The Communist Party of the Philippines issued a statement last September 14, condemning the entry of foreign mining firms in the country. The party devoted so much time writing the statement that it took them a great deal to explain why a Socialist-Mao Zedong revolutionary force is now very interested and very keen on dipping their fingers in the exploration of this country's mineral resources. For decades, note the series of statements issued by the Party and you'll note that these statements are closely related to the 40-year struggle of the Party against the Philippine State.
Now, the CPP-NPA-NDF is changing tack. It now wants to become an enterprise? It now wants to promote nationalist mining and probably earn millions of dollars worth of revenues from extraction of mines?
This is a far departure from the Party whose sole objective is seizure of political power in the name of the weak, the helpless and the downtrodded. I know that the Party has directed its front organisations such as Alyansa Tigil Mina to liaise with Indigenous Peoples solely to protect their ancestral domains? Don't tell me that the CPP-NPA-NDF will not ask these tribes to abandon their domains once the Party successfully convinces the National Government to call off foreign mining plans in this country and instead grant it to several Party favorites and dummies?
Teddy Casino and Luz Ilagan of Bayan Muna and Gabriela, both organisations under the National Democratic Front are very much active in calling for the repeal of the Mining Act of 1995. Instead of being consistent with the age-old partyline of protecting the Indigenous People's rights and the stand favoring environmental protection, the duo wants nothing more than nationalize mining. They want a repeal because it does not favor the Party's interest, which is dominate the local mining industry.
Meaning, they are really not interested in protecting IP rights---they are now using these tribes to alienate other interests involved in mining so that they will now be the ones to dominate the industry and people it with their own dummies?
My question to Teddy is---where do we get the technology needed to extract tons and tons of copper and gold in our mountains? We buy it, they say. Ok, where do you get experts? There is still a dearth of Pinoy mining engineers and experts. Don't tell me that you'll ask China to partner with you? If you plan so, you're nothing but shameless hypocrites!
I am totally dismayed by the Party stand simply because this campaign against mining distracts the revolutionary movement from its original objective which is armed struggle against the state. Ask any NPA cadre and he'll tell you that the main reason why he joined was he wanted nothing more than change Philippine society. Is mining part of his work as a cadre?
INstead of salivating from the thought of getting millions out of ores, why not completely concentrate on intensifying the struggle against graft and corruption, the Corporatism being perpetuated by the Aquino administration, the increasing poverty of the people and others? There are so many issues more worthy of the party's attention than mining.
Or the Party wants to turn their weapons into digging forks instead of plowshares?
By the way, why is the CPP-NPA-NDF attacking only US mining firms and not Chinese mining firms? China is a foreign power, one of a few exploiting the resources of this country. I have'nt heard any single incident which the NPAs torch the mining plants of the Chinese. Don't tell me that the Party is a stooge of China?
you are damn right. These communists rebels has done nothing good for this country they are only good at using poor people against us and the government. great blog I finally found something worth reading
ReplyDelete