Translation/s: Pilipino

The Agustin Begnalen Command NPA-Abra greets with revolutionary salute in the occasion of the 51st anniversary of the founding of the New People’s Army (NPA). It has gained brilliant achievements in being steadfast and true in its service to the Filipino people as their red fighter, economist, propagandist, artist and organizer. The NPA has firmly grasped its revolutionary orientation as a people’s organization that is anti-imperialist, antifeudal and antifascist. The most significant factor in being the genuine army of the Filipino people is the absolute leadership of the Communist Party of the Philippines. We are honored to extend the highest tribute to the revolutionary heroes who arose from the exemplary and admirable children of the country. We must also express our gratefulness to the relatives, tribes, townsmen, friends and alliances from the 27 municipalities of Abra. Their warm embrace and support to their people’s army served as unfading inspiration in continuing and strengthening the armed struggle.

The historical and vital role assumed by the NPA in abra:

As the Martial Law was blanketed by the US-Marcos regime in 1972, the big bourgeois compradors and foreign companies simultaneously feasted in plundering the natural resources of the ancestral lands of the native Tingguian (Itneg) people and peasants of Abra. The armed resistance of the people spread like fire in the entire province.
The armed defense of the ancestral lands by the Tingguian tribe brought an end to the plunder and destruction to nature by the Cellophil Resources Corp (CRC) and Binongan Dam. Simultaneously, the peasant masses mobilized themselves for the growth of food production and wage increase of farm workers. Due to the strength reached by the armed struggle, the seeds of the people’s revolutionary government were sown and founded both in the mountains and plains in the province. The correctness of the armed struggle was once again proven during the period of attempts and entry of large foreign and local mining companies. The combination of widespread mass actions and launching tactical offensives is the only fundamental way for the national minorities and peasants to oppose the constant threat of the entry of plunderous and destructive dam, mining, geothermal and logging companies.

The NPA in Abra stays adamant despite the violent OPLANs of the following regimes and severe deviation by the revisionist traitors who intended to abate the accumulated strength of the revolution. The NPA firmly upholds the important lessons from the second great rectification movement and the second congress of the CPP.

Present reign of fascism and warlordism in Abra:

The Filipino people currently faces an unparalleled fascism in state history in the face of the butcher Rodrigo Duterte. Since 2017, the 7th ID PA, 24th IB PA and Abra Prov PNP has launched “Task Force-Counter Insurgency” through the joint AFP-PNP-DILG-Abra Provincial Gov’t. It was further escalated through the imposition of EO 70 NTF-ELCAC. It forbids the entry and assemblies of legitimate people’s organizations in communities, tightens checkpoints, implements food blockades, drops bombs and sets off mortar in mountains near communities, files false charges against leaders of progressive groups, coerces LGUs to comply to fascist programs, exacts quotas of fake surrenders and shoots civilians while conducting sustained combat operations and RCSP (formerly RSOT/PDT).
While the state unleashes terrorism, the warlord-politicians are preoccupied in exhausting public funds and conniving with large contactors in currently constructing large dams in Palsuboan River in the municialipality of Tineg while still pending the implementation of the Binongan Dam that may affect the municipalities of Tineg, Lacub, Malibcong and Licuan-Baay. There have been multiple corruption cases of the dominant warlord family Bernos-Valera while its landlord tandem VG Ronald Balao-as is continually usurping lands and gathering CPLA-CAFGU armed group for his selfish ambition to seize the political power in Abra.

Though there was yet no COVID-19 pandemic problem, most peasants were long prostrated in hunger because of the absence of land and lack of irrigation in ricefields. This was further aggravated when the Rice Tariffication Law and TRAIN LAW were passed. Abra is one of the beneficiaries of RA7171 as one of the producers of tobacco yet ever since, the peasants have not profited anything because the warlord-politicians utilize the funds for vote-buying, establishment of private armed groups and assassination operations against a rival warlord and its suppporters. Days after the implementation of the “Luzon Lockdown”, the Abrenios are already furious due to hunger and some harsh occurrences in checkpoints from the central town of Bangued towards the communities. Until now, the distribution of medical supplies remain backward, only 1-2 kilos of rice (if there is any) are doled out to each family and worst, no public mass testing has yet been made.

The long wasted medical service in the whole country is currently severely suffering in the brink of uncertainty. The huge shortage of health workers, meager medicines and inferior facilities of Abra Provincial Hosipital, are most felt at the present transmission of COVID-19. Another concern in barrios occupied by the military and police are the unceasing combat operations which are outright violations of the unilateral ceasefire declaration by the GRP. Soldiers from Central Luzon, who may be contaminated with the virus, freely enter and leave Ilocos-Abra.

Urgent calls for the abrenio people:

Let us look back and study the historical struggle of Abra to serve as inspiration and challenge in our task to defend our ancestral lands, livelihood and natural resources! This is the only legacy of our ancestors and revolutionary heroes to us. Only the agrarian revolution could thoroughly defend and develop the agriculture of our country until we build a socialist society.

We must firmly unite and bravely fight the shamelessness of the Duterte regime and his cohorts. We must assert the genuine essence of democracy and oust the dictator-fascist supremacy.

We must grasp the historical importance of the armed revolution as the primary form of struggle. Each of us carries the task in actual participation and contribution in the building of platoon to company formations with fulltime NPAs and batallion to brigade strength of People’s Militia. This would serve as combat forces to overcome the imminent open Martial Law and direct intervention of imperialist countries.

The youth, peasants, workers, professionals and church people are in capable positions at present to arouse, organize and mobilize thousands of people of Abra. The vast masses and the people’s army await your arrival in the countryside to integrate with the people and serve as Red Fighters of the New People’s Army!

Long live the New People’s Army!
Long live the Communist Party of the Philippines!
Long live the NDFP!
Long live the Filipino People!
Oust the puppet US-Duterte Dictatorship!
Achieve the complete victory of the People’s Democratic Revolution and Socialism!