Documentary Report from a People’s War: the New People’s Army in Southern Mindanao

Philippines: The Life of Ka Roger (1947-2011)

Ka Roger, a CPP spokesperson

The following is from the website Philippine Revolution.

Philippines: Secret Cables Reveal Exercises Used as Cover for US Military

The following comes Philipinnes Revolution.net

Secret Cables Reveal Exercises Used as Cover for US Military

Communist Party of the Philippines

September 16, 2011

The Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) today called attention to secret cables from the US Embassy in Manila published by the website Wikileaks.org revealing the use of the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) and the annual Balikatan joint military exercises as “legal cover” for the involvement of US military forces in combat operations in the Philippines.

The CPP statement coincided with the 30th anniversary of the historic Philippine Senate decision of September 16, 1991 to abrogate the Military Bases Agreement of 1946. The abrogation paved the way for the dismantling of Subic Naval Base, Clark Air Base and several other American military installations in the Philippines.

“Thirty years after the abrogation of the MBA, US military forces continue to trample on Philippine sovereignty by maintaining permanent presence, engaging in local combat operations, advising the AFP in strategic planning and using the Philippines as a platform for its ‘power projection’ activities in the Pacific region,” said the CPP.

In a cable dated January 19, 2005 titled “AFP/DND Talks Produce Progress on Counterterrorism Scenarios,” former US Ambassador Francis Ricciardone reported to the US State Department that Philippine military and security officials held a working meeting with representatives of the US Pacific Command and succeeded in “developing a range of enhanced US-GRP counterterrorism scenarios”.

In the said meeting, officials and legal counsels of the Department of National Defense (DND) assured the US military that “(we are trying to) push the envelope to combat-related activities” but asserted that such activities “should fall under ‘the rubric of exercise’ because of the difficulty the word ‘operation’ posed for the Filipino side.” DND officials gave assurances that the VFA and Philippine Supreme Court decisions covered such operations.

“This and other secret cables clearly reveal that so-called joint exercises regularly conducted by the US and Philippine militaries merely serve to camouflage the direct involvement of US military forces in combat operations in the Philippines,” said the CPP. According to the CPP, US military forces are involved in combat operations not only in Southwestern Mindanao where the 700-strong Joint Special Operations Task Force (JSOTF)-Philippines is based, but also against the New People’s Army in various parts of the country.

Philippines: Communist Rebels Resist Return of US Bases

Protesters face off in front of US Embassy in the Philippines

Thanks to Frontlines of Revolutionary Struggle for sharing this.

COMMUNIST rebels on Friday asked Filipinos to oppose any plan to reestablish United States military presence in Subic, Zambales, whether in the form of a base or related facilities.

The US military is reportedly searching for alternative places in the Asia-Pacific region to establish bases, in the face of growing opposition to their military bases in Okinawa, Japan where the US 7th Pacific Fleet is headquartered.

Last Tuesday, US Senators Daniel Inouye and Thad Cochran met with President Benigno Aquino III after visiting the Subic Bay Freeport to be briefed about the situation in the former US military base.

May Day 2011 – Philippines

Joma Sison: A Marxian Critique of the Neoliberal Economic Agenda

Thanks to Red Ant Liberation Army blog for sharing this. Posting here does not imply endorsement of the views presented, but we share for the interest of our readers.

 

Watch the rest of the video series here.

Philippines: 25th Anniversary of the People Power Uprising

This originally appeared on the Philippine Revolution website. The article pays tribute to the People Power uprisings that took place in Quezon City in 1986, which was a series of tremendous mass actions aimed at removing the Marcos dictatorship.  EDSA refers to Epifanio de los Santos Avenue, where over 2,000,000 people came out in opposition to the regime. There is much to learn from this experience as we watch the political events in the Middle East unfold.

On the 25th anniversary of the EDSA people power uprising

Communist Party of the Philippines
February 25, 2011

The Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) joins the Filipino people in marking the 25th anniversary of the EDSA people power uprising. For four days, millions of Filipinos staged demonstrations along a stretch of EDSA and other major thoroughfares in the National Capital Region (NCR) as well as in almost all other major cities and towns across the country. These demonstrations ultimately culminated in the overthrow of the 20-year reign of the US-Marcos dictatorship.

Philippine Peace Talks Open in Norway

Thanks to Frontlines of Revolutionary Struggle for pointing this out. As the article explains peace talks have been on the table in the Philippines for over 25 years. However, these talks in particular come after the arrest of Allan Jazmines, a Central Committee member of the Communist Party of the Philippines.

Long-awaited Philippine peace talks open in Norway

A ceasefire between government troops and the CPP is in effect for the week-long closed-door talks Peace talks between the Philippine government and communist rebels have resumed in Norway, more than six years after the last round broke down.

The negotiations near Oslo are aimed at ending the 42-year insurgency, which has claimed tens of thousands of lives.

Philippines: Maoists Praised for Aiding Flood Victims

Thanks to Red Ant Liberation Army blog for sharing.

Philippine NPA Fighters

Maoist guerrillas praised for aiding calamity victims

MANILA, Philippines- The fisherfolk alliance Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas (Pamalakaya) on Saturday welcomed the decision of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) for directing members of the New People’s Army (NPA) to assist victims of mass flooding in Eastern Visayas and other calamity disaster areas in Caraga and Bicol regions due to non-stop rain since the Christmas holidays last year.

Philippines Maoists Oppose Mining Companies

Mining in the Philippines has been notoriously damaging. In 1996 a mining accident in Marinduque Island caused more than four million metric tons of toxic mine waste to spill from the Marcopper mine, and caused wide spread flooding.

This originally appeared on Philippine Revolution site.

The Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) today reiterated the policy by the people’s democratic government banning all enterprises, including big foreign mining and logging firms, that engage in large-scale plunder of the natural resources, land grabbing and destruction of the environment.

The policy calls for the people’s democratic government to “ban, disable and dismantle” such firms which violate the welfare and interests of the people and disregard the rules and regulations of the people’s democratic government. These firms also connive with and use the fascist armed forces and paramilitary to protect their plunderous interests and fight the revolutionary forces.

“These, hostile, destructive and anti-people enterprises should, in fact, be expelled,” the CPP said.

The reiteration was made by the CPP amid the uproar raised by the Philippine government over reports that big, foreign mining companies are threatening to pull out their operations in protest over increases in “taxes” being imposed by the revolutionary movement. Officials of the government negotiating panel even declared that they would take up the matter in the upcoming talks with the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) in Oslo, Norway.

The CPP dismissed accusations by the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) that the NPA “collects taxes” from mining companies.

“Large-scale foreign mining operations in the Philippines are among the worst abusers of the environment. Their operations cause siltation and poisoning of rivers, water sources and agricultural lands and other grave destruction of the natural environment,” said the CPP.

The Philippines: New Aquino Regime, Same U.S.-Backed Repression

Kuligligs are motorized pedicabs that have become increasingly popular in the big cities. Kuligig perators in Manila fought the government’s recent order to ban kuligigs from much of the city streets. On the morning of December 1, 2010, 700 kuligligs and 2000 drivers took to Lawton Plaza in Manila to take a stand for themselves. In an effort to disperse the thousands in protest, police sprayed them with fire hoses and then violently assaulted the drivers.

Thanks to Frontlines of Revolutionary Struggle for pointing this out to us.

The Aquino government continues the fascist legacy of the US-Arroyo regime

www.philippinerevolution.net, 10/12/2010

[Explanations in brackets have been added for the benefit of non-Filipino readers.–Frontlines ed.]

Jorge “Ka Oris” Madlos, Spokesperson National Democratic Front of the Philippines-Mindanao

The National Democratic Front of the Philippines in Mindanao (NDFP-Mindanao) unites with the entire Filipino nation in commemorating International Human Rights Day and remembering all activists and masses — martyrs and heroes of our time — who have fallen victims to the gravest abuses against human rights perpetrated by fascist agents and running dogs of previous and current reactionary regimes. We also join the whole Filipino people and the international community in voicing our strongest condemnation, and demand for justice to all the victims.

As we mark this day with indignation and protests, the NDFP -Mindanao, together with all revolutionary forces, strives to intensify people’s struggle to put an end to social inequity and repression that spawn grave violations against civil and political rights. The people’s struggle for basic human rights also include the right to basic necessities, such as decent food, shelter and clothing; freedom from fear; and the right to enjoy an atmosphere of peace.

Even UN Raporteur on Human Rights Philip Alston said that the reactionary bourgeois state, through its mercenary AFP [Armed Forces of the Philippines], PNP [Philippine National Police], paramilitary forces and the so-called private armies, is the biggest human rights violator in the Philippines.

Communist Party of the Philippines Celebrates 42nd Anniversary

Ka Oris reports on the victories achieved by the revolutionary movement during the past year

Thanks to Democracy & Class Struggle for pointing this out.

Thousands join CPP celebrations despite AFP/PNP harassments

December 27, 2010

Several thousand people joined celebrations yesterday of the 42nd founding anniversary of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) in a what was described as “one of the biggest celebrations of the revolutionary victories of the Filipino people exhibiting the continuing growth of the revolutionary movement led by the CPP.”

At the same time, the CPP denounced the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and Philippine National Police (PNP) “for setting-up checkpoints along the route to the site of the assembly to harass participants and dissuade them from proceeding to the site of the celebrations in violation of the spirit and intent of the 19-day ceasefire.”

The whole day celebration was hosted by the National Democratic Front-Mindanao.

According to NDF-Mindanao spokesperson Jorge “Ka Oris” Madlos, a few more thousand people failed to join the celebrations because of the checkpoints setup by the military and police. “Checkpoints were setup by the 4th Infantry Division all over the Caraga region in a desperate attempt by the AFP to prevent the people from joining the celebrations of the CPP anniversary.”

Call to Youth of Philippines: Join Revolutionary Armed Struggle

Manila police attack students in front of Malacanang, the presidential palace

Posted on Philippine Revolution.

Philippines:
Underground youth group holds daring lightning rally,
calls on youth to accelerate the revolutionary upsurge and
join the New People’s Army

by Information Bureau,
Communist Party of the Philippines,
December 2, 2010

In celebration of the Kabataang Makabayan (KM, Patriotic Youth) 46th anniversary, hundreds of KM members joined today’s lightning rally near Malacañang, calling for support to the revolutionary movement’s objective to advance the peoples’war.

Masked students and youth joined the lightning rally bearing placards “KABATAAN, TUMUNGO SA KANAYUNAN, SUMAPI SA NPA!”, “REHIMENG US-AQUINO IBAGSAK!”, (“Go to the countryside, join the New People’s Army!”, “Down with the US-Aquino regime!”) “FILIPINO YOUTH, AWAKEN, JOIN THE NPA!”, “DOWN WITH US IMPERIALISM!”

“The revolutionary youth under KM declares its full commitment to advance the call of the Communist Party of the Philippines of fulfilling the strategic stalemate position vis-a-vis the rotten reactionary US-Aquino regime and its mercenary state security forces within five years,” states Ma. Laya Guerrero, KM spokesperson.

The participants of the lightning rally assembled at around 12:30 noon at the R. Papa St., barely a kilometer away from Malacañang palace, marched towards Morayta and Recto and dispersed near Avenida St. At the corner of Morayta and Recto, the group held a program that lasted for 10 minutes exorting the youth to join the New People’s Army (NPA).

Philippines: Students Protest Education Cuts

Source: Philippine Revolution

Students, teachers and faculty protests cuts to education in the Philippines.

Campus rallies against SUC budget cuts presage rising tide of youth and people’s protests

by Communist Party of the Philippines
November 27, 2010

The Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) salutes and supports the struggle of students and other school personnel of the University of the Philippines, the Polytechnic University of the Philippines, the Philippine Normal University and other state universities and colleges (SUCs) in Metro Manila and other regions against unjust SUC budget cuts.

The CPP hails the militancy and determination of the students, teachers and other school personnel in the mass protest actions they have launched the past two weeks. The CPP takes note of the widespread unity of students, teachers, administrative officials, non-academic workers and supporters against the US-Aquino regime’s SUC budget cuts. The broad united front against the budget cuts underscores the popular opposition to the ruling regime’s policy to cut state subsidies for SUCs and other direly needed social services, and concentrate the bulk of state spending for foreign debt servicing, military spending, privatization programs, “pork barrels” and the World Bank’s Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT) program for perpetual mendicancy.

U.S. Imperialists Unleash “Terror-Scare” in Philippines

Philippines-NPA Fighters

New wave of “Terror-Scare” an old US Imperialist ploy to intensify military intervention for US military basing and economic interest

Jorge “Ka Oris” Madlo

Spokesperson

National Democratic Front of the Philippines

Mindanao November 6, 2010

There has been a series of “terror-scare” spreading in the country of late. The National Democratic Front of the Philippines in Mindanao (NDFP-Mindanao) views this chain of events along the following the lines:

1. The United States, being in the throes of a deep recession and trapped in the quagmire of wars of aggression in the Middle East, is looking up to the Philippines as its second front to secure its geo-politics in the Asia-Pacific, protect its economic interest and unhampered US military basing in the country. It had to install a more reliable ally — Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III – through a pre-programmed election and drum up a new wave of terror to justify its intensified military intervention.