From Karatula
Kabataang Artista para sa Tunay na Kalayaan is an organization of young artists fighting for social change, genuine freedom, and national democracy.
6 months since Rodrigo Duterte officiated in Malacannang, 5927 people were killed by legal police operations and vigelante-style killings. This administration is silencing drug offeders to death without realizing the socio-economic roots of the drug problem. This unrestrained extra judicial killings and harassments are justified as drug related but underneath this pretext, 85 peasant activists were illegally arrested, urban poor association office in Malabon was indiscrimanately shot, several innocent people, 1 patok association leader and 18 Lumad activists were killed.
Averagely, 44 people are shot blankly in the streets everyday. During his campaign, Duterte promised a safe and crime-free country 6 months upon his winning; but his means created a state terror, culture of repression and impunity. This rampant killing is muzzling the the Filipino people and bringing culture of subservience.
Through history, people in power use the state machinery especially the armed forces to retain its dominance. In Mendiola, Hacienda Luicita and Kidapawan, peasants protesting for their rights were massacred. Arroyo's Oplan Bantay Laya commited 1,118 extra judicial killings which victims are mostly activists. Marcos dictatorship strengthened by Martial Law. USA invading the Philippines in WWII, killed1.4 million Filipinos. The number of dead bodies is still rising through VFA, EDCA and US-funded counter insurgency program like today's Oplan Bayanihan.
Until now, Duterte's administration is no different from the past administrations. All of them implemented US imperialists' socio economic regulations which favors the Land lords, foreign and local buiseness men in expense of the interest of the Filipino people. This exploitation brings out peoples' resistance which they pacify with facism.
Artists are not seperate from the society. Together with the broad oppressed masses, they are both under the same social ills. Artists during Martial Law realized this so much that they integrated their skills in the struggle of the people in their times. They contributed in arousing awareness and mobilizing vast number of people which later ousted the dictator. In the long run, artists' efforts permeate revolutionary culture.
Kabataang Artista para sa Tunay na Kalayaan KARATULA, launched Rage Against the Killings. This event is to call artists to create works that are reaponsive to their times. With art as an effective form of conveying progressive expressions, and youth as historically proven catalysts and pioneers for social change, the challenge for youth artists is glaring. With all the current upheavals, youth artists are called to join progressive organizations that advocates genuine social changqe. Allot their vigor and talent to create works that will propagate nationalist, scientific and mass oriented culture; culture that will serve the interest of the oppressed people.