CPP reviews strength, weakness on its 54th anniversary today
The Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) has ordered its armed wing, the New People’s Army (NPA), to “strengthen bonds” with the masses to boost “strategic and tactical attacks” ahead of its 54th anniversary today.
But at the same time, the CPP’s ruling Central Committee said all party cadres, revolutionary forces, and its friends and allies should “take stock of our strength and self-critically assess our errors and weaknesses” to set forth its plan “to advance and attain even bigger victories in the coming years.”
Previously, in anticipation of the CPP anniversary on December 26, the Philippine National Police (PNP) will stay in “active defense posture” until the New Year, a police spokesman said on Saturday.
Both the PNP and the Armed Forces of the Philippines recently announced they will not have a ceasefire for the holidays, with the police force later saying there was “absolutely no reason” to do so.
In a message posted on its website, the CCP Central Committee continued to mourn the death of its founder, Jose Maria Sison, last week, giving him “extraordinary tribute” for his “masterly grasp of Marxism-Leninism-Maoism (that) guided the Party from its inception, infancy, and growth.”
“Ka Joma has bequeathed to us a treasure trove of Marxist-Leninist-Maoist work in which his immortal revolutionary spirit will forever live to guide the next generation of Party cadres to greater heights,” it added.
They said the CPP is confronted “by a worsening crisis of the reactionary ruling system both domestically and internationally, marked by prolonged stagnation and economic decline, deteriorating social conditions, by the rise of fascism and state terrorism and increasing threats of inter-imperialist wars.”
“The crisis is generating extremely favorable conditions for the proletariat to lead the people and carry forward the revolutionary movement in the Philippines and across the world,” it added.
Guided by their idealism, the CPP said it was “undaunted” by their recent setbacks, as authorities have placed their current numbers at less than a few thousand fighters scattered across the country,
“It is determined to overcome all weaknesses, rectify errors, consolidate and strengthen, in order to serve as the leading core of the Filipino people in their struggle to overthrow imperialism, feudalism and bureaucrat capitalism and attain national freedom and people’s democracy,” the Central Committee said.
That’s one reason why the PNP is maintaining its active defense posture until the New Year, spokesperson Police Col. Jean Fajardo said in an interview on TeleRadyo.
“We will not pull out the security nationwide and that includes our preparation for the nearing anniversary of the CPP on December 26,” Fajardo added, noting the PNP has also deployed more personnel to far flung areas.
“We added forces in areas that are vulnerable to enemy attack, specially those police stations and attachments in far areas, we added personnel coming from mobile forces and special action forces,” she said.
AFP spokesperson Col. Medel Aguilar previously said the most military can do is to offer a suspension of operations in place of a ceasefire.
However, Fajardo said the PNP will likely continue operations following the directive of PNP Chief Rodolfo Azurin Jr.
“We are not inclined to recommend the suspension of police operations, and we would rather maintain our active defense posture so that we can somehow be ready in case there are possible enemy atrocities,” said Fajardo.
According to former police chief Dionardo Carlos in a statement last year, the CPP and its armed wing are “known to stage armed offensive actions to drumbeat commemoration of significant dates in the underground communist organization.”
Meanwhile, the CPP paid “the highest tribute” to all the “heroes and martyrs of the Filipino people,” including members of its Central Committee, its Political Bureau and Executive Committee, and the cadres, Red fighters, and mass activists, “who paid the ultimate sacrifice while serving the people and fighting for the national democratic cause.”
“At the same time, we extol the revolutionary masses, the activists of mass organizations, Red fighters, organizers and cadres of the Party who continue to persevere along the revolutionary path despite all the hardships and sacrifices, especially in the face of heightened campaign of fascist terrorism instigated by US imperialism,” it added.
