EDSA 1986 was a people’s uprising to oust the dictator Marcos for his immense political and economic sins. The Philippines was made the better and democracy struggles stronger for this.
Marcos Sr’s world-class corruption and human rights violations combined with the opening up of the economy according to International Monetary Fund – World Bank (IMF-WB) dictates. These caused the worst economic collapse in Philippine post-war history, as well as widespread suffering among the people.
Today, 37 years later and under his son, corruption remains endemic and gross human rights violations persist even without the outward form of dictatorship. Oblivious to the neoliberal economic decline started by the Marcos dictatorship and continuing under subsequent regimes, the Marcos Jr administration relentlessly insists on obsolete free market globalization policies.
Like its predecessors, this government zealously protects over 40 years of globalization policies. It is pushing even more trade and investment liberalization, privatization, and deregulation at the expense of the Filipino people, local producers, and the environment. These policies mainly benefit domestic oligarchs and large foreign transnational corporations.
Some of these measures include the recent ratification of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), renewed moves to change the 1987 Constitution with a constitutional convention, and worsening infrastructure privatization through public-private partnerships (PPP). The country’s mineral and other resources are being opened up to foreign plunder.
Filipinos’ economic, social and cultural rights, as well our civil and political rights, are unceasingly violated. The people’s movement for real and radical change is as urgent as ever.