Coordinating Committee | Friends of the Filipino People in Struggle (FFPS)
In time for peasant month, FFPS delegates and allied organizations and individuals from several countries from around the globe took part in an international learning and solidarity mission (ISM) from October 11-15 in a concrete effort to extend the international community’s solidarity; learn from the Filipino masses their conditions and experiences and; amplify their call to expose and oppose the crimes of the US-backed Marcos administration.
ISM teams visited several regions, emblematic of the issues faced by peasants and indigenous peoples in rural communities in the whole country who experience land-grabbing, displacement, destruction of livelihood in the name of private-and foreign-backed development projects. Moreover, in these areas, clear evidence of a de-facto martial law exists, where civilian rule has been overpowered by military rule. Farmers and community members are asked to log-in and log-out when going in and out to till their lands and their belongings are checked. This is in line with the US-Marcos’ National Action Plan for Peace and Development (NAP-UPD) which in reality aims to end all forms of struggle and dissent against feudalism, bureaucratic capitalism and imperialism.
Even the ISM teams were not spared. From day one, all ISM teams experienced continuous harassment, intimidation and surveillance by state forces. This clearly shows the US-Marcos regime’s attempts to thwart the documentation, which only further implicates the regime and its forces, underscoring that they have a lot to hide.
On the other hand, through the mission, international delegates saw the strength of the organized communities that are waging collective struggles against these injustices and strengthened their resolve to broaden their solidarity to the Filipino people.
The ISM’s on-the-ground reports clearly highlight the justness of the different forms of struggles by the Filipino peasantry in the country. And as FFPS we strongly amplify the NDFP and its allied organizations’ position that real change and a just and lasting peace, a people’s peace, in the country can only be brought about through the people’s democratic revolution that fights for national and social liberation.
In this light, we call on the international community to join us in global action on the 21st of October, peasant day in the Philippines, in support of rural communities in the Philippines, their militant mass organizations and the peoples’ struggles for just and lasting peace.
We encourage organizations and individuals to at the minimum hold propaganda actions and other creative means, to propagate, ensure media coverage of the situation and amplify the struggles of the Filipino people. We would also encourage for a maximum to hold demonstrations and other protest actions in front of Philippine embassies and consulates in major cities across the world.
Main calls:
“End support for the fascist US-Marcos regime!
“US-Marcos ‘peace’ = war of suppression!”
“Dismantle the NTF-ELCAC!”
“US out of the Philippines!
“Revolution is not terrorism! It is right to rebel!”
“No to US-Marcos’ fake peace, support the Philippine revolution!
“Support the Filipino people’s war for a just and lasting people’s peace!”
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