NDFP to go on with its people’s revolt against gov’t

By Paulo DS. Papa

THE National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) in Bicol will continue to stage its people’s revolution as long as there is an injustice committed against the working class.

This was the gist of the statement by the Front in this region which was released the day after the death of Jose Maria “Joma” Sison on December 16, this year.

Joma, a former political science professor at the University of the Philippines who founded the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) on December 26, 1968, went into exile in the Netherlands in 1988 where he stayed until his demise at the age of 83. He died while in a hospital confinement in Utrecht due to heart failure.

Reports said that before his death, Sison told his family that his ashes be brought to the Philippines. The schedule of its arrival has yet to be announced by his family.

Maria Roja Banua, spokesperson of the NDFP-Bicol, said in the statement that as long as oppression and exploitation is being committed against the members of the working class, the revolution will go on.

“Ngayon, ibinabaling ng buong rebolusyonaryong kilusan sa Bikol at bansa ang kanilang pagdadalamhati sa pagpanaw ni Ka Joma tungo sa ibayo pang determinasyong pangalagaan ang kanilang tunay na Partido – ang Partido Komunista ng Pilipinas at sa pagsusulong ng demokratikong rebolusyong bayan hanggang ganap na tagumpay. Hanggat mayroong pang-aapi at pagsasamantala, nananatiling wasto at makatarungan ang pagrerebolusyon. Tiyak na iluluwal ng pakikibaka ng mamamayan ang ilan libo pang matatapat na rebolusyonaryo at Komunistang tulad ni Ka Jose Ma. Sison na magpapatuloy ng laban hanggang sa ganap na tagumpay!” Banua said in the release.

That Joma’s five-decade legacy keep their comrades standing. He added, they will continue to bare their rifles and fight to win the people’s democratic revolt.

“Sa pagpanaw ni Ka Joma, iniiwan niyang legasiya ang lampas limang dekada ng karanasang mahigpit na tatanganan at isasabuhay ng lahat ng naiwan at nananatiling nakatindig. Iisa ang panata ng Pulang Hukbo: Patuloy na hawakan ang armas at buong giting na magpatuloy sa armadong pakikibaka upang maipagtagumpay ang demokratikong rebolusyong bayan.” Raymundo Buenfuerza, spokeperson of the regional operations command of the New People’s Army (NPA) in a press statement released on December 17, said.

The army’s 9th Infantry Division (9ID) remains silent on Joma’s death although its head, Brigadier General Jaime Abawag Jr., the division’s acting commander, stressed in his Christmas message to newsmen that the Philippine Army remains open to any NPA rebel willing to surrender to the government and experience the life in the mainstream of society.

“Palagi pong bukas ang pinto ng 9th Infantry Division upang tanggapin at mabigyan ng panibangong pag-asa ang mga magbabalik-loob na mga myembro ng CPP-NPA sa Kabikolan na patuloy na nabubulag sa maling ideyolohiya at pinaglalaban” Abawag said in vernacular.

In Naga City, Police Colonel Nelson Pacalso, city police director in a press briefing on December 21, admitted that the CPP-NPA remains organized amidst Joma’s death. He assured that the police authorities in the city will continue to monitor their subversive activities.

“As to the pagkamatay ni Joma, sa tingin naming ay yung pagkamatay niya, ay walang magbabago. I think yung organization ng CPP-NPA nandun pa rin. So on the part of the PNP, we deeply monitoring especially sa kanilang anniversary sa December 26 and hopefully di sila gagawa ng hindi maganda especially here in Naga City” he said.

The 9ID however said that there was no acts of violence has been recorded in relation with the celebration of the CPP’s anniversary.