KMP secretary general Antonio Flores said in a statement that “the ASEAN hosting will result to years and possibly decades more of bankrupt, perverted economic policies.”
“While Filipinos are demanding drastic changes in economic and foreign policies, including the realization of land reform and national industrialization under the framework of the Comprehensive Agreement on Socio-Economic Reforms (CASER) that are being discussed by the Philippine government and the National Democratic Front of the Philippines in the peace talks, Malacanang is taking advantage of the ASEAN 2017 to further pimp the country to foreign investors and economic powers,” Flores said.
ASEAN 2017, launched recently in Davao City, has the theme “Partnering for Change, Engaging the World.”
Flores said that “half a century of ASEAN and the Philippines’ membership to this regional powerhouse failed to foster real economic development that caters to the interests of the people.”
He expressed fears that “ASEAN 2017 will only market the local economy, our human and natural resources to foreign investors targeting the sectors of business process outsourcing, electronics, agriculture, renewable energy, infrastructure, and shipbuilding.”
The kick-off event in Duterte’s home province officially started the Philippines’ hosting of ASEAN events happening throughout the year including the 30th ASEAN summit in April, the 50th ASEAN Ministerial Meeting and related meetings coinciding with ASEAN’s 50th anniversary in Metro Manila in August and the 31st ASEAN Summit in Clark in November.
“These events will be red-calendar days for the progressive people’s mass movement as we prepare to hold protests and actions on these dates to oppose the economic agenda of the ASEAN, the US and China governments in the Philippines,” Flores noted.
He lamented that “the liberalization of agriculture, trade and investment and economic policies imposed by neoliberal globalization has led to the consistent decline of agriculture and local manufacturing and the bloating of foreign-owned and controlled service sector.”
“ASEAN and its economic interests, agenda and dictates are proven to be major hindrances to real economic development not only in the Philippines but in the entire region,” said Flores.
The KMP statement also hit Duterte’s economic managers — “the trio of Diokno, Pernia, Dominguez and for their continued and unabashed criticism of pro-people economic policies.”
“Their approach is still for greater neoliberal trade and investment liberalization trend through APEC, the ASEAN economic integration, and free trade agreements including Regional Cooperation Economic Partnership and the European Union-PH Free Trade Agreement,” KMP said.
Formed in 1967, the ASEAN comprises the Philippines, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Brunei, Thailand, Cambodia, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Myanmar and Vietnam. Aside from leaders of ASEAN member- states, leaders and economic managers of US, Japan, South Korea and China –are expected to take part in the ASEAN 2017 events.
