Unite and help each other to end Duterte's tyranny - Ang Bayan
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Pahayagan ng Partido Komunista ng Pilipinas
ANG Pinapatnubayan ng Marxismo-Leninismo-Maoismo
English Edition
Vol. LI No. 14
July 21, 2020
www.cpp.ph
EDITORIAL
Unite and help each other
to end Duterte's tyranny
A ll democratic forces must consolidate their ranks and help each other
in their democratic struggles against the Duterte regime. The need
for unity is urgent in the face of the successive attacks of the tyrant
against the people's interests.
masses, are being subjected to police
surveillance, using pandemic lock-
down restrictions as pretext.
With the law on state terrorism,
Duterte is set on mounting even
On July 10, Duterte's rubber- 24 days without filing charges and more attacks in the coming weeks
stamp congress carried out his or- denying them the right to defend and months. This shows his desper-
der to shut down ABS-CBN in a themselves. Duterte will convene ation to suppress the seething un-
clear case of political vendetta Anti-Terror Council (ATC) which rest and rising protests against his
against a media outfit that has al- has the power to designate anyone incompetent response to the Covid-
lowed the airing of criticism against as a "terrorist" or "terrorist-linked" 19 pandemic, worsening corruption,
the regime. It is a grave attack on or "terrorist-supporters" using the devastation of the economy and
press freedom and a thinly-veiled law's vague and overly broad defin- complete disregard of the people's
threat against those in the media itions. The ATC is set to conjoin livelihood and well-being. Duterte is
who cross the tyrant. It also paves with the NTF-ELCAC to consolidate rushing to pursue his scheme of es-
the way for Duterte's favored olig- Duterte's military junta. tablishing a fascist dictatorship and
archs to make a bid of ownership of Just days after, state forces securing his rule or that of his
the broadcast company. mounted attacks across the country. chosen successor beyond 2022.
Earlier, Duterte signed his law In Masbate, police and military The monster Duterte must be
on terrorism that is far worse than forces massacred three peasants. confronted and slain by the people's
Marcos' 1972 martial law. He Successive arrests and harassment giant power of democracy and free-
claimed the power to order the ar- were also carried out against activ- dom. To grow in strength, the various
rest of anyone without a judicial ists and human rights workers. Mass sectors must act as one. They must
warrant and detain people for up to demonstrations, even Catholic support each others' democratic de-mands. Only by doing so can they the children, youth and teachers to ers, as well as the entire people.
muster the strength and courage to open classes safely; and of migrants When he signed the terror law, he
stand up against the tyranny. for aid and safe return home. enraged not only of the Filipino
While calling for junking the Duterte is a rabid, but a sick and people, but also people and organiz-
terror law and bringing ABS-CBN dying monster. He exploited the pan- ations around the world. More rage
back on air, they must also support demic to claim extensive powers, ac- will be ignited by moves to push for
the demand of nurses and health cumulate wealth through corruption charter change to allow 100% foreign
workers for protection, salary in- and use of public funds. He forced big ownership of enterprises and land, as
creases and mass testing to fight business to their knees with threats well as to allow removal of term ex-
the pandemic; of jeepney drivers to to close or take over their property tension limits in order to pave the
get back on the road; and of work- and operations. He placed the entire way for Duterte’s stay beyond 2022.
ers for higher wages and safety at population under martial law control A range of democratic forces are
work. They must collectively assert causing widespread misery and now arrayed against Duterte's tyr-
for immediate and sufficient subsidy hardship. Tens of thousands were annical regime, from the patriotic
for millions who lost their jobs and apprehended in the name of "public and democratic organizations, alli-
whose livelihoods were lost due to health." He murdered activists and ances and movements; to the op-
the lockdown. They must join the imprisoned critics. He bought billions position forces in the conservative
demand of peasants and fisherfolk worth of jet fighters, attack heli- opposition, as well as Catholic
against destructive infrastructure copters, artillery systems and other Church, big business and those
projects, mining and other opera- war matériel, all while accumulating secretly within the government bur-
tions that will drive them away from more than $5 billion of foreign loans eaucracy and in the AFP and PNP.
their homes, land and fishing for his favored infrastructure pro- Street marches and large
grounds; of the indigenous peoples jects to the detriment of the local demonstrations must be mounted in
and rural folk against military occu- economy and the people's livelihood. the coming weeks and months to
pation of their communities, intim- However, each time Duterte fend off the regime's terrorist at-
idation and the brutal campaigns of strikes at the people, he only be- tacks. The bigger and more frequent
killings, abductions, aerial bom- comes more isolated from the people. these demonstrations become, the
bardment, artillery shelling and hu- Striking at press freedom by shutting higher probability that disgruntled
man rights abuses that characterize down ABS-CBN roused the indigna- military and police officers, as well
the regime's counterinsurgency; of tion of journalists and media work- as the international community, will
openly withdraw support and push
ANG Contents for a process of succession in line
with the 1987 constitution.
Editorial: Unite and help each other to end All the revolutionary forces un-
Vol. LI No. 14 | July 21, 2020 Duterte's tyranny 1
der the leadership of the Party are
Offensives in Negros, Palawan at Sorsogon 3
aligned with the Filipino people's
Ang Ang Bayan is published CPP, NPA cannot be declared terrorist 3
aspiration to see an end to their
in Pilipino, Bisaya, Iloko, Attack against free press 4
sufferings under the tyrannical re-
Hiligaynon, Waray and English. gime. While continuing to conduct
ABS-CBN employees, supporters protest 4
Ang Bayan welcomes public health and economic work
Neoliberal agenda in SONA 2020 5
contributions in the form among the peasant masses, the
Nurses protest for PPE, wage increase 5
of articles and news items. armed revolutionary forces under
SMC evicts residents 6
Readers are encouraged the New People's Army must mount
Watchmen massacred in Masbate 7
to send feedback and tactical offensives to defend the
House-to-house search is unlawful 7
recommendations people against the Duterte regime's
ATA opposition broadens 7
for improving our newspaper. terrorist attacks against the people.
Surveillance amid pandemic 8
Amid the Covid-19 pandemic,
Pandemic aggravates global hunger 8
the regime's overarching priority to
Open schools safely 9
instagram.com/prwcnewsroom establish its fascist dictatorship is
putting whatever is left of the
@prwc_info
people's democratic rights and the
cppinformationbureau@gmail.com
people's health in great danger.
There is broad consensus that the
tyrant must be ousted from power
Ang Bayan is published fortnightly by the Central Committee as soon as possible. The Filipino
of the Communist Party of the Philippines people must firmly unite and rise up
now!
2 July 21, 2020 ANG BAYANNPA strikes at fascist soldiers and police in Negros, Palawan, Sorsogon
A t least 14 soldiers and police of the US-Duterte regime were killed and
10 others were wounded in successive tactical offensives mounted by the
New People's Army (NPA) from June 8-16.
91st CMO Company in Barangay
Calpi, Bulan. A soldier was killed
while another was wounded. In the
same evening, the NPA also har-
In Negros Occidental, 12 ele- bushes in Taytay, Palawan on July assed soldiers operating in the ad-
ments of the 15th IB were killed in 12 and 13. Red fighters fired at a jacent barangay of Calmayon in Ju-
an ambush by the NPA-NPA-South- mobile of the Philippine National ban.
west Negros (Armando Sumayang Police (PNP) along the highway at On July 16, two elements of the
Jr. Command) in Barangay Pinggot, Sitio Ibangley, Barangay Abongan PNP 9th Special Action Battalion
Ilog last last July 8. on July 12. The PNP chief of Du- were wounded in an NPA harass-
The 15th IB is notorious for maranan town and another police ment operation in Barangay Tula-
conducting brutal SEMPO opera- were aboard the said vehicle. tula Sur, Magallanes.
tions in Southern Negros. Its sol- On the next day, the people's Earlier, during the first week of
diers are involved in the spate of army ambushed soldiers of the July, the PNP-Masbate paralyzed
killings, harassment and forced sur- MBLT 3 who were deployed in the the plunderous operations of Mati-
render of civilians in the area. same area to respond to the am- bay Cement Factory in Barangay
Meanwhile, the NPA-South bush. A soldier was killed while Casabangan, Pio V. Corpuz. Red
Central Negros disarmed a family of three others were wounded. fighters destroyed its mining equip-
bandits at Sitio Binadlan, Barangay In Sorsogon, the military and ment.
Bi-ao, Binalbagan on July 14. police sustained four The said cement-manufacturing
An M16 rifle, shotgun, .45 and causalties in a series company will endanger the lives and
.38 calibre pistols, ammunition of harassment opera- livelihoods of residents in 11 bara-
and handheld radios were tions mounted by the NPA ngays in the towns of Pio V. Corpuz
seized from the the ban- in two days. The casualties and Esperanza. Hundreds of hec-
dits. The bandits are in- were part of military units de- tares of farmlands and residential
volved in landgrabbing, ployed to conduct "Community areas are set to be covered by its
human rights violations and Support Program" in five towns lime mining operations in the area.
anti-social activities in the of the province. A coal-fired power plant is also set
area since 1990. On July 14, at around 6 to be constructed in and pollute the
The NPA-Palawan also p.m., Red fighters fired at area to enable the company to be
mounted successive am- operating soldiers of the fully operational.
Justice Carpio: CPP, NPA cannot be declared terrorists under ATA
A former official of the Supreme Court asserted that the Communist Party
of the Philippines (CPP) and the New People's Army (NPA) cannot be
declared terrorists under the new Anti-Terror Act (ATA).
lion, are not terrorists under the
ATA, and consequently they, indi-
vidually or as a group, cannot be
proscribed as terrorists under the
Former Associate Justice Anto- clared as terrorists." He pointed out ATA."
nio Carpio shared this view in reac- that rebellion is not considered a It is thus clear that the ATA
tion to Duterte's declaration that "predicate crime" by the ATA. This was passed to suppress the forces
"the CPP is terrorist because I de- is different from the Human Secur- and activists openly defying the re-
clare it to be" and the clarification ity Act (HSA) of 2007 which states gime. It is just that they question
of Sen. Panfilo Lacson that only the rebellion is absorbed under terror- the law before the courts, especially
courts can formally proscribe as ism. The ATA replaced the HSA. since it violates their rights under
terrorist any organization. Carpio Carpio added that the intent of the country's laws.
said both Duterte and Lacson are rebellion "is to remove any territory Contrary to what the regime's
wrong because the CPP and NPA or military force of the Philippines officials claim, the Party and
are "rebels" and not terrorists. from allegiance to the Government people's army are not listed as ter-
Carpio pointed out that under or its laws" is different from ATA's rorist by United Nations Security
the ATA, "under the ATA rebels are definition of terrorism. "CPP-NPA Council, Australia, United Kingdom
not terrorists and cannot be de- rebels, whose intent is clearly rebel- or Canada.
ANG BAYAN July 21, 2020 3ABS-CBN closure, an attack on free press
W ith a vote of 70-11, the Congress finally decided to kill the franchise
bid of ABS-CBN, the biggest radio and television broadcast network
in the country. Thirteen hearings were held to deal with various issues hurled
This system undermines the right
of the media to free press. Similar to
how it was used against ABS-CBN,
by Duterte's minions in congress against the network. Among the issues dis- this may also be used to silence other
cussed were the network's alleged tax evasion schemes, and the citizenship media networks to prevent them
of former ABS-CBN chairman Eugenio Lopez III. The congressmen also dealt from exposing government abuses
on issues regarding the content of TV shows, matters that are beyond the and incompetence. In new franchises
scope of Congress. issued by the Duterte regime to
broadcasting companies such as
In addition to its Quezon City broadcast companies are required to those granted to GMA and The 5
station, ABS-CBN operates 46 local obtain a legislative franchise to op- Network, a provision was inserted
stations across the country that erate. These franchise bids have to obliging them to allocate 10% of their
broadcast for free. It also has 12 pass through the bureaucratic eye of paid commercials for government-
free digital channels, as well as 10 the needle of Congress, and then go use. This is being used by the ruling
cable and four satellite paid chan- to the president for signing in the clique to freely broadcast their ad-
nels. It also operates DZMM and form of a new law. Although applic- vertisements and programs which
three other AM radio stations, as ations go through hearings and dis- feature the regime's officials. There
well as 17 MOR (My Only Radio) FM cussions, the approval is mainly de- is also a provision which grants the
stations and 16 more in the pendent on who is in power. This is president a special right to take over
provinces. These were closed down, in contrast to countries where the media stations, and to broadcast and
excluding paid cable and satellite said authority is given to independ- operate their facilities "in times of
channels that are not covered by the ent commissions. The franchise sys- war, rebellion, public peril, calamity,
franchise. The Lopezes disclosed tem is also being used as a milking emergency, disaster or serious dis-
that the company has been losing cow by bureaucrat capitalists. turbance of peace and order."
about ₱30-35 million per day since
their broadcast was put off-air.
#LabanKapamilya:
Congressmen deny that Rodrigo
Protest of ABS-CBN employees and supporters
Duterte was behind the closure or-
der. However, on July 13, Duterte EVERY EVENING, SINCE July 10, employees and artists of ABS-CBN
himself boasted that he has suc- have been converging in front of its Quezon City station to conduct a
ceeded in dismantling the oligarchy noise barrage to protest the decision of Congress to deny the net-
by shutting down ABS-CBN. Since he work's bid for franchise renewal.
sat in power, he has repeatedly On July 18, ABS-CBN supporters held a caravan from Makati and
threatened to close the network converged in front of the station in Quezon City. Similar protest actions
which he accused of bias and favoring were organized by employees and supporters in the cities of Cebu,
his rivals during the 2016 elections. Olongapo, Bacolod, Tacloban, Davao, Cagayan de Oro and Zamboanga.
He was further enraged with the net- Lawmakers from the Makabayan Bloc, who authored one of the
work for covering his regime's bloody ABS-CBN franchise bills, participated in the protest actions. Members
"war on drugs." He ordered the clos- of the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines, Altermidya,
ure of the company amid the pan- Photojournalists' Center of the Philippines Inc., Kilusang Mayo Uno,
demic and lockdown, and at a time Alliance of Concerned Transport Organizations and other sectoral
when only a few stations are capable groups that advocate press freedom joined the mobilizations. More
of providing free television broadcast than 500 journalists from various media organizations also expressed
services across the country. their support for the protest.
The franchise application pro- Approximately 11,000 workers are set to lose their jobs or receive
cess has long weaponized against lower salaries. The company already closed down their regional sta-
free press by the ruling clique as the tions in various provinces, as well as its stations which provide free
approval of franchise bids are mainly television and radio broadcast services. Aside from regular employees,
dependent on the whims of the pres- workers who are outsourced by ABS-CBN from third-party manpower
ident and congressmen. In fact, this agencies are also set to lose their jobs, as well as small entrepreneurs
process is often enmeshed in dirty who operate their businesses around the station in Quezon City.
politics as the authority to grant Today, ABS-CBN is only allowed to air its programs in the internet and
franchises is monopolized by those in through cable channels.
power. Republic Act 3846 states that
4 July 21, 2020 ANG BAYANSqueezing overburdened Filipinos further:
Neoliberal agenda in SONA 2020
I n his upcoming State of the Nation Address (SONA) this July 27, expect
Rodrigo Duterte to once again aggressively push for the implementation
of neoliberal economic reforms to further squeeze the already overburdened
already meager incomes. This is
doubly reprehensible especially now
that majority of workers have lost
Filipinos. As what happened with the Anti-Terror Law, these schemes will their jobs to the pandemic.
surely be railroaded by his majority as Congress resumes its sessions. Duterte’s economic managers
are busy finding other things to tax
The measures are being pushed on almost all food products. These for debt servicing. The Department
by Duterte’s World Bank-trained include dried fish, noodles and of Trade and Industry recently
technocrats under the guise of canned goods that are staple to compelled small online sellers to
boosting the economy which has many poor households. Excise tax register their businesses in order to
seen a sharp downturn due to the will also be levied on deep-fried and impose taxes on them under pain of
Covid-19 pandemic. These are fo- salty snacks; candies, sugary facing criminal charges. Afterwards,
cused on “attracting foreign in- desserts and sweetened beverages; it stated that barter trading is il-
vestments,” borrowing money, and and fastfood products. The fiscal legal and must be taxed. New barter
passing the burden on the people in reform is justified as “sin tax” pur- arrangements such as “online
the form of of new taxes. portedly to discourage Filipinos barter trading” have emerged as
Duterte’s economic managers from eating unhealthy food. Filipi- these have provided people with an
have set on a media campaign this nos will be set back by at least alternative source of food and other
month to aggressively push for the P72.97 billion in should the tax be basic needs amid the pandemic and
implementation of an utterly re- implemented. The tax burden is imposition of work restrictions.
gressive “Junk Food Tax” which heavier for the poor majority who Last July 9, Malacañang an-
aims to levy additional excise taxes pay proportionally more out of their nounced that Congress and Duter-
te's economic officials have already
agreed on which programs to prior-
itize under the so-called Bayanihan
Nurses protest for PPE, wage increase 2. The package primarily aims to
N
lower corporate income tax, rail-
urses of the San Lazaro Hospital in Manila City mounted a silent
road the regime's infrastructure
protest last July 16 to demand better treatment. The nurses dis-
projects, and extend Duterte's
closed that around 60 health workers in the hospital were infected
emergency powers. (Read related
with Covid-19. Among them are 48 patients who compose 60% of the
article in Ang Bayan, May 21.)
facilities Covid-19 patients.
Simultaneously, Duterte's
They lamented that the infections were primarily caused by the
henchmen are aggressively pushing
lack of personal protective equipment (PPE) and the wrong type of face
to expedite the privatization of
masks that were given them. They also criticized the slow disburse-
government properties to pur-
ment of funds for a wage increase, as well as the absence of hazard
portedly augment public funds amid
pay and other benefits.
the Covid-19 crisis. Senator Francis
As of June 30, the Department of Health has distributed only 2
Tolentino recently filed the “Covid-
million despite being appropriated a budget for the procurement of 10
19 Economic Lifeline Act” which
million PPE. So far, the agency has been able to procure and distribute
aims to create a Covid-19 Privatiz-
only less than half of much-needed medical equipment. Recent reports
ation Commission. The said com-
revealed that majority of Covid-19 wards have already reached full ca-
mission will oversee the disposition
pacity and could no longer accept critical patients.
of state-owned assets. Earlier in
The Filipino Nurses United bared that nurses are overworked yet
April, Duterte himself expressed his
underpaid and left unprotected from Covid-19. On July 18, the De-
intent to sell the land where the
partment of Budget and Management issued a circular to implement
Cultural Center of the Philippines
the increase in salary grade of nurses as stipulated in the Philippine
and the Philippine International
Nursing Act. This entitles entry-level nurses in public hospitals to a
Convention Center stand on. The
salary of ₱32,000-₱34,000 from ₱22,000-₱24,000 previously. The said
said area has long been targeted by
law was enacted in 2002, or 18 years ago, but is only set to take effect
big bouregois compradors who are
today.
seeking to expand their reclamation
activities in the Manila Bay.
ANG BAYAN July 21, 2020 5Behind SMC’s humanitarian facade
T he San Miguel Corporation has been boasting of its huge contributions to
the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic. Behind its humanitarian
facade, however, is its oppressive treatment to people to further squeeze
boasted that it has contributed aid
worth P13 billion to various indigent
sectors. It counted as “aid” the P3-
profits through their misery. While its president Ramon Ang is busy with its billion compensation it gave to its
donation drives, other personnel are also busy evicting thousadns of urban own workers, and the funds it spent
poor residents, peasants and fisherfolk. in constructing a private testing
center which it uses to test its
Amid the pandemic, SMC The Bulacan local government and employees. The entire P13 billion is
threatened to demolish the houses the 48th IB assisted in evicting the tax-deductibe, in accordance to
of nearly 3,000 residents of Cas- residents. THe Aerotropolis is set to Duterte’s order to deduct all dona-
tañas, Guisguis San Roque, Guisguis destroy the livelihood of 1,000 tions, in the form of funds, material
Talon, and Talaan Aplaya in Saria- fisherfolk and 2,500 hectares of or services, that have anything to
ya, Quezon to pave way for its coal- mangroves crucial to Manila Bay’s do with the Covid-19 pandemic.
fired power plant project in the ecosystem. In exchange, the regime awar-
area. Residents from Sitio Tayawak, The Aerotropolis is an unsoli- ded the company the most con-
Barangay Castañas have been cited project proposal which re- tracts under its Build, Build, Build
evicted on July 6. In 2018, the local placed the planned rehabilitation program. In addition to the Aero-
government approved the project project of the current international tropolis, it awarded to SMC several
after the SMC bribed provincial airport in Metro Manila. construction projects including the
board members. In addition to the Ang is one of Duterte’s most Skyway 3, Skyway Extension, Sky-
power plant, the company plans to favored oligarchs. Duterte considers way 4, MRT-7 and TPLEX. The MRT-
put up a cement plant, a brewery him as his “close friend” especially 7, previously awarded to the Ay-
and a port in Sariaya. after SMC donated funds for his alas, have dislocated 300 families
Prior to this, the company suppression campaigns. His and has resulted in a spate of ex-
evicted 400 families from their donations include the P2-billion trajudicial killings of peasant lead-
communities in Taliptip, Bulakan, funds for drug rehabilitation cen- ers. It is set to evict 40,000 more
Bulacan, to pave way for Aerotro- ters under the “war against drugs,” residents in Caloocan City. The said
polis, an infrastructure program the P330 million donation to famil- projects are behind Duterte's
approved by Duterte. The fisherfolk, ies of soliders who were either killed earlier efforts to lift economic re-
whom the company made to appear or wounded when they besieged strictions in the construction sub-
to have voluntarily left, were in fact Marawi City, and another P2.52 sector, prior to opening other in-
threatened to be evicted without billon for the "rehabilitation" of dustries under the lockdown.
compen- Marawi and parts of Davao devast- In 2019, SMC registered P1.02
sation. ated by the AFP’s bloody counter- trillion in net sales and P48.6 billion
insurgency cam- net revenue. Amid the pandemic, it
paign. plans to construct 12 additional
During the animal feed factories and breweries
pandemic, SMC in Cagayan de Oro City and Laguna.
It also plans to build addi-
tional facilities in its newly-
acquired Masinloc Power
Plant in Zambales. Ma-
jority of the company
is owned by the fam-
ily of Eduardo Co-
juangco, one of
the biggest cro-
nies of the late
dictator
Ferdinand
Marcos.
6 July 21, 2020 ANG BAYANPolice massacre 3 barangay watchmen in Masbate
T hree barangay watchmen were abducted by police and soldiers on July 4
at midnight and were massacred in the boundary of barangays Bagacay
and Marintoc in Mobo, Masbate. The victims, identified as Edgar Mingoy,
slapped with a trumped-up charges
of murder for purportedly killing
two soldiers in 2018.
Marlon Bajar and Rolly de la Cruz, were all falsely presented before the media Activists protested in Legazpi
as members of the New People's Army (NPA). and Naga City on July 10 to con-
demn the arrests.
The suspects include troops of around 2 a.m. Two drones were also Militarization. At least five
the Regional Mobile Force Battalion seen flying overhead. The incident military units have been besieging
5, 9th Special Action Battalion, Re- traumatized residents especially the towns of Juban, Magallanes,
gional Intelligence Unit, Masbate children. Thirty-seven families Bulan, Irosin and Matnog in Sorso-
Provincial Mobile Force Company evacuated from their communities gon since the last week of June. In
and the Mobo Municipal Police Of- after the incident. Irosin, 23 out of its 28 barangays
fice. Elements of the 96th Military Arrests. State elements arres- are currently being occupied by
Intelligence Company were also in- ted activist Jenelyn Nagrampa-Ca- soldiers under the guise of con-
volved in the crime. ballero in Barangay San Isidro, Na- ducting "Community Support Prog-
The perpetrators repeatedly bua, Camarines Sur on July 7. Nag- ram." The 22nd IB has also began
fired their guns in the air for an rampa is the chairperson of the constructing its camp in Barangay
hour to make it appear that they Bicolana-Gabriela and concurrently Calomagon in Bulan.
encountered an NPA unit. serves as the national vice chair- The fascists are conducting
Mingoy served as a barangay person of Gabriela. house-to-house searches and listing
watchman for 20 years, while Dela On July 9, state elements also the names of residents. They also
Cruz also served as a councilor in arrested Rev. Dan San Andres, 61 coerced barangay councils to stage
their village. years old, of the United Church of the surrender of their constituents.
Bombing. Using two FA-50 Christ in the Philippines in Sipocot Last July 7 and 8, soldiers and
fighter jets, the military dropped town in the same province. San An- police ransacked the houses of
eight bombs near two Lumad com- dres is the spokesperson of Kara- eight residents in Barangay Maalo
munities in Barangay Diatagon, Li- patan-Bikol. and Calmayon in the town of Ju-
anga, Surigao del Sur on July 15 at Both veteran activists were ban.
Police house-to-house search Opposition to Terror Law broadens
is unlawful THE MOVEMENT AGAINST Tyranny and Concerned
THE ORDER OF Sec. Eduardo Año of the De- Lawyers for Civil Liberties protested in front of the
partment of Interior and Local Government Commission on Human Rights in Quezon City last July 11
(DILG) to the Philippine National Police (PNP) to to oppose the Anti-Terror Act.
do "house-to-house" to search and "appre- The said groups are among those that filed the 10th
hend" and bring Covid-19 positive individuals to petition at the Supreme Court demanding to junk the
quarantine facilities is another militarist meas- law.
ure. On July 16, the Catholic Bishops Conference of the
Año's new order will further trample on civil Philippines issued a pastoral letter expressing its
rights. This goes against even the reactionary "alarm" on the provisions of the law which allows
laws which require police to have a warrant to warantless arrests and detention. It noted that a num-
enter and search private homes. It also violates ber of Catholic priests and bishops are being accused of
privacy rights which are upheld even during being "communists," and thus "terrorists, for their ad-
medical situations. Earlier, Año order local vocacies.
government officials to arrest "quarantine viol- Meanwhile, 45 US congressmen demanded the im-
ators" to teach them a lesson. Almost 900 were mediate junking of the law. They said that this will only
arrested and fined on July 9 in Quezon City. On be used by Duterte to further suppress the rights of or-
Huly 16, at least 300 were apprehended in dinary Filipinos. The lawmakers submitted their letter to
Navotas. the Philippine Embassy on July 16.
ANG BAYAN July 21, 2020 7Surveillance amid the pandemic
I n July 8, the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) on Emerging Infectious
Diseases allowed the opening of barbershops, parlors and salons up to
50% of their regular clientele in Metro Manila. Among the AITF’s requisites is
for all costumers to use contact tracing applications like the StaySafe.Ph.
StaySafe.Ph is a phone applica- in 2016 and served as a consultant
tion which registers the location to the NSC in 2017. He worked on Data can be sold to interested
wherever the user may be. The ob- some "technical surveillance" pro- businesses.
jective of this app is supposedly to jects for the agency. The Critics and the political opposi-
provide fast and easy information StaySafe.Ph was said to be com- tion fear that it will be used against
to individuals if they come in con- missioned by the National Intelli- them, especially under the newly-
tact with a Covid-19-positive indi- gence Coordinating Agency. PLDT signed Anti-Terror Law. The Na-
vidual by registering phone num- holds 45% of the company since tional Investigation Bureau, which
bers to establishments they patro- 2018. has persecuted Duterte’s critics in
nize. Many technology experts have the guise of stopping the prolifera-
The app was developed and is sounded alarm against StaySafe.Ph, tion of fake news, will have access
being ran by MultiSys Technology claiming that the application could to the app’s data.
Corp. It was endorsed by Hermoge- be used to spy on the people and vi- On June 29, the Makabayan
nes Esperon of the National Secu- olate their right to privacy. It col- bloc proposed that Congress in-
rity Council (NSC) and officialized lects extensive data from registered vestigate irregularities and privacy
by the IATF generals last April 22. cellphones. Aside from determining issues of the app. Its representat-
The company aims to enrol half of the user’s location, it has permission ives cited the complaint lodged by
the Philippine population. It has ac- to read and change messages and then DICT official Eliseo Rio Jr. who
cess to all active cellphones and can contacts, access the camera and said that the app is incapable of
directly send messages to all microphone, read storage and contact tracing. At the time it was
through the Department of Infor- change phone settings, among oth- endorsed by the IATF, the app was
mation and Communications Tech- ers. only capable of collecting phone
nology (DICT). The app has no declared privacy numbers and determining locations.
Multisys Technologies Corp. statement and it is unclear how the It is not integrated with the data-
was founded by David Almirol Jr. collected data will be used after the bases of the Department of Health
who previously worked in a US mil- pandemic. It can be used by those and local agencies which are dir-
itary base in Iraq. He met Esperon in power during the next election. ectly in charge of contact tracing.
Covid-19 pandemic aggravates global hunger
T he Covid-19 pandemic continues to aggravate hunger in countries where
food crisis is most severe and is creating new epicenters of hunger
across the globe. In a report published last July 9, Oxfam International
270 million before the end of the
year, an 82% increase from 149
million in 2019.
identified 10 countries where hunger is most severe, as well as four It noted that among
countries which are experiencing rapidly rising levels of hunger due to the factors behindthis is
the pandemic. Oxfam is a confederation of 20 the disruption in the
independent charitable organizations focused production of small-scale
on the alleviation of global poverty. farmers who are at the
backbone of local food sys-
Using data from the World Food already the tems in many poor coun-
Programme, Oxfam projected that highest since the tries. Farmers are adversely
12,000 people per day could die onslaught of the pan- affected by lockdowns as
from hunger. This figure is higher demic. The number of they are restricted to ac-
than the 10,000 Covid-19 deaths people in crisis level hun- cess their land to cultivate,
per day recorded in April which is ger is projected to rise to "Covid-19...," continued on page 9
8 July 21, 2020 ANG BAYAN"Covid-19...," from page 8 Pediatricians recommendation:
plant or harvest crops. Travel
restrictions impede access to
markets to sell their produce
Open schools safely
T
or buy seeds and tools. The
he 67,000-strong American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommended
disruption in local production
last June for schools to be opened and for students to be present in
has resulted in inflation in
schools the soonest possible time. They came up with eight principles in con-
many countries.
sidering school re-entry policies in its paper entitled "COVID-19 Planning
Additionally, the shutdown
Considerations: Guidance for School Re-entry," last updated on June 25. It
of economies resulted in
emphasized that all policy considerations "should start with the goal of hav-
massive job losses in the past
ing students physically present in school.”
months. Latest statistics by
the International Labor Orga-
The pediatricians assert that demic, 1.3 billion children worldwide
nization indicate that 305
schools do not just provide academic have been forced to stop school since
million full time jobs have been
learning to children and adolescents. March-April. According to the
lost across the world because
These also serve as a venue for stu- UNICEF, the perils for children being
of the pandemic. The figure
dents to develop their social and out of school grow and will continue
still excludes workers in the
emotional skills, and to exercise and grow if schools remain shut, espe-
informal sector. Oxfam said
get access to mental health support, cially in backward countries. Chil-
that millions of people could no
among many others that cannot be dren who have stopped school are in
longer afford to eat after los-
provided by online learning. But ac- danger of never coming back. This
ing their jobs and lack of sub-
cording to them, schools should also will result in greater inequalities,
sidy from their respective
be ready to adapt and decisions weaker health systems, violence,
governments. It disclosed that
should be flexible and nimble. child labor exploitation and child
hunger and food crisis is worst
There has been many researches marriages.
in Yemen, Democratic Republic
on the surprising aspect of the pan- The decision on when and how to
of Congo (DRC), Afghanistan,
demic wherein children appear to be open schools is not easy, says the
Venezuela, West African Sa-
infected "far less frequently than agency. It will need large infusion of
hel, Ethiopia, Sudan, South
adults and, when infected, typically funds and close supervision, as past
Sudan, Syria and Haiti. Hunger
have mild symptoms." Children are weaknesss of the system should be
levels are also rising in poor
also "less likely to spread the infec- addressed before schools can be
countries including India,
tion," particularly those under 12 opened. Governments should be
South Africa and Brazil.
(10 in some researches.) When chil- aware of the advantages and disad-
Amid rising levels of hun-
dren are infected, it is most frequent vantages of opening schools as
ger, the eight biggest food and
that they contract the virus from against online learning. Beside
beverage manufacturing mul-
adults. health facilities, governments need
tinationls continue to rake in
The UK's 2,500-strong Royal to coordinate closely with teachers
superprofits and paid out over
College of Paediatrics and Child and parents. Funds are also needed
$18 billion to their sharehold-
Health made the same appeal to the for those children who lag behind
ers since January this year.
UK government, stating that keeping and those with special needs.
These companies include Coca-
schools shut "risks scarring the life
Cola which paid out dividends
chances of a generation of young
worth $3.5 billion, Danone
people."
($1.35 billion), General Mills
Most pediatricians do not
($594 million), Kellogg ($391
discount that outbreaks
million), Mondelez ($408 mil-
in schools can happen,
lion), Nestlé ($8.2 billion for
and are even inevit-
the entire year), PepsiCo ($2.7
able, but the benefits
billion) at Unilever (around
of opening them out-
$1.2 billion). The total amount
weigh the risks. They
is ten times bigger than the
reiterated that:
funding requested by the
"Every child deserves
United Nations to feed the most
to have an uninter-
vulnerable peoples across the
rupted education."
world.
Due to the pan-
ANG BAYAN July 21, 2020 9You can also read
