BRIEF MESSAGES & LETTERS, 2001 - Present

Message of Solidarity

5 March 2002

I am deeply pleased that in my beloved native Ilocos region Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (BAYAN) is constituting its regional organization and leadership on March 6-8 2002 in San Fernando City, La Union.

I stand in solidarity with all the organizers and delegates of the founding congress as well as with all the organizations represented. I congratulate all of you for successfully preparing the congress.

Your work is clearly inspired by the longrunning struggle of the Filipino people for national freedom and democracy and reflects the current level of strength of various patriotic and progressive forces in the Ilocos region.

The economic, social and political crisis of the domestic ruling system is rapidly worsening. The broad masses of the people are suffering acutely the escalating oppression and exploitation. But they are valiantly asserting and defending their national and democratic their national and democratic rights and interests.

Great struggles of the people lie ahead particularly against the US-directed Macapagal regime. This is a regime that knows no bounds for its servility to foreign monopoly interests and the local reactionary classes, for its corruption, for its mendacity and for its repressiveness.

By fighting this regime and its imperialist master, we raise the level of our strength against the entire ruling system. We must struggle against the continuing devastation of the economy as a result of "free market" globalization and against the escalation of US military intervention under the pretext of fighting "terrorism".

The US is the No. 1 economic terrorist of the world for wreaking havoc on the lives of the broad masses of the people through the daily violence of superexploitation in Asia, Africa, Latin America and former Soviet bloc countries. It is also the No. 1 terrorist in terms of massacring the people with the use of US aggressor troops and the puppet regimes of open terror.

According to the latest research findings, the US killed 1.4 million Filipinos in the course of conquering and pacifying the Philippines from 1899 to 1916. It was also responsible for the murderous 14 years of Marcos fascist dictatorship from l972 to 1986. Since the atom bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki that killed 240,000 civilians, it has been responsible for the killing of more than 12 million people in wars of aggression and terror campaigns by puppet regimes.

The organisation of BAYAN-Ilocos is timely. It is urgently needed for the intensification of the people’s struggles in the Ilocos region. You come from a wide range of forces, classes and sectors. I am confident that you will develop a broad united front in the Ilocos region for the advancement of the national-democratic movement.

I wish you the utmost success in holding the congress for the purpose of defining the issues in the national and regional situation, taking stock of your strength and setting forth the tasks that you must carry out. I look forward to the realization of your plan to hold the congress for establishing the provincial chapters of BAYAN-Ilocos.

You must ceaselessly arouse, organize and mobilize the broad masses of the people in the Ilocos region so that they can fight for their own benefit and contribute significantly to the advance of the national-democratic movement in the entire country.

Long live BAYAN-Ilocos and the people of the Ilocos region!

Advance the Filipino people’s struggle for national freedom and democracy!

Long live BAYAN and the Filipino people!