17 IMCWP, Written Contribution of the Phillipines Communist Party [PKP-1930] [En]

The Partido Komunista ng Pilipinas (PKP-1930, the Philippine Communist Party) salutes the Communist Party, Turkey, for hosting the 17th International Meeting of Communist and Workers’Parties, and sends warmest fraternal greetings to all participants of this historic meeting.

Urgent Tasks in the Struggle

Against Imperialist Wars and Fascism

This international meeting is being held while a catastrophic war is being waged by world imperialism just across the border of Turkey, in the bleeding but valiant land of Syria. It is a war where the Syrian Arab Republic and the Syrian people, and notably the communists of Syria, are confronting the imperialist powers led by the USA, the zionists, the imperialist-propped mediaeval and other reactionary regimes in this region (including the present islamist dictatorship in Turkey), and all the terrorist creations of imperialism which seek to divide and conquer Syria.

Syria stands at the forefront of the present struggle, on behalf of the whole of humanity, against imperialism and international reaction which seek to destroy stable societies, killing hundreds of thousands and leaving millions homeless in the process. Syria now faces imperialist aggression and proxy terrorism which are part of the vile plan to reconfigure the whole region into the US-Israeli blueprint for a “New Middle East” that would chop up countries into small warring sectarian and ethnic sub-states.

To keep up the carnage in Syria, Iraq and even in the Lebanon, appeals for peace and political settlement are drowned out by imperialist calls for a “war-on-terror”, which in reality is a shadow war that veils the covert military and other support that imperialism continues to extend to its terrorist creations. A clear example of the reactionary desire to prevent the peaceful settlement of conflicts was the October 10 terrorist bombings on the peace manifestation near Ankara’s main train station, which killed over 120 and wounded over 300 others.

That demonstration to promote peace with Syria and the Kurdish people of Turkey, held amidst the military offensive by Turkey’s Tayyip Erdogan regime on Kurdish areas in Turkey as well as in Syria ang Iraq, was turned into a massacre. The whole world condemned and continues to condemn that barbaric attack which can only stem from the policy of Erdogan’s islamist AKP (“justice and development party”) in supporting the US-backed jihadist terrorism throughout the region.

Terrorism everywhere is a tool of imperialism to cow the people, to frighten them into keeping away from political struggle, from challenging oligarchic rule which is often reinforced by religious obscurantism. The PKP-1930 believes that among the main tasks of communist and workers’ parties in today’s struggle against war and fascism are the thorough exposure of the aggressive and exploitative nature of the USA’s sham “war-on-terror” ; the thorough exposure of the imperialist hand behind terrorism everywhere (now particularly in the Middle East) ; the thorough exposure of the mercenary role of those states and forces which implement and support the US-NATO program to balkanize Syria, Iraq and the Lebanon ; the thorough exposure of the long-range US-Israeli plan for a “New Middle East” ; and the gathering of solidarity and support for the communists, progressives and patriotic peoples who are fighting to defeat the imperialists and their terrorist agents in order to safeguard the unity, national sovereignty and territorial integrity of Syria, Iraq, the Lebanon and other countries which are facing overt and covert imperialist aggression.

It should be stressed that the collaborators of imperialism in the present attempt to divide and conquer Syria, Iraq and the Lebanon are zionist Israel and the archaic mediaeval kingdoms and emirates of the Arab world which perpetuate despotic rule using religious extremism to persecute dissenters (particularly communists), to abuse minorities, and to violate women’s rights, workers’ rights and human rights in general. Regarding those regimes, there is a need to expose the reactionary pro-imperialist nature of their rule and the obscurantist basis of their religious supremacist claims ; and to support the communist and other democratic forces who struggle for equality and democracy within those countries.

In those countries where fascism and neo-nazism are openly on the rise, as evident from virulent anti-communist campaigns by autocratic and supremacist regimes --- such as in the Ukraine, Poland, Hungary, the Czech and Slovak republics, the Baltic states, and elsewhere --- there is a need to expose the reactionary and revanchist nature of those tyrannical regimes, and to extend solidarity and support for the communists and other progressive peoples which are victims of state suppression or persecution in those countries.

The Continuing Struggle Against Capitalist Exploitation, and for Socialism

Bourgeois economists and historians have claimed that the cold war dissolution of the USSR and the socialist community over two decades ago marked the final triumph of capitalism and the supposed “end-of-history”. The USA’s global hegemony through an unmatched network of foreign military bases and superior fleets deployed almost everywhere, ensured that almost the whole world was an open & secure haven for monopoly capital. However, that past period only saw more imperialist wars of aggression, endless occupations of conquered lands, and the hegemony of the international bourgeoisie over the rest of the world’s population.

The former competitive existence of a socialist community forced the developed capitalist countries to maintain certain “social-welfare-state” systems during the post-WW2 period. In some ways, such systems fostered the illusion that capitalism “cares” for the poor. However, the dissolution of the socialist community removed the need for the international bourgeoisie to maintain the so-called “safety nets” for the working masses. The post-Soviet period therefore saw the dismantling of “social-welfare-state” systems in developed capitalist countries, and the unabashed diversion of public resources towards “corporate-welfare”, primarily for the strengthening of military-industrial complexes.

The same period saw endless economic crises and depressions, bringing more deprivation and greater uncertainties to the working masses everywhere. That situation naturally led to multifarious struggles of peoples around the globe which were constantly whittling at the strength of imperialism and frustrating its insatiable desire for more resources and super profits. The struggle between the hegemonic capitalist class and the working masses seeking social justice continued unabated, with communist and workers’ parties constantly striving to lead the proletariat and other working masses in the struggle against imperialism and capitalism.

In an attempt to marginalize the role of communist and workers’ parties in national struggles against imperialism and capitalism, particularly in developed capitalist countries, social democracy was projected in all media as the worthy leader of movements for social change. Social-democratic parties were even goaded to dominate the left ideological landscape, particularly in Europe. In developing countries, the role of competing with communist and workers’ parties was also given to ultra-left and even anarchist groups which seek to channel the energies of the youth and the marginalized sectors to adventurist and terrorist forms of struggle which cannot win mass support or endanger the status quo, and which can only be more easily suppressed or manipulated.

Social democracy is accommodation to capitalism, under the pretense of fighting corporate greed. Social democracy in Europe apparently made its last “anti-capitalist” hurrah with the election in Greece of a swaggering Syriza, which however quickly took on the role of local whip for the IMF, ECB and NATO, as against the Greek people. The shameless but expected collapse of Syriza’s “anti-capitalist” posturings demonstrated the futility of finding a solution to the crisis within the bounds of the capitalist system. Only one political force --- the CP of Greece (KKE) --- gives the Greek people a dignified path forward that does not depend on ‘bail-outs” and crumbs from the capitalist oligarchy, a path for the overthrow of capitalism and for the building of socialism.

Communist and workers’ parties in imperialist and other major capitalist countries are faced with the task of leading the working class in the struggle to overthrow capitalism and to build socialism in their countries. All other communist and workers’ parties worldwide are duty-bound to extend every solidarity and support for their fraternal parties which are fighting for the overthrow of capitalism and for the building of socialism.

Imperialism – the Main Enemy of the Filipino people

The Philippines remains as a neo-colonial capitalist country, with its politico-economic and social orientation outlined by imperialism through the World Bank, International Monetary Fund, World Trade Organization, Asian Development Bank and other imperialist financial institutions. The “development” strategy set by these institutions for our country --- export-led, agri-based and labor-intensive production --- prevents independent industrialization (and therefore prevents widespread employment generation), ties the national economy to the world market, and emphasizes the need to maintain cheap labor and cheap resources to attract foreign investments.

This strategy is being implemented through economic policies such as the privatization of government-owned and -controlled corporations ; dependence on private capitalist initiatives instead of real economic planning ; import liberalization ; deregulation or the removal of constraints on capitalist profiteering practices ; greater government reliance on foreign borrowings ; and even the encouragement of the “export” of more Filipino workers in order to relieve the pressures of high local unemployment, and to boost foreign currency reserves from overseas workers’ remittances.

The role of the Philippine government (including the present regime of Pres. Benigno Simeon Aquino III) is reduced to that of an implementor or executor of the economic policies prescribed by imperialist financial institutions.Changes in the ruling regimes in the Philippines only mean changes in personalities acting as caretakers for foreign monopoly capital. And all these personalities only represent different factions of the same class of the local bourgeoisie which are dependent upon, and profits from, collaboration with imperialism.

It is no wonder why foreign monopoly capital controls the importation, processing and distribution of petroleum products ; and why they and their local partners control banking and finance, the generation, transmission and distribution of electricity, the distribution of water supply, transportation and telecommunications, mining, and the food, pharmaceutical and other key industries. (However, it may be noted that the wholesale and retail distribution of consumer goods have been taken over by the “taipans” or Chinese-Filipino businessmen who import all items from China, to the detriment of local manufacturers. Taipans also manage extractive industries which cater to China’s need for resources.)

The National-Democratic PathTowards Socialism in the Philippines

Given the prevailing low level and non-integrated nature of local industries, there is not much to be socialized and immediately turned into independent or self-sustaining worker-controlled production enterprises, aside from a few industries run by transnational corporations in the petroleum, cement, export-crop and some other fields. Also, given the unsolved land hunger of the peasants and of the more numerous agricultural workers, the growing number of squatters or “informal settlers” in urban areas, as well as the prevalence of micro-enterprises and informal trades, the immediate socialization of land and small businesses would only meet with resistance on the part of the poor masses that we aim to liberate.

Thus our immediate aim in the Philippines is national democracy --- for national freedom from imperialist control and exploitation, and for a democratic system where there will be a strong public sector which could ensure that the working peoples’ rights are safeguarded, and that their basic needs are progressively met. The PKP-1930 maintains that this can only be achieved through the organized strength of the masses themselves, in unity with a national leadership that is aware of the historic need to re-nationalize industries and utilities, and to build a strong public sector, in order to attain economic independence and social progress.

Our party’s main national task is therefore to unite the broad patriotic sectors of our people to struggle for national democracy, and to strengthen the struggle of the working class against capitalist exploitation, without losing sight of the aim of building socialism in the Philippines through the national-democratic path. While capitalism is rooted on the “freedom” of a few to amass private profit to the detriment of the many, the new socialist order --- with social ownership and centralized planning under working-class political power --- will always be centered on human welfare.

The reality of a neocolonial capitalist system --- with high levels of unemployment and under-employment bringing daily misery and tragic living standards to a substantial part of the population ; with the privatization of utilities forcing the great majority of the people to bring more wealth to a very few members of the oligarchy ; with healthcare, education, law-enforcement and the justice system deteriorating ; and with mass media designed to keep the population dreaming of becoming wealthy under the capitalist system which can only perpetuate socioeconomic inequality, injustice and elitism --- all these cannot last for so long. People come to realize that the centralization and concentration of wealth amidst widespread poverty and the absence of social justice, are the very essence of capitalism, and such realization will always raise class consciousness among the working masses, and lead to social polarization.

Our party’s tasks of educating, organizing and mobilizing the working masses into political action in defense of society’s collective interests will always be geared towards the attainment of national democracy and eventually socialism in the Philippines. This of course will be a struggle to wrest the power, wealth and privilege that the oligarchy and their imperialist masters will never surrender for the sake of the good of society’s greater majority.

In this struggle against capitalist exploitation and towards the building of socialist society, the PKP-1930 places utmost importance to continued adherence to Marxism-Leninism, and to communist and working class solidarity under the principle of proletarian internationalism.

Secretariat of the Central Committee, PKP-1930