PRWC
Conflicts and contradictions between rival factions of the ruling class under the US-Marcos regime are rapidly intensifying. People now see more clearly the rottenness of the ruling political system characterized by maneuvers, strife and jockeying for power of reactionary parties that represent the interests of a few corrupt and fascist politicians who are all puppets of foreign imperialist powers.
There is now open wrangling and conflict between the power-hungry, greedy and fascist camps of the Marcoses and Dutertes. Their opportunist “uni-team” quickly disintegrated. Contrary to promises of mutual accommodation, the rival cliques immediately maneuvered and tried to expand their influence and control over power and plundered wealth, and tried to elbow out their rival.
On the one hand, almost right after sitting as vice-president, and after being denied her request to head the Department of Defense, Sara Duterte immediately tried to exert influence on military and police generals. On the other hand, the Marcos faction monopolized key positions in the bureaucracy, military and congress. Government contracts held by Duterte, especially large Chinese-funded infrastructures, were scrapped by Marcos, in favor of his cronies, and in favor of loans and investments by Japan and the US.
The conflict between rival factions worsened when the Duterte camp openly urged military and police to withdraw support, promoting talk of assassination threats, and riding on the widespread opposition of the Filipino people to the Marcos camp’s attempt to push the “chacha” scheme. To denounce his rival, Marcos uses the threat to allow the International Criminal Court to arrest and try Duterte and his accomplices, and the arrest of his minion Apollo Quiboloy. Marcos dons the false mask of “New Philippines” and promoting “unity.” The truth is, Marcos is now is preparing for a bloody clash in this conflict.
Sara Duterte’s resignation from the cabinet merely formalized the full split of the cliques forming the “uni-team,” which now are the main rival factions of the ruling class. The Marcos faction now firmly dominates the politics of the ruling system, controls the bureaucracy, congress and courts, and its armed forces. The strength and influence of other smaller factions and parties of the ruling class has been completely eroded. After having crumbs thrown at them, they now seem to have forgotten how the Marcoses used widespread fraud and violence (enabled by the Dutertes) to reclaim Malacañang.
The conflict and jockeying for power of the rival factions of the ruling classes expose the extremely rotten reactionary system in the country. That the two main factions consist of dynasties that are notorious for corruption, fascism, oppression and betrayal of the people, clearly show that this conflict will only serve their own interests to amass wealth and power, and will bring more suffering to the vast masses of the people. This conflict also reflects the conflict between the two imperialist powers of the US and China, particularly China’s attempt to strengthen influence in the country, and challenge US dominance and control.
The rapid escalation of the conflict between the Marcoses and Dutertes, is an indicator of the depth and intensity of the economic crisis of the ruling system, which is directly linked to the insoluble stagnation of the global capitalist system. Because of the crisis, the pie of wealth, power and privilege share by various factions of the ruling class is getting smaller and smaller. These dynasties are all hungry and obsessed, and will grab at every opportunity to pocket and possess everything they can grab while they are in power.
The clash between these rivals will surely become more fiery and bloody in the upcoming 2025 reactionary elections in the Senate, Congress and local governments. Even now, Marcos is using government funds to move around the country to secure the loyalty of local officials under the guise of handing out aid and various programs. Marcos also uses state armed agents to suppress people who resist and anyone who challenges his rule.
The crisis of the ruling system under the US-Marcos regime opens an opportunity for the national-democratic movement to expose the rotten political system. It also presents an opportunity for the open mass movement to challenge reactionary elections, promote leaders of various democratic sectors representing people’s politics, expose and isolate elitist and reactionary politics, and fight to place representative in the Lower House and Senate who will promote the national and democratic aspirations of the people.
This challenge will surely bring great successes by linking it to mass organizing and mobilization of the masses. In the coming months, there must be all-out effort to wage mass struggles against rising prices of goods, widespread land and livelihoods, fascist repression in the countryside and cities, widespread destruction of the environment, unemployment especially in the wide range of youth, low wages and salaries, as well as, against dragging the Philippines to an inter-imperialist conflict being fueled by the US.
The grave decay of reactionary politics under the oppressive, fascist and puppet Marcos regime opens an ideal opportunity to arouse, organize and mobilize the Filipino people along the path of national democracy. The situation is becoming increasingly favorable to clarify before the Filipino people that the suffering, oppression, hardship and hunger they are suffering will only be solved if the semicolonial and semifeudal ruling system is overthrown through the people’s democratic revolution to achieve national and social liberation.
