 19 killed, the families, friends and fellow organizers have confirmed Alyssa Alano and RJ Ledesma were amongst them.

Alyssa Alano League of Filipino Students Chairperson 2024-2025; University of the Philippines Diliman University Student Council 2025-2026

Alyssa's strong will and unwavering commitment to the oppressed is what many of her friends and fellow organizers have continued to share in their grieving. From the urban poor communities in the University of the Philippines to the peasant communities in Negros she was eager to serve our kababayan.

RJ Ledesma League of Filipino Students Bacolod Chairperson 2020; Kabataan Partylist’s 7th Nominee 2022; Altermidya Regional Coordinator, Negros Island

RJ's is a people's journalist. He exposed the realities of landlessness, and the effects of renewable energy projects – including solar farm expansion and windmill projects – on vulnerable farmer communities. He amplified the voices of marginalized communities through his writing to expose the green-washing projects that led to the genuine harm on the masses.

As BAYAN USA, we condemn Pres. Marcos’ NAP-UPD that led to this attack on Negros and the NTF-ELCAC for the narrative they are orchestrating through state-sponsored troll farms that seek to excuse their murder by posthumous terrorist tagging and vilification. These state-funded counterinsurgency programs that terrorize people who speak up and fight against state and corporate plunder are what led to their murder and why we – as overseas Filipinos – must continue to bring to light these fascist programs and demand an end to them.

On Earth Day, we recognize that the true defenders of people and planet are peoples journalists, land defenders, and human rights activists like Alyssa and RJ. We see through the lies and black propaganda of the bloodthirsty military and greedy bureaucrat capitalists who are the real terrorists. As overseas Filipinos, we must demand for justice and continue the fight that Alyssa and RJ dedicated their lives to.

DEFEND NEGROS!

UPHOLD INTERNATIONAL HUMANITARIAN LAW!

TUTULAN ANG MILITARISASYON SA KANAYUNAN!

#JusticeForAlyssaAlano#JusticeForRJLedesma

#International #Philippines #NDFP #Bayan

The Communist Party of the Philippines strongly condemns the US military for using civilian vessels and facilities to move and preposition its military vehicles and equipment in Cagayan de Oro, and the subsequent transfer of those vehicles from the city in northern Mindanao to Subic Bay in Zambales using commercial ro-ro ships.

It was reported that the US military brought Humvee military vehicles into the city during the war games conducted last March. Commercial marine vessels were then contracted by the US military to move these vehicles to Luzon to be used in Balikatan exercises scheduled to take place this month.

It is a slap on the face of the people of Cagayan de Oro that war matériel were transported to their city without their knowledge, even after various groups and local government officials expressed sentiments against the presence of US soldiers in their city, who were seen checking in at local hotels.

The transport of American war equipment in the country, and the use of commercial facilities, were done in outright contempt of Philippine sovereignty.

The US military’s use of civilian vehicles deliberately blurs the distinction between civilian and military, which turn civilians and civilian property into military targets. This is a clear violation of the principle of protection of civilians in military conflicts.

The intent of US military is clear. It claims the use of civilian ships is being done at “peacetime” but is clearly a “rehearsal” for wartime, which will expose civilians to acts of reprisal by the US military adversaries.

The Party condemns the 4th ID for colluding with the US military in deceiving the Filipino people, particularly the residents of Cagayan de Oro. It chose to put to risk the people in the city and nearby areas than disobey the orders of their American masters.

It is a gross affront on the patriotic senses of the Filipino people that the country hosts these soldiers who belong to the same military force that carried out the recent brazen attack on sovereign countries, and the killing of thousands of civilians in the month-long bombing of Iran throughout March.

The Filipino people must continue to rise up and resist how the Philippines is being used by the US military as springboard for military aggression around the world.

#Philippines #CPP #International #AntiWarMovement

Compatriots-NDFP, the revolutionary organization of Filipinos overseas, condemns the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) for spewing lies in an attempt to slander the revolutionary movement, cover-up the realities of Philippine society and deter overseas Filipinos from joining the people’s struggle.

A few days ago, social media accounts related to the AFP posted a “Wanted” poster with the name and picture of Cristina Pasion – a Filipino-American who grew up in the United States – making the baseless allegation that she is a recruiter of the New People’s Army. In a change of tact, the 2nd Infantry Division of the AFP released a statement on April 9 calling on the New People’s Army to “release” Cristina purportedly on “humanitarian” grounds. Their “concern” that she is “emotionally distressed” is a brazen lie. It is just the latest example of psychological warfare meant to deceive the people.

According to the NPA, it has no one to “release.”

Pasion decided to go back home to our motherland and integrate among the most exploited and oppressed masses in Mindoro. Her consciousness was awakened through her own experiences growing up separated from her own country, through integration with Filipino workers in the U.S. who were forced to leave their families just to be super-exploited overseas, and through taking up the issues and campaigns of the toiling masses being violently repressed under the tyrant Duterte and now Marcos regimes.

She, along with an ever growing number of Filipinos abroad, are choosing to witness the realities of the semi-colonial and semi-feudal Philippine society first hand in order to change it. They are in effect defying the government’s policy of forced migration that pushes people out of the country, telling us that the solution to our problems lies in toiling overseas rather than in struggling to address the roots of poverty back home.

The military has no right to call on Filipinos abroad to turn our backs on our fellow compatriot masses in the countryside. They have no right to speak about “upholding humanitarian principles” and “safeguarding the welfare of individuals” when it is state institutions like the AFP, the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC), and others who are responsible for torture, starvation, mass displacement, illegal bombings, and mass murder. The AFP is nothing but a wolf in sheep’s clothing. In fact, it is the very violence perpetrated by the state that pushes more and more people to join the revolutionary mass movement.

#International #Philippines #NDFP

The Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) strongly condemns the Marcos regime and its military and police forces for the unlawful arrest of National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) peace consultant for Cordillera Gabriel Kennedy Bangibang and nine others last March 11. They were forcibly taken in simultaneous raids in Tarlac City and Quezon City, and maliciously tagged as members of the Ilocos-Cordillera Regional Committee.

Joint military and police elements raided the place where Bangibang was staying in Barangay Baras-Baras, Tarlac City. Six others were also arrested. During the operation, the victims were physically and verbally assaulted—struck on the head, beaten on the face and stomach, and slammed to the ground. They now face fabricated charges of illegal possession of firearms and explosives, in addition to trumped-up cases of murder, attempted murder, and qualified trafficking.

Bangibang served as an NDFP peace consultant during the 2016 negotiations with the Philippine government. He provided the NDFP Negotiating Panel with crucial insights into the situation of the Cordilleran and other national minority communities, helping ensure that their voices and interests were genuinely represented in the peace process.

Bangibang’s arrest is a blatant violation of the Joint Agreement on Safety and Immunity Guarantees (JASIG), which protects peace negotiators and personnel from reprisal. This brazen disregard for existing peace accords further aggravates efforts to revive talks that have remained stalled since the signing of the Oslo Joint Statement in November 2023.

A proud son of the Taluktok tribe of Tanudan, Kalinga, Bangibang also served as an official of the Cordillera People’s Democratic Front (CPDF). Having joined the CPDF in 1987, he has long dedicated himself to addressing the deeply rooted social and economic injustices faced by national minorities—issues central to the proposed Comprehensive Agreement on Socio-Economic Reforms (CASER).

The arrest and continued detention of Bangibang and his companions are clear acts of political persecution meant to punish him for his role in the peace process.

The CPP also joins human rights and democratic organizations in demanding the immediate surfacing of Jess Gamay and another companion who remain missing following their arrest in a separate raid in Fairview, Quezon City. Quezon City police officers claim the two were “released” after no charges were filed. They must be surfaced and safely reunited with their families without delay.

Bangibang and his companions now join the ranks of nearly 800 political prisoners unjustly jailed across the country. Their arrest once again exposes the duplicity of the Marcos regime, which peddles amnesty for “surrenderees” even as it continues to persecute individuals for their political beliefs and social commitments. The arrest came two days before the March 13 deadline for the “amnesty applications.”

The CPP calls on all local and international human rights and humanitarian organizations, as well as peace advocates, to extend solidarity and assistance to Bangibang and his companions. We urge all democratic forces to unite in demanding their immediate and unconditional release.

#International #Philippines #CPP

Chicago, IL – On Wednesday, February 25, a coalition of organizations fighting for human rights and democracy in the Philippines rallied outside of the Philippine Consulate to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the ousting of Marcos Sr. and the People Power Revolution, to confront continued corruption in the Philippines, and to hold the Philippine Consulate accountable for its neglect of Filipino migrants.

“Imperyalismo!” “Ibagksak!” “Marcos mismo!” “Babagsak!”

“Imperialism!” “Will topple!” “Marcos!” “Will topple!” chanted protesters.

The action commemorated the 1986 People Power Revolution (EDSA), in which the Filipino people fought against corruption and ousted dictator Ferdinand Marcos, whose rule saw grave human rights violations including extrajudicial imprisonment, torture, and the murder of 3240 Filipinos. Speakers emphasized that despite the ousting of Marcos Sr. in 1986, the struggle against corruption in the Philippines is ongoing and that collusion between the U.S. and Philippine government must end.

“Patience has never liberated a generation! Compliance has never protected democracy! Those crowds at EDSA were not waiting for permission, they flooded the streets!” declared a member of Anakbayan at UIC, a youth and student organization building international solidarity and fighting for the liberation of the Philippines.

Throughout the program, multiple groups performed songs about the struggle for national liberation in the Philippines. During one of the songs, Aklasan, the crowd was encouraged to sing along to the chorus:

“Bawat sipag, bawat lakas

Ay umaklas!

Diwang dungo’t ulong yuko’y

Itinayo

Ang maliit na ginahis

Ay nagtindig”

“Every effort, every force

Rose up!

Subdued spirits and bowed heads

Were lifted up!

The small that were subdued,

Stood up!”

Speakers from Malaya Chicago and Tanggol Migrante continued by uplifting the struggle for immigrant rights in the United States, citing the experiences of Filipino immigrants in detention who are experiencing medical neglect and incompetence from the Philippine Consulate.

One of the stories uplifted was that of Tita Rebecca, a 71-year-old Filipina grandmother who was held in ICE detention for nine months and repeatedly denied proper medical care or examination before being secretly deported without notice to her family. Throughout Tita Rebecca’s time in ICE detention, the Philippine Consulate proved to be unhelpful to her family and organizers, refusing to speak with her family and actively working with ICE to keep details of her deportation concealed.

“Lahat ng sangkot!” “Dapat managot!”

“Everyone involved!” “Must be held accountable!” chanted protesters.

Speakers also told the story of Chantal Anicoche, a Filipina-American youth activist taking part in an immersion trip who was kidnapped by the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) following the U.S. backed bombing of the Mangyan people in Mindoro that killed five people. After a nearly month-long international campaign, Chantal Anicoche was freed and able to safely return home to the United States.

Organizers commenced the rally with more chants and a group photo.

“The people, united, will never be defeated!”

“El pueblo, unido, jamás será vencido!”

“Ang tao, ang bayan, ngayon ay lumalaban!”

Organizations participating in the event included Malaya, Migrante, Tanggol Migrante, Bayan, Anakbayan at UIC, Anakbayan Chicago, Philippine-U.S. Solidarity Organization (PUSO) Chicago, Chicago Committee for Human Rights in the Philippines (CCHRP), Anti-War Committee Chicago (AWC), and the Chicago Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression (CAARPR).

#ChicagoIL #IL #Anakbayan #Bayan #CAARPR #AWC #CCHRP #PUSO #International #Philippines

Washington, D.C. – On February 18, a diverse crowd gathered at Pershing Park for a Black and Filipino Unity Rally. Nearby, police cars and Secret Service vehicles loudly zipped around the area, preparing for the incoming visit by Trump’s so-called Board of Peace.

Chanting “From DC to the Philippines, stop the U.S. war machine,” the group marched to DC City Hall for the first leg of the demonstration. At city hall, protesters demanded an end to local government collaboration with federal immigration enforcement agencies. The group shouted, “City Council, do your job! Do your job!” and “The people united will never be defeated!”

An organizer with Bayan DMV spoke and stated, “The Filipino communities have been an integral part of the DMV for generations. This city has served as a landing place for Filipinos forced to leave their homeland, a land rich with natural resources and vibrant in its people, but polluted, exploited and impoverished by over a century of U.S. imperialism.”

The march ended at the White House where the group demanded an end to the militarization of Black and brown communities in the U.S. and the Philippines.

February, known as Black History Month, is also International Filipino Solidarity Month. To celebrate this shared month, organizers in the DC Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression and the International Coalition for Human Rights in the Philippines joined with Bayan DMV and others to organize a week of action to highlight and continue the 120-plus year history of Black and Filipino people’s shared struggle against US Imperialism.

The week of action began with a teach-in at Sankofa Cafe in Northwest DC, where attendees learned about the Black struggle for self-determination in the South, and Filipino people’s twin struggle for independence from Spain and the United States.

Later in the week, the group screened the film Revolution Selfie: The Red Battalion by Steven De Castro. The film was selected because it provides viewers with a direct perspective into the revolutionary armed struggles waged by the New People’s Army (NPA) against the U.S.-backed Marcos regime. The film shows one of the world’s first same-sex marriages, which occurred in 2005 between two soldiers of the NPA.

#WashingtonDC #DC #Philippines #Bayan #ICHRP #DCAARPR #International #OppressedNationalities

Fight Back News Service is circulating the International League of Peoples’ Struggle (ILPS) statement on the occasion of the February 8 birthday of Chairperson Emeritus Jose Maria Sison.

The International League of Peoples’ Struggle commemorates the birthday of its Chairman Emeritus, Professor Jose Maria Sison. His guidance since the founding of the League has proved invaluable to the revolutionary forces of many countries and to the strengthening of the broad anti-imperialist united front across the globe.

Jose Maria Sison, or “Ka Joma”, dedicated his life ever since youth towards serving the people. Despite growing up in a wealthy landlord family in the Philippines, his work in the militant student and peasant movement to oppose feudalism and U.S. imperialism in the Philippines led him towards the revolutionary path to fight alongside the toiling and oppressed masses. In 1964, he was one of the founders of Kabataang Makabayan (KM), or Patriotic Youth, and soon after led the reformation of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) in 1968, becoming its first Chairman.

Under his leadership, the CPP founded the New People’s Army (NPA) in 1969 and was the leading force in establishing the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) in 1973, that served as a strong basis to wage a people’s war against U.S. imperialism, feudalism, and bureaucrat capitalism. The revolutionary movement in the Philippines flourished and quickly expanded, posing an existential threat to the US-Marcos I fascist regime, so much so that Martial Law was instated in 1972. Despite these unspeakably repressive conditions, the movement grew to even greater heights through the leadership of the CPP.

Ka Joma, from 1977-‘86, faced long years of imprisonment and torture under the US-Marcos I regime, but his commitment to proletarian revolution never wavered, never acceding to collaborate or even compromise with fascism. Upon being released from prison after the People Power Revolution in 1986, he again continued to serve his role as a revolutionary to widely propagate the fight for national democracy and socialism, embarking on a global lecture tour. His rigorous analysis and critique of the root problems of Philippine society led to his passport being cancelled by President Aquino in 1988, subsequently forcing him into exile in the Netherlands.

For the decades to follow, Ka Joma continued his commitment to fight for his homeland and against imperialism while overseas. He continued to write endlessly on problems of imperialism, reaction, and its solution: revolution. He served as Chief Political Consultant for the NDFP in the midst of peace talks between the revolutionary movement and the reactionary Philippine government to address the root causes of armed struggle.

With the fall of the Soviet Union, revolutionary movements across the world had entered a strategic retreat at the turn of the century. but his keen analysis and foresight was instrumental in the founding of the League. Among his many contributions to the struggles of the masses, globally a lasting contribution was that he garnered movements once again to unite to fight against imperialist domination.

Apart from steering the League to be one of the biggest anti-imperialist, anti-fascist movements, globally he was a beacon for providing revolutionary guidance to the people’s’ movements. In the midst of great disorientation in the International Communist movement, Ka Joma kept high the torch of proletarian revolution in his many writings on the world situation and the upsurge of peoples’ resistance movements against imperialism that were emerging. He served on the preparatory committee that led to the foundation of the International League of Peoples’ Struggle in 2001. As Joma said in his opening address to the ILPS Founding Assembly, “The League answers the urgent need of the broad masses of the people for international solidarity and a rallying force in the struggle for national independence, democracy, and socialism. It is their weapon against the intensifying exploitation and oppression unleashed by free market globalization and the new world disorder under the hegemony of US imperialism. The contradictions are sharpening between the imperialist powers and the oppressed nations and peoples, those among the imperialist powers, and those between capital and labor in imperialist countries. Under these conditions, the revolutionary mass movement can advance throughout the world.” These words, spoken 25 years ago, ring true as if they were spoken today.

After serving as Chairman of the ILPS since the 2nd International Assembly until the 6th International Assembly, he served as its Chairman Emeritus until his death. His leadership helped see the League grow to nearly 400 member organizations across every region of the world. He held high the banner of anti-imperialism unwaveringly until the end. In his final report on the world situation to the ILPS International Coordinating Committee in 2022, just months before his death, “The conditions are exceedingly favorable for the advance of the anti-imperialist and democratic mass struggles in all types of countries, be they imperialist or imperialist-dominated. They arise as a result of the intensifying major contradictions in the world capitalist system. Once more they lay the ground for great disorder and turbulence in this system and the resurgence of the world proletarian socialist revolution.”

The ILPS pays tribute to Ka Joma for his tireless service to the people of the Philippines and the world. As the League commemorates its 25th anniversary through a year-long campaign of political education, propaganda, and campaign festivals to celebrate the legacy of the ILPS in aiding the toiling and oppressed masses’ fight across the world, we remember the undying words and spirit of Ka Joma. Let us honor his revolutionary spirit by following his example of relying unconditionally on the masses and fighting with them for a better world, for an end to the evils of imperialism, fascism, and all reaction.

Ka Joma Lives!

Signed,

International League of Peoples’ Struggle

#International #Philippines #ILPS #JomaSison

The Freedom Road Socialist Organization stands with our Filipino comrades to demand the immediate release of Chantal Anicoche from military custody, an end to de facto martial law on the island of Mindoro and an end to U.S.-backed violations of human rights and humanitarian law in the Philippines and around the globe.

Chantal – a 24-year-old Filipino American community leader – went missing after a bombing attack by the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) in Abra de Ilog, Occidental Mindoro on New Year’s Day. One week later, on January 8, the AFP’s 203rd Infantry Brigade released a video showing them “finding” Chantal – visibly frightened – in the woods. She has remained in military custody since then.

We join the chorus of voices around the globe who are questioning the credibility of these videos. How is it that Chantal spent a week right under the AFP’s noses – less than half a mile from the site of their attack, if we believe their claims – before being found?

We are concerned for Chantal’s safety. The history of the AFP is a history of human rights abuses. Activists in their custody are routinely tortured, and many face fabricated charges based on planted evidence. The only way to ensure that Chantal is not subject to further harm is for the AFP to release her immediately and return her to her family and community.

Finally, we recognize that one of the basic problems faced by the Philippines is U.S. imperialism. The United States extracts natural resources and cheap labor from the Philippines and sends back guns and bombs for the AFP to turn on anyone who struggles for freedom. As revolutionaries in the United States, we stand in solidarity with the people of the Philippines in their struggle for national democracy.

That is why we join our Filipino comrades in demanding:

The immediate release of Chantal Anicoche!

Justice for the victims of the Cabacao Massacre!

Justice for the 188 families displaced by bombing!

An end to bombings, killings, and attacks in the Philippines!

An end to U.S.-backed violations of human rights in the Philippines and around the globe!

And an end to de facto martial law in Mindoro!

#International #Philippines #FRSO #Statement

Over the past week or two, the US-Marcos regime has mounted a frenzied media and social media campaign to intimidate and threaten the Filipino youth, who, more and more are growing disenchanted amid deep and widespread social ills, and are being drawn to question the rotten ruling system and seek radical and revolutionary ways to end corruption, injustice and abuses by those in power.

This campaign to intimidate and threaten the Filipino youth is part of Marcos’ arsenal of fascist tactics to maintain his grip on power and preserve the ruling system, by suppressing the youth’s and people’s aspirations for change.

This blatant assault against the youth is spearheaded by the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), the NTF-Elcac, and their mercenary hacks behind the Marcos government’s propaganda machinery. They have mobilized funds to activate and coordinate their social media troll army to drown out posts critical of the Marcos government in a deluge of spam comments, and throw their weight around to push their narrative in the press and public discourse.

The Marcos psyops campaign heightened after a student researcher from the Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila, 22-year old Jerlyn Rose Doydora, died on January 1 in Abra de Ilog, Mindoro Occidental, amid relentless aerial bombing and strafing by the AFP, following an armed encounter. Another youth, 24-year old Chantal Anicoche, was taken into custody by the fascist soldiers, and illegally detained for a week, before being surfaced amid public outcry. Three Mangyan children were reportedly killed in the aerial bombing which was carried out in the proximity of mountain communities.

These are just the latest of the grave abuses being committed by Marcos’ armed forces in Mindoro and in other parts of the country. In its desperation to cover up their fascist crimes, the AFP imposed an information blackout on Abra de Ilog, using brazen state terrorism and martial law tactics. These include the use of the old Marcosian trick of bussing in civilians to stage “rallies,” to obstruct, intimidate and suppress the efforts of various democratic organizations and human rights groups seeking to conduct an independent fact-finding investigation into the incidents. The fascist regime wants to make it appear that people approve of the military’s control of their communities, or that they support the planned mining operations and “renewable energy” projects of big business operations that will drive them away from their land.

The death of Jerlyn and the illegal military incarceration of Chantal has put to spotlight how growing numbers of young intellectuals today have become disillusioned with the reactionary government’s lies and deception, and critical of its policies. This has become particularly conspicuous over the past few months as thousands of young people walked out of their university campuses and joined street marches in outrage over cases of large-scale corruption.

They have lent their voices to the Filipino peoples’ clamor for justice. While Marcos, his fellow bureaucrat capitalists and their big bourgeois comprador accomplices amass hundreds of billions of pesos from rigged government contracts, majority of the Filipino people toil day in and day out to survive increasingly intolerable social and economic conditions.

The burgeoning youth rebellion is bound to grow. Like many young people around the globe, the Filipino Gen-Zs are breaking out of their digital shells and establishing real world networks with their fellow youth, as well as with the broad masses of the people. Amid corruption, injustice and abuse of power, many young intellectuals are adopting a socially critical mindset and have become acutely aware of the gross social ills plaguing the country, of the iniquitous ownership and distribution of the country’s resources, and the oppressive conditions suffered by the masses of toiling people under the minority ruling classes who hold economic and political power.

They are critically aware how workers wages are being kept low despite the rise in the cost of living, how millions are idled by the lack of jobs and forced to eke out a living as contractual, outsourced, gig or platform workers, how peasants suffer from landlessness, dispossession and militarization, how fisherfolk are deprived of their fishing grounds by big capitalist trawlers, how jeepney drivers are being dislocated by corporate takeover of their routes and franchises, and how all other oppressed classes suffer from myriad other forms of injustices. They youth themselves suffer from these conditions. Millions are denied their right to education. The small percentage who make it to universities suffer repression and face the bleak prospects of decent employment. Under the priorities of the Marcos fascist regime, the only certain prospect is to join the police, military or paramilitary forces, to serve as spies, foot soldiers or cannon fodder against their fellow oppressed people.

Fueled by heightening imperialist hegemonism in all parts of the world, and US military intervention in the Philippines, rising numbers of young Filipinos are breaking free from the colonial mindset—imposed on every Filipino since childhood—and embrace patriotism in its stead. They are growing indignant over the imperialist US support for the genocide against Palestine and its military aggression against the sovereign state of Venezuela. They are enraged especially by barefaced US military intervention in the Philippines and armed provocations in Asia, dragging the country to the possibility of war which serves US strategic geopolitical, falsely portrayed as “defense of Philippine freedom.”

They are finding themselves reconnected with the country’s history as a colony and semicolony of foreign imperial powers, who plundered and condemned the country to a permanent state of economic backwardness and dependence. The Filipino people’s aspiration for genuine national freedom and social justice burns steadily in their hearts. More and more young Filipinos are united with the broad masses in the fervent desire to change the course of the country’s history, in the resistance to end the reign of corruption, abuse, injustice and foreign domination, and determination to usher in a new era of sovereignty, progress and modernity.

The Filipino people and youth have witnessed in past weeks how Marcos is using the whole range of state power to preserve the system of corruption and abuse, even amid the people’s uproar. Some lower-tier thieves have been scapegoated and turned to sacrificial lambs, even as high-ranking bureaucrat capitalists continue to rake in in billions of pesos in kickbacks, pork barrel and other forms of corruption.

Many young intellectuals have become keenly aware of the limits of their social and political power to change society. They seek to build solidarity with the millions of workers, peasants, the semi-proletariat in both cities and countryside, the fisherfolk, the indigenous people and other oppressed and exploited classes who comprise the majority of the people.

The Marcos fascist regime, especially its armed forces, holds the socially critical youth in complete contempt and a threat to their rule. They malign young intellectuals as “victims of ideological grooming,” as if they are mindless sheep. To deflect blame for their crimes, they have gone to the extent of intimidating the parents of victims of state terrorism, coercing them to depict their own children as lacking the agency for independent and critical thought, or the ability to commit themselves to something greater than themselves–the people’s cause for genuine freedom and democracy.

The Filipino people and their young intellectuals will have none of fascist intimidation and threats. History has shown that attempts to suppress intellectuals have succeeded only in further stimulating their critical and inquisitive minds. There is bound to emerge a strong current of young students, teachers, academics, scientists and other intellectuals flowing to urban poor and rural communities to investigate, see for themselves the concrete problems of the people, and learn from the masses the crucial importance of getting organized and waging collective struggle as a way of fighting for their interests.

Not a few academics, researchers, journalists, students, scientists, even lower officials of the government agencies have visited units of the New People’s Army to gain a deeper understanding of revolutionary views, and the reasons that compel ordinary people to wage armed revolution. Many continue to be drawn to the path of resistance not because of some scheme of “deception” and “manipulation,” rather because the revolutionary ideas promoted by the CPP and NPA reflect the people’s desire for national freedom and democracy. The people and the youth will embrace only those ideas that express their hopes and aspirations. Many from the current generation of young Filipinos see the revolution as the only path towards attaining the people’s aspirations for a free and prosperous future, and have committed themselves to face all the hardship and sacrifices to march along this difficult road.

More and more people see Marcos, along with the AFP, the PNP, NTF-Elcac and other repressive agencies, as the epitome of government corruption, injustice, abuse and subservience to foreign powers. As in the past, it is the oppression and intolerable conditions under Marcos that rouse the people to join the NPA and wage revolution. Indeed by negative example, Marcos has virtually become the number one recruiter of the New People’s Army.

We call on the Filipino youth to continue sharpening their scientific minds and reject attempts to stifle their critical thinking. Deepen your understanding of the country’s history and the current concrete conditions of the broad masses of the people under semicolonial and semifeudal system. Study and learn from the masses, and determine for yourself, the profound necessity of waging the people’s democratic revolution.

#International #Philippines #CPP #Statement

Chicago, IL – On January 8, Filipinos and allies gathered in front of the Consulate General of the Philippines to demand the release of Filipino American activist, Chantal Anicoche, and an end to the bombing of Mindoro.

On New Year's Day, the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) conducted brutal raids and aerial bombings on indigenous Mangyan-Iraya villages, killing three children and displacing nearly 200 families. This style of military terror, backed by the United States, is a tool by big real estate and natural resource companies for land grabbing. It’s also an attempt to suppress the revolutionary people’s movements fighting against this consistent terror. Anicoche was caught in the crossfire and was kidnapped by AFP.

Progressive Filipino solidarity groups like Anakbayan Chicago, Kabataan Alliance-MW, Mayala, Chicago Committee for Human Rights in the Philippines, and more, spoke against the brutal bombings in Mindoro, and connected the struggle in the Philippines with that of the Palestinian people and the Venezuelan people. All show oppressed peoples fighting back against U.S.-backed war crimes, occupations and genocide. A member of Tanggol Migrante Chicago also gave an update of a local campaign to bring back home 70-year-old grandmother, Tita Rebecca, who was kidnapped by ICE.

Throughout the program, Filipino people’s artists sang songs and read poems to uplift the fighting spirit among the crowd. Speakers honored Anicoche’s dedication to fighting for her people. “Fight like Anicoche!” yelled a youth activist.

#ChicagoIL #IL #International #Philippines #Anakbayan #Kabataan #Malaya

“We mobilized our membership to further the global campaign against corruption in the Philippines government,” a member of Anakbayan DC said. “This was recently highlighted by the misuse of funds for flood control projects. 180 billion pesos are unaccounted for and our kababayan [fellow Filipinos] are the ones that suffer, not the bureaucratic capitalists that run the country.”

The mood among attendees was high despite rain and near-freezing temperatures. After a short rally in DuPont Circle, protesters took to the streets, chanting slogans like “Imperyalismo — Ibagsak!” (Down with imperialism) and “Burukrata Kapitalismo — Ibagsak!” (Down with bureaucrat capitalism) as they marched to the Philippine embassy.

“It’s important for people in the U.S., both Filipinos and non-Filipinos alike, to stand up against injustice in the Philippines considering the colonial relationship and hegemony that the United States has over the Philippines,” said Jom Dolor, co-coordinator of BAYAN DMV and deputy secretary general of MIGRANTE USA.

“You should also see the role that the U.S. plays in both destabilizing the governments and peoples’ movements, all around the world, including the Philippines,” he continued. “It’s also important to see how it profits, both from the wars it instigates and perpetuates in the Philippines and also from the materiel and weapons industry it promotes to counter supposed ‘Chinese influence’ in the region.”

Speaking about her recent trip to the Philippines, a member of Anakbayan Montgomery County said, “I’ve witnessed the effects of the corruption firsthand, charging through the floodwaters in España, visiting barangay [neighborhood or village] heads and seeing what the community members needed. And what we learned is that the youth were actually the first people to visit these barangays and actually investigate and see what people needed.”

Towards the end of the action, organizers brought out a paper mache effigy of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr, a leading figure in the massive corruption scandals which have rocked the Philippines in recent weeks. The action ended with activists, carrying the flags of various Filino liberation organizations, surrounding the effigy of Marcos Jr. and beating it with their flagpoles while the crowd chanted “Si Marcosmismo – Babagsak!” (Marcos will fall).

The action was organized by BAYAN DMV. During the action, BAYAN and its allies reaffirmed that they would continue to fight against corruption in the Philippines, as well as the exploitation and oppression of Filipinos both at home and overseas.

#WashingtonDC #International #Philippines #BAYAN #MIGRANTE #

The following paper by Mick Kelly, the Political Secretary of Freedom Road Socialist Organization (FRSO), was presented at the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) International Theoretical Conference on Fascism in the 21st Century in the Imperialist Heartlands. Sydney Loving of the Central Committee of FRSO also participated in the conference, which took place November 28-29, in Utrecht, the Netherlands.

Comrades and friends,

Let me start by thanking the National Democratic Front of the Philippines for organizing this most important event. In providing a venue for revolutionaries to address the big theoretical issues facing our respective movements, the NDFP is making a real contribution to our collective efforts to shatter the chains of monopoly capitalism.

The question of fascism is an important one, and it can impact one’s strategy, tactics, and a host of organizational measures; in fact, the fascism question can be one of life and death. There is also a wealth of important texts that address the issue, and of special importance are those of works of R. Palme Dutt and Georgi Dimitrov – both of which received wide circulation by the Communist International.

Comrades might be interested to know that the issue of fascism is a mass question among large numbers of progressive people in the U.S., given the wave of attacks unleashed by the reactionary Trump administration, Over the past 9 months, millions of people, in big cities and small towns, have taken to the streets. The extremely sharp struggles against mass deportations – including the uprising in Los Angeles and high level of struggle in Chicago and Portland, Oregon – make up one of the main issues shaping domestic politics.

We see the overall conditions as extremely favorable for building communist organization. As FRSO has been able to play an important role in these fights, we continue to be in a period of extraordinary growth.

What fascism is

For some, “Fascism” as an invective – a sort of swear word, the worst thing that you can call someone or some action of government – as opposed to a political category with a scientific definition. This is a long-standing tendency on the part of the petty bourgeois left, and certainly there is no one here who does that. Others, like the Trotskyites [1], see fascism as the product of a mass movement of the petty bourgeoisie. That is not correct either.

We are in agreement with the definition adopted by 13th plenum of the Executive Committee of the Communist International which states fascism is, “the open terrorist dictatorship of the most reactionary, most chauvinistic and most imperialist elements of finance capital.”

At the 7th Congress of the Communist International, Dimitrov pointed out, “The accession to power of fascism is not a ordinary succession of one bourgeois government by another, but a substitution of one state form of class domination of the bourgeoisie – bourgeois democracy – for another form, open terrorist dictatorship.” [2]

This is an important point. While it is true there is not a qualitative difference between fascism and bourgeois democracy, in the sense that they are both ways that the monopoly capitalist wield state political power, there is a qualitative difference in so far as one is very different than the other when it comes to democratic rights of working and oppressed people.

Fascism and capitalist democracy are different forms of political rule. The fact that there is real difference between the two means that revolutionaries will employ different tasks, objectives, and organizational measures depending on the form of bourgeois rule. Communist organizing in a period of open terror is for all practical purposes illegal.

Fascist governments wage aggressive wars characterized by extremes of national chauvinism. In fact, bourgeois democratic governments have always done the same and often resort to the use of open terror to maintain control of their colonies or neo-colonies. In fact, the use of open terror in the neo-colonial or colonial settings is a feature that is common to fascist and bourgeois democratic governments.

In his important work The State and Revolution, Lenin points out, “A democratic republic is the best possible political shell for capitalism, and, therefore, once capital has gained possession of this very best shell (through the Palchinskys, Chernovs, Tseretelis and Co.), it establishes its power so securely, so firmly, that no change of persons, institutions or parties in the bourgeois-democratic republic can shake it.”

Why would the ruling class give up this “best possible political shell”? Stalin responds that it is because they have to:

In this connection the victory of fascism in Germany must be regarded not only as a symptom of the weakness of the working class and a result of the by the betrayals of the working class by Social-Democracy, which paved the way for fascism; it must also be regarded as a sign of weakness of the bourgeois, a sign that the bourgeois is no longer able to rule by the old methods of parliamentary and bourgeois democracy, and, as a consequence, is compelled in its home policy to resort to terrorist methods of rule — as a sign it is no longer to find a way out of the present situation on the basis of a peaceful foreign policy, and, as a consequence, is compelled to resort to a policy of war. [3]

Finally let me quote from R. Palme Dutt, “Fascism is not inevitable. Fascism is not a necessary stage of capitalist development through which all countries must pass. The social revolution can forestall Fascism, as it has done in Russia. But if the social revolution is delayed, then the menace of fascism becomes urgent.” [4]

So, there are several themes that should be circled back to. First, fascism employs open terrorism. Sure, there can be courts and parliaments, but open terrorism is what the fascist state is organized around and for. Secondly, fascism is a tool of the financial oligarchy – particularly its most reactionary and chauvinist sectors. And finally, there is the issue of extreme national chauvinism and fascism’s war-like nature.

To what degree is there a fascist danger in the U.S.?

In the entire epoch of monopoly capitalism, fascism is a latent tendency and therefore a possibility, given that the necessary conditions are present. In a context where the decline of U.S. imperialism is accelerating, where polarization is sharpening in the political superstructure, it is necessary to have a materialist evaluation of the objective conditions. That includes a realistic assessment of an immediate fascist danger.

When identifying what fascism is, in our view the most essential feature is the use of open terror by the ruling class, meaning the legal possibilities to organize for socialism are slim to nonexistent. That is not currently the situation in the United States, and communists in the U.S. need to utilize every avenue and opportunity to build the people’s struggle while developing revolutionary organization.

It is a fact that there are fascist groups and there are people in government who are pro-fascist. These elements are present in the military too. Their attacks should be met head on. The events of January 6, 2021, when Trump attempted to block the peaceful transfer of power and his supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol, speaks volumes about the lengths reactionaries will go to – as well as some of the limitations that necessity places on them.

The U.S. has always repressive place. Even as it went to war on German fascism and was an important part of the world anti-fascist coalition, 120,000 Japanese Americans were put in concentration camps.

Whatever assessment one has about a fascist danger, repression and resistance to repression need to be taken seriously. This means opposing reactionary laws and measures that restrict our democratic rights. It also means pushing back hard against legal attacks we face. Over the past 15 years our organization has faced a fair amount of repression, [5] and we have developed some capacity to deal with it. The most recent example was the defense of an immigrant rights activist and comrade who was charged with conspiracy to further civil disorder in the aftermath of the anti-ICE rebellion in Los Angles. We build a broad, national defense campaign and charges were dropped.

All quantity includes quality – and there is a whole political landscape between capitalist democracy and open terror (fascism) that could be very different from what we have experienced over the past 50 years.

Fascism is a tool of the most reactional monopoly capitalists to prevent revolution. In the U.S. today, we are not in a revolutionary situation. An effective strategy against fascism would necessitate building the broadest possible united front to stop it, like for example the Popular Front employed by U.S. communists from the mid-1930s on. If there is an immediate danger of capitalist democracy being replaced by open terror, we can and will adjust our strategy and organizational functioning accordingly.

Comrades: communists have a rich history of resisting repression and defeating fascism. It was Soviet soldiers who planted the flag bearing a hammer and sickle on the ruins of the “thousand-year Reich.” Our comrades of the Philippines have repeatedly demonstrated it is possible to grow and thrive in the context of U.S.-sponsored terror. The road might be a hard one, but our future is bright.

Let me close with a quote from the outstanding revolutionary and Marxist-Leninist Mao Zedong:

I have said that all the reputedly powerful reactionaries are merely paper tigers. The reason is that they are divorced from the people. Look! Was not Hitler a paper tiger? Was Hitler not overthrown? I also said that the tsar of Russia, the emperor of China and Japanese imperialism were all paper tigers. As we know, they were all overthrown. U.S. imperialism has not yet been overthrown, and it has the atom bomb. I believe it also will be overthrown. It, too, is a paper tiger.

Long live proletarian internationalism! Long live the unity of the world’s peoples! Victory is certain, together we will win!

Notes

[1] Trosky states in Fascism: What it is and how to fight it, “The fascist movement in Italy was a spontaneous movement of large masses, with new leaders from the rank and file. It is a plebian movement in origin, directed and financed by big capitalist powers. It issued forth from the petty bourgeoisie, the slum proletariat, and even to a certain extent from the proletarian masses; Mussolini, a former socialist, is a “self-made” man arising from this movement.”

[2] Dimitrov, The Fascist offensive and the tasks of the Communist International in the fight for uniy of the working class against fascism, 7th Congress of the Communist International, page 127

[3] J. Stalin, Report to the 17th Party Congress, CW vol. 13, page 300

[4] R. Palme Dutt, Fascism and Social Revolution

[5] In 2010 more than 70 FBI agents carried out coordinate raids against antiwar and international solidarity activist – including the homes of a number of FRSO members.

#RevolutionaryTheory #FRSO #Statement #Fascism #NDFP #Philippines #Lenin #Stalin #Mao #MarxismLeninism

San Francisco, CA – On November 30, over 120 Filipino American activists from a variety of organizations including Bayan USA, Kabataan Alliance, Anakbayan, the Malaya Movement and League of Filipino Students held a joint action in front of the Philippine Consulate in San Francisco.

The action was part of an international call for demonstrations in solidarity with Filipinos around the world, in the wake of a series of devastating floods in the Philippines killing dozens and displacing hundreds more. The top political and economic leaders of the country, including President Ferdinand “Bong Bong” Marcos Junior and former Vice President Sara Duterte, have been involved in a vast corruption scandal in which over $10 billion worth of funds meant for flood control infrastructure were instead funneled into “ghost projects” and the pockets of corrupt politicians and businesspeople.

Demands calling for the resignation of President Marcos, and demands for Marcos, Sara Duterte and all other involved parties to face accountability have spread rapidly among Filipinos, in their homeland and in the diaspora alike. The establishment of a provisional people’s council to replace the current administration is also another growing demand.

The San Francisco protest echoed many of the slogans that protesters back in the Philippines have taken up, including “Ikulong na yan, mga kurakot! Magnanakaw, mga pahirap, Tanggalin sa, kanilang pwesto!” meaning “Lock up the corrupt! Thieves and oppressors! Remove them from their posts!” as well as “Hindi, hindi! Magpapagapi! Ganyang kami, mga Pilipino!” meaning, “No, no we won’t be defeated! That is how we are, us Filipinos!”

The speakers advanced demands, both from the homeland and diaspora, calling for the resignation and prosecution of all corrupt officials, as well as for the freeing of Filipino migrants in detention centers, like Ya’akub Vijandre and Kuya Ricky. These demands being connected demonstrated the strength of international solidarity.

Patrick Racela of Migrante NorCal gave introductory remarks, “Historically we know, November 30 is the birthday of Andres Bonifacio, the revolutionary leader from the working class who built up and organized the Katipunan, who defeated the Spanish colonialists and ended 300 years of Spanish rule.”

Racela continued, “We want to combine these fights against corruption back home. We want to combine these fights to protect Filipino migrant workers. We want to free those held captive in ICE detention centers. That is why the resounding call from even our community back home, is for Marcos and Duterte to resign.”

The program featured student organizers, faith leaders and workers sharing their experiences and how they connect with the ongoing struggle. Mike Casey, San Francisco Labor Council president stated, “The corruption in the White House is no different than the corruption in the Philippines. And in fact the oppression and the kidnapping of working people off our streets is no different than the oppression and red-tagging of workers in the Philippines.” Red-tagging refers to the practice of the Philippine government designating activists as communists in order to manufacture an excuse to arrest or kill them.

Casey continued, “Working people in the U.S. have a lot more in common with workers in the Philippines than we do with the elites here in the United States.”

Midway through the program, Anakbayan Daly City held a cultural performance, playing the song Awit ng Kalayaan, meaning Song of Freedom.

The vice-chairperson of Migrante San Francisco, Ate Leigh, told the crowd about the Marcos regime, “Korrupt ang ama, korrupt din ang anak,” meaning if the father is corrupt, so too is the child (referencing the prior corruption of dictator Ferdinand Marcos, father of current president Bong-Bong).

Leigh condemned the complicity of Sara Duterte and ended her speech with a call to action; “Burukrata kapitalismo, ibagsak! Ipaglaban ang gobyerno ng taong bayan, makibaka para sa bansang demokrasya!” meaning “Down with bureaucrat capitalism! Fight for a people’s government! Struggle for national democracy! Marcos, Duterte, resign!”

Bonifacio Day is a time for Filipino activists to hold protests that hearken to Andres Bonifacio’s revolutionary legacy. With broad discontent and anger rising among the Filipino community the world over, this year’s Bonifacio Day has witnessed large mobilizations against the rotten systems oppressing the Filipino people, both in their homeland and abroad.

#SanFranciscoCA #CA #International #Philippines

Philadelphia, PA – On November 30, members of Anakbayan, the Filipino youth activist organization, hosted a fundraising gala. They were celebrating the five-year anniversary of their Philadelphia chapter.

Members and attendees gathered at the University of Pennsylvania’s campus to enjoy a program including a teach-in, music, drag performances and a competitive “Mx. Philly-pino” pageant. Funds went to Anakbayan and a relief fund for people displaced and devastated by the recent typhoons that hit the Philippines.

Since the founding of their chapter in 2020, Anakbayan Philadelphia has been tirelessly organizing and educating Filipino-American youth. They teach about general problems of Philippine society as a semi-colony of the United States. In addition, they explain the goals of the national democratic movement for complete independence of the Philippines. Anakbayan Philadelphia also leads the struggle against the particular repression that Filipino-Americans face as national minorities in the U.S.

One issue highlighted at the gala was the phenomenon of mass migration. Many Filipinos are forced to emigrate from their country. Most send a portion of their wages back home to their family due to the backwards economic and social conditions of the Philippines. A former colony of the U.S., the Philippines continues to be economically dominated by and nationally oppressed by the U.S.

Forced to leave their homes now for multiple generations, many Filipinos end up in the U.S. facing discrimination, low-wage jobs, and a broken immigration system. Especially sharp under the Trump administration are ICE and anti-immigrant attacks. The same Filipino-Americans forced to migrate to the U.S. by exploitation in the Philippines, are then punished in the U.S. for wanting to work.

In true contradiction to these harsh conditions, the gala was the perfect image of the Anakbayan’s warm comradery, clear militancy and genuine mass character. A plate of ube cookies baked by one of the members made the event feel especially welcoming.

The gala concluded with a satirical play, climaxing with the destruction of images of Philippine President Bong Bong Marcos Jr. and Vice-president Sara Duterte, both the objects of a recent wave of massive anti-corruption protests in the Philippines.

One refrain perfectly summed up the spirit of the night, its political clarity and optimism for the national democratic movement apparent, “The U.S. will never liberate the Filipino people! The Filipino people will be the ones to liberate themselves!”

#PhiladelphiaPA #PA #International #Philippines #Anakbayan