Marcos-Duterte conflict only serves US imperialist warmongering agenda

Published: 21 December 2024 21 December 2024

Vol. VI, No. 23 - December 15, 2024

The intensifying political feud between the Marcos and Duterte factions is being paraded as a spectacle for public consumption, serving to further entrench the interests of the ruling class. This conflict is in reality, a maneuverer that serves to divert the masses from the deeper political and military machinations of US imperialism. As tensions between the US and China escalate in the region, the ruling elites’ scramble for power ahead of the 2025 midterm elections and the eventual 2028 presidential race – becomes a convenient smokescreen to deflect attention from US imperialist warmongering versus China.

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No amount of theatrics can conceal the Dutertes’ crimes vs. the Filipino people

Published: 06 December 2024 06 December 2024

 

Vol. VI, No. 22 - November 30, 2024

The implosion of the Marcos-Duterte ruling coalition has become a grand political spectacle that has laid bare the rottenness of bureaucrat capitalism in the Philippine reactionary state. What began as the so-called “UniTeam” tandem of Marcos Jr. and Sara Duterte has now unraveled into public bickering and shameless mudslinging. These political squabbles however, no matter how sensationalized, cannot conceal the Duterte family’s crimes against the Filipino people.

Sara Duterte’s profanity-laced Facebook broadcast last November 23 singled out First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, House Speaker Martin Romualdez and Marcos Jr. himself, claiming they would be the ones responsible should she get killed. By peddling this narrative, Duterte aims to distract the people from pressing governance issues plaguing her office, and the fact that her father and former president Rodrigo Duterte just admitted to mass murder during a congressional hearing on his bloody war on drugs last November 28. This melodrama however is calculated – it shifts public discourse away from the systemic corruption and incompetence of Sara herself. In this context, efforts to impeach Sara Duterte are a welcome development, as they embody the people’s outcry for accountability and serve to clarify, amidst the political noise, the urgent demand for justice and genuine change.

On the other hand, Sara’s public outrage is a response Marcos Jr. also tacitly allows—and even benefits from. The spectacle of their feud inadvertently redirects public attention away from his administration’s glaring failures, including his criminal negligence toward typhoon victims and continuing attacks against peasant communities in the countryside.

The human cost of this political circus is profound. The country’s inflation rate accelerated for the second straight month after the typhoons, eating away at the purchasing power of ordinary Filipinos, with food and fuel costs hitting unprecedented levels. The public education system remains grossly underfunded, leaving millions of Filipino children ill-equipped. The country’s healthcare system, battered by the pandemic, is still in shambles, and workers are fleeing abroad in droves for better opportunities in other countries.

The infighting between the Marcos and Duterte camps is a clear indication of the worsening economic crisis. As the economic pie shrinks due to rising debt, inflation, and stagnant economic growth, the elite factions are scrambling to redivide their spoils. With the 2025 midterm elections looming, the stakes are even higher. Both camps are greedily maneuvering to secure resources for their respective “kitty funds” to maintain influence and power through vote-buying and patronage politics.

At the same time, the need to bring the Dutertes to justice for their crimes against humanity has never been more urgent. The extrajudicial killings during Rodrigo Duterte’s war on drugs, Sara Duterte’s blatant misuse of public funds, and their brazen disregard for human rights demand urgent accountability. Marcos Jr., however, remains indecisive on whether or not to assist the International Criminal Court (ICC) in its investigation. His dilly-dallying reflects his own vulnerability, as his own administration faces mounting isolation from the masses due to its failure to address their most urgent concerns. This inaction only deepens public frustration and widens the cracks further within the ruling class.

The Marcos-Duterte split is further exposing the rotten politics entrenched in the reactionary Philippine state. It highlights the self-serving nature of those in power, who prioritize factional rivalries over the welfare of the people. For the revolutionary movement, this division presents an opportunity to advance the national democratic revolution. 

Reject US-NATO interference in South China Sea affairs

Published: 21 November 2024 21 November 2024

Vol. VI, No. 21 - November 15, 2024

The recent signing of the Philippine Maritime Zones Act and the Philippine Archipelagic Sea Lanes Act is being touted by the reactionary government as a move to "safeguard" the country’s national interests. These laws institutionalize the 2016 decision of the International Arbitral Tribunal, which affirmed the Philippines' rights over its exclusive economic zone and rejected China’s expansive claims in the South China Sea. While these measures are framed as a victory for national sovereignty, they risk serving as instruments for the United States and NATO to exploit the ongoing dispute and provoke China militarily, further entangling the Philippines in a war not of its own making.

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Marcos Jr. and AFP’s callous use of “disaster response” as pretext for military operations

Published: 05 November 2024 05 November 2024

Vol. VI, No. 20 - October 31, 2024

The Marcos Jr’ administration’s callous and duplicitous use of disaster relief as a front for its ‘counterinsurgency’ operations is a glaring betrayal of the victims of the recent floodings in the country. Last week, while the Bicol region lay in devastation following severe floods and landslides, the administration chose not to prioritize emergency relief for affected communities. Instead, the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), under orders from its US imperialist master, mobilized troops in a purely combative mission under the guise of “relief operations.”

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