By CPP Information Bureau
The Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) released the following statement:
The Communist Party of the Philippines commiserates with the broad masses of workers, peasants, fisherfolk, minority people, ordinary income earners and other toiling people, who bore the brunt of typhoon Glenda (international name: Rammasun) over the past several days. The typhoon dealt widespread destruction especially in the Bicol and Southern Tagalog regions, as well as parts of the Eastern Visayas, Central Luzon and the National Capital Region.
Strong winds and torrential rain damaged thousands upon thousands of small peasant houses and urban poor shanties, as well as rice fields, vegetable farms, coconut trees, fish ponds as well as other sources of livelihood.
As a matter of revolutionary duty, all branches of the CPP, units of the New People’s Army (NPA) and local revolutionary mass organizations in the affected areas, have been mobilized to shoulder all the necessary tasks to help those needing assistance to repair their houses and resume their livelihood.
Revolutionary authorities are exerting all efforts to mobilize volunteers and coordinate with local and international aid agencies to ensure that emergency services and relief materials reach the intended people the soonest.
The CPP calls on the people in the affected areas to stand alert against the continuing offensive and surveillance operations being carries out by the Aquino regime and its armed forces. These operations aim to impede NPA units as well as people’s organizations from carrying-out their duty to assist the people.
Recall that after typhoon Yolanda, AFP units launched massive offensive operations in Eastern Visayas, Panay and Negros, against NPA units doing rehabilitation work. The Aquino regime’s policy of intensifying offensive military operations in calamity-stricken areas is a manifestation of its deep contempt of the people.
It is the broad masses of the oppressed and exploited classes who are always vulnerable to storms and other natural calamities. The disasters they experience, however, are invariably man-made as the reactionary government is completely negligent of the welfare of the toiling people.