CPP/NDF: CPP open to Duterte offer based on principles and policies

Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) propaganda statement posted to the National Democratic Front (NDF) Website (May 17): CPP open to Duterte offer based on principles and policies  

Information Bureau | Communist Party of the PhilippinesPress Release | May 17, 2016

The Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) acknowledges the public offer made yesterday by incoming GRP president Rodrigo Duterte for the CPP to head at least four GRP agencies. The CPP said it looks forward to forging an alliance for national unity, peace and development with the Duterte government based on clearly stipulated principles and policies of national sovereignty and social justice.



In meeting the press yesterday, Duterte said the CPP can be given four cabinet posts to head the Department of Agrarian Reform, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, the Department of Social Work and Development and the Department of Labor and Employment.

“We view the offer of key cabinet positions made by presumptive president Duterte as an acknowledgement of the strength and political standing of the CPP and revolutionary forces, its effective representation of the interests of workers, peasants, minorities and the broad masses as well as its work in protecting the environment,” said the CPP.

“The CPP and the revolutionary forces welcome the possibility of joining presumptive president Duterte in an alliance government, whether in the form of assigning cabinet positions to the CPP or its endorsees or some other more radical form of unity government which the maverick new president might be open to consider,” said the CPP.

“While the CPP is not averse to being assigned cabinet positions under certain conditions, incoming president Duterte knows fully well that what is more important to the revolutionary forces are the necessary changes in the policies and programs that govern these departments and the entire government,” it elaborated.

“A u-turn in the neoliberal policies of the past three decades, to say the least, must be carried out,” said the CPP.

“For instance, a DOLE secretary can only effectively serve the interests of the labor sector when there are laws prohibiting contractualization, promoting unions, establishing a national wage system and substantially raising wages to decent levels.”

“A DAR secretary will only be able to serve the interests of the peasant masses when there is a genuine land reform program that upholds the social justice tenet of free distribution of land to the tillers and which prohibit landlords, plantations and contract-growers from grabbing and monopolizing lands.”

“An alliance or coalition between the Duterte regime and the CPP and revolutionary forces can be realized on the basis of such principles as national sovereignty and social justice, which are questions at the core of the current armed conflict,” said the CPP. “This include, among others, the need for genuine land reform, industrialization and economic development, jobs, ending US troop presence and many others.”

The CPP added: “We anticipate the public offer made yesterday by presumptive president Duterte for the CPP to join his cabinet to be followed through with a more thorough discussion of policies through peace negotiations with the NDFP which is an excellent opportunity to discuss the socio-economic issues confronting the people.”

“The CPP further encourages the presumptive president to engage in discussions with workers, peasants and other mass-based organizations to enable him to listen to their grievances and see the urgent need to address their situation with substantial changes in policy.”

http://www.ndfp.org/cpp-open-duterte-offer-based-principles-policies/