MIM Notes 191 August 1 1999

Estrada sez too many poor people in the Philippines:
MIM says too many imperialist interests in the 
Philippines

by MC45

President Joseph Estrada of the u.$-backed regime in the 
Philippines has noticed that people living in slums just 
outside his capitol city live in terribly crowded 
conditions. Mr. Estrada thinks this must be because 
"there are too many children here," and because 
impoverished Filipinos are giving in to their "urges" 
too readily. MIM thinks the u.$. government bears first 
and principal blame for poverty and poor living 
conditions. Estrada is doing his comprador job - blaming 
his own people for their own oppression - for which he 
is rewarded with riches and political power by his 
Amerikan imperialist benefactors.

Estrada told former squatters living in a newly-built 
government-subsidized housing project in Kalookan City 
"perhaps we are having some difficulty making houses 
because we're too preoccupied making babies." A recent 
issue of MIM Notes included an article on the new 
documentary film Golf War, which exposes the Government 
of the Republic of the Philippines' efforts to evict 
peasants and fisherpeople from their land to accomodate 
golf courses. MIM thinks maybe this preoccupation with 
catering to rich people's entertainment has confused Mr. 
Estrada as to the source of poverty in his country. The 
father of ten (who was raised in a household of ten 
children and yet has reaped full monetary and political 
benefits of quisling status) continued: "There is a 
saying that goes 'Do your best and God will do the 
rest,' but I think that didn't mean do your best in 
making children, but in seeking livelihood 
opportunities."

Estrada is paid to strip the Filipino people of their 
land so that multi-national corporations can profit off 
this rich resource and the people who are forced to work 
it at superexploitation wages. Compradors - lackies who 
pimp their people's national sovereignty for the 
imperialists' gain - also broker their national 
territory as military property for their colonial 
masters. 

The Communist Party of the Philippines is leading a 
united front struggle for the return of the land to the 
Filipino people. The National Democratic Front of the 
Philippines demonstrates through its activism that the 
people's first struggle is for land. When the masses 
have their land they can build and defend medical 
programs, their own schools, and begin the work of 
building their own self-sufficient economies. When they 
have their land, reclaimed from the u.$.-Estrada regime 
and its corporate friends, the Filipino people with the 
leadership of the CPP can raise their own health and 
educational level. The people, with the Party to guide 
them, will ensure that no children go homeless.

Source: "Filipinos Urged To Suppress Their, Uh, Urges," 
Reuters 2 July, 1999.