PRESIDENT DUTERTE TYRANNICAL SABOTEUR OF PEACE NEGOTIATIONS

LUIS G. JALANDONI
Senior Adviser
Negotiating Panel
National Democratic Front of the Philippines

By cancelling the peace negotiations with the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP), President Duterte is sabotaging once again not only the peace talks but also an opportunity to achieve a just and lasting peace for the people. The longing of many millions of farmers and fisherfolk for genuine land reform and the entire Filipino people for a just and lasting peace is trampled upon by Duterte.

Negotiators from both sides, bilateral teams on social and economic reforms, worked many hours of intense meetings, to produce the initialled drafts of Agrarian Reform and Rurual Development (ARRD) and National Industrialization and Economic Development (NIED), demonstrating significant and unprecedented advances in the peace talks. Release of Political Prisoners and General Amnesty and Coordinated Unilateral Ceasefires were scheduled to be taken up in the Fifth Round of Peace Negotiations scheduled for November 25-27, 2017 in Oslo, Norway. The Norwegian facilitators prepared in detail the visas, return air tickets, hotel accommodations for the next round.

In one stroke, President Duterte has abruptly cancelled the peace talks. He must answer to the Filipino people who long for a just and lasting peace by addressing the roots of the armed conflict. He must answer to the millions of farmers and fisherfolk who saw the possibility of free distribution of land with free irrigation, credit and other benefits from genuine land reform. He must answer to workers and the rest of the Filipino people who yearn for national industrialization, national sovereignty, and independent prosperous Philippines.

Acting like a crazed tyrant, he declared the revolutionary national democratic movement cherished by the people all over the country as “terrorist”, in the same manner US imperialists have done. By so doing, he severely underestimates the New People’s Army (NPA), the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) and the NDFP, which the Marcos dictatorship and other reactionary regimes backed by the US, have failed to defeat in 48 years. Now, he also threatens members of BAYAN and alleged “legal fronts” of the revolutionary movement with illegal arrest and detention.

His wild tryrannical dreams will suffer the same fate of the Marcos dictatorship. The Filipino people and the revolutionary movement will continue to fight for national and social liberation, for a just and lasting peace with genuine land reform, national industrialization, independence, national sovereignty, and economic prosperity.

DUTERTE IS NO. 1 TERRORIST IN THE PHILIPPINES AND IS SETTING UP A FASCIST DICTATORSHIP

By Prof. Jose Maria Sison
Chief Political Consultant
National Democratic Front of the Philippines
November 23, 2017

Duterte is the No. 1 terrorist in the Philippines. He is culpable for the abduction, torture and mass murder of an increasing large number of poor people suspected drug users and pushers, peasants and indigenous people in suspected guerrilla fronts and Moro people suspected of aiding the Dawlah Islamiyah from the time of the indiscriminate bombing of Marawi City to the present in several Bangsamoro areas.

And yet Duterte is utterly malicious and shameless in threatening and scheming to label and outlaw as terrorists the suspected members and entireties of such revolutionary organizations as the National Democratic Front of the Philippines, the Communist Party of the Philippines and the New People´s Army and even such legal patriotic and progressive organizations as BAYAN and its affiliates.

Duterte´s bloodlust and mania for mass murder are boundless. He expects to wipe out through arbitrary arrests, torture, indefinite detention and massacre of suspected revolutionaries and legal social activists both the armed revolutionary movement and the legal democratic movement in order to set up a fascist dictatorship in the service of US imperialism and his fellow oligarchs among the big compradors, landlords and corrupt bureaucrats.

The US-Duterte regime is hell-bent on frustrating the people´s clamor for peace negotiations to address the roots of the civil war through the adoption and implementation of social, economic, political and constitutional reforms as the basis of a just and lasting peace. The regime is striving to intimidate the people with its own terrorist scheme and crimes in order to seize absolute autocratic power for Duterte and limitless opportunity for the bureaucratic corruption of his family and ruling clique.

Duterte has repeatedly announced his termination or cancellation of his reactionary government’s peace negotiations with the National Democratic Front of the Philippines and his decision to proclaim as terrorists the Communist Party of the Philippines, the New People’s Army and the National Democratic Front of the Philippines and the legal patriotic and progressive organizations like BAYAN and its affiliates.

As when Marcos imposed fascist dictatorship on the Philippines in 1972, the revolutionary forces, the legal democratic forces and the broad masses of the people now have no choice but to wage all forms of resistance and fight for national sovereignty, democracy, economic development, social and cultural progress and independent foreign policy.

The Filipino people and revolutionary forces waging the people´s democratic revolution have no choice but to intensify the people´s war through an extensive and intensive guerrilla warfare in rural areas and partisan or commando operations in urban areas. The legal democratic forces and broad opposition have no choice but to develop the underground and encourage endangered activists to become fighters in the people´s army.

Duterte is already discredited as a mass murderer, political swindler, a sycophant to foreign powers and a corrupt bureaucrat. These characteristics of his and the ever worsening chronic crisis of the semicolonial and semifeudal ruling system will surely limit his ability to stay in power and accelerate the growth and rise of a revolutionary united front against his rule of greed and terror.

Even within the reactionary armed forces and police, there are already rumblings against the despotic, criminal and corrupt character of the US-Duterte regime. Duterte is now worried to death by his own fear that anti-Duterte officers within his own army and police are inclined to act in the name of the people and unite with the broad opposition and mass movement in order to end the Duterte regime in the same manner that the Marcos and Estrada regimes were ended. ###

Duterte blocks progress of discussions on social and economic reforms

Media Release | 23 November 2017

By Julieta de Lima
Chairperson
NDFP Reciprocal Working Committee on Social and Economic Reforms
[email protected]

NDFP RWC-SER Chairperson Julieta de Lima in a discussion during the 3rd round of peace talks held in Rome, Italy in January 2017 / Photo: JBustamante

The National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) Reciprocal Working Committee on Social and Economic Reforms (RWC-SER) views with grave concern Pres. Rodrigo Duterte’s sudden turn-about and unilateral cancellation anew of peace negotiations with the NDFP. It is the third time in six months that Pres. Duterte has obstructed the progress of the talks.

His latest scuttling of the talks comes at a time when unprecedented advances have already been achieved in forging agreements on urgently needed socio-economic reforms to alleviate mass poverty and resolve the roots of the armed conflict.

Just four days before Pres. Duterte cancelled the talks anew, the bilateral teams of the NDFP and the Government of the Republic of the Philippines (GRP) RWCs-SER initialed draft documents reflecting substantial agreements on agrarian reform and rural development, and on national industrialization and economic development. These were the result of a series of bilateral technical meetings by the NDFP and GRP RWCs-SER on October 26-27, November 9-11, and November 16-17.

The drafts include potentially significant reforms to benefit millions of Filipinos. These include the free distribution of land to tillers, farmers, farmworkers, agricultural workers and fisherfolks. Agrarian reform beneficiaries who have not yet been able to occupy the land awarded to them will be installed immediately, including those in contested lands and agricultural estates. The scope and coverage of agrarian reform will be expanded to include plantations and large-scale commercial farms covered by leasehold, joint venture, non-land transfer schemes like stock distribution option, and other such arrangements. There are also measures to prohibit and eliminate exploitative lending and trading practices.

The NDFP and GRP also agreed on the need for national industrialization and for planning to develop Filipino industrial capacity. Measures will be taken to ensure that foreign investments cease being one-sided and contribute to developing the national economy. Domestic industrialists and smaller enterprises will be protected and supported. The importance of nationalizing public utilities was affirmed. Both sides also agreed to identify key industries and priority industrial projects to jump-start industrialization. The importance of unions and workers’ councils was also acknowledged.

Further measures of even greater significance were set to be tackled. The GRP and NDFP RWCs-SER were optimistic that they would be able to complete the Comprehensive Agreement on Social and Economic Reforms (CASER) for signing by their respective negotiating panels and approval by their principals by January 2018.

The NDFP RWC-SER regrets the unilateral cancellation of talks on such vital social and economic reforms which, if implemented, would have immediately benefited tens of millions of oppressed and exploited Filipinos. The NDFP at the same time recognizes that the people’s continued daily struggles on these issues are unabated and, if anything, are made more urgent and will gain greater momentum. Pres. Duterte bears full responsibility for the failure of the talks on social and economic reforms because of his sudden turn-around and heightened hostility to the revolutionary forces and the people.###

Tribute to Kaupod Wilfredo “Fred” Sapa

November 15, 2017

He was willing to risk his life to serve the people! People’s broadcaster, who listened with the heart to the people, giving them his entire attention, he became the people’s voice during the dark days of the Marcos dictatorship.

Fearless as an active member of the Correspondents, Broadcasters and Reports Association – Action News Service (COBRA-ANS), he broadcast reports of widespread human rights violations by the martial law regime. He risked his life and his job.

As a very popular radio announcer who could render very understandable for the exploited masses the issues of socio-economic injustice, his booming voice and folksy narratives were enthusiastically welcomed by the masa.

We render high tribute to Kaupod Wilfredo “Fred” Sapa who served the people!

May his life of service to the people be an inspiration to the millenials!

May his noble memory live on in our unceasing struggle for freedom!

Our heartfelt condolences to his family, relatives, many colleagues and friends!

Luis G. Jalandoni
Senior Adviser, Negotiating Panel
National Democratic Front of the Philippines

CPP to Trump: The Philippines is not a piece of real estate

Information Bureau | Communist Party of the Philippines
16 November 2017

US President Donald Trump’s view of the Philippines as “the most prime piece of real estate” not only shows his imperialist, rascist contempt of the Filipino people by stamping a real estate value on their homeland. Worse, it pulls the Philippines into the vortex of its wars in Asia.

Trump’s announcement after the Asean trip that the Philippines is “the most prime piece of real estate…an unbelievably important military location, …a perfect spot,” shows the US government’s priorities in its designs on the Philippines. Aside from the already frequent military exercises, increased military equipment and training for the AFP, Trump also announced that he will be giving $2 million to support Duterte’s criminal drug war.

US imperialism has already manifested this view of the Philippines as its forward military base since the turn of the 20th century when it waged a bloody colonial war on the Philippines to use it against China. Until the 1950’s to the 1970’s, it has consistently used the Philippines as launching pad for its wars of agression on Korea and Vietnam. But this time, the president put it so bluntly, in an official White House statement to boot, raising the level of pressure the US will exercise to control this area in its Asian positioning.

With US imperialism’s muscle-flexing on the issue of the South China Sea and the Malacca Strait, Trump finds that “it’s very important that we get along with the Philippines, and we do.” He has welcome allies in an AFP that slaughters its own people in defense of US imperialist interests, and a president singing the same war-mongering tune against the DPRK—in fact, even singing a love ditty as the master orders it to, true to its puppet character.

The CPP salutes the patriotic forces who braved the water cannons and truncheons to show their protest against Trump. The NPA units who launched different forms of military actions to underscore their protest of the Trump visit also deserve commendation. In the end, it is the Filipino people, through their revolutionary and militant struggles, that will show Trump and his ilk that the Philippines is not a piece of real estate but a democratic, sovereign nation.

On the Talakag incident

Press Release | November 15, 2017

The New People’s Army (NPA) takes full responsibility and expresses remorse for the unfortunate and unnecessary death of an infant and injury to two adult civilians arising from the ambush by an NPA unit in Barangay Tikalaan, Talakag, Bukidnon last November 11.

We hope that the aggrieved families and friends could find it in their hearts, however difficult, to accept our profound apologies. The local NPA unit is already exerting efforts to make amends including extending necessary indemnification.

There is no justification for the aggravation suffered by the civilians in the Bumbaran incident. In waging armed revolution, all units of the NPA abide by the policy of giving the highest regard to the rights of civilians and should take pains to ensure that civilians are protected from harm.

The higher NPA command has already initiated an investigation in order to identify the weaknesses and mistakes and draw lessons to avoid a repeat of such an unfortunate incident.

Ka Oris
Spokesperson
NewPeople’sArmy

Related news: Regarding the ambush of the Bumbaran PNP patrol car

Regarding the ambush of the Bumbaran PNP patrol car

Press statement | November 13, 2017
[Bisaya»]

NPA forces under the Mount-Kitanglad Sub-Regional Command (MK-SRC) successfully ambushed a patrol car of the Philippine National Police personnel of Bumbaran, Lanao del Sur Police Station at Km. 28, Talakag-Bumbaran Road in Talakag, Bukidnon last November 9, 2017 at 5:40 in the afternoon. SPO3 Arnel Carillo was killed in action while SPO1 Nathaniel Ibal, SPO1 Pacif ico Cabudoy and Police Inspector Joven Acuesta suffered wounds during the incident. PInsp. Joven Acuesta is the chief of police of Bumbaran. An M16 Armalite rifle with 10 magazines and two 9 mm caliber pistols were seized by the NPA. On the other hand, an NPA element was slightly wounded.

Meanwhile, civilians riding a Toyota Fortuner suffered bullet wounds as their vehicle passed through Km. 28 when the firefight ensued. According to the report of the field unit of MK-SRC, a couple of private utility vehicle passed through the blocking force of the NPA just about 2 minutes since the exchange of bullets between the two forces started. The NPA blocking force attempted to flag down the first vehicle, the said Toyota Fortuner, so that its passengers would be able to evade being injured, but to no avail. But the second vehicle, having heard the firefight going on, turned the vehicle around to the position of blocking force. The Toyota Fortuner passengers, namely Ali Sitti, Ali Aminsala and a certain Wanida suffered gunshot wounds. Wanida’s infant child, unfortunately, died during the said incident.

The NPA-North Central Mindanao Region expressly extend their condolence to and are asking for forgiveness from the relatives of the slain and wounded civilians. This is a painful occurrence which was unforeseen. We are currently finding means to connect with the relatives and friends of the aggrieved in an offer to indemnify the said incident. Whether we like it or not, the process of continuing a civil war entails certain unavoidable circumstances such as what happened.

This incident, however, could not understate what the US-Duterte regime has openly committed. The military and the police overemphasize the said ambush as barbarous whereas they downplay their airstrikes, bombings and indiscriminate firing of innocent civilians wantonly victimizing them by the thousands in Marawi City and in nearly all Lumad communities. While all forces of the New People’s Army adherently abide by the Comprehensive Agreement on the Respect for the Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law. #

Ka Malem Mabini
Spokesperson, NPA-NCMR


Sulat Pamahayag | Nobyembre 13, 2017

AMBUS SA PATROL CAR SA BOMBARAN POLICE STATION

Malampusong nakalunsad og ambus sa usa ka patrol car sa Bumbaran Police Station sa Lanao del Sur ang mga pwersa sa Bagong Hukbong Bayan-Mt. Kitanglad-Sub-Regional Command (MK-SRC) didto sa KM 28, Talakag-Bombaran Road sa Talakag, Bukidnon niadtong Nobyembre 9, 2017 sa may alas 5:40 sa hapon. Napatay niini si SPO3 Arnel Carillo ug nasamdan ang Chief of Police (COP) nga si Police Inspector Joven Acuesta lakip na nilang SPO1 Pacifico Cabudoy ug SPO1 Nathaniel Ibal. Nasakmit ang usa ka M16 Armalite rifle nga may 10 ka magasin ug duha ka 9mm kalibreng pistola. Samtang naigo sab sa tiil ang usa ka elemento sa BHB.

Sa pikas bahin, wala tuyoang naangin ang mga sibilyan nga lulan sa usa ka Toyota Fortuner nga sakyanan. Base sa taho sa field unit sa MK-SRC, mga duha ka minutos gikan sa pagsugod sa ilang pagsinukliay og bala tali sa mga pulis, adunay duha ka nagsunod nga pribadong mga sakyanan ang gibabagan unta sa blocking force sa BHB aron dili makasulod sa killing zone apan wala kini mihunong. Ang nag-una sa duha ka pribadong sakyanan ang nakalapos sa nagsinukliay og buto samtang dihang nakabantay ang nagsunod nga ikaduhang sakyanan, nakaatras kini ug walay tatsa nga nakabalik sa posisyon sa blocking force. Resulta niini, nasamdan silang Ali Sitti, Ali Aminsala ug sa inahang si Wanida nga nagkugos sa iyang masuso nga anak nga naigo sab ug nakalas. Sila ang nagsakay sa Toyota Fortuner.

Gipadangat sa tibuok pwersa sa BHB-North Central Mindanao Region ang pahasubo ug kinasing-kasing nga pagpangayo og pasaylo ngadto sa kabanay sa mga naangin nga sibilyan. Usa kini ka sakit nga panghitabo nga wala tuyoa. Nangita na kami karon og mga pamaagi sa pagdugtong sa kabanay ug kahigalaan sa mga naangin aron sa pag-indemnify. Gustuhon man nato ug sa dili, dili kalikayan nga sa proseso sa padayong pagpaasdang sa gubat sibil sa Pilipinas aduna gyuy pipila ka panghitabo nga ingon niini.

Pero gamay ra kini nga hitabo nga gustong ipadaku sa kapulisan ug sa militar. Dili kini ikakumpara sa gihimo sa reaksyunaryong gobyerno sa rehimeng US-Duterte sa matngon nga paghulog og gatusan ka bomba ug sa paturagas nga pagpang-istraping nga mipatay sa mga enosenteng sibilyan didto sa Marawi City ug sa uban pang mga komunidad sa Lumad. Samtang ang tibuok pwersa sa Bagong Hukbong Bayan hugot nagatamod sa mga lagda sa Comprehensive Agreement on the Respect for Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law. #

Ka Malem Mabini
Tigpamaba, NPA-NCMR

NPA ambushes PNP patrol in Bukidnon

News Advisory | November 10, 2017
[Bisaya»]

Yesterday, November 9, 2017 at around 7 o’clock in the evening, a field unit of the New People’s Army under the Mt. Kitanglad Sub-regional Command ambushed a patrol car of the PNP Bumbaran Police Station under the PNP-Lanao del Sur while plying the Ticalaan-Dominorog road in Talakag, Bukidnon. From the initial report received from the territorial command of the NPA-MK-SRC, the Chief of Police and four of his subordinates were wounded in action were stripped of their firearms afterwards.

Local media reports also disclosed three civilians were injured from the said action. As of this writing, the NPA-NCMR awaits the comprehensive report from the field unit responsible for launching the said action.

For reference,
Ka Malem Mabini
Spokesperson, NPA-NCMR


News advisory Nov. 10, 2017

NPA ambushes PNP patrol in Bukidnon

Ambus sa usa ka patrol car sa Bumbaran Police Station sa Lanao del Sur ang nalunsad sa usa ka field unit sa BHB ubos sa Mt. Kitanglad Sub-Regional Command (BHB-MK-SRC) didto sa Ticalaan-Dominorog Road sa munisipalidad sa Talakag, Bukidnon kagahapon Nobyembre 9, 2017 sa may alas 7:00 sa gabii kapin kun kulang. Sa pasiunang taho nga nadawat sa territorial command sa MK-SRC, adunay mga kaswalti sa tanang sakay sa patrol car nga gilangkuban sa Chief of Police ug upat niya ka sakop ug nasakmit ang ilang mga hinagiban.

May gikataho sab sa lokal nga midya nga adunay napagan nga tulo ka sibilyan sa maong hitabo. Padayon pang ginasubay sa hingtungdang command ang maong hitabo ug gipaabot ang kompletong taho sa field unit nga nagpahigayon sa maong aksyon.

For reference,
Ka Malem Mabini
Tigpamaba, NPA-NCMR

Resist imperialist collusion for all-out liberalization!

Resist imperialist rivalries and rising threats of war!
Communist Party of the Philippines
November 4, 2017

The Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) calls on the people of Asia and the world to unite and intensify their resistance against inter-imperialist collusion and rivalries through the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) and other imperialist instrumentalities which subject the toiling people to worsening forms of oppression and exploitation.

The upcoming APEC summit in Vietnam on November 8-10 and the successive ASEAN and East Asia Summit to be held in the Philippines on November 12-13 and 14 will serve as occasion for the imperialist powers to project their military and political power in the Asia-Pacific region and wring further liberalization policies from the Philippines and other backward economies. US imperialist chieftain Donald Trump is set to visit the Philippines, as well as Japan, China, South Korea and Vietnam.

There is collusion among the the leading global capitalist powers such as the US, Japan, China and Russia, in so far as pushing for all-out liberalization is concerned. The imperialist powers are united in the push to break down trade and investment barriers in order to allow unrestricted plunder of mineral and agricultural resources and cheap labor in the semicolonial and semifeudal countries.

Under the America First policy, the Trump regime seeks to further break down economic barriers to favor US monopoly capitalists. The Trump government has turned its back on the Trans-Pacific Partnership and similar multilateral agreements in favor of bilateral arrangements with individual countries. Trump aims to push around its economic weight (buttressed by its military presence) to force countries to break down trade and investment barriers to favor US monopoly capitalist companies.

On the other side of the multipolar world, China is pushing for “economic integration” of ASEAN and APEC countries under the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership. Like the US, China aims to push for all-out liberalization under its “one belt, one road” project to tighten the integration of these countries into its Factory Asia “global value chain” to take advantage of cheapest available labor. To facilitate rapid transportation of capital goods and consumption commodities, China aims to construct a network of rails and ports. This infrastructure binge, in turn, will help absorb its surplus steel.

There is rivalry and intense contradictions between the leading capitalist powers especially amid the protracted crisis of the global capitalist system. While the US imperialists remain the biggest military power, China continues to strengthen its armed capability and is fast developing its capability to project power overseas. Russia remains the biggest nuclear rival of the US.

The ASEAN is one of the flashpoints of rising inter-imperialist rivalry, mainly over control of the South China Sea trade route which has resulted in US and China saber-rattling.

The US imperialists under Trump are drumbeating threats to launch a war against the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) in order to justify efforts to build-up its military presence and strengthen its foothold in South Korea and around the South China Sea. The US is using the Duterte regime as an additional noise-maker to foment a war against the DPRK to which North Korea has responded to by fast building its capacity to launch an inter-continental ballisic missile (ICBM) to deliver nuclear payloads as a deterrent against a US attack against it.

Instead of pushing for the demilitarization of the South China Sea and, thus, reduce the possibility of the Philippines being pulled into a vortex of war, the Duterte regime is further stoking the tensions by turning a blind eye on China’s occupation of Philippine claims in exchange for promises of Chinese loans and capital infusion, on the one hand; and, on the other, allowing the US military to continue using Philippine territorial seas for its power projection operations and Philippine ports for docking, refuelling and provisioning of US warships.

The US military has also set its sights on strengthening its military presence in the Malacca Straits, the narrow international sea passageway from the Indian Ocean through Malaysia’s waters to Southeast Asia. The “ISIS threat” and “high seas piracy” in the Malaccas now being played up by the Duterte regime is being used by the US to justify its growing presence and joint exercises with the militaries of the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore as well as with Australia as a counterpoint to China’s own efforts to increase its presence in that part of the region. Duterte and the US military are now singing the same tune with regard “drugs and terrorism” in order to justify the Plan Colombia-type US intervention in the Philippines.

US imperialist chief Trump’s visit to the Philippines in line with the ASEAN Summit will further cement the master-puppet relationship with the Duterte regime. He will surely be pleased by the Duterte regime’s vigorous push for further economic liberalization, particularly with its rush to further open the economy to full foreign control by trimming down the “negative list” of areas of the economy reserved to Filipinos. Under the guise of “federalism,” Duterte is also rushing charter change in order to remove restrictions against foreign ownership of local enterprises, something which the US imperialists have long sought.

Trump also aims to secure US military presence in the Philippines through US military bases and facilities under the EDCA, rotating forces of the US military, regular dockings of US naval warships, joint military exercises and so on. The Trump visit will highlight the US role in Marawi, specifically, its role in leading the arrest operations against Isnilon Hapilon (whose capture or death was offered a $5 million reward by the US State Department), and in the conduct of electronic surveillance, aerial bombings and drone strikes.

The imperialist chief’s visit will altogether trump Duterte’s claims of upholding an independent foreign policy and prove it to be an empty brag. Duterte has largely proved himself to be subordinate to US policy dictates, especially with regard US counter-insurgency doctrine and US “war on terror.” To obscure his subservience to US imperialism, Duterte claims of being a target of a CIA assassination plot, when in fact he is a closet puppet of the US government. Duterte is no Fidel Castro.

As the imperialists and their subalterns congregate in their high-flying summits, the CPP calls on the Filipino people and their revolutionary forces to mount protests in the cities and launch tactical offensives in the countryside to underscore their demand for national and social liberation.

The Filipino people must confront the Duterte regime’s subservience to US imperialism, particularly, its counterinsurgency doctrine and “war on terror” which serve as pretext for US military presence, intervention and control of the AFP. They should also denounce the regime’s push for all-out economic liberalization in order to comply with US and China dictates and attract foreign investments.

Duterte wasting time with local peace talks

Information Bureau | Communist Party of the Philippines
2 November 2017

The revolutionary forces under the leadership of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) and allied with the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) reject local peace negotiations being pushed by local bureaucrats and military officials and supported by GRP president himself.

Mayor Sara Duterte of Davao City recently created a Davao City Peace Committee supposedly to negotiate with local forces of the New People’s Army (NPA). Similar efforts by the 8th ID in Eastern Visayas have been reported. Yesterday, GRP President Duterte expressed support for such efforts and called on NPA Red fighters to surrender with promises of housing and jobs.

Duterte’s local peace talks will surely fail in its aim of dividing the revolutionary forces waging a nationwide people’s war. The Duterte regime is wasting time and the people’s money in setting-up these useless local peace committees which will go nowhere and achieve nothing. These are mere rehashes of worn-out psywar surrender programs such as the “balik-baril program” and the Comprehensive Local Integration Program (CLIP) riding on the popular clamor for peace talks.

The entire NPA is united under the central leadership of the CPP. The Party and all units of the NPA support the Negotiating Panel of the NDFP in its representation of all revolutionary forces in negotiations with the GRP with the aim of forging agreements to settle the outstanding socio-economic and political questions that compel the people to wage armed struggle.

By pushing for local peace talks and enticing the surrender of NPA fighters with silly incentives, Duterte reveals himself to have a very shallow appreciation of the profound social problems which are at the root of the raging civil war in the Philippines.

While waging nationwide armed struggle to confront Duterte’s “full-scale” all-out war and resist its fascist attacks against the people, the Party and all revolutionary forces reiterate its call for the resumption of the 5th round of the NDFP-GRP peace negotiations in order to pursue discussions on the release of all political prisoners and the Comprehensive Agreement on Socio-Economic Reforms (CASER).