Kilusang Mayo Uno slammed US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken’s Manila visit to discuss trade, investment, and bilateral ties with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo. Blinken’s visit can only mean stronger implementation of lopsided economic policies at the expense of the Filipino people and our conditions of labor.
“Walang ibang paliwanag dito kundi labis na paninikluhod ng administrasyong Marcos sa interes ng Estados Unidos at mga dambuhalang kumpanya nito, kapalit ng mas malalang kundisyon sa paggawa,” according to Jerome Adonis, Secretary General of KMU.
Blinken’s arrival at Manila came a few days after US Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo led the United States’ Presidential Trade and Investment Mission in the Philippines. Raimondo’s visit with investors from Google, Visa, Mastercard, Microsoft, and other conglomerates resulted in a US$1 billion investment for a 100% increase in semiconductor factories in the Philippines.
“Pagsasamantalahan ng mga malalaking kapitalista ang binabarat na lakas-paggawa ng mga Pilipino para mag-produce ng semiconductor at computer chips. Sosolusyunan ng US ang dalawa nitong malalaking problema – una, pagkawala sa pag-asa sa China para sa semiconductors na bumubuhay sa kanyang tech industry, at pangalawa, kakatasin ang buhay at paggawa ng Pilipino para magkamal ng mas malaking supertubo.” said Jerome Adonis.
At the same time, Congress railroads economic Charter Change on Marcos’ orders through Resolution of Both Houses No. 7 (RBH 7) which just passed on its 2nd reading just less than a week ago.
KMU lamented that the RBH 7, military bases, trade mission, and billion-dollar tech investment are all nefarious steps to regain favor lost in the last six years of the Duterte regime, and to further entrench the United States into Philippine politics, economy, and military.
“Isinuko na ng administrasyong Marcos ang kontrol ng Pilipinas sa imperyalistang US. Hindi papalag ang gobyerno ng Pilipinas kapag itinaas ng dayuhang korporasyon ang presyo ng batayang bilihin at serbisyo tulad ng langis, kuryente, tubig, pagkain, gamot, at matrikula, habang pinapanatiling barat ang sahod at kontraktwal ang mga manggagawa. Ang komon na interes ni Marcos at ng US ay ang alipinin ang manggagawa at mamamayang Pilipino para masolo nila ang malaking tubo.” adds Adonis.
KMU called on all patriotic and nationalist Filipinos to resist all efforts of the US-Marcos administration to make a profit on our expense, and to speak up against the foreign takeover of our industries.