Reds brace for 50th year of insurgency

THE Communist Party of the Philippines has called on its cadres to work hard to overthrow President Rodrigo Duterte as the group continued to prepare for the 50th year of the longest running Maoist insurgency in Asia. 

Meanwhile, two days after the lapse of the unilateral ceasefire declared by the New People’s Army, the CPP’s military arm, members of the group snatched a police officer Thursday night in Cotabato province.

An initial report from the Cotabato Police Provincial office identified the victim as Inspector Menardo Nisperos Cui, deputy chief of Police of the President Roxas Municipal Police Station.

But the report failed to disclose the circumstances behind the kidnapping, except that the incident took place at the HMB Video Place around 10:30 p.m.

In a statement released by the CPP’s Central Committee Thursday night, the CPP said Duterte would suffer the same fate as former Presidents Ferdinand Marcos and Joseph Estrada for their “fascist tyranny, all-out economic liberalization and bureaucratic corruption.” 

“The entire Party and all revolutionary forces must exert vigorous efforts to unite the Filipino people in a broad united front to resist and overthrow the fascist Duterte regime as they did the Marcos dictatorship and the Estrada regime,” the CPP said. 

“The Party and revolutionary forces are optimistic that with arduous struggle and relentless hard work, they can overcome Duterte’s fascist rampage and accumulate the all-rounded strength required to overthrow his fascist puppet rule and advance the revolutionary people’s war to a new and higher level.”

Duterte had earlier issued Proclamation 360 terminating the peace negotiations with the communist National Democratic Front. 

He subsequently issued Proclamation 374 to proscribe the CPP and NPA as terrorist organizations under the Terrorism Financing Prevention and Suppression Act of 2012.

“We are looking forward to mark the Party’s 50th  anniversary next year with even bigger and more momentous victories in the ideological, political and organizational fields,” the CPP said.

The group called on its cadres to continue the protracted people’s war against the government and end the neo-liberal policies that bring  false promises of reform and utter contempt for the poor.