Thursday, October 3, 2024

CPP/CIO: Condemn US for reneging on promise to withdraw Typhon missile system

Propaganda statement posted to the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) Philippine Revolution Web Central (PRWC) Website (Sep 21, 2024): Condemn US for reneging on promise to withdraw Typhon missile system
Marco Valbuena
Chief Information Officer
Communist Party of the Philippines

September 21, 2024

The Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) and all revolutionary forces condemn the US government and military for reneging on its earlier declaration to withdraw its Typhon missile system from the Philippines by September. The CPP also condemns Marcos and his defense officials for making excuses for the US’ failure to keep its promise.

Based on reports and satellite images, the Typhon system remains positioned at the Laoag International Airport in Laoag, Ilocos Norte. The airport is not even on the list of “agreed locations” under the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA).

The CPP condemns the US for using the Philippines as a strategic military base to deploy weapons that can be used for aggression and attacks against its enemies and rivals. This is a brazen display of contempt for, and a flagrant violation of Philippine sovereignty. This is similar to how the US used the Philippines to launch wars of aggression in Korea, Vietnam, Iraq, Afghanistan and other countries in the past.

By strategically placing the Typhon missile system at the northern part of the country, the US is already using the Philippines to threaten China with strikes. The Typhon system is capable of launching cruise missiles with ranges exceeding 1,600 kilometers.This is in line with the US “first-island chain” strategy to contain China.

The Typhon missile system, along with all US military bases, vessels and facilities in the Philippines, are all magnets of attack. The Chinese and Russian governments have made explicit statements about this. This makes the Philippines a likely target of US enemies in the event of an armed conflict, which absolutely runs counter to the interests of the Filipino people.

The US military forces’ permanent presence in country the prevents the Philippines from pursuing an independent foreign policy. This hinders the country from establishing peaceful and friendly relations with China and all other countries based on mutual respect for each other’s sovereignty.

The CPP reiterates the Filipino people’s demand for the immediate withdrawal of the US Typhon missile system along with all US troops and weapons in the Philippines. All US military bases and facilities must be dismantled. The Mutual Defense Treaty, the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA), the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) and all other unequal military treaties must be abrogated to allow the Philippines to stand up as a self-respecting sovereign country.

https://philippinerevolution.nu/statements/condemn-us-for-reneging-on-promise-to-withdraw-typhon-missile-system/

CPP/NDF-CNL: Statement of the CNL on the 52nd anniversary of martial law declaration

Propaganda statement posted to the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) Philippine Revolution Web Central (PRWC) Website (Sep 21, 2024): Statement of the CNL on the 52nd anniversary of martial law declaration
 


Christians for National Liberation (CNL)
National Democratic Front of the Philippines

September 21, 2024

The joys and the hopes, the griefs and the anxieties of the men of this age, especially those who are poor or in any way afflicted, these are the joys and hopes, the griefs and anxieties of the followers of Christ. Indeed, nothing genuinely human fails to raise an echo in their hearts. (GS 1)
Our situation

It is an irreconcilable fact to see a country endowed with immense natural wealth and a people with an impressive history of resistance, resilience, determination, heroism and faith witnessing groaning in excruciating pain brought about by unjust and oppressive systems and structures of the Philippine society. These state institutions and their legal machineries commit unjust violence against their constituents by preventing them from meeting their basic needs or fundamental rights.

The poorest 50% or some 13.7 million families, had monthly incomes of around Php 23,000 or less. Around 70% or some 19.2 million families, had monthly incomes of around Php 29,000 or less. However, the US puppet government of Marcos Jr deceived the people by presenting an unrealistic fact based on a low and unrealistic poverty threshold, thus manipulated.

Cases of extra-judicial killings, violence against international law and cyberattacks are on the rise with 180 EJKs, 42,456 forced evacuations, 107,444 bombings and indiscriminate firings, 3,419,044 threats, harassment and intimidation, and over 145 illegal arrests and detentions since Marcos Jr took office. All of them are poor and labeled as terrorists in the exercise of their democratic rights enshrined in the Constitution. But, the real perpetrators and killers are free and even in government positions.

Filipinos experiencing involuntary hunger at least once in the past three months, increased to 14.2% in March 2024 from 12.6% in December 2023. 46% of Filipino families rated themselves as poor and 33% as borderline poor in March 2024. A country with more than 50% of the population engaged in the agricultural sector is experiencing hunger. Land monopoly has deprived the farmers of land ownership and tenure aggravated by the bogus CARP program which failed to distribute 92% of large private landholdings. Worse, it set up numerous corporatization schemes to accommodate landlord reaction and evicted legitimate farmers who asserted their rights to the land.

Record high of unemployment particularly among the youth, the energetic and productive sector with 1.02 million unemployed in July 2024, which is a 172,000 increase from 850,000 previously. With low wages, high inflation and unjust labor laws, millions will be deprived of a minimum standard of decent living. No wonder the number of self-rated poor families grew from 13 million in December 2023 to 16 million in June 2024.

The Filipino people must not be prevented by weaponized laws from asserting their rights to livelihood, decent wages, adequate standards of living, social services and protection, unionization, a healthy environment, self-determination, and the range of civil and political rights and of economic, social and cultural rights.

52 years had passed since the fascist regime of Marcos Sr declared Proclamation No. 1081 (Martial Law), the current situation of the Filipino people seems to be nailed to its past. Martial Law did not happen overnight. Marcos created the environment for it. He exaggerated threats and pointed to conspiracies while at the same time offered a golden future, a new society (Bagong Pilipinas of Marcos Jr. today) that can happen only if the communists and the dissenters were flushed out. Prior to its declaration, repressions were everywhere. The right to protest was stifled. Leaders were arrested. Citizens were jailed on the mere suspicion of being a communist.
What is at stake?

“Scrutinizing the “signs of the times” and seeking to detect the meaning of emerging history, while at the same time sharing the aspirations and questionings (…). Listening to the cry of those who suffer violence and are oppressed by unjust systems and structures and hearing the appeal of a world that, by its perversity, contradicts the plan of its Creator, we have shared our awareness of the Church’s vocation to be present in the heart of the world by proclaiming the Good News to the poor, freedom to the oppressed, and joy to the afflicted. (…) Action on behalf of justice and participation in the transformation of the world fully appear to us as a constitutive dimension of the preaching of the Gospel, or, in other words, of the Church’s mission for the redemption of the human race and its liberation from every oppressive situation.” (Justice in the World 1971).

What is at stake is our faith and witness. We, Christians, in particular church people, are reminded to remind the world of what it can be, of what it must be, of what it most wants to be—deep down, at its best, at its human core. We are called to live at the edge of society to critique it, at the bottom of society to comfort it, and at the epicenter of society to challenge it and move people to rise, resist and defeat evils. “An authentic Christian believes and lives in the praxis of loving the least of our brothers and sisters, accepting the challenge of our Christian faith to liberation and love even unto death if necessary, and serving others regardless of belief, race, and culture so that others may live and live fully.” (CNL).
Our call

If an unjust system and structure breeds violence by depriving its citizens to enjoy economic, social and cultural rights and the exercise of their civil and political rights, then it has to be overturned. “Authority must enact laws […] that correspond to the dignity of the human person and to what is required by right reason […] When, however, a law is contrary to reason, it is called an unjust law; in such a case it ceases to be the law and becomes instead an act of violence.” (St. Tomas Aquinas). When the enjoyment and exercise of those fundamental rights of persons are violated by structural violence perpetrated by a puppet regime sustained by its imperialist masters, one ought to defend and protect the sovereign, democratic and human rights of these people by just-violent means. “[…] violence of exploiters and oppressors is immoral and unjust; and the violence of the exploited and oppressed is morally warranted and just.”

War might be an obligation derived from the virtue of charity. Protecting the well-being of innocent persons from aggression was a requirement of the common good. “All wars of aggression were to be prohibited and that defensive war to repel aggression was reluctantly necessary.” (Pope Pius XII, 1956). Humanitarian reasons could justify armed intervention. If it is done in the name of protecting the human rights of others can be interpreted as fitting within the just cause of defending innocents against aggression. Our biblical history attests to a God who is a warrior (OT) who defended the orphans, widows, poor, landless, marginalized (anawim of God) and a revolutionary who introduced a new reign (NT) utterly contradictory to the Roman imperialism based on the Beatitudes.

As Christians, we are called to take up the challenge of our true Master, the God of the poor, to bring a just and lasting peace where each one participates in shaping society to promote the well-being of its members. It is in this act of participation that the essential dignity of the person is both achieved and revealed. We are called to creative engagement and shared responsibility in the world with and on behalf of the poor. Thus, we are called to a deeper conversion of the heart, that is, to be a Christian who is socially subversive (turnover) and works to transform the world by turning society from oppression to justice, from violence to peace.

https://philippinerevolution.nu/statements/statement-of-the-cnl-on-the-52nd-anniversary-of-martial-law-declaration/

CPP/NPA-Central Negros/Negros Island ROC: US-Marcos Jr's criminal negligence puts the Negrosanon in peril

Propaganda statement posted to the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) Philippine Revolution Web Central (PRWC) Website (Sep 20, 2024): US-Marcos Jr's criminal negligence puts the Negrosanon in peril
 


Kanor Alpeche
Deputy Spokesperson
NPA-Central Negros (Leonardo Panaligan Command)
Negros Island Regional Operational Command (Apolinario Gatmaitan Command)
New People's Army

September 20, 2024

There’s nothing more burdensome for the Negrosanons than dealing with several socio-economic issues while the government officials who are supposed to serve them are busy with their personal pursuits.

Recently, these have been aggravated by the danger brought about by the volcanic activities of Kanlaon Volcano which directly affected 903 families in La Castellana, Negros Occidental and 212 families in Kanlaon City, Negros Oriental. Making ends meet became more difficult when three consecutive typhoons namely Ferdie, Gener, and Helen wreaked havoc in the Philippines, intensified by the monsoon winds. To be particular in Negros Island, 100,335 residents residing in 174 barangays suffered the impact of the said natural calamities. The damage on agricultral sector amounted to P101,737,398 while damage on fisheries has climbed up to P1,781,361. Additionally, livestock worth of P1,421,309 was also reported part of the loss. This is based on the statistics provided by the reactionary government. A lot more remained unrecorded.

No one should be blamed for all of these other than Marcos Jr and his cronies. Noticeably, numerous neoliberal policies dependent on foreign capital, liberalization of import, increasing debts, and doubled taxes have been implemented under his administration. Thus, the entry of foreign corporations, responsible of destructive projects, in the country. It is irrefutable that destructive projects such as quarry and mining operations increase the risks caused by natural calamities. Along with that, the strengthening of typhoons in the country is also traceable to the activities of big companies contributing to climate change. The US-Marcos Jr regime committed criminal negligence for letting environmental and development aggression happen despite knowing its grave consequences.

Amidst all of these, the fascist administration ordered its killing machine, the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), to conduct civil-military operations that do not provide sustainable solutions to the current dilemma of the people. Their “grooming services” do not alleviate the living condition of the Negrosanons.

As a matter of fact, civil-military operations pave the way for intensified militarization in the countryside. It further pushes the toiling masses one step nearer to their graves as the butcher AFP continues their Retooled Community Support Program (RCSP) and imposed policies that hinder their livelihood such as enforcing curfew and hamletting. Furthermore, focused military operations (FMO) cause human rights violations to become more rampant with the presence of the US-Marcos Jr puppets.

On the other hand, we call on our fellow Red fighters and the rest of the revolutionary force to conduct immediate action for the urgent needs of the Negrosanons. The necessity of mobilizing thousands of working and toiling masses is enormous as they seek accountability from the reactionary government.

https://philippinerevolution.nu/statements/us-marcos-jrs-criminal-negligence-puts-the-negrosanon-in-peril/

CPP/CPP-Cebu PC: Revolutionary salute to Ka Jude Rimando: Highest tribute to his life as a leading cadre of the revolutionary urban mass movement in Cebu

Propaganda statement posted to the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) Philippine Revolution Web Central (PRWC) Website (Sep 20, 2024): Revolutionary salute to Ka Jude Rimando: Highest tribute to his life as a leading cadre of the revolutionary urban mass movement in Cebu
 


CPP Cebu Provincial Committee
Communist Party of the Philippines

September 20, 2024

July 26, 2024 | The revolutionary forces in Cebu pay the highest tribute and warmest salute to Ka Jude Rimando, one of Central Visayas’ leading revolutionary cadre whose life was dedicated to the service of the people and the revolution.

Ka Jude, known to comrades in Cebu as Ka Bing, answered the call for deployment from Luzon to Central Visayas in his mid-30’s armed with the revolutionary daringness and fervor that he is known for. A big part of his revolutionary life was spent in the region as a leading cadre of the revolutionary urban mass movement in Cebu. He led with enthusiasm as he pointed out areas for improvement and emphasized key-links as decisive factors for advancement. Ka Bing’s contribution to the region’s revolutionary practice will forever stay in our hearts and minds as an inspiration and a lesson.

Some 20 years ago and new to the region, he learned the bisaya language fast and eventually became fluent that one can never surmise that it is not his native tongue. He would engage in lengthy conversations with the masses about their life, their difficulties and how they survived. He knew the language of the masses and he immersed himself by living in communities of the poor.

In lieu of his underground mode of operation, he was stricter than most in observing security measures and would extend that discipline to other comrades. Ka Bing took to heart the importance of secrecy and fluidity in the urban setting thus evading the vicious enemy while he persist in his revolutionary tasks.

As a leading cadre in the peasant movement, he was instrumental in the recovery of areas that play an important role in Cebu’s task of supporting nearby islands. Ka Bing was likewise instrumental in various campaigns that pave the way to new organizing opportunities, expansion of new areas and the development of cadres and mass leaders. As a leading cadre of the revolutionary workers movement, he was a key figure in the successful nationally coordinated strike whose political gain is best seen in the number of workers who decided to do full-time organizing work after the strike. In a breakthrough experience post second rectification movement, he and his fellow organizers formed a party branch in one of Cebu’s strategic industry. It was a positive lesson of painstaking mass work that eventually led to union transformation which peaked with an overwhelming yes to strike. Ka Bing and his fellow organizers had planted seeds for the raising of the workers’ class consciousness from which succeeding organizers can take-off from.

To many comrades in Cebu, Ka Bing will be remembered as a comrade who towers because he is tall and big but not at all intimidating nor difficult to approach. He had his ways of making comrades comfortable in his presence, urging them to unleash their initiative and gain confidence in actual revolutionary practice. He was not the spoon-feed type. In fact, sometimes one would struggle to understand what he was saying. But there is always something in the way he formed a question or uttered a remark that would prompt comrades to ponder and assess or re-assess their practice. He facilitated learnings by always explaining the principles behind his observations and suggestions. Those who have worked with him find themselves referring to a conversation or an explanation that Ka Bing shared years ago that up to this day, facilitated a clearer and deeper understanding of revolutionary principles and practices. He is a mentor to many and had trained successors of the revolution who are now leading cadres.

With sadness, we grieve over Ka Bing’s death. We extend our condolences to his wife, his children and siblings. We hold the fascist state responsible for his death and will vow to hold liable all those with blood-debts against the people and the revolution.

To all of us, let us be reminded of death as described by comrade Jose Ma. Sison’s “What Makes A Hero”

“It’s not the manner of death
that makes someone a hero.
It is the meaning drawn
From the struggles against the foe.
There is the hero who dies in the battlefield.
There is the hero who dies of hunger and disease,
There is the hero who dies of some accident,
There is the hero who dies of old age.
Whatever is the manner of death,
There is a common denominator
A hero serves the people
to his very last breath.”

Salamat Ka Bing sa kinabuhi na imong gihalad sa masang nilupigan. Salamat sa imong dakong tampo sa rebolusyonaryong praktika sa Cebu. Bayani ka, dili ka malimtan.

With revolutionary fervor, we will transform Ka Bing’s death and those of other heroes into utmost resolve to advance the revolutionary work in Cebu and contribute to greater victories for the entire revolutionary movement.

Long live the heroes of the revolution! Onward with greater victories!

https://philippinerevolution.nu/statements/highest-tribute-to-his-life-as-a-leading-cadre-of-the-revolutionary-urban-mass-movement-in-cebu/

CPP/NPA-Central Negros/Negros Island ROC: Punish the criminals behind the Escalante Massacre and all other state-sponspored violence!



Propaganda statement posted to the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) Philippine Revolution Web Central (PRWC) Website (Sep 20, 2024): Punish the criminals behind the Escalante Massacre and all other state-sponspored violence!
 


Kanor Alpeche
Deputy Spokesperson
NPA-Central Negros (Leonardo Panaligan Command)
Negros Island Regional Operational Command (Apolinario Gatmaitan Command)
New People's Army

September 20, 2024

39 years ago, during the dwindling years of the then US-Marcos dictatorship, thousands of farmers, sugar workers, and fisherfolks along with students, urban poor, professionals and church people, experienced the brutality of the then town Mayor Braulio Lumayno and former Congressman Armando Gustilo of Escalante, Negros Occidental. Placards of legitimate demands and militant chanting were met by automatic rifles and a .60 machine gun coming from the Regional Special Action Forces (RSAF), local policemen, Civilian Home Defense Force (CHDF), and unidentified armed individuals, as commanded by Lumayno and Gustilo. The massacre claimed 20 lives and wounded other 30 individuals.

“Today, we remember the tragedy that fell upon the victims of Escalante Massacre. Not only because it exposes the extent of brutality the government officials (of the reactionary state) are willing to do just to preserve their power and wealth, but also because after decades, the justice for the victims remain elusive,” Ka Kanor Alpeche, deputy spokesperson of Leonardo Panaligan Command-New People’s Army (LPC-NPA) pointed out, while recalling the events of Escalante Massacre and its aftermath.

It should be noted that only three low-ranked policemen were ruled guilty to take accountability of the massacre despite the charges against the other personalities involved in the crime. In 2007, they were released on parole. The rest of the criminals behind the massacre lives freely and were even promoted to a higher rank. Additionally, neither Lumayno nor Gustilo was summoned for trial.

“Letting the criminals enjoy their lives while the victims and their families continue to suffer is never a picture of justice prevailing. This is a common scene in a country of violence and impunity, of exploitation and oppression,” Alpeche added.

The monocrop industry of the island bears numerous land and labor issues. As such, the anti-feudal struggle and massive mass campaigns are inevitable. This is the reason why Negros continues to be one of the heavily-militarized regions in the country. Even up to this day, paramilitary and battalions of the military forces are deployed in the area to ensure that no one raises his fist against inhumane living conditions, and to protect the interests of the ruling class.

Every president of the reactionary state leaves a bloody trail behind. The recent ones were recorded during Duterte’s Oplan Tokhang which killed almost 40,000 civilians and his Oplan Sauron 1 and 2 which in which 20 farmers were killed and almost 100 farmers were arrested with fabricated cases. Thousands were also stucked in prison due to trumped up charges, including the Escalante 8 in 2019. The current fascist administration of Marcos Jr. is also responsible for the Jacolbe Massacre in Guihulngan City last 2022 and the Fausto Massacre in South Central Negros last year.

“Our dedication in serving the people includes giving justice to the victims of the reactionary state. The barrel of our guns will rightfully punish the criminals behind the state-sponspored violence,” Alpeche ended with conviction.

https://philippinerevolution.nu/statements/punish-the-criminals-behind-the-escalante-massacre-and-all-other-state-sponspored-violence/

CPP/CIO: Justice for hors de combat NPA fighters killed by AFP in Cagayan

Propaganda statement posted to the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) Philippine Revolution Web Central (PRWC) Website (Sep 16, 2024): Justice for hors de combat NPA fighters killed by AFP in Cagayan
Marco Valbuena
Chief Information Officer
Communist Party of the Philippines

September 16, 2024

The Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) condemns in the strongest possible terms the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), particularly the 5th Infantry Division and the cold-blooded fascist killers of the 502nd Brigade, for war crimes in the killing of three hors de combat Red fighters of the New People’s Army.

The Party condemns the AFP for the extrajudicial killing of Ariel Arbitrario (Ka Karl), Danielle Marie Pelagio (Ka Seed) and Erin Sagsagat (Ka Jorly) last September 11 in Barangay Baliuag, Peñabalanca town, Cagayan province.

Based on field reports, the three were part of a team of six Red fighters who were tasked to conduct consultations and meetings with the local peasant masses. They set up a bivouac outside the community. The claims of the AFP that they encountered a 17- or 20-man team of the NPA are false. In fact, the AFP carried out a planned attack at the break of dawn. The NPA team was quickly overpowered.

Arbitrario, who hails from Davao region, served as a peace consultant of the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) during peace negotiations in 2016-2017. He held a document of information under the Joint Agreement on Safety and Immunity Guarantees (JASIG).

In their statements, the AFP claims Arbitrario’s remains were found only two days after the encounter. We have reason to believe that he was, in fact, already under military custody and held for at least one day, during which he was subjected to severe torture before being summarily executed. Despite acknowledging Arbitrario’s killing, the AFP has yet to release his remains.

The Party and the entire revolutionary movement extends its most profound sympathies to the families of Ka Karl, Ka Seed and Ka Jorly. We join you in mourning their deaths which weigh heavily on our hearts and the hearts of the broad peasant masses and minority Agta people of Cagayan Valley whom they loved dearly and served with all their lives.

The Party honors Ka Karl, Ka Seed and Ka Jorly as heroes of the Filipino people. The memories of their deeds for the people and the revolution will live forever.

At the same time, we raise our voices to express our strongest outrage and to demand justice for Ka Karl, Ka Seed and Ka Jorly. We urge the families, human rights organizations and peace advocates to help in seeking justice for their deaths. We urge them to conduct an investigation into the September 11 armed incident. They can seek a post-mortem autopsy of the remains to seek details of their deaths.

https://philippinerevolution.nu/statements/justice-for-hors-de-combat-npa-fighters-killed-by-afp-in-cagayan/

CPP/CIO: Bureaucrat capitalism, corruption and crime under Duterte and Marcos

Propaganda statement posted to the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) Philippine Revolution Web Central (PRWC) Website (Sep 15, 2024): Bureaucrat capitalism, corruption and crime under Duterte and Marcos
Download here: PDF

Marco Valbuena
Chief Information Officer
Communist Party of the Philippines

September 15, 2024

The conflict between the rival Marcos and Duterte reactionary cliques, both stark representatives of the corrupt and criminal ruling classes, has become increasingly hostile and is rapidly intensifying. The conflict has arisen from the Marcos clique’s relentless pursuit to monopolize political power, even as the Duterte clique aims to shore up and preserve its old political power. These contradictions are intensifying with the approach of the 2025 midterm elections.

The following are key events that form part of the unfolding political situation:

a) For more than ten days, the Marcos regime amassed several thousand police and military forces in Davao City. They besieged the private quasi-religious compound of Duterte stooge and dummy Apollo Quiboloy to carry out his arrest and make him face charges of human trafficking, sexual exploitation and child abuse. Duterte and his cohorts, including his daughter Vice President Sara Duterte, and senators Bato dela Rosa, Bong Go and Robin Padilla, deliberately misled the police and attempted to shield Quiboloy from arrest.

b) Earlier, the Marcos regime also extradited and arrested Alice Guo, former mayor of Bamban, Tarlac. She fled to Indonesia to avoid testifying before the Senate where she is being depicted as part of the web of operations of Chinese criminal syndicates in the Philippines. The Marcos regime is trying to accommodate Guo in order to have her reveal the operations of the Chinese mafia and its links to the Duterte clique.

c) Sara Duterte, who resigned last June as education secretary, displayed outright belligerence when she faced the House Committee on Appropriations. She fended off questions regarding her questionable use of hundreds of millions of pesos in “intelligence funds.” She now faces the prospects of being impeached from office. She refused to appear the second time to apparently provoke the Marcos-dominated Congress into slashing her budget.

d) The so-called Quad committee of the House of Representatives has been investigating in the past weeks the wave of killings during the “war on drugs” under the Duterte regime. Some former Duterte officials have given testimonies that point to Duterte and his closest cohorts as directly responsible for the extrajudicial killings.

These events show that the contradictions between the Marcos and Duterte cliques are quickly coming to a head. It remains to be seen whether this will culminate in Marcos allowing the arrest of Duterte to face trial before the International Criminal Court where he is charged with crimes against humanity. If anything, the massive police and military operations against Quiboloy are an indication of the extent to which the Marcos ruling clique is ready to employ armed strength to crush the political machinery of its opponents. Of course, the Duterte clique will not stand for this, and will likely mobilize all possible resources to defend its political and economic interests.

At any rate, there remains the prospect of this inter-factional conflict leading to an eruption of armed violence that could potentially rock the stability of the ruling Marcos regime, or lead to its further consolidation and monopolization of political power. The consolidation of the Marcos ruling clique, on the other hand, is bound to give rise to new contradictions among the different factions of the ruling classes, as well as among the rival bureaucrat capitalist interests within the Marcos ruling clique. Even now, the US imperialists are busy preparing their reserve horses of political groupings composed of former military officers and anticommunist groups, that are using the slogan of “clean governance” with the view of replacing the Marcos clique in 2028.

Whatever the case, the situation is indicative of the continuing crisis of the ruling system which is thoroughly exposing itself as moribund and rotten to the core, led by bureaucrat capitalists mired in corruption and crime.

The crisis of the ruling system continues to bring great suffering to the majority of the Filipino people. Even as they demand that Duterte and his cohorts be prosecuted and punished for all their crimes, they are fully aware that the system under Marcos is basically unchanged, except for the faces of the people that presently hold the reins of power, whose bureaucrat capitalist avarice knows no bounds.

In the face of unprecedented scale of corruption, accelerated crumbling of social services, rising prices, rapid deterioration of people’s living standards, and even worse forms of US-supported fascist barbarities, the people’s struggle for national democracy has become even more crucial and urgent.
Crime and corruption under the Duterte regime

The ongoing congressional and senate investigations and exposés are baring the extreme rottenness of the ruling system. Beyond the grandstanding of attention-seeking and power-tripping politicians and clowns, these hearings have helped expose how bureaucrat capitalism and criminal activities have melded, and how the reactionaries in power amass large sums of money from illegal drug trade and other nefarious operations.

With both the Senate and House of Representatives dominated by Marcos’ minions and sycophants, the hearings have been directed at exposing the direct involvement of Duterte and his cohorts in the extrajudicial killings of tens of thousands committed by police and criminal elements during his regime’s sham drug war. These hearings are also exposing his links to overseas criminal syndicates involved in the so-called “POGO” operations, which saw an explosion during the time that Duterte was in Malacañang.

The information that are now being publicly bared confirm what the Filipino people have long held: that Duterte’s so-called drug war was a sham and that his anti-drug rhetoric was a hoax to establish himself as the drug megalord. During his time, Duterte employed the police and military to stop the operations of local drug manufacturers to monopolize the supply of drugs, favor drug lords who knelt before him and paid for his protection, and punish those who refuse. He used his sham war on drugs for politics by linking political rivals to drugs to make them targets of assassinations, and used politics to expand his criminal empire.

Duterte and his cohorts have been in collusion with Chinese criminal syndicates who also controlled a network of “gaming operations,” which served as fronts for online scamming, prostitution and other nefarious activities. These illegal operations inside the “POGO hubs” thrived under Duterte’s protection. These criminal syndicates are intertwined with big business operations involved in land grabbing, human trafficking and slave labor, smuggling, illegal mining, land reclamation and others. They benefited from government contracts which covered them with the mantle of legitimacy.

Confirmatory information has come to light pointing to the direct personal culpability of Rodrigo Duterte and his cohorts to the killing spree and other crimes. These strengthen the Filipino people’s conviction to hold Duterte, as well as former police chief Bato dela Rosa, Bong Go and other cohorts, accountable for the innumerable crimes under their rule. These crimes were perpetrated during the course of his sham drug war, as well as in the anticommunist campaign of political repression against the patriotic and democratic mass movement, and the counterrevolutionary war of suppression.
Crime and corruption under the Marcos regime

The Marcos regime, installed through a manufactured “landslide victory” in the 2022 elections, is the biggest byproduct of Duterte’s criminal and bureaucrat-capitalist enterprise. The Marcos-Duterte “uni-team” in 2022 was a hoax, just as the sham drug war was. The façade of unity, however, crumbled just after a year because the greed for wealth and power of both sides is boundless and cannot be equally satisfied amid the crisis of the ruling system and the decreasing resources for sharing.

Since the second half of 2023, the Marcos and Duterte cliques have become increasingly hostile toward one another. Duterte demanded preservation of his military and political influence, economic interests and criminal operations, while Marcos pushed to consolidate, expand and monopolize political and economic power. With his influence and power quickly eroding, Duterte resorted to open antagonism and mobilized resources in an attempt to organize coups and uprisings.

Key military and police officers of Duterte were appointed by Marcos to important government posts, but would later be booted out and replaced with Marcos allies and loyalists. Marcos pretended to accommodate Duterte’s daughter, Vice President Sara Duterte, appointing her as secretary of the Department of Education (although her original demand was to head the Department of Defense), and providing with hundreds of millions of pesos of “confidential funds” both as vice president and education secretary.

In the face of public censure of Duterte’s sham war on drugs, Marcos distanced himself by claiming that his regime’s war on drugs is “bloodless.” In fact, the number of people being killed by police and vigilantes continues to rise, according to news monitors. Marcos has mobilized his men to take over the illegal drug trade in the Philippines, which has slowly shifted from one international cartel to another, from the Chinese drug syndicate to the US-Mexico Sinaloa drug cartel, with smuggling going through the Clark Air Base.

Upon assuming power, Marcos secured US support by allowing the expansion of its military presence, increase its military bases, and fortify the Philippines as a stronghold in its strategic plan to “contain” China’s economic and military influence. Following US aims, Marcos cancelled China-funded government contracts for infrastructure projects including the ₱142 billion South Long-Haul railway project, the ₱82-billion Mindanao railway project, and the ₱51-billion Subic-Clark railway project, all of which Duterte contracted with promises of large amounts of kickbacks. Marcos has been assured by the Japanese Import-Export Bank and World Bank to finance those projects with the prospect of pocketing the kickbacks for himself.

Corruption under the Marcos regime has worsened with Marcos controlling several billions of pesos of “confidential and intelligence funds” which are not publicly audited, and other “unprogrammed funds.” Last year, Marcos spent at least 1 billion pesos for overseas trips, jet-setting from one country to another on the pretext of “inviting foreign investors.” Amid widespread poverty and hunger, Marcos and his family are living lavish lifestyles, spending hundreds of millions of pesos in private parties and concerts. He has his hands on the ₱550-billion Maharlika Investment Fund which he uses to favor business friends in exchange for political favors. Government contracts go to Marcos cronies such as Ramon Ang, Enrique Razon, the Aboitizes, the Villars and others, who rake in billions of pesos from so-called public-private partnerships.

One after another, five major criminal cases involving at least ₱202.1 billion against the Marcoses arising from plunder and accumulation of illegal wealth under the 1972-1986 Marcos dictatorship have been dismissed since 2022 (the recent decision of the Supreme Court declaring the 57-hectare Paoay estate in Laoag to be ill-gotten pales in comparison).
Bureaucrat capitalism brings untold sufferings to the Filipino people

The reactionary government of the ruling classes of big bourgeois compradors and big landlords is run by bureaucrat capitalists who use the vast powers of the state to serve the interests of their imperialist masters, their class interests, in general, and the economic and political interests of the ruling faction, and their dynastic, familial or personal interests, in particular.

These bureaucrats, especially high-level government officials, are capitalists because they run the state as a profit-making enterprise, or use the state to make vast amounts of profit for their businesses. They get kickbacks from government contracts or bribe money for favors or protection of illegal activities. The worst of these bureaucrat capitalists plunder hundreds of millions or billions of pesos and stash the money into their overseas bank accounts or other forms of assets. Big bourgeois compradors and big landlords have become bureaucrat capitalists themselves, deftly using executive power or legislation to favor the expansion of their economic empires.

Especially since 1986, the reactionaries have come up with more and more political parties reflecting their fractionalization, often, with the dominant or ruling clique organizing a new one. From the old Nacionalista Party and Liberal Party, they organized such parties as the PDP-Laban, the People Power Party, Pwersa ng Masang Pilipino, Lakas-CMD, and now the Partido Federal and so on. These ruling classes are essentially no different from one another.

These parties all stand on the common ground of subservience to foreign economic and military powers, economic policies of liberalization, privatization and deregulation and maintaining the façade of democracy, but go after each other’s throats, in trying to get a bigger slice of the bureaucrat capitalist pie. Reactionary politicians jump from one party affiliation to another, with the ease of changing shirts. As the popular Estrada quip goes, “weather, weather lang.”

The broad masses of the Filipino people are oppressed under the bureaucrat capitalist state. They are overburdened with onerous taxes and innumerable fees and impositions, but do not get enough in terms of state-provided health care, free education, free public housing, or subsidies for production, unemployment, public utilities and other public services. These are instead privatized, commercialized and operated for profit, making people pay twice over, or denying them access to such essential utilities and services.

The big bureaucrat capitalists indulge in luxury in complete disregard of poverty and hunger that surround them. They depict themselves as serving the poor by handing out grocery bags during calamities or during elections, completely ignoring the glaring roots of the people’s suffering, and obscuring the fact that they themselves are responsible for the calamities besetting the masses.

Just outside their gated subdivisions, the vast majority of the Filipino people suffer grave hunger and hardships, while even more, live precariously on the threshold of poverty. They suffer from landlessness, grossly low wages, lack of income, widespread joblessness, economic dispossession, rising prices of goods and services. The living standards of the broad masses of workers, peasants, semiproletariat, the pettybourgeoisie are rapidly deteriorating, while the ruling classes and the bureaucrat capitalists accumulate more and more wealth.

When people organize and fight for their rights and well-being, the bureaucrat capitalists employ the coercive instruments of the state to carry out political repression and fascist suppression. Bureaucrat capitalism is the social and economic basis of fascism. State military and police forces direct their guns against the people and, without hesitation, pull the trigger against those who stand up and fight back. Military and police officers are themselves bureaucrat capitalists who line their pockets with money mulcted from the people.

The Marcos regime is presently the most concentrated expression of the bureaucrat capitalist, fascist and neocolonial state. The worsening forms of oppression and exploitation and the grave socioeconomic conditions under the Marcos regime underscore the necessity and urgency of the Filipino people’s fight to end imperialism, feudalism and bureaucrat capitalism, and put an end to the semicolonial and semifeudal system.

Acutely aware that there is no future under the current rotten system, the democratic, progressive and revolutionary forces of the Filipino people are ever determined to resist with all their might. The broad masses of the Filipino people must be aroused, organized and mobilized to struggle for national democracy. A broad united front must be built to rally all anti-fascist and democratic forces to expose, isolate and fight the US-Marcos regime and its counter-revolutionary hangers-on. The national democratic forces are the solid and determined core and vanguard of the anti-fascist united front.

No amount of fascist repression can crush the Filipino people’s ardor to fight back against their oppressors and exploiters. They must continue to strengthen their organized strength and wage all forms of mass resistance from strikes to mass demonstrations. They must carry out revolutionary action, principally by waging armed struggle in the form of protracted people’s war, with the strategic aim of seizing political power and establishing the democratic people’s government.

https://philippinerevolution.nu/statements/bureaucrat-capitalism-corruption-and-crime-under-duterte-and-marcos/

CPP/NDF-CNL: Statement of Christians for National Liberation (CNL) in response to Jonathan Malaya’s recent remarks on the GRP-NDFP peace talksReal test of sincerity in peace talks is addressing the roots of armed conflict

Propaganda statement posted to the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) Philippine Revolution Web Central (PRWC) Website (Sep 11, 2024): Statement of Christians for National Liberation (CNL) in response to Jonathan Malaya’s recent remarks on the GRP-NDFP peace talksReal test of sincerity in peace talks is addressing the roots of armed conflict
 


Christians for National Liberation (CNL)
National Democratic Front of the Philippines

September 11, 2024

Jonathan Malaya’s recent statement taunting the revolutionary movement to “prove its sincerity” by abandoning the armed struggle, reeks of hypocrisy and dishonesty. As a revolutionary Christian organization, Christians for National Liberation (CNL) is compelled to expose these blatant lies and double standards perpetuated by Malaya and the Government of the Republic of the Philippines (GRP).

Demanding proof of the revolutionary movement’s sincerity is nothing more than an attempt to hide the GRP’s own evil intentions. As written in the Scriptures, “Their throat is an open grave; they use their tongues to deceive” (Romans 3:13). Was it not the AFP chief Romeo Brawner Jr. himself who said that their military operations will continue despite the signing of the Oslo Joint Statement last November 2023? Why is the GRP continuing its counterrevolutionary offensives while the CPP-NPA-NDF is asked to abandon armed struggle?

The basic assumption of a negotiation is that both parties are treated on equal footing, but Malaya’s statement reveals the opposite. He imposes on the revolutionary movement to lay down its arms while the GRP continues to bomb peasant communities and violate international humanitarian law, all the while attempting to avoid the substantive issues at the heart of the conflict: social injustice, landlessness, widespread joblessness, and the systemic oppression of the poor.

The Word of God reminds us of the perils of dishonesty and falsehood. As it is written in James 3:11, “Can both fresh water and saltwater flow from the same spring?” The answer, of course, is no. In truth, Malaya’s statement merely echoes the government’s desire to force the revolutionary movement to surrender.

We refuse to let Malaya’s lie go unchallenged. The National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) and the entire revolutionary movement has always been clear: we are ready to negotiate peace, but it must be a just and lasting peace, one that addresses the root causes of poverty, exploitation, and inequality. But the GRP, under the mask of “peace and reconciliation,” continues to wage war against the people. Their demands for surrender are not peace negotiations. They are the demands of oppressors looking to crush legitimate resistance and struggle.

The GRP should cease this duplicity and hypocrisy, and to engage in honest, principled peace talks that focus on the fundamental issues that have driven this conflict for decades. Only then can we begin to move towards true and lasting peace, based not on surrender, but on justice.

https://philippinerevolution.nu/statements/real-test-of-sincerity-in-peace-talks-is-addressing-the-roots-of-armed-conflict/

CPP/Panay ROC/Panay RC: Extol and Etch in History the Memories of the 11 August Martyrs and Heroes of Panay!

Propaganda statement posted to the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) Philippine Revolution Web Central (PRWC) Website (Sep 11, 2024): Extol and Etch in History the Memories of the 11 August Martyrs and Heroes of Panay!
 

Panay Regional Operational Command (Coronacion "Waling-waling" Chiva Command)
CPP Panay Regional Committee

September 11, 2024

August 30, 2024 | Highest honors and tribute are given by the Panay Regional Party Committee to Vicente Hinojales (Ka Hadjie/Ka LG/Ka Jorge), Concha Araneta-Bocala (Ka Jojo/Ka Unding/Ka Minay/Ka Marta/Ka Ling/Ka Tonya), Rewilmar ‘Vivian’ Torrato (Ka Mia/Kikay/Minerva/Mara/Moray) and to the eight other August Martyrs and Heroes in Panay. They were Party cadres, Red commanders and fighters who bravely fought against the fascist Marcos regime to defend and advance the democratic interests of the exploited and oppressed Panayanon and the entire Filipino people towards the genuine freedom and democracy.

Ka Hadjie, Ka Minay and Ka Minerva together with Romulo Iturriaga Gangoso (Ka Reagan/Biboy/Pedik), Aurelio Bosque (Ka Zarco/Baijan/Rio), Jose Jerry Tacaisan (Ka Boy/Miller), Juvylene Silverio (Ka Porang/Inday/Kaykay), Benjamin Cortel (Ka Amor/Ruby/Mamang), Armando Sabares (Ka Nene/Kamlon), John Paul Capio (Ka Roling/Ronron), and Jielmor Gauranoc (Ka Doc/Tango/Baron), were killed in the series of alleged encounters against the forces of 12IB, 82IB, 61IB and PNP-RMFB last August 5, 7, 8, 15 in Calinog and Lambunao, Iloilo and last August 24 in Valderrama, Antique.

We give our special praise and tribute to Ka Hadjie, Ka Minay, and Ka Minerva. Ka Hadjie was a member of the Central Committee and served as the Secretary of the Panay Regional Party Committee since the latter part of 2016. He led the implementation of the Third Rectification Campaign and the 5-year Program of the Central Committee and untiringly imparted the advanced experiences of his region of origin in Mindanao. His unfamiliarity of Panay and the comrades did not hinder him to effectively perform his responsibility. He was an example of humility and steadfastness in the implementation of the decisions of the Regional Committee and of the higher organs of the Party. Ka Minay was the Second Deputy Secretary of the Regional Committee and was one the pioneers of the revolutionary movement in Panay since 1972. She led the Second Rectification Movement especially the drafting of the 13-year summing-up of the revolutionary movement in Panay from 1980 to 1993 and the struggle against the factionalism of the Tabara-Dumalaog clique. She was an example of boundless optimism and selfless devotion to the cause of the masses, the Party and the armed revolution. Despite her advanced age of 71 and the physical disability she suffered in 2021 when she almost got blind as a result of an eye stroke, she opted to remain in the countryside to continue leading the Party and the NPA. Ka Minerva was a member of the Executive Committee of Regional Committee and served as the secretary of the Front Party Committee in Central Panay and later in Southern Panay. She exhibited a boundless sense of responsibility, diligence, efficiency, and an unwavering determination in the face of hardships and sacrifices. Truly they were big losses to the Party leadership in Panay.

The Panay Regional Party Committee mourns with the families, all the Party cadres and members, Red commanders and fighters of the NPA, the allied organizations of the NDF and all the friends and supporters of the cause of the national democratic revolution on the loss of the 11 Martyrs and Heroes. The sadness that we felt in the death of the 11 Martyrs was heavier than Mt. Madyaas but our anger against the fascist Marcos Jr regime and his blood-thirsty brute military was even greater and heavier.

The Panay Regional Party Committee strongly condemns the 3rd Infantry Division and the 301st Brigade of the Philippine Army and the PNP Region 6 in the brutal death and violation of the human rights of the nine comrades, the Aglonok 5 (Ka Reagan, Ka Nene, Ka Zarco, Ka Kaykay and Ka Tanggo) and the Cabatangan 4 (Ka Hadjie, Ka Minay, Ka Minerva, Ka Miller) who were hors de combat during the 3rd ID’s alleged encounters last August 7, 8 and 15. They were starving for more than two weeks because of food shortage, were physically and mentally exhausted (tiredness and lack of sleep) due to several days of maneuver in the steep and rigid mountains, and majority of them were old and sickly (diabetic, hypertensive). Based on the preliminary investigation of the units of the NPA, the masses on the villages near the encounter site did not hear any exchange of gunfire. Some members of the families of the martyrs and some media personnel also reported that there were signs of torture and the wounds were numerous indicating “overkill”. The laws on the conduct of war based on the International Humanitarian Law and the Comprehensive Agreement on Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law states that the rights of the hors the combat or those who were incapacitated to fight should be guaranteed.

The 3rd Infantry Division, Philippine Army and the PNP-Region 6 have a long list of violations of Human rights—killing of the Tumandok kid Rodelyn Aguirre in 2012, Antique 7 massacre in 2018, Tumandok 9 massacre in 2020, killing of Rooosevelt, Tapaz Barangay Captain Julie Catamin in 2021, abduction and killing of Ka Blu and Ka Hope in 2022 and many more.

The 11 August Martyrs and Heroes of Panay were the recent mark of the hundreds of years of struggle of the Panayanons against the foreign and local oppression and repression dating back to the uprising against the colonial Spanish, the colonial wars of the Americans and Japanese up to the struggle against the fascist Marcos Jr regime and its predecessors.

The 11 Martyrs and Heroes who came from the four provinces of Panay and from Mindanao represent almost all classes and sectors of the Philippine society who were united on the principle of serving the people in the cause of the national democratic revolution through armed struggle. They stood on this principle and cause until their last breath. The cause and principles they have fought for must always remain fresh in our memories and we should enliven it in our daily practice. We should embrace and imbibe their characters of being strong against hardships and sacrifices, bravery in facing death, boundless optimism, tireless and selfless service to the people, and loyalty to the Party and the revolution. Through this we could implement the first step in giving justice to the death of the 11 Martyrs and Heroes and the thousands of others before them.

The Panay Regional Party Committee commands all units of the Party and the NPA in the island to hold tribute and memorial meetings for the 11 Martyrs and Heroes. We also call on the allied organizations of the NDF and other friends of the revolution to conduct similar activities. We encourage everyone to share other forms of tribute and reminiscence like statements in the PRWC, alternative media and mainstream media, poems, anecdotes and other cultural pieces. We will mark August 26 every year as the Day of the Martyrs and Heroes of Panay.

Above all, the Panay Regional Party Committee calls all those physically and mentally able especially those coming from the student-youth, workers and professional sectors to join the NPA. This is the time with utmost significance for you to contribute your talents and skills for the advance of the armed struggle as the primary and decisive form of the revolutionary struggle to ensure the victory of the national democratic revolution and socialism.

The statements of the commanders of the 3rd ID and 301st IBde of the Philippine Army that the death of the three top officials of the Panay Regional Party Committee is the mark of the end of the revolutionary movement in Panay were merely daydreams (purely illusions) and only shows their idiocy on the history and character of the revolution. The history of any society in the world has seen the birth and growth of revolutionary struggle of the people as long as the exploitation and oppression of the broad masses exist. History itself has also proven that for every fallen leader in the battlefield there are more that arise. In the case of the Communist Party of the Philippines, there is a system of a chain of leadership that whenever a position becomes vacant, another cadre immediately assumes the responsibility of the leadership.

The revolutionary forces in Panay will surely overcome whatever losses and setbacks they have faced these past years and will frustrate the illusions of the 3rd Infantry Division to end the revolutionary movement in Panay by the end of September and the year 2024. Through the guidance of the Party and the Rectification Movement that is currently implemented, the internal mistakes and shortcomings that were the roots of the losses and setbacks will be identified and thus will become guide to rise and advance again. The remaining cadres and members of the Party and the Red commanders and fighters of the NPA vow they will continue igniting the flame of the armed revolution until its victory.

Always remember the 11 August Martyrs and Heroes of Panay!
Long live the New People’s Army!
Long live the National Democratic Front of the Philippines!
Long live the Communist Party of the Philippines!
Long live the Filipino people!

https://philippinerevolution.nu/statements/extol-and-etch-in-history-the-memories-of-the-11-august-martyrs-and-heroes-of-panay/

Tuesday, September 10, 2024

CPP/NDFP: On the ongoing talks

Propaganda statement posted to the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) Philippine Revolution Web Central (PRWC) Website (Sep 4, 2024): On the ongoing talks
 


Julie de Lima
Chairperson
Negotiating Panel
National Democratic Front of the Philippines

September 04, 2024

The National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) Peace Negotiating Panel firmly reiterates its commitment to the resumption of peace negotiations with the Government of the Republic of the Philippines (GRP). Our dedication to achieving a just and lasting peace remains steadfast, as we believe the negotiations present an effective means to address the underlying causes of the civil war.

The ongoing talks between the two delegations are meant to come up with an agreed framework for the negotiations towards forging an agreement that will address the root causes of the armed conflict.

In the past few months, we have observed with concern the mixed and contradictory signals emanating from the GRP. On the one hand, General Eduardo Año stated that peace talks are unlikely to proceed. On the other hand, Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr. said they are optimistic that the talks would resume. We hope that the GRP can resolve these contradictory views.

The NDFP Peace Negotiating Panel remains open and ready to engage in meaningful discussions that can lead to comprehensive solutions benefitting the Filipino people including addressing key issues of agrarian reform and national industrialization among other substantive socio-economic concerns.

The path to peace is indeed long and arduous, but it is a path that we must tread with unwavering determination, mutual respect and a genuine commitment from both parties if it is to succeed. We look forward to continuing exploratory talks with the GRP and hopeful to resume formal negotiations to achieve just and lasting peace in the Philippines.

https://philippinerevolution.nu/statements/on-the-ongoing-talks/

21 Moro Islamic Liberation Front top commanders apply for amnesty

From the Philippine News Agency (Sep 9, 2024): 21 Moro Islamic Liberation Front top commanders apply for amnesty (By Priam Nepomuceno)



MANILA – The National Amnesty Commission (NAC) on Monday said 21 ranking Moro Islamic Liberation Front commanders have filed their applications through the Local Amnesty Board in Cotabato City.

In a statement, the NAC said among those who filed for amnesty on Aug. 30 were top ground commanders of the group who are now Members of Parliament (MP) of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).

The ceremonial submission was witnessed by the chairpersons of the Government of the Philippines-Moro Islamic Liberation Front Peace Implementing Panel, retired Gen. Cesar Yano and Minister Mohagher Iqbal.

Also in attendance were BARMM Senior Minister and Moro Islamic Liberation Front Bangsamoro Islamic Armed Forces (BIAF) spokesperson Abunawas “Von Alhaq” Maslamama and MP Maryann Arnado.

The grant of amnesty to Moro Islamic Liberation Front rebels is part of their agreement with the government under the Annex on Normalization of the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro.

The NAC said this is a sign of the growing momentum toward peace, noting that Moro Islamic Liberation Front members applying for amnesty have reached 77 since it began accepting applications.

As of Sept. 4, the NAC has received 909 amnesty applications.

These applications include a significant number of former rebels of the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army-National Democratic Front and their front organizations, as well as rebels from the Moro National Liberation Front and the Rebolusyonaryong Partidong Manggagawa ng Pilipinas/Revolutionary Proletarian Army/Alex Boncayao Brigade, signaling a notable shift towards unity and reconciliation.

The NAC continues to strengthen its information and education campaign, highlighting the benefits of amnesty in the government’s pursuit of peace and national reconciliation, as well as the amnesty application process.

The deadline for the submission of applications is set for March 2026.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1232926

US Marine Corps vows to boost AFP's protection of maritime borders

From the Philippine News Agency (Sep 10, 2024): US Marine Corps vows to boost AFP's protection of maritime borders (By Priam Nepomuceno)



PARTNERS. AFP vice chief of staff Lt .Gen. Arthur Cordura (right) speaks with USMC commandant Gen. Eric Smith during the latter's courtesy call at Camp Aguinaldo, Quezon City on Monday (Sept. 9, 2024). The USMC chief has committed to helping the AFP in developing its maritime domain awareness. (Photo courtesy of the AFP)

MANILA – The commandant of the United States Marine Corps (USMC) has committed to helping the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) in developing its maritime domain awareness (MDA) so it can be more interoperable with its American counterparts.

MDA refers to the capabilities of a country to protect and detect intrusions within its territorial waters.

USMC head Gen. Eric M. Smith made this assurance during his courtesy call with AFP vice chief of staff, Lt. Gen. Arthur Cordura at Camp Aguinaldo, Quezon City on Monday.

"The two leaders also discussed the upcoming Maritime Training Security (MTA) 'Sama-Sama' underscoring a shared commitment to advancing maritime domain awareness and interoperability," the AFP said in a statement late Monday.

The MTA "Sama-Sama" is a multilateral naval exercise between the Philippines and the US first held in October 2022.


In the meeting, Cordura expressed his appreciation of Smith's visit and highlighted the importance of continued partnership between the AFP and the USMC.

Smith's visit reflects the AFP’s initiative to explore avenues for future cooperation anchored in the rules-based international order and a shared vision for a stable and prosperous Indo-Pacific Region.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1232988

NSC: Chinese ships swarming WPS rise to 207: PH Navy

From the Philippine News Agency (Sep 10, 2024): NSC: Chinese ships swarming WPS rise to 207: PH Navy (By Priam Nepomuceno)



Facade of the Philippine Navy headquarters in Manila (PNA file photo by Priam Nepomuceno)

MANILA – The number of Chinese ships spotted in features in the West Philippine Sea (WPS) continues to rise, the Philippine Navy (PN) said Tuesday.

The PN's latest monitoring report showed 207 Chinese vessels were spotted in these areas from Sept. 3 to 9, a slight increase from 203 recorded from Aug. 27 to Sept. 2.

Out of this number, 182 are Chinese maritime militia vessels (CMMVs), marking a sharp rise from 165 during the Aug. 27 to Sept. 2 monitoring period.

Also spotted during the Sept. 3-9 period were 18 China Coast Guard Vessels (CCGVs), six People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) warships, and one Chinese Research and Survey Vessel (CRSV).

The bulk of Chinese ships in the WPS are in the vicinity of the Sabina Shoal, where the Philippine Coast Guard's BRP Teresa Magbanua (MRRV-9701) stands watch.

A total of 68 Chinese vessels were seen in this area – 55 CMMVs, eight CCGVs, and five PLAN warships.

This was followed by the Iroquois Reef with 59 Chinese vessels – 58 CMMVs and one PLAN ship.

Another 50 Chinese vessels were seen in Pag-asa Islands – 49 CMMVs and one CCGV – while 13 ships were seen in Bajo de Masinloc – 12 CMMVs and one CCGV.

Meanwhile, 10 vessels were spotted in the Ayungin Shoal – eight CCGVs and two CMMVs – followed by Lawak Island with four CMMVs, Likas Island with one CMMV, Panata Island with one CMMV, and Rizal Reef with one CRSV.

Highest so far

PN spokesperson for the WPS Rear Admiral Roy Vincent Trinidad said this number of Chinese vessel sightings is the highest so far for this year.

"A lot of the (Chinese) maritime militia are focused on Escoda or Sabina Shoal. Sabina and Escoda have been under our attention for the past good number of months because of the reported increase of crushed corals and we have to determine if this is man-made or by force of nature. Hence, the extra patrols given by the AFP (Armed Forces of the Philippines), the Navy, the Coast Guard, and the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources," Trinidad said.

Also, Trinidad said that the number of Chinese ships deployed so far in the WPS is within the "force projection capability of South Sea Fleet, the CCG, and the maritime militia."

"Open sources will tell us that the South Sea Fleet is composed of roughly 80 to 90 ships and submarines. The (China) Coast Guard from 25 to 35, for the maritime militia, we have monitored in the past numbers as high as 250 to 300. These are stationed in their bases, Johnson, Subi, and or Mischief. But what they bring into our exclusive economic zone (EEZ) limits is what we monitor and report," he added.

Trinidad said what can be considered abnormal for China is if it decides to bring in units from other theaters of the PLA.

"So long as these are the forces within theater and they don't bring in other forces from the East Sea Fleet or the North Sea Fleet, then this is still within the normal range of their capability," he added.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1232992

Fate of exploratory peace talks depends on Reds' sincerity

From the Philippine News Agency (Sep 10, 2024): NSC: Fate of exploratory peace talks depends on Reds' sincerity (By Priam Nepomuceno)



NSC spokesperson Undersecretary Jonathan Malaya (Screengrab from PTV)

MANILA – The National Security Council (NSC) on Tuesday said it is fully supportive of the ongoing exploratory peace talks with the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People's Army-National Democratic Front (CPP-NPA-NDF).

NSC Assistant Director General and spokesperson Jonathan Malaya, however, said the communist movement and its allies must prove their sincerity in completely abandoning the armed struggle against the government.


The NSC issued this comment after NDF negotiating panel chairperson Julieta de Lima-Sison claimed that the government is making contradictory signals on the issue.

"Ms. Julieta de Lima-Sison of the National Democratic Front is mistaken. The government is not making 'contradictory signals' about this issue. We support the exploratory peace talks provided that the CPP-NPA-NDF does not impose their usual preconditions and come to the table with sincerity and a genuine desire to end the more than 50-year-old Communist insurgency that has brought so much pain and suffering to the Filipino people," Malaya said.

He said it is the CPP-NPA-NDF that has made "contradictory statements" about ending the armed struggle.

This was after the CPP-NPA launched its 3rd Rectification Movement last December, aimed at advancing its revolutionary armed struggle, despite signing the Oslo Joint Communiqué in November of last year.

Under the Oslo Joint Communiqué, the Philippine government and the NDF agreed to a principled and peaceful resolution of the armed conflict which would pave the way for the transformation of the CPP-NPA-NDF.

"Instead of preparing for the NPA's transformation provided in the Oslo Joint Communiqué, the CPP instead called for a rectification movement doubling down on its commitment to carry forward the armed struggle, which it euphemistically calls the 'national democratic revolution' towards 'complete victory'," Malaya said.

While the NSC is hopeful and optimistic of the exploratory talks, Malaya said the government cannot just turn a blind eye to the CPP's renewed call for armed struggle.

"They should settle this issue among themselves once and for all. While we support the exploratory talks, its success will entirely depend on the sincerity, truthfulness, and commitment of the CPP-NPA-NDF towards achieving a peace settlement and ending armed hostilities as soon as possible," he said.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1233021

PBBM names retired police general new BCDA chief

From the Philippine News Agency (Sep 11, 2024): PBBM names retired police general new BCDA chief (By Darryl John Esguerra)



NEW BCDA CHIEF. Thompson Lantion (center) takes his oath as the new chair of the Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) on Monday (Sept. 09, 2024) before Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin. Lantion, a former police general, will replace Delfin Lorenzana as BCDA chief following the latter’s decision to "go to private life." (Photo courtesy of the Office of the Executive Secretary)

MANILA – President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has appointed Partido Federal ng Pilipinas (PFP) Secretary-General Thompson Lantion as the new chairman of the Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA).

Communications Secretary Cesar Chavez confirmed Lantion’s appointment to Palace reporters on Tuesday.

A retired police general, Lantion will replace Delfin Lorenzana as BCDA chief following the latter’s decision to "go to private life."

In a statement, Lorenzana congratulated Lantion, his fellow cavalier of the Philippine Military Academy Class '69, for his appointment.

“With decades of government experience and tested leadership, I am confident that Chairman Lantion will be able to sustain - if not surpass - the progress that we have made in BCDA,” Lorenzana said.

He also thanked Marcos for the opportunity to lead BCDA for last three years.

“Let me also thank BCDA’s key stakeholders from the private sector who have partnered with us in spurring national development,” he said.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1233092