Local organs of people’s democratic power have been established and continue to expand throughout the country. These are the beginnings of the new government which the NDF envisions. The NDF supports the establishment and consolidation of these organs of political power and paves the way for the formation of the people’s democratic government at various levels.
In the period approaching total victory of the national democratic revolution, a provisional revolutionary government may be set up by the working class party as the ruling party.In this connection, a people’s consultative conference may be convened, with the NDF acting as one of the major convenors. This would be a conference of representatives of all allied patriotic and progressive classes and sectors, including the Bangsa Moro, Cordillera, Lumads and other minority peoples. This conference shall form the people’s consultative council to prepare for the proclamation of the People’s Democratic Republic of the Philippines.
The people’s consultative conference shall broaden the base and character of the people’s democratic government. The People’s Consultative Council, representing the conference, shall support the working class party in organizing the new government. Upon the victory of the national democratic revolution, a people’s democratic republic will be established and proclaimed. State power is seized from the big compradorlandlord rulers and secured by the democratic classes, especially the workers and peasants led by the working class.
The new government shall take the form of a democratic coalition government which promotes and translates into reality the people’s will and interests. Within this government, autonomy will be assured for the Bangsa Moro, Cordillera peoples, Lumads and other indigenous peoples.
With the support of the people’s consultative council, the new government under the leadership of the working class shall ensure that the transition to peaceful conditions is smooth and orderly and that the wounds of war are healed as soon as possible. It shall adopt measures to ensure that all productive enterprises immediately resume and expand their production. Civil service personnel of the overthrown government—except those accused of serious crimes—will be urged to continue manning their posts and serving the public.
The new government shall initiate thoroughgoing democratic reforms and unify and mobilize all the forces against those who continue to resist. At various levels, the people’s consultative conferences and councils shall support the organs of democratic power. All patriotic and progressive classes, political parties, groups, and the entire people shall participate in the affairs of the state and in decision-making processes. The working class party leading the government shall enjoy multiparty support. Bourgeois pluralism shall not be allowed to undermine, weaken or destroy the people’s democratic state. The new government shall institute a fair and equitable system of justice. Judicial procedures will ensure a fair hearing by an impartial tribunal at all levels of government. The right to due process shall be upheld.
The people’s courts shall try those accused of grave crimes against the people (especially human rights violations and corruption) and punish those who have been found guilty of such crimes. It will have the power to confiscate properties and ill gotten wealth amassed by the traitors, bureaucrat capitalists, big compradors and landlords. Severe punishment shall be meted out to those found guilty of the most serious offenses.
Those who deserve leniency shall be given political education and, as soon as possible, be given opportunities to become productive members of society under the new dispensation.
In accordance with the social revolution, the political and economic rights of members of the exploiting classes shall be restricted in order to prevent them from undermining the new social system and recovering their political and economic power over the working people.
Soon after total victory, the new government shall hold the election of a constituent assembly that shall draft the constitution of the PDR. After ratification of the Constitution, general elections shall be held.
In its Constitution and practice, the People’s Democratic Republic shall have the character of a republic that is a united front of all democratic classes, founded on the worker-peasant alliance and led by the working class. All power of the PDR resides in the people, who have the sovereign power to elect their officials and to recall them from office. There shall be a bill of rights, guaranteeing the basic freedoms to the people and surpassing the bourgeois liberal constitution by prohibiting the oppression and exploitation of the people by the imperialists and the reactionary classes of big compradors and landlords.
While providing the conditions in which believers and non- believers can work together in building a free and democratic society, the new government shall adhere to the policy of separation of Church and state.
The people exercise state power through the system of people’s congresses at various levels, the highest being the National People’s Congress. The system of people’s congresses shall adopt a system of genuine universal and equal suffrage, irrespective of nationality, race, sex, creed, party affiliation, or education. This system gives full expression to democracy with full powers vested in the people’s congresses at all levels. There shall be a centralized system of administration but there shall be at the same time the decentralization of functions that are better performed by lower levels of government. The central leadership of the government shall base itself upon and interact with the lower levels of government in accordance with the principle of democratic centralism.
