NDFP-Mindanao message on the CPP’s 42nd anniversary

By JORGE "Ka Oris" MADLOS
Spokesperson, NDFP-Mindanao

In behalf of all revolutionary organizations under the umbrella of the National Democratic Front of the Philippines-Mindanao, we wish to congratulate and salute the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) as it celebrates today its 42nd founding anniversary. With utmost admiration, we salute all the heroes and martyrs who offered their lives in the struggle for national freedom, social justice, genuine democracy and lasting peace.

The revolutionary victories of the past 42 years could not have been achieved without the perseverance and determination of the Filipino people to carry forward arduous struggles. Neither could these have been achieved without the correct leadership of the CPP which has served as the beacon of the people's armed revolution and mass struggles.

From one Party group when the CPP first took root in Mindanao in 1971, there are now five Regional Committees covering the entire island. The total party membership in Mindanao numbering several thousand lead a few hundred thousands of organized masses.

The Party leads scores of New People's Army (NPA) platoons and companies in the island. There are now 42 guerrilla fronts from 39 last year. The NPA in Mindanao have launched more than 250 tactical offensives this year against military, paramilitary and police forces seizing almost 200 high powered rifles. We have maintained a casualty ratio of 10 is to 1 between the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the NPA. Enemy forces lost an equivalent of a battalion of men.

The Party leads the people's struggle in Mindanao for land reform and other basic economic issues, human rights and other political rights, right to self-determination of the Lumad people including that of our Moro brothers, the struggle against US political and military intervention as well as the protection and rehabilitation of our environment. The Party has strengthened and broadened the revolutionary united front in the whole island.

The revolutionary forces have weathered the violent sustained attacks of successive reactionary regimes from the imposition of martial law in 1972. From the early phase of the strategic defensive stage, the protracted people's war has advanced to the middle phase and has set sights on fulfilling the requirements for completing the last phase in the next five years and entering the stage of the strategic stalemate afterwards.

The objectives of the AFP's brutal military campaigns under Oplan Bantay Laya have been completely frustrated. Instead of being decimated by the Oplan Bantay Laya 1 (2001-2005), the whole revolutionary movement has grown bigger and stronger. Oplan Bantay Laya 2 (2006-2010) failed not only in reducing the revolutionary forces to inconsequentiality, but in stopping as well the continued advance of the people's war.

The current new democratic revolution has achieved far greater victories than all the previous revolutionary movements of the Filipino people. This clearly shows the maturity and competence of the CPP to lead and advance the people's revolution.

In contrast, the ruling social system is beset with an ever worsening economic and political crisis. The world capitalist system is suffering from a prolonged depression. The Filipino people suffer ever worsening conditions as a result of US- and IMF-imposed policies of liberalization, privatization, deregulation and denationalization. The people have long lost hope that their national and democratic aspirations can be achieved under the current ruling system.

The US-Aquino regime's newly unveiled Oplan Bayanihan is basically a rehash of the Oplan Bantay Laya in terms of relying on a brutal military campaign of suppression. Patterned after the US Counter-insurgency Guide, Oplan Bayanihan seeks to camouflage the brutality of the fascist war with "human rights" rhetoric, psywar lies, doleout campaigns, so-called community organizing for peace and development and other political gimmicks.

Just like the AFP's previous campaigns, Oplan Bayanihan will be counter-productive both economically and politically. It will only drain the resources of the government and further draw the people's ire. In Mindanao, this will only worsen the rage of the Lumad, Moro and non-Moro people and drive them to unite under the NDF's banner and CPP's leadership.

The future is bright! But we have a multitude of tasks ahead of us. Here in Mindanao, the more developed regions must advance even more vigorously and achieve greater victories. They should extend help to the smaller regions. The smaller regions, on the other hand, must strive to overcome their shortcomings, learn from the positive experiences of other regions and move forward in bigger strides.

In line with the Party's central call, the CPP in Mindanao must boldly expand and strengthen the Party. The Party must be able to swiftly resolve problems in all fields of work in order to decisively put itself in a position to achieve quantitatively far greater victories in the next few years.

The Party in Mindanao must be able to lead the masses in their millions in anti-feudal, anti-imperialist and anti-fascist mass struggles. The Party in Mindanao must be able to lead, strengthen and expand the New People's Army to intensify tactical offensives to annihilate enemy forces and seize a far greater number of weapons. The Party in Mindanao must be able to further strengthen the basic alliance of workers and peasants and further broaden the united front.

We are confident that the CPP and all revolutionary forces under its leadership will be able to fulfill the tasks that lie ahead. We look forward to celebrating greater victories in the next few years.

Long live the Communist Party of the Philippines!
Long live the National Democratic Front of the Philippines!
Carry forward the people's war!