By Bagong Alyansang Makabayan
BAYAN is calling for the resignation of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Vice President Sara Duterte who are both responsible for the large-scale and systematic corruption in the government. They can be replaced by a civilian-led transition government that will pursue accountability against corrupt officials without fear or favor. Such a transition government must undertake badly needed political and socio-economic reforms.
Marcos Jr. bears principal responsibility and therefore must be held accountable for the raging corruption scandals since he drafted, signed, and implemented the corruption Infested national budget. He ordered and allowed anomalous budget insertions and the release of funds for pork barrel projects. As for Sara Duterte, she abused her authority and grossly misused her confidential funds as well as the education budget, then refused to be held accountable.
Poverty has exacerbated and living conditions of majority of Filipinos worsened in the past three years under the Marcos presidency. Instead of addressing the plight of ordinary Filipinos, Marcos Jr. rabidly protects and promotes the interests of oligarchs, business cronies, and allied political dynasties while unquestioningly compliant with the dictates of US imperialism.
There can be no genuine accountability and rendering of justice so long as Marcos Jr. remains in power. The ongoing investigations are not aimed at ferreting out the truth but merely to cover up corruption crimes and ensure that Marcos Jr. and his principal cohorts evade accountability.
Marcos Jr. has to step down to allow an independent, thoroughgoing anti-corruption investigation, and face accountability for his crimes against the Filipino people. But he cannot be replaced by Sara Duterte who must also be held accountable for large-scale corruption, abuse of her office and her role in the extrajudicial killings and other crimes against humanity perpetrated by the murderous regime of her father, former President Rodrigo Duterte.
Transition council
Marcos Jr., Duterte, and all those involved in large-scale corruption should be removed from office. The task of pursuing accountability against these bureaucrat capitalists cannot be done under the current system that perpetuates wholesale corruption and long-standing impunity. This can only be done by a civilian-initiated transition government following the ouster of Marcos Jr. and Duterte.
Such a government can be led by a transition council composed of individuals and groups representing the democratic forces that led the anti-corruption and ouster movement. Officials affiliated with Marcos Jr., Duterte, and the most notorious political dynasties will not be part of the transition council. Any form of military or civilian-military junta is unacceptable and must be rejected. Workers, peasants, women, youth and national minorities should be adequately and properly represented to ensure that the council does not revert to the elitist, bureaucrat capitalist headed governments of the past.
The main task of the transition government is to unify the country on a program that would firstly address the people’s demand to hold all corrupt officials accountable and put in place adequate safeguards against widespread and systematic corruption. It should also initiate much needed socio-economic reforms to address the people’s dire situation – ranging from wage hikes, farmers subsidies, and accessible basic social services such as health care – to policy reforms geared towards genuine agrarian reform and building a more self-reliant, independent and Filipino-controlled national economy.
It shall then prepare for and oversee, in a fixed and reasonable length of time, a free, fair, honest and truly democratic election process that will allow the people to choose their new executive and legislative leaders. This will necessitate urgent electoral reforms to prevent the domination by candidates from political dynasties, automated electoral fraud and massive vote buying.
Bayan calls for widespread, bigger and bolder protests to pursue accountability and to push for the ouster of Marcos Jr. and Duterte. Our people are determined to address the roots of the current crisis in governance. This makes it urgent for all democratic classes, sectors and forces to forge broad unity, remove the main obstacles to setting up a government of, for, and by the people, and immediately establish a transition council that will finally initiate substantial political and socio-economic reforms in the country. #
