NDFPhilippines - Mindanao sympathizes with victims of Yolanda, calls for mass support

The masses in the Visayas islands are infuriated by the utter failure of the Aquino government’s response to this massive crisis, even as Aquino III arrogantly and stupidly declared beforehand, “zero casualty”, and continues to downplay figures of casualties.

MEDIA RELEASE
By By JORGE MADLOS (Ka Oris)
Spokesperson, NDFP Mindanao Chapter
15 November 2013

NDFP-Mindanao sympathizes with victims of Yolanda, calls for mass support

The Natinal Democratic Front of the Philippines - Mindanao commiserates with thousands of families and individuals in Eastern, Central and Western Visayas, including some parts of Luzon and Mindanao, who tragically lost loved ones and livelihood, ravaged by the fiercest natural disaster ever to hit the country in over 30 years, supertyphoon Yolanda (Haiyan).
We would like also to express our deep concern to all Party members, Red fighters and the masses in the numerous guerrilla bases and zones across affected areas who suffered the extensive damage of Yolanda but continue to courageously defy the elements. By mainly relying on your revolutionary unity and fervor, we know you can overcome these most trying of times.
NDFP-Mindanao calls upon all revolutionary forces in the five regions of the island to mobilize the masses and allies in raising financial and material support for calamity victims. Given that our circumstances preclude us to participate in the actual distribution of relief items, all monetary and material donations collected may be channelled through reliable organizations or media centers for distribution to the beneficiaries.
Our Revolutionary victories in the last 45 years of hard struggle should be widely disseminated and rightfully celebrated. However, we call on all revolutionary forces in Mindanao to maintain frugal yet meaningful celebrations of our Party’s anniversary next month or any other activity that may require substantial resource. Any financial resource saved from this effort could very well be donated to the victims of typhoon Yolanda.
The people have been angered by the inutile, snail-paced, and inadequate assistance that Aquino III once hailed as “impeccable”, as was shown in the aftermath of the series of calamities brought on by typhoons Sendong and Pablo in Mindanao, and the recent 7.2 magnitude earthquake that hit Central Visayas. And now that the whole of Visayas reels under a greater calamity, a week after “Yolanda” struck, the masses in the region are further infuriated by the utter failure of the government’s response to this massive crisis, even as Aquino III arrogantly and stupidly declared, beforehand, “zero casualty”, and continued to downplay figures of casualties.
The NDFP-Mindanao criticizes the Aquino regime for its gross inability to quickly reach out to as many victims as possible that, if not for the help of non-government entities and the international community, it would be a lame duck in the face of this immense catastrophe. We call on the entire Filipino people to press the Aquino regime to utilize and mobilize government resources, including the Legislature’s and Aquino’s pork barrel funds, to help rescue, immediately provide basic needs to, and rehabilitate millions of victims.
We also condemn the Aquino regime’s insensitivity in the wake of the current national calamity by its continued militarization of the countryside in Mindanao and the whole country through its intelligence operations, “Community Organizing for Peace and Development”(COPD) and widespread combat operations. The millions in taxpayer’s funds used in these operations may well be put to good use if channelled to the calamity fund.
Without a shred of doubt, these series of supertyphoons can only be the result of rapid “global warming,”which is exacerbated by carbon emissions from imperialist industries and its wanton destruction of the environment over the last 50 years by way of logging, agri-plantations and mining. Ironically, it is not the imperialists and the local ruling classes, whose businesses are the foremost culprits in the plunder and destruction of the environment, who are the chief victims of the typhoon, but the vast majority of poor people whom they have oppressed and exploited for many years.
The millions of peasants, workers and middle classes are the most vulnerable to the wrath of an environment now seeking payback, while the real criminals, who could not care less, remain safe and out of harm’s way in their haven. If the environment itself fails to make these exploiters accountable to their grave crimes, then the people will, without delay. The NDFP-Mindanao calls on the people to unite and expose, condemn and oppose the crimes committed by the imperialists and their local cohorts in causing this man-made calamity.