THE arrest of Sen. Leila de Lima is a sign of the intensifying rivalry among the various factions of the ruling classes and the worsening decay of the political system under the Duterte regime.
De Lima’s arrest comes at a time of mounting criticism by the people against the Duterte regime for its failure to fulfill its promises, lack of concrete steps to break away from US imperialism, and the brutal killings of thousands under the war on drugs gone wild, and intensifying fascism and all-out war.
Just like under the Noynoy Aquino regime of which the then Justice Secretary de Lima was an instrument, Duterte is now using the resources, legal processes, and other apparatuses of repression in order to hit his political enemies, consolidate political power, and sow fear against groups and factions of the ruling classes attempting to oppose him.
It can be recalled that the Liberal Party under de Lima and Robredo conspired early on to call for the overthrow of Duterte while it has not yet consolidated state power. They tried to court the support of US imperialism which previously criticized Duterte for human rights violations. Now it is payback time for Duterte.
Duterte got the backing of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) in order to consolidate power, and therefore set the stage for intensifying fascism, state terror, and human rights violations under his regime.
To bring the AFP to his side, Duterte backtracked on its earlier promises to break free from US imperialist control. Duterte did not abrogate Edca and VFA and instead approved more US military exercises in the country, continued the US-backed counterinsurgency war, and terminated the peace talks with the NDFP.
De Lima’s claim of being the first political prisoner under the Duterte regime should be taken with a grain of salt, given the left and right arrest of political activists especially since the declaration of all-out war. However, de Lima’s arrest further exposes Duterte to be no different from past regimes.
Under Duterte, just like previous administration, the law acts swiftly against political enemies while turning a blind eye to political allies and friends, be they fascists, human rights abusers, or criminal syndicates.
The ruling classes in the Philippines have long been divided along rival factions that cooperate or contest each other for a greater share of state power, business contracts with government, and economic interests.
With the intensification of the rivalry among the ruling classes, the rottenness of the ruling system is further exposed. It becomes clear that there is no other path for the Filipino people but to advance the struggle for national democracy. –Vencer Crisostomo, chairperson, Anakbayan
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