By JOSE MARIA SISON
Chief Political Consultant
NDFP Negotiating Panel
I am happy to convey to you warmest greetings of solidarity and to join you in the celebration of the 32nd anniversary of the formal establishment of the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) through the adoption of the 10-Pt Guidelines on April 24, 1973.
The NDFP has served the Filipino people excellently as the most consolidated underground united front organization of the basic revolutionary forces (working class, peasantry and urban petty bourgeoisie) in the revolutionary struggle for national liberation and democracy against US imperialism and the local exploiting classes.
The NDFP has been most effective in developing within its organizational fold the basic worker-peasant alliance and the alliance of progressive forces, including the urban petty bourgeoisie. It also develops the alliance of the patriotic forces, including the middle bourgeoisie.
Further, it is amenable to the broadest possible informal or formal alliance, including certain reactionary forces (even if these are unstable and unreliable forces), for the purpose of hastening the isolation, weakening and destruction of the enemy, be this the most reactionary force or a foreign aggressor.
It was the broadest possible alliance that overthrew the Marcos fascist regime in 1986 and the corrupt Estrada regime in 2001. Once more the Filipino people are facing up to a regime that is so oppressive and exploitative that they want to oust from power through a broad united front.
The Arroyo regime knows no bounds for its puppetry to US imperialism. It keeps on aggravating the crisis and it inflicts on the broad masses of the people the most intolerable forms of exploitation. It unleashes the most brutal forms of violence in order to suppress the legal mass protests and all other forms of popular resistance. The people therefore have no choice but to seek the way for ousting the regime as quickly as possible.
As Chief Political Consultant of the NDFP Negotiating Panel, I am aware that the NDFP is desirous of the following: a broad unity of the Filipino people for the ouster of the regime, mass mobilization of the people in their millions nationwide, the formation of a patriotic and democratic council of leaders to replace the current regime, guarantees that the principle of civilian supremacy is upheld even as the military and police forces withdraw support from the regime and a general consensus on social, economic and political reforms to be undertaken.
I must keep short this keynote to the celebration of the 32nd anniversary. Let us give full play to the forum to discuss the role of the NDFP, the current crisis situation and the role and the tasks of the NDFP. Let us also give full play to the video presentations and give every picture the chance to speak a thousand words.
In conclusion, let me say: Mabuhay ang NDFP! Mobilize the people in their millions to oust the Arroyo puppet regime! Carry forward the new democratic revolution against US imperialism and the local exploiting classes.