Philippine troop revolt targets Macapagal Arroyo's "war on terror"

["Fred Feldman" <ffeldman@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Statement of the Partido ng Manggagawang Pilipino

(Philippines Workers Party, PMP)

on the Soldiers Rebellion in the Philippines



July 27, 2003.



The rank-and-file soldiers, junior officers from the rank of
lieutenant colonel down, have taken over the Ayala center in Makati,
the heart of the business district in the capital Manila. The soldiers
have put forward a list of grievances charging the government of
President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo with:

Corruption
Gunrunning
Plotting to declare martial law in August
Plotting the ?terrorist? bombings in Davao in order to get US military
aid
Forcing rank and file soldiers to carry out terrorist bombings in the
southern islands of Mindanao to frame the Moro Islamic Liberation
Front as ?terrorists?
Low wages and massive wage differentials in the military


The PMP declares that the grievances of these rank-and-file soldiers
are legitimate and must be given a hearing. We also demand that the
charges against the government are properly investigated.

The charges show that the real terrorists are the GMA regime and her
gang of imperialist backers in the Bush administration.

July 28 marks the opening of the Philippine Congress after a period of
recession, when President Arroyo will be delivering her State Of the
Nation Address. President Arroyo must address these charges in her
SONA address.

The peoples mass organizations are calling for a full mobilization of
their forces outside Congress tomorrow. These mobilizations will
continue the next day.

The Congress session should be opened up to allow the peoples
organization to enter and deliberate the charges and the political and
social crisis facing the country.

We have also heard reports that the Bush administration has warned the
soldiers against their actions, thus threatening intervention. We have
also heard reports that the Australian government could use the excuse
that their embassy staff are in the area cordoned off by the soldiers
as a pretext for some form of intervention.

We warn against any form of escalating imperialist intervention. It?s
up to the Philippine workers and poor masses and their mass
organizations, along with their oppressed and exploited ordinary
soldier comrades,  to sort out the mess created by a government that
has kowtowed to imperialist interests. It?s the Arroyo regime and its
imperialist backers who are responsible for the economic and social
crisis that increases the suffering of the people.

The only way the economic and social problems of the people can be
solved is through genuine peoples power which places the people and
their mass organizations in the leadership of the country.



International Department, PMP



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