Posted by Belarmino Saguing
Rome, Italy 16 June 2014
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| Ceremonies of Procamation of Philippine Independence, Luneta Park, July 4, 1946 (downloaded Photo) |
On July 4, America’s own Independence Day, the Philippine
Islands became, by the grace of Wall Street, the habitat of a “free,
independent nation.” That is what the words say in the Tydings-McDuffie Act
passed by the US Congress in 1934 and now put into effect. A
10-year period of transition, of “political tutelage“ in the art of
self-government, will come to a close. The Philippine Commonwealth will become
the Philippine Republic. The US high commissioner packed his bags and depart. The
Stars and Stripes was be ceremoniously lowered and the Philippine flag just as
ceremoniously hoisted. The bands will play. The crowds cheered. Wall Street’s
government, with a cynical smirk, have demonstrated its “sincere devotion” to the
cause of freedom and independence for all the peoples of the world, its moral
superiority over the older empires which hold their colonial subjects in
bondage without promise or hope of freedom.
Underneath all the pageantry and fanfare, and lurking behind
the formal grant of independence, is the ugly fact of continuing and even
tighter domination of the Philippines by Wall Street and its government. Behind
the façade of supposed sovereignty stands the reality of colonial servitude.
Only the outward political form is being changed. From a colony, the
Philippines are being converted merely into a semi-colony.
Let us take a look at the hard realities. As a condition of
putting into force the act of independence on the date specified in 1934,
the US government last year demanded the right to establish its own military
bases in the Philippines and to maintain them in perpetuity. Navy Secretary
Forrestal stated that the US will “continue to bear responsibility for the
security of the Philippines, and will have to have bases, and strategic areas
supporting those bases, to carry out that responsibility.” Sergio Osmena, the
former Philippine president, readily acceded to this “request.” His successor,
Manuel Roxas, stands by the commitment. The “independent” Philippine Republic
must permit the US to establish air, ground and naval bases in the Islands
wherever the US Joint Chiefs of Staff deem them necessary. A treaty specifying
locations, facilities, transit rights and personnel is to be negotiated between
the US and the Philippine Republic after July 4. More accurately, Washington
will draw up a document and Roxas will sign on the dotted line as directed. The
Philippines will thus be brought under more extensive American military control
than at any time during the preceding half-century of US rule.
The reality is as stark as in the realm of
military affairs. The Philippine Republic was compelled, by treaty with
the US, to grant extensive rights to American capital and American business. By
way of return, the Philippines are to receive from the US $625,000,000 as aid
in reconstruction, plus the privilege of staying inside US tariff walls for
another 28 years. The Filipinos were not to be permitted, however, to spend the
“grant-in-aid” as they wish. Materials and technical services are to come
largely from the US Personnel of US agencies were assigned to the Philippines
for planning and administering reconstruction. Moreover, none of the money will
become available until the Philippine Government accepts the provisions of the
Philippine Trade Act of 1946. This act provides that Philippine exports to the
US shall continue to be duty free until 1954. During the 20 years thereafter,
or until 1974, exports to the US are to be subject to a progressively
increasing tariff until, by 1974, US trade with the Philippines is on the same
basis as trade between the US and other countries. In addition, Philippine
exports of certain items are to stay within volume quotas during this period.
However,
stiff conditions are attached to the 28-year tariff postponement, which was
ostensibly intended to give the Islands time for economic recovery and an
opportunity to adjust toward the day when they will be outside US tariff walls.
The Filipinos were required to amend their constitution so as to permit
American businessmen and American capital to enter the Philippines on the same
terms and with the same rights as Filipino businessmen and capital. Moreover,
Philippine exports limited by quotas are to be allocated, as the US may
specify, among Philippine exporters (mostly American) who were in business
before the war. Finally, the Philippine currency unit, the peso,
is to be pegged to the US dollar. The Wall Street carpet-baggers thus established
a highly favorable position for themselves as investors and traders, and with
constitutional guarantees at that. It is not difficult to foresee a period of
unbridled economic swashbuckling by these dollar-greedy hogs, who under the
guise of granting independence werere in reality fastening more firmly the
shackles of colonial exploitation on the mass of poverty-stricken Filipinos. On
a greater scale than ever, the Islands’ riches will be siphoned off by these
parasites. All possibility of a rounded economic growth will be stultified, as
it was in the past, and development tailored to the specifications of Wall
Street. The Philipines will remain a collection of plantations, with a few
factories processing profitable export crops. The economy will remain backward,
the people poor.
As during
the post-Aguinaldo regime and the Commonwealth periods, the American
imperialists were joined with the native Filipino exploiters, the hacienderos or landed capitalists, in robbing and
oppressing the overwhelming mass of downtrodden taos or farmers. It is these native
exploiters that the Roxas administration represents. The native exploiters are
only too eager to be the junior partners of American imperialism. They shouted
loudly for Philippine independence all through the years, only in order to
retain the leadership and control of the genuine independence movement of the
masses. But the kind of “independence” they sought, the only kind of
“independence” they really want, is that which is to be formally consummated
this July 4.
These
wealthy Filipino parasites collaborated with the Japanese imperialists, who
protected them and their estates and moneybags from the wrath of the landless
tao. When Japan was defeated the taos, long in revolt, rose up
in angry rebellion. A tremendous mass movement, still powerful, threatens to
topple the whole system of landlord parasitism. The agrarian movement
represented by the Hukbalahaps has the hucienderos trembling on the great estates. They
are glad to have at their elbow a powerful ally and guardian to help them
preserve “law and order.” For this they have sold out the independence
movement, become parties to a brazen fraud, and turned the Philippines over,
once more, to Wall Street. Roxas and his government are more than willing to
serve as a political façade behind which Wall Street will share with them the
exploitation of the Philippines, in the same way that the Indian bourgeoisie
and the Indian princes, who have accepted the latest British plan, are content
to share in the continued despoliation of India by British imperialism. It
costs Wall Street little to exalt the Filipino bourgeoisie, to give them
“face,” by a formal grant of independence which is empty of real content except
continued colonial servitude and poverty for the mass of the people.
The fake
independence be given to the Philippines, quite apart from its local
significance, was in the nature of a world gesture by American imperialism. The
global economic needs of this swollen Colossus require it to smash the colonial
monopolies of the older imperialist states. It must break into these CIOEd
markets. Already during the war it had begun to elbow its way in. Today these
colonial lands are all in revolt against the imperialist violators. Is this not,
then, a propitious time to plant in the minds of the colonial bourgeoisie of
India, for instance, the idea that American imperialism is liberal and
benevolent as compared with British imperialism, which is reactionary and
violent? “Look! – haven’t we given the Philippines their independence, as we
promised we would?” The day may not be far distant when the native Indian
exploiters will be looking for a more “generous patron.” And what more
“generous patron” could be found than Wall Street? It is not important whichever date they choose to celebrate this 'independence', it is still a fake independence
The
journalistic liberals, those doughty defenders of anything vile and reactionary
so long as it parades in liberal vestments, have already extolled Philippine
“independence” as a “model” of benevolent political enterprise, as living proof
that the United States “keeps its word” (in contrast, for example, with
perfidious England), as a conclusive demonstration that America is not an imperialist power.
One thing is
certain: The Filipino masses will not be deceived. For 50 years they have
fought for their independence, against Wall Street and against Japanese
imperialism. Before that they battled to free themselves from the cruel grip of
imperial Spain. The fight must and will go on until genuine freedom and a
chance to create a better life for the masses is assured.
Keep the
struggles against US Imperialism. The Katipunan revolution for true freedom and
genuine independence lives on in the hearts of the freedom loving Filipino
masses.
Long live
the Katipunan revolution!
Down with US
and Filipino capitalist parasites!
Long live Andres
Bonifacio’s Sovereign Republic of Tagalog!!!
Dismantle
the fake Tuta government of the Philippines
Struggle for
real liberty AND Genuine Democracy in the truly independent Philppines!!!
Source: wikipedia
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