Correspondence Reports:
Revolutionary movement in Negros advances

Basahin ang artikulong ito sa Pilipino

The revolutionary movement in Negros, the country�s fourth largest island, is once again reaping victories despite despite the problems, shortcomings and weaknesses in ideology, politics and organization that it faces.

From only three barrios initially recovered in 1994, the revolutionary movement has returned to and resumed operation in over half of Negros� total of 57 towns and cities. Guerrilla fronts have been successfully built in the northern, central and southern parts of the island. They cover many barrios in vast plains and mountainous areas.

A growing number of people are joining the revolutionary movement and volunteering to be organizers in the countryside or fighters in the New People�s Army. The number of Red fighters has grown from the barely 1% that remained of the NPA�s original strength after renegades deceived the revolutionary forces in the island and prevented them from making contact with forces loyal to the Second Great Rectification Movement (SGRM).

Breadth and depth. Guided by the lessons drawn from the SGRM and the summing-up of particular experiences, the Party in Negros resolutely and creatively launched extensive and intensive guerrilla warfare based on an ever-widening and ever-deepening mass base. In 2003, the NPA launched several notable tactical offensives, alongside the revitalization of the mass movement.

The Party and the NPA have also successfully preserved themselves. In the face of intensive enemy offensives, the NPA is capable of launching counter-offensives against the enemy, such as what occurred in Guihulngan, Negros Oriental and Kabankalan City on August 17, 2003.

Full-fledged peasant associations have also been established in a number of guerrilla fronts. They serve to reap the strength of the revolutionary organized masses under the Party�s leadership. At the same time, peasants, farm workers and fisherfolk are advancing the agrarian revolution along with revolutionary socio-economic projects in the countryside. Some 5,000 families of peasants, farm workers and fisherfolk have benefited from the antifeudal struggle from July to November 2003.

In a militant and organized way, the masses likewise opposed the abuses of the military, police, the CAFGU and the RPA (a counterrevolutionary grouplet of renegades who style themselves revolutionary). An example is the series of protest actions by about 3,000 people from Guihulngan from the end of March to April to oppose militarization by the 303rd Infantry Brigade, the PNP Special Action Force and the special paramilitary group RPA that have wrought harm to the people in the area.

Inspiration from the countryside. Every victory achieved in advancing armed struggle in the countryside serves to inspire the militant, organized and growing open, legal and unarmed actions in the cities. This was demonstrated in the struggle of teachers for their Emergency Cost of Living Allowance (ECOLA), the protest actions of consumers against the high cost of electricity and water, the 5,000-strong mobilization for International Human Rights Day on December 10 in Bacolod City and the strikes launched by drivers and operators that paralyzed transportation in large parts of the island on December 8-9, 2003 and on March 1.

Cadres and activists are also being honed for organizing work in the countryside and to become NPA Red fighters. Increasingly, the organized masses and allies have been extending varied kinds of support for the armed struggle.

In the face of the worsening crisis in the sugar industry, the Arroyo regime has taken no significant measure to alleviate the effects of plummeting sugar prices. Instead, the regime favors and protects the mango, corn and cassava plantations of Eduardo Cojuangco, and the businesses and interests of the brothers Miguel �Mike� and Ignacio �Iggy� Arroyo. (See related articles in AB�s February 21, 2004 issue)

That the disadvantaged sugar planters and small sugar businessmen are open to forming alliances with peasants and farm workers against their common enemies is no longer surprising. In fact, among those who joined the rally on February 8 in Bacolod City were officials of the National Federation of Sugarcane Planters and the United Sugar Producers of the Philippines.

21 March 2004
English Edition

	Editorial: Celebrate a year of victories in the armed struggle
	Portraits of the NPA
	Victorious NPA Offensives: 20 firearms seized in various offensives
	Arroyo regime takes hard stance on POWs
	Bayan Muna, other progressive parties harassed
	CPP strictly implements 18 years as minimum age requirement for NPA recruitment
	Ka Joan: a different kind of Red fighter
	Why does the CPP respect and recognize the right of individual Party members to choose their gender?
	Correspondence Reports: Revolutionary movement in Negros advances
	Developments Overseas: Heightened US intervention in Haiti
	News: Series of transport strikes breaks out
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