Revolution not Election is the solution to the crisis of the country

Frank Fernandez
Spokesperson, NDFP – NEGROS
March 31, 2016


After the first presidential debate, it is clear that no presidential candidate has a comprehensive program for governance to save the nation from the grave economic and political crisis triggered by neoliberalism and the intensifying intervention of US imperialism in our country’s internal affairs.
 
None among the presidential candidates’ platforms had a critique of the CARP or an alternative genuine land reform program that includes the free distribution of agricultural land to the peasants and provides the financial and technical assistance needed to modernize the method of food production and of other agricultural products  needed by the country. The presidential candidates were silent with regards national   industrialization. They have no stand on the increasing foreign debt. They turned a blind eye to the impositions of imperialist-dominated international financial institutions and their restructuring policies like liberalization, deregulation, privatization and de-nationalization that further intensify the country’s economic and financial crises, the pauperization of the people and the destruction of the environment.
 
Almost all the presidential candidates avoid clearly opposing the Visiting Forces Agreement, the Enhanced Defence Cooperation Agreement (VFA/EDCA) and other unequal bilateral agreements that aggravate the stranglehold of US imperialism on the politics and military of the country.  The aforementioned military agreements support the aggressive build-up of US military presence in the country and in the region.  This is in an effort to keep in check China’s rising military and trade presence and influence in South East Asia. 
 
Neither has any of the candidates shown any genuine concern for the escalating violations of people’s rights committed by the state armed forces nor in addressing the root causes of the armed conflict by continuing peace talks based on the Framework Agreement of The Hague Joint Declaration between the Government of the Republic of the Philippines (GRP) and the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP).
 
Their platform of governance deals only with the peripheral and secondary issues being faced by the people and the country as they continue to make grandiose promises to end hunger in the Philippines, provide employment for workers, agricultural production assistance to the peasants, medicine for the sick, improve the educational system, eliminate corrupt officials and criminals, build infrastructures, etc. However, these promises are no different from those made in the past elections and since the establishment of the puppet republic in 1946 under the semi-colonial domination of US imperialism. The outcome of the Philippine elections will not be based on which candidate and party carries a genuine and practical program that addresses the issues of democracy and sovereignty, economic emancipation and political liberation.
 
The winner of the presidential race will be the candidate with the biggest funding resources to finance his/her campaign, and who can execute fraudulent operations and use terror tactics to pressure the voters whom to vote for. But the most decisive of all factors is the role of US imperialism in influencing the election results to decide who will be the number one political puppet, to ensure that US imperialistm’s big and strategic interests in the Philippines are protected.  The new administrator has to be subservient to the semi-colonial and semi-feudal social system. The absence of content and substance in the discourses of this Philippine election renders this supposed democratic exercise a sham. The only consolation for the toiling masses in attending a campaign meeting is the free entertainment and the possibility of receiving a dole-out of few hundreds of pesos and other goods as payment for vote buying.
 
It is wrong for the reactionaries to spread the notion that the voters are to be blamed for selling their votes and leaving corrupt and viciously greedy politicians blameless. The truth is that the corrupt practice of vote buying is integral to the style of democracy under the auspices of a reactionary government and controlled by politicians who invest a lot of money to ensure that they win in the elections and can hold on to power indefinitely.
 
It is impossible to hold free and democratic elections in the Philippines while the big-comprador-bourgeoisie and the landlords hold the power under the dictates of US imperialism. To conceal the truth, US imperialism and the local ruling classes mobilize the opinion survey institutions like the Social Weather Station and Pulse Asia  and other ideological and political machineries to prop up the existence of fake democracy.
 
The platforms of reactionary politicians and parties are determined by their class interest. These benefit the semi-colonial and semi-feudal system. Thus, as a result of the elections, the people should not hope for fundamental reforms in policies of the country in relation to economics, politics, military, culture, social services and foreign relations. The ascendancy to power of the winning candidate and the holding of positions of power by his/her reactionary cohorts and traditional politicians will only signal continuing pauperization, oppression and misery for the people under an ever worsening economic and political crisis.  History has shown us the inutility of Philippine elections and the reactionary state under Roxas, Quirino, Magsaysay, Garcia, Macapagal, Marcos, Aquino, Ramos, Estrada, Arroyo, and BS Aquino III.
 
In contrast, candidates representing progressive party lists enjoy wide and popular support from the people.  In a limited way, they are allowed by the reactionary classes to win and take a small part of the civil bureaucracy of the reactionary state.  Nonetheless, this progressive minority bloc has scored political victories in the parliamentary struggle by passing bills, resolutions and laws serving the interest  of the oppressed and the exploited masses.
 
The National Democratic Front of the Philippines-Negros and other revolutionary forces remain firm in their analysis and critique of the reactionary character of the bourgeois elections, which. ns are only an arena for competing for different reactionary state positions by the different factions, groupings and sections of the big-comprador and landlord classes like the Liberal Party, Nacionalista Party, NUP, Nationalist People’s Coalition, etc. In every election, the people are actually only voting for the reactionary group or party that will hold the reins of power and allow the ruling classes to continue the enslavement of the exploited and oppressed masses.
 
On the other hand, under the guidance of the Communist Party of the Philippines, the NDFP-Negros upholds the policy and tactics of the united front to dialogue with politicians and parties who would like to establish friendly relations with us.  During this election period, we will mobilize the people to expose the true nature of the reactionary elections, expand the mass organizations and mass movement, and achieve concrete benefits for the people and the revolution. The revolutionary forces reiterate their respect for the rights of the voters. We encourage them to vote for those candidates who have a track record of defending the democratic and national rights of the people including the democratic rights for land and against fascism.
 
The reactionary election is a fake and deceptive scheme that should be exposed and opposed. The revolutionary struggle is the only path towards genuine democracy and freedom for the people. #