Statement on EDSA 32nd year: Not Mindanao but End Elitist Politics and Economy! Advance Peoples'-based and Democratic Government.

Post-EDSA administrations failed to give justice to the struggles and aspirations of those martyred by the Marcos dictatorship.

Political and economic elites (liberal democracy) grabbed and robbed from the revolting masses and workers in the 1986 mass uprising their dreams to establish a country contrary to the dark era of the Marcos dictatorship.

But these ills and failures should not be a reason for establishing a new dictatorship. We must get rid of such situation.

Mindanao have been a field of wars and struggles during and after the Marcos dictatorship. Until today these revolutions for human rights, ancestral domains and right to self-detremination remain real. And today, the Mindanao struggles have been used as one of the reason to change the constitution and even the imposition of the Martial Law declaration (extension after being extended).

True that this Philippine elitist constitution is far from perfect (fact as elitist) but should not use Mindanao for the selfish interests of the politicians and corporations.

Terrorism have put Mindanao in a difficult and yet crucial situation- Extended Martial Law. Terrorist activities of many organizations varries in context not limited to have deeply-rooted from the historical injustices to the Moro people, capitalist and militarist project of the foreign and local interests and wide inequality across the country. Terrorism should be stopped but the excesses of Martial Law and its extension have more terrorized communities and peoples.

To confront this question at hand, Martial Law is an excessive response. It only exposed the incapability or inablity of government aparatuses. And if not, then there must be more reasons behind since reports and sightings of these organizations were already known years (2014) before the May 23, 2017.

We stand against all plans to a federalism and a change of the constitution that would only strengthen the power of local and regional dynasties in Mindanao and the rest of the countries and whole-sale the patrimony to global capitalists. This federalism project of the Duterte administration is surrounded with interests of politicians and business corporations.

Federalism must be for an inclusive society ensuring the future and self-determination of the Indigenous Peoples and the Bangsamoro people over their economic, political and cultural lives and not mere political accommodations and propaganda.

Substantially, the Duterte administration should address the clamor and aspirations of the Indigenous Peoples and Bangamoro.

Concretely, Duterte administration must provide real alternatives that would alleviate the lives of the poor and workers and order his minions in the hall of the shameless to scrap the tax reform (TRAIN Law) it introduced, be true to its commitment against contractualization of labor, stop phase out of transport jeepneys without hearing and considering transport groups proposals for a just transition, demolish all capitalist exploitations to our natural, mineral and agriculture resources instead pour substantial support to sustainable agriculture and economy thus provides strong local economy to combat labor migration.

On this 32nd year after the mass uprising of peoples and sectors, a challenge is in front of us that we are in need of more determined movements to build a more peoples' based, democratic and sustainable governance and economy. Let us remind the Duterte administration and its machineries that once in our history we were able to depost a dictator and we remain capable of doing that as time calls.

Let us push for economic policies that upholds justice and human rights and not sufferings, reppressions and oppressions.

Confront China and USA interventions asserting our sovereignty as a country of nations.

Strengthen our solidarity against impunity, human rights violations, inequality and divisions.

Let us continue to expose the social, political and economic ills and unjust policies of the government.

The Duterte administration's Charter Change and Federalism pushing for a more powerful political and econonmic elites and whole-sale of Philippine patrimony and sovereignty must be opposed.

Duterte administration must lift Martial Law and should put on top of its priority program respect of human rights while fighting against criminalities and illegal drugs.

Intensify our campaigns of concrete sustainable and peoples'-based alternatives everywhere, anytime.

February 25, 2018

katipunanmindanao@gmail.com