by Rafael Mariano, Anakpawis Party List

President Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III’s first 100 days highlights both the absence of a clear and decisive political-economic program and the continuing attacks on Filipino workers, peasants, and the people. Instead, the administration only continued and promoted the failed and anti-peasant programs of past administrations.

Agrarian Reform

Mr. Aquino has no intention of implementing agrarian reform. The recent push of the Cojuangco-Aquino clan, for a “cooked and crooked compromise agreement” with so-called farmer-beneficiaries in order to maintain the anti-peasant stock distribution option (SDO) scheme and evade the redistribution of Hacienda Luisita in Tarlac laid the framework of what kind of agrarian reform the government will implement. This “compromise agreement,” tainted with coercion, bribery, and deception, sends a strong message to big landlords across the country that this regime tolerates such blatant maneuvers and is for the preservation of landlord domination in the countryside.

Oplan Bantay Laya

The Aquino administration’s continuation of the dreaded counter-insurgency program Oplan Bantay Laya hardened the prevailing culture of impunity on extra-judicial killings, enforced disappearances, and human rights violations in the country. Barely nine days in office, 78-year old peasant leader Pascual Guevarra was killed by suspected state security forces inside his house in Laur, Nueva Ecija. To date, out of the 16 victims of extra-judicial killings, nine (9) are farmers. Since August 28, two farmers – Agustito “Tito” Ladera and Renato Deliguer – went missing in the course of the 36th IBPA’s military’s forced evacuation of residents of Brgy. Mahaba, Marihatag, Surigao del Sur. The previous administration’s “legal offensives” characterized by illegal arrest, illegal detention, and filing of trumped-up criminal cases against farmer-leaders persists. On October 6, Aquino’s 98th day in office, Pagkakaisa’t Ugnayan ng mga Magbubukid sa Laguna (Pumalag) secretary general Darwin Liwag, together with Pumalag staff Rey Malaborbor and Aries Suazo were arrested by combined elements of the 202nd Brigade and 1st Infantry Battalion-Philippine Army led by Lt. Aaron Nasataya in a checkpoint in Barangay Lewin, Lumban, Laguna and were accused as members of the New People’s Army.

Agriculture and Globalization

Abandonment of Philippine agriculture and rabid implementation of neoliberal globalization. Bowing to the dictates of the World Bank to stop the government’s rice subsidies, the Aquino administration virtually abolished the National Food Authority by not placing a single cent to the agency’s budget for 2011. Instead, the administration transferred the NFA’s P8-billion budget to another World Bank conditionality, the conditional cash transfer (CCT) program or giving doleouts to the so-called poorest of the poor that breeds the culture of mendicancy, to be handled by the Department of Social Work and Development. This shows the irony of the CCT program as a poverty alleviation scheme – the government’s denial to poor rice farmers to sell their harvest to the NFA and the imminent loss of jobs and livelihood of tens of thousands of NFA personnel and their families.

Joblessness, wage freeze and attacks against workers

Unrest in the local labor front heightens as the Aquino government failed to protect workers’ right and welfare and address long-standing labor issues – wage increase, employment and recognition of workers rights. Instead of admonishing the Philippine Airlines (PAL) management for its unfair labor practices and wholesale  violation of labor standards, the government assumed jurisdiction over PAL’s labor dispute – instantly suppressing workers’ constitutional right to self-organization and collectively bargain. Contractual and flexible labor exacerbates even in large companies like ABS-CBN, Dole Philippines among others. Unemployment and retrenchment also continue. Malacanang refused to certify as urgent the measure granting legislated wage increase for workers. The government’s “emergency” employment plan is directed at labor export and deployment of Overseas Filipino Workers.

Violent demolition of urban poor communities

The violent demolition in the San Roque community in North Triangle, Quezon City, is one of the many urban poor communities to be displaced by the administration’s public-private partnership program. Violent demolition of urban poor and failure to guarantee affordable and decent housing persists.

Denial and privatization of basic social services

The drastic reduction in education, health, and other essential basic social services in the 2011 budget proposal concretely shows the Aquino administration’s disregard of the people’s needs and welfare. It is pushing for the continued privatization of basic social services under the so-called “Public-Private Partnership” program that is nothing but a euphemism of the previous administration’s privatization policy. The Filipino people are now bearing the brunt of the privatization of utilities like the increase in fare of the Metro Rail Transit (MRT), the Light Rail Transit (LRT), and the planned imposition of 12% VAT on toll on expressways. The Filipino people continue to shoulder the burden of arbitrary increases in charges by power, water, and oil monopolies.

Mr. Aquino’s first 100 days laid the foundation of the next six years of his administration. It shows Mr. Aquino’s penchant for violence and outright neglect of the people’s issues and legitimate demands. In the face of more hardships to come in the next six years, the Filipino people will continue to carry out the struggle for genuine change.

Mr. Aquino’s first 100 days is a dismal failure.