Campaign Against the Return of the Marcoses and Martial Law
On the Duterte administration
Continuing Terror and Repression: The Duterte Legacy
The end of the Duterte administration is fast approaching. As the heat of the 2022 election is currently felt, it must not be forgotten that the current administration has given to us nothing but terror and repression. All the sweet promises that were said during the 2016 campaign were but sugarcoated bullets which hit all the sectors of society. Under the present administration we have experienced economic backlogs, human rights abuses, inutile leadership as well as the idiocy of political culture.
The Build, Build, Build projects boasted by the National Economic Development Authority (NEDA) is just a form of pump-priming geared at the continuation of neoliberal policies. Just like Marcos, Duterte’s infrastructural projects are fueled by loans which we are about to pay in the upcoming years. Economic stimulus for the most affected sector, the workers and peasants are still too small as compared to the budget for anti-communist witch-hunt. In every sector of society we hear the wailings of the victims of human rights abuses and their families. The streets were never that safe as police was the ones who commit crimes. An estimated 10.7 Million are either unemployed or underemployed as according to the latest statistics, while the richest 50 Filipinos shoot a 3. 9 T increase in wealth under the current pandemic. In this regard, the boasted GDP per capita increase only means the sharpening of social inequality as the 1% lavishes to the suffering and hardships of the toiling masses. This scenario is not remote to that of the Martial Law. We can say that the present conditions that we are in are just a “smiling version” of the Marcosian Martial Law.
Socio-economic Crisis
The Dutertization of the Philippine Economy mirrors its ascendant model of Marcosian economy, pegged with economic plunder.The former dictator concealed its reeking plunder as he alleged that the State “hid” the money at the expense of the “economic security” or “protection”. However, it is undeniably obvious that the dictator malevolently stood for his lies, while the figures indicate otherwise. Foremost, there was a dramatic rise of the country’s external debt in the late 1970s and early 1980s, as manifested by various indicators. Within 5 years (1977 to 1982), the debt of the nation grew by $16 billion. To mask such economic plunder, Marcos had these funds at hand in order to finance his grand edifice or infrastructure projects-- that of which Duterte’s Build, Build, Build program descended. However, no amount of edifice erections would mask today’s economic plunder. Verily, Duterte administration emboldens economic oligarchs, as the latter sabotage growth and while sheltering the power elite. These business elites are the new breed of administration cronies, who exponentially gained from the liberalization of foreign investments and private capital.
The Build, Build, Build was a lie
Build, Build, Build projects were just a lie catering to the cravings of Filipino political culture on “edifice progressivism” – the perception that development happens due to the building of large infrastructural projects and the pursuance of beautification projects/programs. Worse, the Build, Build, Build is fueled by loans from foreign banks which we are about to pay in the upcoming years.
Continuing Neoliberal Policies
Under the Duterte administration, the neoliberal policies pursued from Marcos up to Aquino III were just continued. The anti-US postures remained as publicity stance to project himself as a nationalist president. On the other hand, the socio-economic policy of neoliberalism which clings into the capital and loans of foreign banks remains the basis of his socio-economic agenda. The Rice Tarrification Law, TRAIN Law and the continuing policy of labor-only contracting are just proofs to this continuing neoliberal paradigm.
Sharpening Social Inequality
Under the Duterte administration and in its pursuance of the Build, Build, Build and neoliberal policies, social inequality rises. Social inequality is a phenomenon that has been in the country since time immemorial due to the long history of colonization and semi-colonization. On the other hand, this social ill has sharpened under the present administration because of the continuing absurd policies which primarily hit the poor. The quarantine measures were just clear examples of policies that always disregard the poor. What is worse was under these quarantines the richest 50 Filipinos have increased their wealth by 30% while most of us did not even have something to feed in our mouth.
Plunder and Failed Pandemic Response
The recent controversy on Pharmally and the Duterte administration has been dubbed as the “planned plunder”, which arose from the Department of Health (DOH) transferring P41 billion to the PS-DBM to procure supplies. Commission on Audit (COA) flagged such undocumented and unauthorized transfer. The anomaly transpired despite the fact that the PS-DBM may only purchase common-use supplies excluding the face shields which were not” common-use supplies”. Clearly, the administration did not disallow illegal transfer of budget, despite the dire need of the masses of basic needs and health securtiy amid the pandemic.
PS-DBM sourced the P4.84-billion worth of contracts, that of which was awarded to Pharmally for the use of the DOH. The latter have other existing contracts worth P8.7 billion. Further, it was revealed that the Pharmally Pharma is connected to a certain Michael Yang via a network of companies, Duterte's former economic adviser.
Senate also purported to the fact that Pharmally Pharma's biggest shareholder, Huang Tzu Yen, is wanted for stock manipulation in Taiwan. Tony Huang, the father of Hua Tzu Yen, is wanted for securities fraud, embezzlement, and stock manipulation. The former is the chairman of Pharmally International Holding Company. He had a meeting with President Rodrigo Duterte in Davao Ciry on March 2017.