Marco Valbuena, Chief Information Officer of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) countered the lies peddled by the military and police that Ka Parts was killed in a gunfight when he was supposed to be served an arrest warrant.

“Ka Parts was unarmed and was in no position to fight,” Valbuena said. At that time, he was with his wife, Pamela Peñaranda who was subsequently arrested and is currently detained in Polomolok.

Valbuena expressed outrage “at the barbarity of the criminal agents of the US-Duterte regime.” He strongly condemned and held accountable the 5th Special Forces Battalion and Philippine National Police for their crime of extrajudicially killing Ka Parts.

The CPP paid its highest tribute to Ka Parts Bagani as a Red Artist of the People and valiant warrior of the New People's Army. “Ka Parts devoted his entire life and artistic talent to the Filipino people and their struggle against imperialism, feudalism and bureaucrat capitalism.”

“His artworks reflected the people's yearning for freedom from oppression, exploitation, hunger and for national and social liberation,” Valbuena said. His art pieces gave life and color to many revolutionary publications, books, and other literature that motivated and endeared the masses.

Despite coming from petty bourgeoisie origin, Ka Parts' heart belonged to the masses. According to him, “Parts” was derived from the contraction of “Pulang Artista ng Sambayanan.” And because he had a special love for the Lumad masses he took the name “Bagani” (a Lumad warrior) as a pledge to fight for their rights.

In 2007, his masterpieces were exhibited in UP Diliman which drew praises from people, artists and critics because of its distinct style and subject, where the masses and their warriors were always the centerpiece.

“Ka Parts was humble and was never conceited nor arrogant,” added the CPP. Even to those whom he just met, Parts was easy to get along and was good company. He shared his talent with anyone who wanted to learn to paint, illustrate and sculpt.

Although he was known as a revolutionary artist, Ka Parts was primarily a Red fighter and military cadre of the NPA. The Party noted his immeasurable contributions to advancing the armed revolution in the Southern Mindanao Region and other parts of Mindanao.

“Ka Parts' life will forever serve as an inspiration to the Filipino people, to Red fighters and to revolutionary artists in all fields of art who are one with the workers and peasants in their aspiration and struggle to reshape society and the entire world, to erase oppression and exploitation and sculpt a new system of progress and freedom.” the Party declared.

#Philippines #PeoplesStruggles #NationalDemocraticFrontOfThePhilippines #Asia

The Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) denounces and rejects the “designation” by the “Anti-Terrorist Council” (ATC) of 19 supposed “leaders” of the CPP as “terrorists.” This is clearly an act in accordance with the diktat of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) and Duterte himself.

The ATC claimed that those in the list are leaders of the CPP but cites no evidence to back their claims. The ATC merely recycled a very old list being maintained by military “intelligence.” The arbitrary naming of known peace consultants and revolutionaries underscore why the Anti-Terror Law and the ATC itself are illegitimate and should be repudiated. It was done in complete contempt of judicially recognized due process. It is a veritable slap on face of the justices of the Supreme Court who have yet to complete hearings over questions of the constitutionality of the Anti-Terror Law.

The “designation” is a desperate act to vilify revolutionaries and cover-up the crimes of state terrorism committed by the Duterte regime. It shows why “anti-terrorism” itself is an undemocratic concept and how it is being used as a tool against the people’s cause for national liberation and social justice.

The ATC “designation,” in particular, is an act of treachery against the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) and the peace process. It lists personalities of the NDFP involved in the peace process, including the interim Chairperson of the NDFP Negotiating Panel Julie de Lima Sison and NDFP Chief Political Consultant Jose Ma. Sison, as well as other known consultants in peace negotiations between the Government of the Republic of the Philippines (GRP) and the NDFP. This act of the ATC is Duterte getting back at the NDFP for not bowing to his wishes for the revolutionary forces to surrender their principles to his fascist tyranny.

Those included in the ATC’s “designation” are not terrorists but are all honorable revolutionaries who have served the cause of the Filipino people for national and social liberation all their lives. Most of them are now in their sixties and seventies. Three of them are unjustly incarcerated. Throughout the past decades, they have courageously stood side by side with the people and struggled against dictators and tyrants. They all have sacrificed personal ambition and selfish interests.

Unlike Duterte, these revolutionaries have only the clothes on their back to count as their wealth. They do not accumulate money from the government nor fleece the people with taxes. They do not hide money in China or elsewhere. These revolutionaries have repeatedly proved themselves to be true to the people’s cause.

“Anti-terrorism” is clearly an oppressive weapon used by tyrants to perpetuate their rule. It is no different from how foreign colonizers disparaged Filipino freedom fighters as “brigands,” “bandits” and “insurrectos” to justify their all-out war to “pacify” the Filipino people and suppress their struggle for national liberation. The Duterte regime's “anti-terrorism” is, in fact, state terrorism, where the entire armed machinery of the state is used to suppress and silence the people and eliminate all dissent and resistance.

Only Duterte, his military generals and fascist minions denounce the democratic armed resistance to his tyrannical regime as “terrorism.” To the oppressed and exploited, taking up arms is the only option to defend themselves in the face of relentless killings perpetrated by the police, military and other armed agents of the reactionary state. Amid Duterte’s brutal attacks and crimes against the people, to wage revolution is the most honorable thing to do.

#Philippines #PeoplesStruggles #NationalDemocraticFrontOfThePhilippines #Asia

Ka Joaquin Jacinto (Alvin Luque), spokesperson of the National Democratic Front in Mindanao, was murdered this morning by armed agents of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) in a resort in Tandag City, Surigao del Sur. A companion of Ka Joaquin was also killed in the military operation carried out by forces under the 4th Infantry Division.

The CPP and all revolutionary forces are outraged over the extrajudicial killing of Ka Joaquin. We demand: Justice for Ka Joaquin!

His assassination was carried out by the military troops at 1 a.m. We dispute the claims of the military that Ka Joaquin and his companion fought against the military troops while he was being served a warrant of arrest.

Ka Joaquin was unarmed and was convalescing. He was detached a few months ago from the main office of the NDF-Mindanao to undergo medical checkups and to recuperate from partial paralysis. A few months ago, he was physically debilitated and could not walk after he underwent intense physical struggles amid heavy enemy operations and counter-guerrilla maneuvers.

This dastardly crime must not go unpunished. We seek the entire truth behind Ka Joaquin's murder and seek an impartial investigation by an independent body. We urge the military troops involved in the operation to come out and reveal what they know.

We extend our deepest sympathies to the entire family, colleagues, friends and comrades-in-arms of Ka Joaquin. He was 51.

Alvin Luque hails from Davao City. He once headed the student government of the Ateneo de Davao University. In the late 1990s and 2000s, he became a prominent leader of the democratic forces in the city, serving as an officer of the local chapter of Bayan. He endeared himself to the public and the local media and gained a reputation for his fluency in the English language which he spoke vivaciously with a British-Bisaya flair.

He earned the ire of the reactionaries for leading mass demonstrations against the Arroyo regime. He was persistently red-tagged, harassed and charged with trumped up criminal cases. From Davao City, he moved to Cagayan de Oro, but was hounded no end by the fascists. To escape political persecution of the Arroyo regime, Alvin sought refuge in the guerrilla zones of the NPA in 2007-2008.

For a period, he was assigned to a local unit of the NPA where he deepened his understanding of the situation of the peasant masses and the necessity of waging armed revolution. He would be remembered by the masses and the Red fighters for his almost constant jolly mood. He would serve as host of small meetings and big gatherings and lead in educational sessions.

Coming from an upper-middle class family, Ka Joaquin had difficulties adjusting physically to the guerrilla movements of the NPA—night trekking, carrying one's own load and scaling steep mountains. He would shed weight and eventually find his “fighting form.” For several years, he would join Ka Oris and help in strengthening the work of NDF-Mindanao. He worked closely with the CPP Information Bureau and served as one of the faces of the Philippine revolution.

Recognizing Ka Joaquin's keen political sense, he was assigned as NDF-Mindanao spokesperson in 2016. He granted interviews with the media to clarify the position of the revolutionary movement on pressing issues in Mindanao and the whole country. For his steadfast defense of the revolutionary cause, Ka Joaquin became the subject of intensified liquidation operations of the AFP.

The CPP and all revolutionary forces pay the highest tribute to Ka Joaquin. Together, let us raise our fists and celebrate his innumerable contributions in serving the oppressed and exploited Filipino masses and their revolutionary cause.

#Philippines #PeoplesStruggles #NationalDemocraticFrontOfThePhilippines #Asia

The National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) vigorously condemns President Rodrigo Duterte for threatening the imposition of martial law against the Filipino people to force them to comply with his disastrous anti-people policies in his alleged combating of the Covid-19 pandemic.

On television on April 16, 2020, he made this threat declaring that the people had better comply because he is ordering the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) to take charge of enforcing his lock down in the whole of Luzon and forcing the people to follow his orders on the Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ). He has assigned the Philippine National Police (PNP) to assist the AFP.

President Duterte in his lock down order on Metro Manila and the whole Luzon, has caused more than 700 companies to close. Millions of workers are rendered jobless. He has also ordered a transportation shut down. Hundreds of thousands have to walk to their work. A man had to walk several kilometers from the hospital to his home, carrying the dead body of his son.

Hungry residents of San Roque who came out to protest because they were hungry were arrested and put in jail. Yesterday, former House Representative Ariel Casilao and five others who were bringing relief goods to residents in Norzagaray, Bulacan were stopped at a police checkpoint. They and seven residents who met them to receive the goods were also arrested. Up to now they are in police custody.

President Duterte should be reminded that his idol, President Ferdinand Marcos who declared martial law in 1972 was finally overthrown by a mass uprising of millions, and escaped only with the help of the United States. He was brought to safety in Hawaii. We also remind President Duterte when Marcos started on the ill-fated track of fascist dictatorship, he was far younger than the current president in his mid-70s. And the social and economic conditions are now far worse.

The NDFP believes that President Duterte has another option. Instead of intensifying his oppression of the Filipino people to the extent that his overthrow becomes a possibility, he could issue an extension of the unilateral ceasefire that expired on April 15. This would heed the call of the United Nations Secretary General for a global ceasefire to combat the Covid-19 pandemic as well as the call of the Philippine Ecumenical Peace Platform (PEPP). The Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) has extended its unilateral ceasefire until April 30 “to prioritize the fight against the pandemic and ensure the safety, health and well-being of everyone.”

President Duterte could also heed the call of Michelle Bachelet, the Chairperson of the UN Human Rights Commission, to release all political prisoners. This will significantly improve the atmosphere for the resumption of peace talks between the Government of the Republic of the Philippines (GRP) and the NDFP.

Luis Jalandoni

Member, Executive Committee and National Council

National Democratic Front of the Philippines

#Philippines #InJusticeSystem #Asia #PeoplesStruggles #NationalDemocraticFrontOfThePhilippines #PoliticalRepression #Antifascism #RodrigoDuterte #martialLaw

Fight Back News Service is circulating the following statement from the National Democratic Front of the Philippines.

Revolutionary forces in the Philippines and abroad vehemently denounced the cold-blooded murder of Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) official Julius Giron and his companions Dr. Ma. Lourdes Denero Tango and Arvie Alarcon Reyes, by Duterte security agents in the early morning hours of 13 March in Baguio City north of Manila. The three were sleeping and unarmed when they were gunned down by combined elements of the Northern Luzon Command of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the Philippine National Police (PNP). Giron and Dr. Tangco suffered up to seven gunshot wounds each, including several to the head. Reyes got four bullets to his chest.

In condemning the murders, the Communist Party of the Philippines said, “Giron’s blood is on Duterte’s hands. His assassination was carried out under Duterte’s war of suppression... his key security and military officials have long wanted to eliminate Giron who served as one of the Party’s leading cadres and principal peace consultant to the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP).”

NDFP allied organizations described the killing as a war crime. The Christians for National Liberation said, “these (killings) concretely prove the insincerity of autocrat Duterte in the peaceful resolution to the armed conflict.” Condemnations of the cold-blooded murders, as well as Red salutes for Giron, were also expressed abroad, including from the Marxist-Leninist Party of Germany, Communist Party of Turkey – Marxist-Leninist and the Freedom Road Socialist Organization.

Giron was 70 years old, suffering from infirmities of old age and already had difficulty keeping his balance. “Despite his advanced age,” the CPP said, “he remained ever the active revolutionary communist and one of the key leading cadres of the CPP. He was forever a student and teacher of Marxism-Leninism-Maoism.” Giron was a member of the Party’s Central Committee, its Political Bureau and Executive Committee. He was also a senior consultant of the NDFP in peace talks with the Government of the Republic of the Philippines (GRP), entitling him to protection under the GRP-NDFP Joint Agreement on Safety and Immunity Guarantees.CPP

Founding Chairman Prof. Jose Maria Sison, in paying tribute to Giron said, “The greatness of Comrade Julius as a revolutionary patriot and communist fighter will be amplified and will shine even brighter to inspire the current generation of the revolutionary cadres and masses and future generations to achieve the total victory of the people’s democratic revolution and proceed to the socialist revolution.”

#Philippines #InJusticeSystem #OppressedNationalities #Asia #PeoplesStruggles #NationalDemocraticFrontOfThePhilippines #CommunistPartyOfThePhilippines #PoliticalRepression #Antifascism #JuliusGiron

The Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) notice of termination takes effect after 180 days. The people cannot be sure that Duterte will not change his mind within that lengthy period. Previously, Duterte postured about terminating the Visiting Forces Agreement but after a few months allowed Balikatan exercises under VFA.

In the meantime, there are other military treaties with the US: Mutual Defense Treaty, Mutual Logistics Support Agreement and Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement. The EDCA allows the US military to rotate more of its troops in the Philippines and build facilities in Philippine military camps, using the Filipino puppet troops as security guards.

Duterte is beggarly dependent on US military supplies and advice. One telephone call from Trump can fix Duterte. His own pro-US military officers trained in US military forts and organized as assets of the US DIA and CIA will tell him to comply with US orders or else.

#Philippines #AntiwarMovement #OppressedNationalities #US #Asia #PeoplesStruggles #NationalDemocraticFrontOfThePhilippines #JoseMariaSison #Antifascism #RodrigoDuterte #DonaldTrump

The National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) strongly condemns the Duterte regime’s having the notorious Israel Defense Forces (IDF) give a specialized training by the Nahal Brigade of the IDF to 175 elite troops of the Philippine Army. This is despicable collaboration with Israeli Zionism, longtime partner of US imperialism, in horrendous acts of aggression against the Palestinian and Arab peoples.

Col. Dan Goldfus, commander of the Nahal Brigade, led a 10-man training team for two weeks at Fort Bonifacio in Taguig City. The IDF team gave a two-week training on so-called “anti-terrorism”. The special units included the Special Forces, First Scout Rangers and Light Reaction regiments and troops from the 2nd, 5th, 7th and 9th Infantry Divisions of the Philippine Army.

Philippine Army Chief Lt. Gen. Alberto Macairog honored Nahal Commander Col. Dan Goldfus with a plaque of appreciation.

The IDF’s Nahal Brigade, composed of 4 infantry battalions, has been involved in major wars launched by Israel against the Palestinian people, Lebanon, Syria. and others opposed to Israel’s illegal occupation of Palestine, the Golan Heights, and other areas.

The Nahal Brigade has been part of Israel’s wars over the last 60 years: the Suez War of 1956, The Six-Day War of 1967; the First Lebanon War, 1982-1985; the First Intifada, 8 December 1987 – 13 September 1993; the Second Lebanon War, 34 days in 2006; the Gaza War, 27 December 2008 for 3 weeks; the Gaza War, “Operation Cast Lead”, 27 December 2008 for three weeks; and Operation Protective Edge, July 2014. Numerous casualties among civilians and tremendous damage to homes, health centers, etc. resulted from the Israeli wars.

With such a horrible record of crimes against humanity, the IDF and its Nahal Brigade must be condemned. Especially, the Duterte regime, which is both nationally and internationally denounced for its widespread human rights violations, must also be condemned for taking in the IDF and its Nahal Brigade to play a role in its anti-people, anti-national policies and programs.

Luis G. Jalandoni Chief International Representative

#Philippines #AntiwarMovement #OppressedNationalities #Asia #PeoplesStruggles #NationalDemocraticFrontOfThePhilippines #RodrigoDuterte #IDF

As a result of his rigging the May 13 elections, Duterte has more than two-thirds majority in the Senate and is in a position to dictate the realization of his fascist dictatorship through charter change to bogus federalism and declare martial law nationwide at his whim.

Foreign monopoly capitalism, domestic feudalism and bureaucratic corruption will further oppress and exploit the Filipino people. The dire conditions of underdevelopment of the country, unemployment, mass poverty, mounting debt and tax burden, soaring prices, plunder of natural resources and social wealth, mass murder with impunity and the worst forms of deception will continue.

With overweening arrogance, the Duterte regime will continue to thrive on serving the evil forces of imperialism, feudalism and bureaucrat capitalism; and blame the people, the legal democratic forces and the revolutionary resistance for the worsening socioeconomic and political crisis of the semicolonial and semifeudal ruling system.

We can expect the broad masses of the people to engage in protest actions as in the time of fighting and defeating the Marcos fascist dictatorship. We can also expect that a big new wave of mass activists will join the revolutionary underground and the armed revolutionary movement of the people.

More than ever before, Duterte and his armed minions will seek to destroy the revolutionary movement in order to tighten his monopoly of power and plunder. In this context, there is no chance for the resumption of peace negotiations in accordance with The Hague Joint Declaration for so long as the tyrant Duterte is in power.

The people’s struggle for national liberation and democracy will certainly grow in strength faster than ever before precisely in contention with the escalating conditions of oppression and exploitation. It will surge in concert with the revolutionary struggles of peoples abroad against imperialism and all reaction.

#Philippines #PeoplesStruggles #NationalDemocraticFrontOfThePhilippines #Asia

In view of certain recent acts of the tyrant Duterte, he is accelerating the realization of his scheme to declare martial law nationwide and impose a full-blown fascist dictatorship on the people.

Duterte is closing all doors to peace negotiations. He has caused OPAPP Secretary Dureza to resign in order to put OPAPP under total military control in line with Duterte’s policy of militarizing his cabinet. He is giving way to the demands of the military.

The military want to control OPAPP to prevent serious GRP peace negotiations with the NDFP by imposing the precondition of surrender on the New People’s Army (NPA). They also want to place the billions of pesos of OPAPP and Pamana funds under the control of the military. The issue of corruption against Dureza’s undersecretaries is a mere pretext because the Office of the President itself is the stinking center of corruption.

The military officers and some mayors have become notorious for pocketing privately E-CLIP funds for fake surrenders. Now, they want to take over the PAMANA under OPAPP. The racket in PAMANA is also in the invention of fake beneficiaries and in favoring political favorites among local officials.

In a flagrant expression of lawlessness and barbarism or even madness, Duterte has announced the formation of death squads with the license to kill just anyone who is suspected of being or still becoming NPA. He has specified as targets of the death squads any istambay (idler), any critic, any activist or just anyone whom the death squads suspect or think of becoming or being NPA.

He wants Oplan Kapayapaan to compete with Oplan Tokhang in murdering thousands of people. He is obviously becoming desperate because Oplan Kapayapaan has failed to defeat the NPA in the guerrilla fronts. Not a single guerrilla front has been destroyed even in Mindanao where he has concentrated 75 of his total of 98 maneuver battalions under conditions of martial law.

Now, the NPA is increasingly carrying out tactical counteroffensives in the countryside of Mindanao, Visayas and Luzon. But the NPA is not yet fielding commando teams to urban areas in consideration of the CPP policy that the character the urban mass struggle is legal and defensive.

It is only Duterte who has conjured the illusion that the urban areas are already swarming with “sparrow units” in urban areas in order to have the pretext for forming his death squads to threaten and use against his urban-based legal opponents.

Duterte has gone out of his mind. As Catholic Bishop David has observed, he is mentally sick. He needs psychiatric help and should be removed from his position.

#Philippines #PeoplesStruggles #NationalDemocraticFrontOfThePhilippines #JoseMariaSison #Asia