ANGPahayagan ng Partido Komunista ng Pilipinas

Pinapatnubayan ng Marxismo-Leninismo-Maoismo

EDITORIAL

Engl ish Edition

Vol . XLVI I I No.9

May 7, 2017

www.phi l ippinerevolution. info

Intensify peasantmass struggles underthe Duterte regime

GRP Pres. Rodrigo Duterte seemed to endorse the collective ac-tions launched recently by peasants and farm workers to claimtheir land when he threatened the "oligarchs" that, if they fail to

pay their taxes after three months, he will call on the people to occupytheir lands.

It is upon Duterte to prove thathis words are not empty. He mustundertake concrete measures toshow he is not simply riding on thepeople's grievances and aspirations.In the face of left and right peasantstruggles across the country, hemust prove his word not after threemonths but immediately.

Duterte must name those oli-garchs he has denounced and identi-fy the public lands they occupy ille-gally. He must also be made awarethat genuine land reform is not lim-ited to public lands. This is a matterof liberating millions of peasants

from feudal and semifeudal exploit-ation by dismantling the land mono-polies of big haciendas and planta-tions. Most of these are not publiclands, rather wide swathes of agri-cultural land forcibly taken from thepeasant masses.

As of now, the peasant massesdo not see Duterte using his powersto extend concrete help to theirstruggles. He has not extended de-cisive support for the peasants es-pecially as they confront the biglandlords and plantation owners whostubbornly occupy their lands. This isdespite orders of the GRP's courts or. . . continued on page 3

NPA seizes

84 firearms

THE NEW People's Army confis-cated 84 firearms from militaryactions in the past two weeks inthe provinces of Quirino, Cagay-an, Iloilo, Bukidnon and DavaoCity.

In Davao City, three simultan-eous armed actions werelaunched by the 1st PulangBagani Battalion (PBB) of theNPA-Southern Mindanao Regionlast April 29 against armed goonsand facilities of landlord-compra-dor Lorenzo family.

At 2 a.m., Red fighters at-tacked two factories and a ranchof the Lapanday Foods Corp.Thirty nine firearms were seizedfrom these three targets, asidefrom various military equipment.

The 1st PBB first attackedLapanday Foods Corp.'s box plantin Brgy. Mandug. Almost at thesame time, another unit of the 1stPBB attacked the Lorenzo's Ma-condray Plastic Plant in Brgy.Bunawan. Operatives of the NPAset afire two buildings and facil-ities of Lapanday. At past 3 a.m.,another unit of the 1st PBB raidedthe Lorenzos' plantation andranch in Brgy. Pangyan in CalinanDistrict.

According to the NPA-SMR'sKa Rigoberto Sanchez, the 1stPBB implemented the actionagainst the Lorenzo family'scompany which has a long recordof grabbing farmers' and Lumadlands, and exploitation of itsworkers. The Lorenzo family hasamassed its wealth through in-tense exploitation and land-

May 7 , 2017 ANG BAYAN2

Together with the New People'sArmy (NPA), they launch agrarianrevolution to overthrow and smashthe feudal power of the despoticlandlords and continue to establishand spread the people's democraticgovernment at the barrio, interbar-rio or municipal, district and higherlevels.

Part of advancing agrarian re-volution is launching armed actionsagainst the despotic landlords andthe plunderous and landgrabbingbig bourgeois compradors, such asthose carried out by the NPAagainst the Lorenzos. The aim ofsuch measures is to stress upon thelikes of the Lorenzos that their allout suppression, exploitation andoppression of the peasants, farm-workers and workers won't go un-punished. As much as it can, theNPA will launch measures againstthe big despotic landlords andbourgeois compradors to supportthe struggle of the peasant masses.

The people's democratic gov-ernment will continue to implementthe program for genuine land reformas a response to the principal de-mand and need of the peasantmasses. Carrying out genuine landreform is the main reason for thecontinuously broadening and deep-ening support of the masses for theirrevolutionary government. Under theland reform program, free land dis-tribution, wherever practicable, anddefense of the people's ancestralland is undertaken. Policies to lowerland rent, raise production and in-crease peasant income are imple-mented. Programs for literacy andeducation, health and other publicservices are implemented as well.

The question of genuine landreform and national industrializa-tion are among the main programsbeing asserted by the NDFP in peacenegotiations with the GRP. The re-volutionary forces demand that anagreement be forged containing acommon program for agrarian re-form and socio-economic reformsthat will be implemented separatelyor jointly within the scope of eachother's political power.

Editoryal: Intensify peasant massstruggles under the Duterte regime 1

NPA seizes 84 firearms 1

CA's rejection of Gina Lopez lambasted 4

NPA successively releases 2 POWs 4

Lapanday, bane of the people 4

6 civilians killed by the AFP 5

Jobs, decent wages and housing 6

Imperialist conquest of the world 7

Karl Marx's 200th birthday 8

Vol . XLVI I I No. 9 | May 7, 2017

Contents

agencies to subject said lands to re-form and distribute these to thepeasants.

These past weeks, outstandingmass actions were carried out in theLorenzo's Lapanday plantation inDavao Norte and in the Cojuangco's(and Lorenzo's) Hacienda Luisita inTarlac. Both in Luisita andLapanday, the peasants and farmworkers not only stand on justgrounds, but possess, as well, thelegal papers of the GRP which sup-port their land claims.

The Luisita and Lapanday peas-ants failed to regain their lands.They are dismayed by Duterte's ut-ter lack of support. In Lapanday,the local police stood idly by and didnothing as the Lorenzo's employed700 armed guards prevented farm-ers from claiming their land, even ifthey were accompanied by DAR'sSec. Paeng Mariano. Armed guardsof RCBC prevented the peasantsand farmworkers as well fromclaiming their lands in BarangayBalete in Hacienda Luisita.

These experiences only under-score the need for the peasantmasses to further advance their

struggles for genuine land reformunder the Duterte regime. TheParty calls on the peasant masses tointensify their struggles to demandthe dismantling of Hacienda Luisitaand all other feudal haciendas andplantations. They must also in-tensify their collective struggleagainst "agribusiness ventureagreements" and other schemesthat prevent peasants from claim-ing, controlling and benefitting fromtheir lands. They must also struggleto get back the land taken awayfrom them such as Hacienda Loocand Yulo King Ranch. They mustadvance their struggles in the"bungkalan" (cultivation) areas todemand their right to the land.

In areas under the power of thepeople's democratic government,the revolutionary forces will con-tinue to carry out the minimum andmaximum land reform program. ThePambansang Katipunan ng mgaMagbubukid (PKM) is organized inall areas in the countryside to unitethose who do not have or lack land.The PKM and its affiliate organiza-tions are the main force of themovement for genuine land reform.

ANG

prwc_info

youtube.com/PhilippineRevolutionWebCentral

@prwc_info

facebook.com/philrevwebcentral

cppinformationbureau@gmail.com

Ang Bayan is publ ished in

Pi l ipino, Bisaya, Hi l igaynon,

Waray and Engl ish.

Ang Bayan welcomes

contributions in the form of

articles and news items. Readers

are encouraged to send feedback

and recommendations for

improving our newspaper.

Ang Bayan is publ ished fortnightly by the Central Committee

of the Communist Party of the Phi l ippines

ANG BAYAN May 7 , 2017 3

grabbing in many parts of the coun-try. Its ranch also serves as havenfor the family's goons involved inthe murder of plantation workers.

Last April 21, the Lorenzosemployed 700 armed men in collu-sion with the local police in order toblock more than a hundred farmerswho took action to reclaim their145-hectare land taken by theLorenzos in Brgy. Madaum, TagumCity. Last December 12, 2016, per-sonnel of the Lorenzos opened fireat protesting farmers.

The NPA-SMR also saidLapanday engaged in wanton envir-onmental plunder as communitiesaround its plantations complain ofpoisoning due to the company’s un-restrained aerial spraying and useof other harmful chemicals. Mean-while, the NPA-SMR expressed itsapologies to the family of LarryBuenafe, the fish vendor who wasaccidentally hit during an NPA am-bush against military rein-forcements. The NPA-SMR is readyto indemnify the Buenafe family forthis unfortunate accident.

In Mati City, Davao Oriental,eight firearms were seized by theNPA from security forces of the de-structive Del Oro Mining Corp. inBrgy. Macambol last May 6 at 6:00a.m. Seized were two carbines andsix shotguns. The Red fighters alsoconfiscated and destroyed nine ofthe company's heavy equipment.

In Maddela, Quirino, 10 fire-arms were seized by the NPA in asuccessful raid on the PhilippineNational Police municipal station ofthe said municipality last April 30 ataround 10 p.m. Killed in the fire-fight was intelligence officer PO2Jerome Cardena.

In a report by the VenerandoVillacillo Command, the Red fight-ers were able to confiscate six M16rifles and four 9mm pistols.

Meanwhile, six firearms wereseized by the NPA-Cagayan Valleyin a raid on a PNP sub-station at

Brgy. Annafatan in the town ofAmulung West, Cagayan last May 4,5:15 p.m. The NPA was able to eas-ily pin down eight police officerswho were at the detachment duringthat time. Two of the police officerswho surrendered were humanelytreated by the NPA, while not firingupon those who ran off. Confiscatedby the Red fighters were three M16rifles, one M14 rifle and two 9mmpistols.

In Bukidnon, the NPA-SouthCentral Bukidnon (SCB)-NorthCentral Mindanao Region disarmedthe Dasia Security Agency in Purok17, Hindangon, Poblacion, ValenciaCity in the evening of May 3. Con-fiscated from the agency were twoAK-47s, one M16, three shotgunsand three .38 calibre pistols. Whilethe raid was going on, another unitof the NPA-SCB set up a roadcheckpoint. A 9mm pistol from apolice officer was confiscated.

Last April 28, seven members ofa paramilitary group surrendered toSection 5 under the NPA-SCB. Theygave up seven firearms includingone improvised M79 and grenadelauncher rounds, two M14s, oneGarand, two shotguns and an im-provised M16.

The following day at 7:30 p.m.,Section 3 NPA-SCB disarmed broth-ers Edgar and Erick Ordinisa in Na-kabuklad, San Fernando, Bukidnon.Confiscated were two carbines anda shotgun. The Ordinisas were em-ployed by Valentine Ordinisa andused these firearms in threateningfarmers who pass by the property oftheir boss. Aside from this, thesame unit of the NPA-NCMRlaunched a harassment operationagainst the 60th IB last April 23 in

Brgy. Bonacao, San Fernando.The NPA-Comval-Davao East

Coast Subregional OperationsCommand also successfully raided adetachment of the 67th IB and72nd IB in Brgy. Aliwagwag, Cateel,Davao Oriental last April 26. Theraid was carried out at around 5:00a.m. One CAFGU element was killedwhile three others were wounded inthe battle. An M14 rifle was confis-cated by the NPA.

In Panay, three consecutivetactical offensives were launchedby the Napoleon Tumagtang Com-mand (NTC) against enemy unitsunder the 3rd ID. Last May 3 at1:15 early in the morning, Redfighters attacked the headquartersof the 12th IB's Bravo Coy in Brgy.Pitogo, San Joaquin, Iloilo. Prior tothis, another unit of the NPA-NTCattacked the patrol base of the82nd IB's Charlie Coy in Sitio In-sobrehan, Brgy. Igcabugao, Ig-baras, Iloilo last May 1 at pastmidnight. The NPA-NTC also at-tacked a camp of the 82nd IB inBrgy. Igtalongon, Igbaras at pastmidnight last April 30.

In the face of the successiveNPA offensives, NDFP Chief Politic-al Consultant Ka Jose Maria Sisonsaid that "The people and revolu-tionary forces have to defendthemselves and take the offensivewherever and whenever they can."

Moreover, Ka Joma likewisesaid that continuing the peace talkshas become more important. "It isbetter," he said, "to negotiatepeace and work out the interimjoint ceasefire agreement in con-nection with the ComprehensiveAgreement on the Social and Eco-nomic Reforms and the amnesty ofthe political prisoners."

"84 firearms. . . , " from page 1

May 7 , 2017 ANG BAYAN4

ately be reinstalled in their lands.Marbai’s planting contract withLapanday is overly oppressive andexploitative. Aside from being com-pelled to procure all saplings andpesticides from Lapanday, their

NPA successively releases 2 POWs

THE TWO remaining prisoners of war (POW)in Mindanao were successively released onseparate occasions this end of April.

On April 27, the New People’s Army-North Central Mindanao released PO2 An-thony Natividad in Dominorog, Talakag,Bukidnon. He was received by the Region 10peace and order council led by Talakag May-or Oscar Moreno and other intermediariesled by Bishop Felixberto Calang. Natividadwas captured by Red fighters in a checkpointin Bukidnon last January 29.

Meanwhile, the NPA-NortheasternMindanao also released Pfc. Erwin Salan inBrgy. Camam-onan, Gigaquit, Surigao delNorte last April 30. Hundreds attended theprogram where he was turned over to pro-vincial officials and to Bishop Rey Timbang ofthe Iglesia Filipina Independiente. Salan’srelease was presided over by Comrade ReyCalaste (Ka Oto), NPA-NEMR Front Commit-tee 16’s spokesperson. The NPA capturedSalan last January 29 in Brgy. Budlingin,Alegria where he was taking part in combatoperations.

Both POW releases were announcedearlier in February in support of the peacenegotiations between the NDFP and the GRP.But both were delayed by the Armed Forcesof the Philippines’ continuing combat opera-tions and the latter's refusal to declare asuspension of military operations.

CA’s rejection of Gina Lopez lambasted

THE COMMISSION on Appointment’s rejection of Gina Lopez asDepartment of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) secre-tary earned widespread condemnation. Large mining companiesused millions of pesos and influence to ensure that she will not beable to continue her pro-environment and pro-people policies in theDENR.

The rejection came after months of campaigning by miningcompanies to unseat her. Among the hype spread by their officialsand propagandists include the allegation that local governmentswill lose revenue and there will be massive unemployment if themines are closed. A million people will purportedly starve and thegovernment will be burdened with huge legal bills since miningcompanies are sure to challenge Lopez’s orders in court.

These excuses have long been proven false by governmentstatistics no less. Mining contribution to the gross domesticproduct and employment is low, if not insignificant. Sectors des-troyed by mining, such as agriculture and tourism, contribute more.It is also untrue that mining contributes much to the fight againstpoverty in their areas. One example is the Surigao Chamber ofCommerce and Industry who claims to contribute 32.5% to the localGDP. But according to Ibon Foundation, this contribution does nottranslate into uplifting the people’s quality of life. In fact, CARAGA,which has the most number of mines, has the second largest num-ber of poor residents in the country. Up to 40% of the people livingin the region are considered poor.

With Lopez’s exit from the DENR, the people and the revolu-tionary movement lost a friend in the GRP who is willing to defendthe environment and people’s livelihood. However, as long as sheperseveres in this struggle, she will always find a friend in thepeople and the national democratic movement.

The CPP assures the people that, alongside the NPA, it willcontinue to defend the people and the environment ruined by de-structive mining.

Lapanday, bane of the people

Even before the billowing smoke dissipated from the gutteddown buildings and equipment of Lapanday Foods Corp.

(LFC) in Brgy. Mandug, Davao City on April 2, the ruling elitehave spewed out condemnations left and right following the ac-tion carried out by the 1st Pulang Bagani Battalion (PBB) againstthe facilities and properties of the Lorenzo clan.

They gloss over the many de-cades that the family immenselyprospered from the sweat andblood of the hundreds of thousandsof peasants and workers in order toexpand its companies. In 2011,Lapanday raked in P127 million innet income from its plantations inMindanao.

LFC's landgrabbing against

peasants who are de-clared by the GRP as"beneficiaries ofagrarian reform" inMadaum, Tagum City is downrightdisgusting. The peasants underMadaum Agrarian Reform Benefi-ciaries, Inc. (Marbai) are presentlyin Manila to demand from GRP Pres.Rodrigo Duterte that they immedi-

ANG BAYAN May 7 , 2017 5

produce is bought at extremely low prices. A 13-kilo boxof Cavendish banana sold by Lapanday to its foreign cli-ents at more than P600 is bought from Marbai at ameasly P100, resulting in very low incomes for the farm-ers.

The destitute situation of workers in Lapanday facil-ities is not very different. For instance, in its plants inBrgy. Mandug, Davao City, the company earned a net in-come of P105 million in 2015. Majority or 69% of itsworkers are contractual even though the jobs they per-form are essential to the company's operations. TheLorenzos are currently big partners in Hacienda Luisitawhich is owned by the Cojuangcos.

In 2011, the total assets of Lapanday amounted toP5 billion. Being a large Philippine company that exportsfood, it has its own laboratories and facilities for re-search and development. In addition, it operates its ownprivate ports and storage facilities for its clients inSingapore, Hong Kong, Korea, China and Russia, Aus-tralia, New Zealand and the Middle East.

Fascist dominationLike all big landlords and compradors, the Lorenzos

are experts at employing violence in order to maintaincontrol over thousands of hectares of peasants' landand ensure their superprofit at the expense of the work-ers.

On March 11, 2008, the NPA arrested retired MSgt.

Jose Manero, who was at the time LFC's chief securityofficer. Ten high-powered firearms were seized duringthe action. While an NPA prisoner of war, Manero di-vulged Lapanday's numerous murders of peasants andworkers in their plantations. Despite the condition ofindemnification as provision for Manero's pardon, notone of their victims was remunerated by the Lorenzos.

Poisoning communities and the environmentIn 2000, a study revealed that the use of poisonous

chemicals by the Lorenzo's Lapanday Development Corp.(LADECO), resulted in numerous deaths and affliction of150 Manobo families in Brgy. Kamukhaan, Hagonoy inDavao del Sur. Since 1981, LADECO's unabated use ofvarious pesticides poisoned the soil and water supplyand killed crops, farm animals and fish.

The reactionary state, especially the politicians whoare rabid defenders of the ruling classes, claim that themilitant actions of the peasants and the tactical offen-sives of the NPA are disastrous to peasants and workersthemselves. They conceal the fact that in the face ofdecades of expansion of companies like Lapanday, thenational economy and the masses' livelihood remainwoefully backward. That they insist that the NPA's puni-tive action will hardly make a dent on the obscenewealth of the Lorenzos is more proof of the monstrousextent of their abominable exploitation of the peasantand the working classes.

6 civilians killed by the AFPin Masbate and ComVal

Five farmers, including two children, were killed by soldiers in military op-erations under the 9th ID in two incidents in Masbate province last April

15 and 20. Meanwhile, a Lumad activist was killed anew by reactionary forcesin Compostela Valley.

Last April 20, soldiers belongingto the 3rd Scout Ranger Companyunder the command of Lt. KarlitoJohn Cabillo indiscriminately firedupon the houses in Sitio Lubigan,Brgy. Panan-awan, Cawayan aftersuffering casualties in an encounterwith an NPA unit nearby. Killed inthe said shooting were 71-year oldLita Villamor Pepito and two of hergrandchildren, Reden Luna, 9, andRechillen Luna, 11. Lolita's husbandPaulino, 72 years old, was seriouslywounded.

According to Paulino and theother witnesses, his wife was stillalive after being wounded, but sol-

diers finished her off. Some resid-ents were also illegally arrested andwere released only in the evening.

Meanwhile last April 15, the 2ndIB brutally killed brothers Titing andBongbong Tagalog, farmers residingin Brgy. San Carlos, Mi- lagros. Tit-ing was beaten to death while Bong-bong was peppered with bullets.

According to the residents, theindiscriminate firing by the soldiersbring them fear. Most of the resid-ents have already fled their villagebecause of terror. Last April 16 ataround 10 a.m., a civilian was ac-costed by the soldiers, and wasmade to run while being shot at.

Meanwhile, residents from thenearby village of Tigbao reportedthe 2nd IB soldiers' theft of theirgoats and chicken.

In Compostela Valley, activistand Lumad leader Federico "Pandi"Plaza was killed last May 3 at 4:00p.m. in Brgy. Poblacion, Maragusan.Plaza was active in agrarian reformcampaigns as a member of Hugpongsa Mag-uuma sa Walog Compostela(HUMAWAC). As a Lumad leader,he was active in the successfuleviction of the AFP's deceptivePeace and Development OutreachProgram in their area.

According to Karapatan-South-ern Mindanao Region, Plaza is the21st victim of activist killings in theregion. Soldiers of the Armed Forcesof the Philippines are the primaryperpetrators of targeting peasantleaders who are active in masscampaigns.

Meanwhile, Davao City MayorSara Duterte and Vice Mayor PaoloDuterte spewed out personal at-

May 7 , 2017 ANG BAYAN6

May 1, 2017 calls

Jobs, decent wagesand housing

An estimated 100,000 workers and urban poor flooded the streets of dif-ferent cities and towns on the occasion of the 113th International Labor

Day last May 1. Led by the Kilusang Mayo Uno, the rallyists called for the re-instatement of the national minimum wage, an end to contractualization anddistribution of free housing to the poor. They also expressed their dismayover the regime’s neoliberal policies.

The workers stand firm on thejust demand that the national min-imum wage be set at P750/day forthe private sector and P16,000 forthe public sector. According to re-searches by Ibon Foundation, thisdemand will only amount to P447billion or 27% of the total profit of allcorporations. The top 1000 corpora-tions rake in up to P1.63 trillion inprofits per year.

The setting of a minimum wagewill mean an additionalP8,332/month to the workers’ cur-rent wages or P108,316/year, in-cluding 13th month pay. Thisamount is much-needed to lessenthe workers’ and their families’poverty.

Alongside the commemoration ofthe 113th Labor Day, the workersalso celebrated the centenary of theRussian October Revolution which

gave birth to the first socialist stateunder proletarian leadership. KMUalso celebrated its 37th foundinganniversary. The labor center wasfounded in a gathering of 30,000workers in Quezon City during theMarcos dictatorship in 1980.

In Metro Manila, up to 50,000gathered in Liwasang Bonifacio for aprogram attended by representa-tives from progressive parties andcabinet members. Among those whoattended were urban poor residentsfrom various parts of Metro Manila.A large contingent of urban poorfrom Bulacan who occupied vacanthouses the previous month was alsopresent. About 200 peasants fromMadaum, Tagum City fighting fortheir rights to their own lands alsoparticipated. A group of demon-strators marched to the US embassyto denounce US-dictated neoliberal

policies, particularly the flexibil-ization and liberalization of

labor. Towards theafternoon, they

marched to

Mendiola, in front of Malacañang.In Bicol, more than 15,000

members of the KMU and other na-tional-democratic organizationsmarched in the town centers of Al-bay, Catanduanes, Camarines Sur,Camarines Norte, Sorsogon andMasbate.

In Davao City, up to 10,000workers, including delegations fromother Mindanao areas, marched tothe People’s Park to seek dialoguewith GRP’s Pres. Rodrigo Duterte.They planned to present him theKMU and the Filipino workers’ de-mands.

In Laguna, up to 10,000 workersfrom different enclaves in the regionled by Pamantik-KMU gathered inCrossing Calamba. Prior to the pro-gram, protests were held in Sta.Rosa, Cabuyao, Los Baños andCalamba to call on the residents tojoin the gathering.

In Baguio, workers and thepeople turned the streets red in theirstruggle against neoliberal attackson labor. In Angeles City, thousandsmarched from Clark Air Base to thecity center. Similar protests wereheld in Tacloban, Cebu, Iloilo, Aklan,Bacolod, Cagayan de Oro, Butuan,Surigao and General Santos City.

On April 30, in Balintawak, policeblocked some 7,000 urban poor res-idents from Bulacan who were ontheir way to join an anti-ASEANprotest on that day and the May 1protests on the following day inMetro Manila. That day, workerspicketed in front of the US embassyin line with the 30th meeting ofASEAN leaders. ASEAN’s primaryagenda is the formation and approv-al of the Regional ComprehensiveEconomic Partnership which pushesfor further liberalization of localeconomies and other neoliberalpolicies.

tacks against Radyo ni Juan broadcaster Dodong Solis.The personal attacks are the Duterte siblings' re-

sponse to Solis' commentaries regarding the agrariandispute between the farmers and Lapanday Foods Corp.and the NPA's military action against the Lorenzo family.

The National Union of Journalists of the Philippinesexpressed concern regarding this. According to thegroup, attacks and threats by the Dutertes are alarming,most especially because Sara has a record of physicalassault and public humiliation.

ANG BAYAN May 7 , 2017 7

Imperialist conquestof the world

Conquest of the world is an imperialist feature. If the export ofcommodities was prevalent during the earlier capitalist stage,

in the time of imperialism or monopoly capitalism, the export of cap-ital has become more common, and this has given impetus to the di-vision of the world among big monopoly combines and among imperi-alist powers.

In Lenin’s work Imperialism, theHighest Stage of Capitalism, he wrote“surplus capital will be utilized notfor the purpose of raising the stand-ard of living of the masses in a givencountry, for this would mean a de-cline in profits for the capitalists, butfor the purpose of increasing profitsby exporting capital abroad to thebackward countries. In these back-ward countries profits are usuallyhigh, for capital is scarce, the priceof land is relatively low, wages arelow, raw materials are cheap.”

Division of the world changes ac-cording to the strength of eachmonopoly combine and the countryrepresenting its interests. As an ex-ample, from 1884 to 1914, GreatBritain’s share in the internationalsteel cartel shrunk from 66% to53.5%, while that of Germany grewfrom 27% to 28.8%, and Belgium’sfrom 7% to 17.67%. Towards thelater part, France was afforded ashare, and in 1905, J.P. Morgan’sUnited States Steel Corporation, thebiggest steel corporation in the US,came in.

Foreign capital loans are anothermethod of capital export. Capitalloaned by monopoly capita- listshave specific allocations. They comewith contracts to procure arms,technology, needed machinery, orconsumer goods exclusive from thelending country or corporation, or tosupply them raw materials. There-fore, while shoveling in profits fromloans, monopoly capitalists also earnfrom the sales of their products.

In 1910, the oldest capitalist

countries, England and France, to-gether with the two rising imperialistcountries, United States and Ger-many, owned nearly 80% of theworld's finance capital. In a sense,they are global usurers.

This became more glaring afterWorld War II (WWII) upon the es-tablishment of the InternationalMonetary Fund, which is controlledby imperialist countries, to syste-matize lending to underdevelopedcountries. Every loan comes withonerous and oppressive conditionson the debtor states themselves.

Division of the world among im-perialist powers

Each monopoly combine controlssources of raw materials to make itimpossible for their rivals to com-pete, especially non-renewable re-sources such as oil, minerals, coaland land. They control not only pre-viously discovered resources, buteven potential ones, because of rapidtechnological development. Forthem, what is useless today may bevaluable in the future, given enoughtechnology and capital. This providesthem guarantee against all contin-gencies in the struggle with compe-titors, including the contingencyfrom laws establishing a statemonopoly.

Extracting profit is certainlyeasier when an underdevelopedcountry loses its political indepen-dence. This is indicated by theemergence and prevalence of colo-nies—which are directly controlled byimperialist states, and semicolo-

nies—countries that claim they are“independent” but whose economy,politics and culture are kept in checkby imperialists. With a puppet gov-ernment, the imperialists stunt theeconomy, plunder the wealth, wringout cheap labor from the toilingmasses, and corrupt the minds of thepeople to accept their rule.

The years 1884-1900 marked theepoch of intensified "expansion" ofthe chief European states.  By 1900,90.4% of Africa, 98.9% of Polynesia,56.6% of Asia, 27.2% of the Americasand the whole Australia have beencolonized. The Philippines was alsocolonized by the US during this peri-od, through a war that decimated al-most one-sixth of the Filipino popu-lation. So strong was the outcry fromthe American people that Lenin men-tioned the Philippines in his work.

Since the start of the 20th cen-tury, the oligarchy’s frenzied colonialexpansion had used up all territories“open” to colonization in differentcountries. In the era of imperialism,the division of the world has becomecomplete. This can only change if oneseizes the territories of another"owner."

Imperialism means warThe efforts of imperialist states

for domination extend to the mostindustrialized regions. This is notonly for their own positioning, but toundermine and limit their rivals andto achieve hegemony. Lenin showedthat imperialism is based on eco-

(This is the second part of the article “Revisiting Lenin’sCritique of Imperialism". Read the first part in theprevious issue of Ang Bayan.)

May 7 , 2017 ANG BAYAN8

Celebrate Karl Marx’s200th birthday

The Communist Party of the Philippines launched last March 5 a one-yearcommemoration and celebration of Karl Marx’s 200th birthday on May 5,

2018. According to the CPP, “The whole revolutionary movement must saluteKarl Marx’ and Marxism’s great role in history and in the continuing worldstruggle for the emancipation of the proletariat and the entire humanity.”

This celebration will be used asan opportunity to study Marxismand use this to examine the coun-try’s and the world’s present con-ditions and crises. The Party calledto reproduce books, articles andother readings by Marx, likewisethose of other great communistteachers who developed Marxism.In the coming year, regular se-minars, classes and discussions willbe held to study Marxism. TheParty also called for the creativeapplication of Marxism to investi-gate, research and analyze thepresent national and world situ-ation, sum up experiences and laydown the tasks of the working classin advancing socialist revolutionacross different parts of the world.

Marx is the most important so-cialist philosopher because of histheories that shook the founda-

tions of the capitalist world andinitiated a new epoch in revolu-tionary history. Foremost amongthese were dialectic materialistphilosophy, materialist conceptionof history, and class struggle.

Marx practiced his declarationthat “philosophers have hithertotried to interpret the world. Thepoint, however, is to change it." Heinvestigated and studied the life ofworkers in England and Germanyand discovered therein the laws ofdevelopment of the capitalist modeof production. Despite persecutionby different states, Marx estab-lished the First International (In-ternational Workingmen’s Associ-ation), that paved the way for anunprecedented growth in breadthand strength of the workers'movement in all countries of theworld and the creation of socialist

nomic domination, but its system includes politics andculture, and military world positioning. This race for dom-ination fuels unending wars and preparations for war.

The First World War of 1914-1918 was an inter-im-perialist war. This was one of the most violent and des-tructive wars in the history of Europe and was followed ina few years by WWII in 1939-1945 that included thePhilippines. After the war, the US had gained additionalterritory.

The so-called Cold War after WWII, the wars of ag-gression against Korea and Vietnam, up to the proxy warsin Syria, Afghanistan, Iraq, Sudan, and many other coun-tries in Africa are wars for redivision of imperialist terri-tory. Imperialist states launch different types of overtand covert wars for world domination. Aside from the es-tablished imperialist powers such as Great Britain,France, Germany and US, new powers Russia and Chinahave entered the scene. Military spending from thesepowers reached $1,686 billion in 2016, the biggest ofwhich was US’ at $611 billion.

According to the US Department of Defense in 2016,aside from its soldiers launching war in Afghanistan, Iraq,Iran, Kuwait and Syria, the US has 150,560 military per-

sonnel in foreign soil. US Joint Chiefs of Staff data alsoshow that special operations forces are undertaking in-tervention or aggression in 134 countries.

Imperialism is the enemy of the worldImperialism inflicts extreme oppression and exploita-

tion not only upon the workers of capitalist countries butalso upon the peoples of the colonies and semicolonies.Lenin’s exposition of the features of imperialism whichhas been validated by the victory of the 1917 OctoberRevolution remains relevant to all who are striving forfreedom from imperialism’s clutches today. The crisis ofthe capitalist world brought about by monopoly capitalistinsatiable greed, the hardships and destruction this haswrought on the people, prove the validity of the urgentcall of the times that revolution is the only road to free-dom. Inspired by the 1917 October Revolution, it is therole of the workers and people of the world to bring aboutthe resurgence of the anti-imperialist movement against amoribund enemy.

This article is the sixth in a series commemorating thecentennial of the 1917 October Revolution.

labor parties in individual nationalstates.

The Communist Manifestowhich he co-wrote with FriederickEngels in 1848 became the guide ofcommunist movements all over theworld. The Manifesto outlined theworld–historic role of the prolet-ariat as creators of the new com-munist society. It was here that hefirst declared the now-famous call:“Workers of all countries, unite!You have nothing to lose but yourchains!"

He was the bourgeoisie's mosthated and most calumniated man ofhis time. Various governments—Germany, Belgium and France—de-ported him from their territories,and the bourgeoisie vied with oneanother in heaping slanders uponhim. When he died on March 14,1883, he was mourned by millionsof revolutionary workers fromSiberia to California and all partsof Europe and America who lovedand revered him. Communist leaderFrederick Engels declared at Marx’sburial, “though he may have hadmany opponents, he had hardly onepersonal enemy. His name will en-dure through the ages, and so alsowill his work.”