WE ARE dismayed but not surprised of how slow and disorganized the Philippine government in responding to the disasters’ victims and survivors. We had seen and experienced these inefficiencies since typhoon Pepeng, Ondoy, Sendong, Pablo, Yolanda and among other calamities in the recent days including those of the earthquakes and armed confrontations anywhere in the country.
The devastation also surfaced and exposed corruption at various levels even in times of disasters; political grandstanding; selfish quarrels of institutions and entities; and on how accommodating are the Philippine government to foreign interventions.
As comrades reported from the ground (Compostela Valley and Agusan-Surigao, Lanao and Misamis Oriental), up to now, the survivors of Sendong and Pablo majority of them are still in difficult situation abandoned by the government and left with promises.
Proven again as to what happened during Sendong and Pablo is the slow and inefficient response during the earthquake and Yolanda stricken areas in the Visayas and parts of Mindanao.
The Pablo and Sendong experience also exposed how devastated already are the mountains in Bukidnon-Agusan-Surigao-Davao-Compostela-Lanao areas are. After the order from Noynoy Aquino to his interior Government Secretaries Robredo and Roxas to investigate the massive destruction of forests, again up to now, no one was charged, instead mining and logging remain a top economic policy/program of the capitalist implementer and elitist government.
This is also clear in the Visayas region, reported by comrades deployed with regards to the ecological situation of the region – massive quarrying, mining and logging.
Thus, we call on all of the masses to march together and claim that rights to be safe against calamities; claim that common goods and resources; stand against corporate greed and green; organize our ranks and propose real alternatives for the sustainability of humanity and ecology.
Left organizations then also are called upon to play harder their role in consolidating the masses for the masses to be emancipated and not for any party/organization’s benefits.
We have had instructed our Urban and Rural Guerrilla units to help the victims in rebuilding their lives (without exposing themselves). The same instruction was given to investigate and punish personalities and organizations responsible for corruption and manipulations of the services for the survivors.
Revo del Mar
National Operational Commad – RPA
Spokesperson
Camp Cielo, Mindanao, Philippines
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