Ang Bayan
December 21, 2024
The successive “insurgency-free” declarations of Marcos’ officials and the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) in recent weeks are part of a grand disinformation and psywar campaign. Its aim is to create a false image that the armed resistance of the Filipino people has been crushed or is about to be defeated and that there is no more force that can defend against the fascist and exploitative ruling classes.
The AFP is making the foolish brag that the NPA is left with only “one weakened guerrilla front.” It makes repeated empty claims that it will now focus its attention on “external threats.” These words are belied by the AFP’s own actions as it carries out relentless large-scale offensives in all corners of the country. Billions of pesos are being squandered by the AFP in daily helicopter flights, bombings, shellings, feeding and paying the salaries of its tens of thousands of troops, in their futile attempt to crush the guerrilla units of the New People’s Army (NPA). Its “integrated territorial defense system” plan, which involves the mass recruitment in the CAFGU, continues to focus on the militarization of villages and communities.
These declarations deceive the public and obscure Marcos’ imposition of martial law in the countryside. While claiming that “there are no more NPA,” tens of thousands of troops remain in the countryside, stationed in battalion headquarters in guerrilla zones and deployed in thousands of detachments in villages and communities, sowing fear and terrorism among the people.
Despite its propaganda declarations, martial law remains enforced in interior barangays in Ilocos Norte, Abra, Kalinga, Cagayan, Isabela, Bulacan, Aurora, Laguna, Quezon, Rizal, Oriental Mindoro, Occidental Mindoro, Camarines Norte, Albay, Sorsogon, Masbate, Capiz, Aklan, Iloilo, Negros Occidental, Negros Oriental, Northern Samar, Eastern Samar, Samar, Surigao del Sur, Surigao del Norte, Agusan del Sur, Agusan del Norte, Bukidnon, Davao del Norte, Lanao del Norte, Saranggani, South Cotabato, and other provinces.
The military rule and war of suppression being waged in the countryside by Marcos and the AFP are characterized by wanton trampling of democratic rights and violations of international humanitarian law. Rural villages are under military occupation or hamletted by military forces who require people to pass through checkpoints and sign logbooks, prohibit peasants from working in the fields, impose curfews, limit rice and food purchases, control commerce, and implement other measures that restrict the movement of people.
The people have intense hatred against soldiers lording over and controlling their villages. These fascist soldiers often abet the use of drugs, pornography and prostitution, and serve as a harmful influence on the youth in the communities. These soldiers frequently engage in all-night drinking and fire their guns indiscriminately when they get drunk. Soldiers of the AFP are involved in increasing incidents of abuse and rape of women, as well as flirting or having affairs with married women.
People are forcibly recruited to the paramilitary CAFGU, civilians are compelled to guide soldiers in combat operations, forced to render unpaid labor and service to soldiers’ detachments, such as constructing fences, gathering firewood, fetching water for bathing, and others.
Peasants are relentlessly subjected to house-to-house searches, harassment, summons on the pretext of “clearing their names” or “surrendering.” There are rising number of cases of abduction and extrajudicial killings, massacres, unjust arrests, torture of civilians, and others rights violations. Howitzers are positioned near homes. Aerial bombs are dropped aimed near communities and fields, endangering the lives and destroying the property and livelihood of civilians.
The aim of the “insurgency-free” declarations and the imposition of martial law is to break the people’s will to fight and defend their rights and livelihood. Military rule in the villages and communities serves the plan of their landlord and comprador bourgeois masters to grab land and evict peasants and indigenous people, and to pave the way for the destructive operations of mining, plantations, and infrastructure projects.
Millions suffer from all forms of oppression under the war of suppression of the Marcos regime. Moreover, they suffer from Marcos’ gross neglect of the welfare of millions of survivors of recent calamities. They will suffer even more in the coming year amid the budget cuts in health and education, and the increase in the budget for fascism (including the additional budget for the soldiers and the NTF-Elcac) and corruption (including the huge budget for the DPWH and Marcos’ anomalous infrastructure projects).
The severe oppression, suppression, and suffering inflicted on the Filipino people by the US-Marcos regime further strengthens their determination to struggle and defend their rights and to fight for their aspirations for justice, genuine democracy, and freedom. By sowing terrorism against the peasant and indigenous masses, Marcos is teaching them that there is no more effective way to fight back than to take up arms and join the New People’s Army.
In the face of intensifying oppression and suffering, the Filipino people, together with the NPA, are determined to intensify the people’s war. They are determined to advance the armed struggle and launch tactical offensives, especially against the most hated fascist troops responsible for extrajudicial killings, massacres, and all forms of terrorism. This, along with advancing the broad anti-fascist and anti-feudal mass struggles, is the only effective way of defending the people and meeting their growing calls for justice and an end of martial law in their areas.
As we commemorate the upcoming anniversary of the Party, let us reaffirm our commitment to spread the flames of the armed struggle to crush the fascist rule and to heighten the protracted people’s war. With the unwavering spirit of struggle and determination to fight, it is certain that the revolutionary armed struggle will not be defeated, but will instead advance.
The successive “insurgency-free” declarations of Marcos’ officials and the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) in recent weeks are part of a grand disinformation and psywar campaign. Its aim is to create a false image that the armed resistance of the Filipino people has been crushed or is about to be defeated and that there is no more force that can defend against the fascist and exploitative ruling classes.
The AFP is making the foolish brag that the NPA is left with only “one weakened guerrilla front.” It makes repeated empty claims that it will now focus its attention on “external threats.” These words are belied by the AFP’s own actions as it carries out relentless large-scale offensives in all corners of the country. Billions of pesos are being squandered by the AFP in daily helicopter flights, bombings, shellings, feeding and paying the salaries of its tens of thousands of troops, in their futile attempt to crush the guerrilla units of the New People’s Army (NPA). Its “integrated territorial defense system” plan, which involves the mass recruitment in the CAFGU, continues to focus on the militarization of villages and communities.
These declarations deceive the public and obscure Marcos’ imposition of martial law in the countryside. While claiming that “there are no more NPA,” tens of thousands of troops remain in the countryside, stationed in battalion headquarters in guerrilla zones and deployed in thousands of detachments in villages and communities, sowing fear and terrorism among the people.
Despite its propaganda declarations, martial law remains enforced in interior barangays in Ilocos Norte, Abra, Kalinga, Cagayan, Isabela, Bulacan, Aurora, Laguna, Quezon, Rizal, Oriental Mindoro, Occidental Mindoro, Camarines Norte, Albay, Sorsogon, Masbate, Capiz, Aklan, Iloilo, Negros Occidental, Negros Oriental, Northern Samar, Eastern Samar, Samar, Surigao del Sur, Surigao del Norte, Agusan del Sur, Agusan del Norte, Bukidnon, Davao del Norte, Lanao del Norte, Saranggani, South Cotabato, and other provinces.
The military rule and war of suppression being waged in the countryside by Marcos and the AFP are characterized by wanton trampling of democratic rights and violations of international humanitarian law. Rural villages are under military occupation or hamletted by military forces who require people to pass through checkpoints and sign logbooks, prohibit peasants from working in the fields, impose curfews, limit rice and food purchases, control commerce, and implement other measures that restrict the movement of people.
The people have intense hatred against soldiers lording over and controlling their villages. These fascist soldiers often abet the use of drugs, pornography and prostitution, and serve as a harmful influence on the youth in the communities. These soldiers frequently engage in all-night drinking and fire their guns indiscriminately when they get drunk. Soldiers of the AFP are involved in increasing incidents of abuse and rape of women, as well as flirting or having affairs with married women.
People are forcibly recruited to the paramilitary CAFGU, civilians are compelled to guide soldiers in combat operations, forced to render unpaid labor and service to soldiers’ detachments, such as constructing fences, gathering firewood, fetching water for bathing, and others.
Peasants are relentlessly subjected to house-to-house searches, harassment, summons on the pretext of “clearing their names” or “surrendering.” There are rising number of cases of abduction and extrajudicial killings, massacres, unjust arrests, torture of civilians, and others rights violations. Howitzers are positioned near homes. Aerial bombs are dropped aimed near communities and fields, endangering the lives and destroying the property and livelihood of civilians.
The aim of the “insurgency-free” declarations and the imposition of martial law is to break the people’s will to fight and defend their rights and livelihood. Military rule in the villages and communities serves the plan of their landlord and comprador bourgeois masters to grab land and evict peasants and indigenous people, and to pave the way for the destructive operations of mining, plantations, and infrastructure projects.
Millions suffer from all forms of oppression under the war of suppression of the Marcos regime. Moreover, they suffer from Marcos’ gross neglect of the welfare of millions of survivors of recent calamities. They will suffer even more in the coming year amid the budget cuts in health and education, and the increase in the budget for fascism (including the additional budget for the soldiers and the NTF-Elcac) and corruption (including the huge budget for the DPWH and Marcos’ anomalous infrastructure projects).
The severe oppression, suppression, and suffering inflicted on the Filipino people by the US-Marcos regime further strengthens their determination to struggle and defend their rights and to fight for their aspirations for justice, genuine democracy, and freedom. By sowing terrorism against the peasant and indigenous masses, Marcos is teaching them that there is no more effective way to fight back than to take up arms and join the New People’s Army.
In the face of intensifying oppression and suffering, the Filipino people, together with the NPA, are determined to intensify the people’s war. They are determined to advance the armed struggle and launch tactical offensives, especially against the most hated fascist troops responsible for extrajudicial killings, massacres, and all forms of terrorism. This, along with advancing the broad anti-fascist and anti-feudal mass struggles, is the only effective way of defending the people and meeting their growing calls for justice and an end of martial law in their areas.
As we commemorate the upcoming anniversary of the Party, let us reaffirm our commitment to spread the flames of the armed struggle to crush the fascist rule and to heighten the protracted people’s war. With the unwavering spirit of struggle and determination to fight, it is certain that the revolutionary armed struggle will not be defeated, but will instead advance.
[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.]
https://philippinerevolution.nu/2024/12/21/wage-peoples-war-against-marcos-martial-law-in-the-countryside/
https://philippinerevolution.nu/2024/12/21/wage-peoples-war-against-marcos-martial-law-in-the-countryside/
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