Editorial:
Under the Macapagal-Arroyo regime:
Prepare for bigger battles, achieve greater victories!!
One hundred days after assuming office, the Macapagal-Arroyo regime has not achieved much to sufficiently address the prevailing exploitative and oppressive system and resolve the fundamental problems of the people.
The Macapagal-Arroyo regime has not shown much prospect at lifting the economy it has inherited, from the morass of a crisis worse than ever before. There is no sign that the ruling regime will depart from its adherence to the imperialist policy of "globalization" and liberalization, deregulation, denationalization and privatization, that has ruined the livelihood and further weighed down on the shoulders of the toiling masses in the country. The economic crisis is bound to worsen even more in the face of the slowdown and recessionary trend of the world capitalist system.
There has been no change from the oppressive and counterrevolutionary stance of the reactionary armed forces against the revolutionary forces and masses, even as the regime enters into peace talks with the NDFP and the MILF. Heavy pressure and influence from the militarists continue to bear heavily upon the regime.
The Estrada camp, which is destabilizing the Macapagal-Arroyo regime through bribes and their twisted version of people�s uprising at EDSA, is showing-off force. They pretentiously refer to it as "EDSA 3". The newly seated regime will enjoy no stability and factionalism among reactionaries will further intensify and reach even higher levels.
The Party and the revolutionary movement have grown more vigorously than ever as a result of the accumulation of victories in the expansion and strengthening of the revolutionary and progressive forces in the entire process of the comprehensive and unprecedented advance of our revolutionary tasks. Our positioning in the victorious protest movement and uprising, and leadership over a significant part of this, also served as a most important factor.
More than ever, the national democratic revolution is now in an advantageous position to face bigger battles and win greater victories. We reiterate our earlier-stated tasks in the present situation:
- Carry forward and all the more expand and deepen the rousing, organizing and mobilizing of the various sectors of the people. Reap and consolidate the gains in the struggle to overthrow the Estrada regime and boldly expand our reach, infl uence, organizing and mobilizing of the people, especially among the basic masses and the democratic sectors. Recruit into the Party the most advanced and most determined in revolution.
- Press for the prosecution and punishment of Estrada and his cohorts. Make this struggle serve to sustain the militancy of the broad masses of those aroused and mobilized in the protest movement and uprising, maintain their vigilance over the new government and expand the breadth of demands for reforms. Continue to oppose the diehard reactionaries both among the Estrada camp and those back in power. Relatedly, press for the long-delayed prosecution and punishment of the Marcoses.
- Advance the struggle for the basic and immediate interests of the people, especially the basic masses. Fight for the realization of genuine and comprehensive social changes in accordance with the line and program of the peoples� democratic revolution. Bring into focus, elaborate on and press for these mainly by means of militant mass struggles, and also by means of the electoral struggle, other parliamentary struggles and peace talks.
Press for the implementation of the Comprehensive Agreement on Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law (CARHRIHL). Demand recrimination for the fascist crimes of the GRP and its armed forces and the immediate release of all political prisoners, and fight US intervention in this regard. Likewise, struggle for the national and democratic contents of the NDFP proposals for the Comprehensive Agreement on Socio-Economic Reforms (CASER).
Resolutely struggle for basic changes to eradicate the roots of the basic problems of society. Fight the manuevers and dirty tactics of the GRP in the talks. Maintain vigilance against, expose and oppose the schemes of the militarists, who have a run of the Macapagal-Arroyo regime.
- Continue to expand and strengthen the united front. Strive to maintain and nurture to the best of our ability, and further broaden the linkages that have been formed in the protest movement and uprising. Pursue and maximize various types of formal and informal relations, exchanges and consultations, open and clandestine cooperation and coordination with the broadest possible range. Strenghten relations with our closest and most reliable allies.
Take advantage of the current electoral campaign to carry out the fundamental task of exposing the rottenness of the entire ruling system, state, parliament as well as the reactionary elections, and to propagate the revolutionary alternative; and to expand alliances and contacts, position progressives in the government, and gain certain tactical advantages.
- Boldly expand and strengthen the guerrilla fronts, further invigorate the antifeudal mass movement and advance the armed struggle.
The revolutionary mass base can consolidate and deepen only by vigorously advancing antifeudal struggles in the vast countryside. Develop expertise in combining legal, semilegal and illegal means to boldly expand and advance peasant struggles and other mass movements in the countryside.
Assiduously lay down and strengthen the political, organizational, military, cultural and economic requisites for the solid advance of the armed struggle to a higher level.
In the new situation, launching tactical offensives remains a task of the NPA. We must pay greater attention to explaining to the public the just bases and objectives of each tactical offensive and punishment, especially in regard to big and wellknown targets.
- Further expand and strenghten revolutionary and progressive propaganda.
Pay greater attention and provide more people and resources to expand, strengthen and comprehensively develop both clandestine and open propaganda work. Promptly clarify for the benefi t of the revolutionary forces and the people the viewpoint of the Party and revolutionary movement in regard to the day�s burning issues and people�s struggles. Actively counter enemy propaganda. Systematize and develop use of the established mass media for revolutionary and progressive propaganda. Utilize and develop popular, new and creative means such as video presentations, comics, cultural presentations and others. Along with this, seriously develop the scope of our propaganda and the use of modern means of communication such as newspapers, radio, television, telephone, the internet and others.
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