Message to the 16th Congress of United Filipinos in Hong Kong-Migrante-HK
November 25, 2018
We in the International League of Peoples’ Struggle extend our deep solidarity with the United Filipinos in Hong Kong-Migrante-HK on its 16th Congress.
We salute you for your accumulated victories since your 15th Congress. We have full confidence that you would sum up your experience, rely on your victories and strengths, overcome your weaknesses and shortcomings, and set your tasks for advancing the migrants’ rights and interests in Hong Kong.
The theme and objectives that you have set for your congress is important, appropriate and timely: “Expand, strengthen and consolidate the progressive movement of overseas Filipino workers (OFW) in Hong Kong. Make the US-Duterte regime answerable and fight it for its attacks on the rights and livelihood of the migrants and the people.”
One-fourth of Philippine labor force is abroad due to the backward character and absence of adequate jobs in the country. Currently, the Duterte regime admits that more than one-fifth of the labor force are unemployed and stay in the Philippines, not counting the numerous underemployed.
The Duterte regime has done almost nothing to help the OFWs even as the fees previously charged from them are already enormous and are now still being increased. The foreign exchange earned from OFW remittances go to the hands of foreign companies and big compradors. These are not being used to put up industries so as to develop the economy and create jobs in the Philippines.
Duterte promised he would put up industries but he killed the peace negotiations and refused the Comprehensive Agreement on Social and Economic Reforms containing the program for national industrialization and economic development; and agrarian reform and rural development.
Instead, he is wasting public funds to bribe the military and police into becoming his private army, to corrupt the bureaucracy, to put up infrastructure projects from which he can easily steal; and to maintain the traditional exchange of raw materials and semi-manufactures from the Philippines and of manufactures from abroad.
Due to the large budget and foreign trade deficits, and large interests on Philippine foreign debt, taxes have been raised and imposed on prices of basic commodities and services.
Our natural wealth in oil, gas and other resources in the West Philippine Sea and other places in the Philippines are our most important resources for industrial development. But Duterte has exchanged all these for Chinese loans at high interest rates for overpriced infrastructure projects. This is driven by Duterte’s and his cronies’ treason and greed. The Chinese have bribed them to violate and sell out the Filipino people’s sovereignty and patrimony.
Through unjust killings and impunity, Duterte wishes to intimidate and sow fear among the people. He wishes to impose martial law, either de facto or proclaimed, over the entire country, so as to control election results next year and establish a fascist dictatorship through charter change for a fake federalism over which he would dominate as fascist dictator and command regional and provincial warlords and dynasties.
The Filipino people must unite to fight and oust the Duterte regime. Should this remain in power, it would inflict many more intense sufferings on the people. We must reject and overthrow this tyrannical, treasonous, cruel, corrupt, exploitative and deceptive regime!
Long live the United Filipinos in Hong Kong-Migrante-HK!
Expand, strengthen and consolidate the progressive movement of overseas Filipino workers in Hong Kong!
Advance the movement to oust the US-Duterte regime!
Struggle for national freedom and democracy!
Long live the Filipino people!
