By JORGE MADLOS (Ka Oris)
Spokesperson, NDFP-Mindanao
Read also in Bisaya
The National Democratic Front of the Philippines-Mindanao welcomes the New Year with mixed feelings of sadness, happiness and hope. Yes, we are deeply saddened by the unimaginable suffering and damage to human lives and properties brought about by typhoon Sendong. There is however, so much reason to be happy and hopeful for the future, because our revolutionary victories in the past few years have inspiringly challenged us to advance our people’s revolutionary war into the stalemate stage in the next few years.
Once again, we extend our sympathy to all those who lost their loved ones as well as their properties in the latest calamity. The Communist Party of the Philippines, the NDFP-Mindanao, and the New People’s Army have been and are mobilizing the whole revolutionary forces in Mindanao to help in the effort for relief and the rehabilitation.
Again, we echo the call of the Communist Party asking all revolutionary forces to celebrate the New Year with simplicity and frugality, and give what they can save for the victims of the recent tragedy. We thank all the people who responded positively to our call for financial and material contributions, including some of the big companies of logging, mining and agri-business.
Despite the worst year of 2010 and still a bleak year ahead in 2012 under the US-Aquino regime, we are happy to inform the people of Mindanao and the whole country that in the year 2011, we have achieved resounding victories in Mindanao worth celebrating. The New People’s Army grew both in number of personnel and armed strength by 15%; the Communist Party membership increased by 30%; the number of organized masses rose by 20%; and, our tactical offensives increased from a total of 250 launched in the whole year of 2010 to 350 in the whole year of 2011. Furthermore, our land reform in the countryside is becoming more intense and is covering wider areas. Indeed, the future of our struggle for national freedom and democracy is bright.
To all the families and friends of the victims of typhoon Sendong, we will do our best to render justice for all the victims; investigate its root causes, and find out who should be held liable for this man-made catastrophe. We shall launch mass campaigns and military actions against these environmentally-destructive multinational companies and against the reactionary government that allow them to operate and protect them.
To the people of Mindanao and the whole country, we shall double our commitment and effort to achieve bigger revolutionary victories that shall usher forward the revolutionary movement to a higher stage in the next few years, giving us more capability to stop and punish the culprits who induce such disasters, help rehabilitate our environment, and avert future catastrophes.
Long live the National Democratic Revolution in the year 2012, and beyond!