On the occasion of the 45th founding anniversary of the New People’s Army, the National Democratic Front of the Philippines – Mindanao joins the entire nation in praising the NPA for its accumulated victories over the last 45 in arduously defending the basic interests of the people and in carrying forward the armed revolution. We shall always remember and continue to salute all revolutionary martyrs who have offered up their lives in the name of the Revolution and the people.

Under the absolute leadership and guidance of the Communist Party of the Philippines, the NPA in Mindanao has grown and strengthened in the past more than ten years despite the continued brutal military attacks launched previously by the US-Arroyo regime’s Oplan Bantay Laya and, currently, by the US-Aquino regime’s Oplan Bayanihan, owing this to our firm grasp of the general line of the People’s Democratic Revolution through a protracted people’s war that combines comprehensively armed struggle with mass base building and agrarian revolution. We have maintained our offensive posture, and the NPA, alongside the people, has unwaveringly fought against the consecutive military operational plans of the Arroyo and Aquino III regimes.

NPA units in Mindanao have greatly facilitated to the rapid expansion and strengthening of the bases. Areas where the NPA operate have increased to more than 2,300 barrios (villages) in more than 200 municipalities in 19 provinces of Mindanao. Of these, one-third has been consolidated, where barrio-level mass organizations and the people’s Revolutionary government have been established in a significant number of barrios and communities, including some municipalities. Our correct policy in building a united front has further strengthened the political, material and financial support towards the armed revolution and has further isolated the reactionary regime.

Part of the victory of NPA units in Mindanao has been helping facilitate the launching of agrarian revolution from which hundreds of thousands of peasant masses and the Lumads have benefitted each year in Mindanao. This is one of the major reasons why vast numbers of people in Mindanao actively join and support the armed revolution.

Armed fighters of the NPA have increased by 10% in the previous year, which when taken as a whole comprise 10 battalions across the five regions of Mindanao. This enjoys the full support of numerous battalions of the People’s Militia, spread into platoons and squads in villages and communities. From 35 guerrilla fronts in 2005, this has risen to 39 in 2009, and, today, numbers to 46 guerrilla fronts in the whole of Mindanao.

Based on an ever widening and deepening mass base, the launching of tactical offensives (TO) by the NPA has become more widespread, more intensified and stronger in Mindanao in the last five years. In 2010, the NPA has only launched 250 TOs in the entire island, increased to 350 TOs in 2011, then to 400 in 2012, and nearly 500 in 2013; and, these tactical offensives will intensify this year and the years after. Out of the TOs launched, 10-15% has been annihilative military actions that have confiscated a significant number of firearms. The most recent successful major TOs were the raid of the army-CAFGU detachment in Lantad, Balingasag, Misamis Oriental, and the Philippine National Police stations in Kibawe, Bukidnon, in Don Victoriano, Misamis Occidental, and, in Matanaw, Davao del Sur. Truly significant are our victories in Far Southern Mindanao and Western Mindanao, regions which the Armed Forces of the Philippines already considered as neutralized.

The casualty toll sustained by mercenary enemy forces as a result of NPA military action is equivalent, every year, to a battalion. The NPA, more or less, has a platoon of its Red fighters who have become martyrs of the Revolution each year. In these last three months alone, there had been a sudden increase in enemy casualties (already at 100) because of the NPA’s active defence against simultaneous, widespread and concentrated attacks of the Armed Forces of the Philippines.

The organization of the NPA has been operational in the five regions of Mindanao because territorial commands have been established from regional, sub-regional to the guerrilla front levels. Command units have been established in each platoon and company, and, within these, dual-leadership is effectively in operation. To ensure that politics commands the gun, each unit has its own political officer and a political group who makes certain that political and ideological education is given to both Red commander and fighter, and that they firmly abide by and implement the political line and program of the People’s Democratic Revolution, The Basic Code of the NPA, the 3 Main Rules and the 8 Points of Attention, and other basic guidelines.

The CPP, which has absolute leadership over the NPA, is firmly rooted also in the countryside through the Party Branches organized in the barrio and community clusters. In the cities and factories and plantation, Party Committees have also been established, including among the youth and students and other sectors. Party membership has continued to grow in the five regions of Mindanao. However, the effort at Party member recruitment must be doubled to attain the quota of each region in order to reach the mark of 250,000 Party members in the entire country as targeted by the national leadership.

Nearly all full-time Party members have taken up the Basic Party Course (BPC), while up to section level have finished the Intermediate Party Course (IPC), and a great number of regional and sub-regional cadres finished the Advance Party Course (APC). We must resolve the lack of Party education among the Party Branches in the barrios in order for Marxism-Leninism-Maoism to firmly take root at the basic level. Almost all members at the section and some at the branch levels have already taken the IPC, however, there is a need to improve the course so as to include new experiences. A great deal has to be done to address the lack of attention given to APC, which must be made part of the priority of the regions so as to ensure the deep foundation of the theoretical knowledge of MLM and to avoid the big mistakes that resulted from our errors in the second half of the 1980s until the 1990s.

On the other hand, the reactionary US-Aquino regime has been greatly frustrated in its intent on decisively defeating the revolutionary armed struggle within the first three years of its administration (2010-2013) so that in the second three years (2014-2016), it can launch its consolidating and so-called “development” programs. In order to make a rebound from its defeat and defend multinational mining and plantation interests, the US-Aquino regime’s OPB has launched, this year, a more brutal, widened in scope and augmented military offensive in the entire Mindanao, focusing on SMR (Southern Mindanao Region), NEMR (North East Mindanao Region) and NCMR (North Central Mindanao Region), while it prevents FSMR (Far Southern Mindanao Region) and WMR (Western Mindanao Region) from making an upsurge.

Within the last three months, the AFP added eight battalions to Mindanao from Luzon, the Visayas and Moro areas, and these will be augmented by two or three more battalions. This means that one division has been added to the entire island, which brings the number of AFP forces in Mindanao already to five divisions. More than four divisions are focused against the NPA while the other forces will take on the Moro areas. It is estimated that 60% of the entire AFP forces in the entire country have already been deployed to Mindanao.

The US-Aquino regime hopes that by further beefing-up AFP strength in Mindanao, the revolution will finally be snuffed out in the island, but this dream will only lead to frustration because revolutionary forces and the people in Mindanao are more than ever determined to fight to defend their basic interests. Having placed 60% of AFP forces in Mindanao will only give great opportunity for revolutionary forces in the Visayas and Luzon to advance, and just like fire trucks putting out fires, they will be forced to redeploy their troops to the Visayas and Luzon in order to extinguish revolutionary flames in these regions. This will only reap the anger of the people because, without doubt, human rights violations by AFP forces will heighten and its defence of multinational corporations that run adverse against the interests and rights of the workers, peasants and the Lumad, and, at the same time, greatly causing damage to the environment.

The reactionary regime is dreaming with the notion that the newly signed Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro will put an end to the armed resistance of the Moro people. Even before the signing, the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters has already taken arms against the regime in order to continue the armed struggle for the genuine right of the Bangsamoro to self-determination. Not long now, the widespread of the Moro will again be fired up to realize their basic demands and, at the same time, avoid sugar-coated bullets in the form of peace pacts with the reactionary regime

If this regime thinks that the arrest of Comrades Benito and Wilma Tiamzon will weaken the revolution, it should remember that even when Prof. Jose Ma. Sison and Kumander Dante (Bernabe Buscayno) were captured, the revolutionary movement gained strength; and when succeeding former Chairman Rudy Salas and former NPA chief Romulo Kintanar, together with nearly 10 Central Committee members, were seized during the time of Corazon Aquino, the armed revolution continued to gain force. The revolutionary movement is governed by the principle of collective leadership, and it does not rely solely on individual personalities within the Party in order to carry the revolution forward. The pervasive social crisis and the correct political line are the foremost bases for the revolution’s advance.

It is imperative that we continue to uphold our offensive posture and initiative, and comprehensively launch the people’s democratic revolution through the people’s protracted war. We must complete the requisites to advance our protracted war towards the strategic stalemate phase, and until complete victory and the establishment of socialism.

On the occasion of the 45th anniversary of the New People’s Army, the Central Committee has called forth the 10-Point Fighting Tasks. We must diligently study this and unflinchingly implement it.

Long live the New People’s Army!
Advance the people’s protracted war towards victory and establish a socialist society!