ATIK | Confederation of Workers from Turkey in Europe | AHM-ATIK News Center
PHİLİPPİNES | 01 – 01 – 2009 | The Pulang Diwata Command of the New People’s Army in North-Eastern Mindanao Region (NEMR) continue to harvest victories in the 40th year of the re-establishment of the Communist Party of the Philippines (MLM) in the face of escalating operations of the US-Arroyo regime’s Oplan Bantay Laya 2. At around 12 :30 midnight on December 22, the NPA of Front 21, launched consecutive successful raids of the Police Station of the municipality of Tubay in Agusan del Norte and the San Roque Metals Incorporated (SRMI) owned by the politician Amante and his associates.
There was short exchange of gunfire with no casualties on both sides. The NPA confiscated 21 assorted caliber firearms: nine (9) baby M16, one (1) A2 M16, three (3) shotguns, three (3) .38 revolver, two (2) 9mm pistol, one (1) 1.45 pistol, one (1) 40mm pistol and one (1) .22 revolver. Also confiscated were two (2) base VHF radios. The NPA also burned six (6) multi-million heavy equipments of SRMI as punishment for their considerable transgressions against the environment, indigenous Filipinos, workers and people affected by their mining operations.
We salute and congratulate the members of the NPA, the Milisyang Bayan, the masses and allies who contributed to the success of the NPA operation. On the other hand, this is another resounding slap to the AFP-PNP as the 30th IB had just launched military operations in the area and are on “heightened alert” yet they failed to defend the Tubay Police Station and the mining company of their masters – the Amante politicians. This also happened on the eve of the anniversary of the AFP.
SRMI is owned by the Amante political family and has wrought environmental destruction to the municipality of Tubay, paid low wages and unjustly treats its workers, disrespects the rights of the indigenous Filipinos to their ancestral lands and deprives them of their “royalty share”. SMRI’s unquenchable greed is forcibly put over and above the interests of the indigenous Filipinos, small miners and the masses through the hiring of Ret. Col De Lara and establishing a big security force whose members include abusive criminals. The Amantes are using thier being burucrat-capitalists to increase the OTP fees – one of the biggest sources of their corruption and which further burdens the small miners.
The Tubay Raid was also launched to put to task the police and Mayor Fidel Garcia who are defending the insatiable greed for profit of SRMI. Mayor Garcia, like Amante, are active counter-revolutionaries, corrupt officials and protector of illegal loggers and mining capitalists who violate and bribe abusive policemen, armed forces and criminals. Like his master Amante, he violated the rights of the indigenous people and pockets 1% of the royalty share of the indigenous Filipinos from SMRI. It cruelly ordered the throwing of molotov and the use of firetruck water hoses against the protesting masses.
The NPA raid serves as warning to all capitalists for them to stop using armed forces to ensure their greedy interests. The people now have the NPA to protect thier basic interests. This also serves as warning to the capitalists for them to stop the unrestrained environmental destruction of Caraga, land-grabbing from the peasants and indigenous Filipinos, unjust treatment of workers, shortchanging contractors and other businesses. Furthermore, this serves as a warning to all capitalists and politicians who do not respect the revolutionary power in Caraga.
Within only three months, from October to December this year, the NPA under the Pulang Diwata Command launched 26 tactical offensives and harvested high caliber firearms that could arm an NPA platoon. Aside from these tactical offensives, the NPA also implemented the mimimum demand of the agrarian revolution along with increasing and consolidating the mass bases. All these are contributions to the celebration of the 40th anniversary of the re-establishment of the Communist Party of the Philippines.
Maria Malaya
Spokesperson
NDF-North-Eastern Mindanao Region
December 23, 2008
AHM-ATIK News Center
