CPP/Ang Bayan: People’s militia in SMR grows stronger and broader

Propaganda article from the English language edition of the CPP online publication Ang Bayan (Aug 7): People’s militia in SMR grows stronger and broader

In the first half of 2014, Red fighters of the New People’s Army (NPA) in Southern Mindanao Region (SMR) were able to launch many successful military actions in the face of the Armed Forces of the Philippines’ (AFP) intensified military campaigns. Behind each victorious military action was mass support and most of all, the participation of their armed forces in the locality—the people’s militia.

In a shaded area in the middle of a meadow ensconced in a mountainous area of SMR, farmers, mostly men, began trickling in one morning. They were sweaty but greeted others with smiles, and they brought with them food packed in lunch boxes and banana leaves. They were villagers who had come to organize the second people’s militia platoon in their barrio.

They continue to build the people’s militia even if their area is surrounded by sections and platoons of the butcher AFP conducting a Peace and Development Outreach Program (PDOP) under Oplan Bayanihan (OPB). This prompted an NPA member from another guerrilla front to ask the locals whether the venue was secure. They answered “yes,” and the visitor did notice that the gathered villagers didn’t mind the presence of many enemy soldiers around them because they relied on the masses. The area’s mass base is solid, even if the fascist enemy was encamped nearby because the latter remained blind and deaf to the presence of the revolutionary mass movement.

The soldiers’ objective is to destroy the villagers’ unity, so the barriofolk continually plan how to defend and fight for their interests. One way is to build the people’s militia. This is the usual course in the NPA’s areas of operation where it is common to have a battalion-size militia in every municipality. Should the military chance upon them while having a meeting, they would be ready for any kind and manner of fighting based on their capabilities and concrete conditions. This is how important the people’s militia is nationwide.

In-depth discussions were held in the process of organizing the militia. This is usually the time to rectify longstanding misconceptions that the people’s militia is not part of the NPA. The gathered villagers were happy to learn that the militia is part of the NPA. The organizers explained that there were four basic types of NPA: the regular mobile forces, the armed propaganda units, the partisan units and the people’s militia. The only difference between the militia and the first three types is that the militias are part-time fighters. Militia members become even more enthusiastic when they are provided military training and are able to join military actions.

The meeting was over before dark and met no problems despite enemy movements nearby. It was noticeable how the militia members became even more trusting of each other and developed tighter bonds with the full-time NPA members after the militia platoon was established and the various points clarified. They were proud to be called the center of gravity among the masses and the backbone of the revolutionary mass movement.

(Excerpted from the May 2014 issue of Pasa Bilis, the revolutionary mass paper in Southern Mindanao Region)

[Ang Bayan is the official news organ of the Communist Party of the Philippines and is issued by the CPP Central Committee. It provides news about the work of the Party as well as its analysis of and views on current issues. Ang Bayan comes out fortnightly and is published in Pilipino, Bisaya, Ilokano, Waray, Hiligaynon and English.]

http://www.philippinerevolution.net/publications/ang_bayan/20140807/people-s-militia-in-smr-grows-stronger-and-broader