News
CPP declares yuletide ceasefire
In deference to the traditional celebration of the Christmas holidays, the Central Committee (CC) of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) instructed all commands and units of the New People's Army (NPA) and the people's militias to temporarily desist from launching offensives against the military, police and paramilitary forces of the reactionary government.
In its December 8 declaration released through the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP), the CC stated that the ceasefire would take effect upon the reciprocal and concurrent ceasefire order from the Government of the Republic of the Philippines (GRP) within the period of December 15, 2001 to January 15, 2002.
According to the daclaration, however, the NPA shall remain vigilant and shall undertake active defense against surveillance and offensive actions of the enemy during the truce.
After the GRP declared a ceasefire to last only until January 6, the NDFP clarified that the cessation of NPA offensives shall end on the same date.
"Hail the rising revolutionary forces" - Armando Liwanag
"We hail the rising revolutionary forces and the upsurge of the mass movement."
Thus declared Comrade Armando Liwanag, chairman of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) in his message on the Party's 33rd anniversary on December 26. He said, "We have made significant advances in building the Party as the advanced detachment of the working class, the New People's Army as the main instrument for seizing political power and the united front as the means for rallying the broadest range of people to the revolutionary cause" due to our adherence to the correct ideological, political and organizational line.
He particularly cited that in the previous year, a dramatic victory was achieved in overthrowing the ruling US-Estrada clique by employing the tactics of the broad united front.
In this regard, the line that any ruling clique may be overthrown by the Party and the masses in accordance with the line of the broad united front has been clearly advanced and thus we may accumulate strength and experience until the entire ruling system of big compradors and big landlords can be overthrown.
Comrade Liwanag also cited the crisis of the local ruling system and the world capitalist system as extremely favorable conditions for revolution.
"We are confident that in the next ten years we shall be able to make great strides in the new-democratic revolution and that the anti-imperialist and socialist movements in the world shall surge forward in an unprecedented way amidst the worsening crisis of the world capitalist system and the great disorder due to wars of aggression and campaigns of repression," added Comrade Liwanag.
*Chairman Armando Liwanag's entire message has been printed as a special issue of Ang Bayan
NPA punishes bus company in Cebu
Red fighters of the Vicente Padayao Brigade set fire to a passenger bus of Philtranco Bus Lines on December 11 in Barangay Panalipan, Catmon, Cebu.
According to Silvino "Ka Bino" Clamucha, spokesman of the NPA in the Central Visayas region, the company was punished because of its refusal to pay taxes to the revolutionary movement.
Three Red fighters boarded a Philtranco bus travelling the Cebu-Bogo-Tacloban City route and ordered the bus to stop at Barangay Panalipan where other Red fighters were positioned.
Other guerrillas set up checkpoints to prevent other vehicles from getting close to the place where the bus was burned. Damage was estimated at P3 million.
Army captain ambushed by NPA in Aurora
A Philippine Army officer died on the spot when Red fighters ambushed him in Barangay Suklayin, Baler Aurora on December 12. Capt. Eufronio Villaluz, personnel officer of the 70th IB, was on the way back to his unit when he was ambushed.
Police informer in Compostela Valley punished
Roger Valdez, a police informer, was meted the death penalty by the NPA in Barangay Bucana Banlag, Monkayo, Compostela Valley on December 6.
Macapagal-Arroyo orders collection of OWWA membership fee
Amidst the struggle of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) for a just wage, Magapagal-Arroyo has imposed an additional fee upon them. She has directed the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) to implement Memorandum of Instruction No. 8 which requires OFWs to pay US$25 to the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) for membership in the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA).
To ensure compliance, OFWs who fail to pay would not to be issued overseas employment certificates.
According to Migrante, the militant organization of OFWs, the fee will deduct more than P1,275 from the their wages.
Rift in Macapagal-Arroyo camp bared
The rift within the ruling reactionary clique came into public view when ex-president Fidel Ramos hinted at his plan to run in the 2004 presidential elections, notwithstanding a similar plan by Macapagal-Arroyo.
Ramos is rekindling his unsuccessful amibiton to extend his presidential term. According to him, only an ex-president's bid for the presidency could test and clarify constitutional "grey areas" concerning the reelection of a former president.
Although Ramos formally denies having such plans, Macapagal-Arroyo remains apprehensive given the ex-president's record of untruthfulness with regard to his political plans.
Personalities identified with Ramos are also behind the People's Consultative Assembly's (PCA) strong criticism of Macapagal-Arroyo, her husband Miguel and government officials close to her in connection with anomalies involving billions of pesos.
Failure to reach accord with the revolutionary movement among reasons for drop in Macapagal-Arroyo's approval rating - SWS
"The government's failure to reach an accord with communist rebels" is one of the three main reasons behind the drop in Macapagal-Arroyo popularity rating.
This is according to the latest survey of the bourgeois Social Weather Stations on November 3-21. The other two reasons identified were the failure of the campaign against illegal drugs and the failure to collect taxes from big businessmen.
The survey also showed that the majority believe that the government has not done enough to eliminate corruption, lower the prices of basic commodites, eradicate crimes against ordinary people, solve the Abu Sayyaf problem and promote genuine autonomy for the Moros in Mindanao.
Coup d'etat whistleblower killed
Capt. Baron Cervantes, spokesperson of a Young Officers Union (YOU) faction, was slain on December 31 after he exposed a planned coup by YOU and the Rebolusyonaryong Alayansang Makabansa(RAM) against the Macapagal-Arroyo regime.
According to Cervantes, YOU and RAM held a secret meeting on December 24 in Puerto Azul in Cavite to plan Oplan Noche Buena against the government.
Cervantes is identified with the loose pro-Macapagal-Arroyo faction of the ruling class.
Alliance against Agrochemical companies formed
Led by the Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP), the International Alliance Against Agrochemical Transnational Corporations (IAAATNCs) was established on December 3. The alliance comprising 25 organizations and individuals from the country and abroad aims to confront agrochemical companies on issues concerning pesticides, genetically modified organisms (GMO), food security and the right to land.
The KMP also launched a campaign to gather one million signatures against the field testing of Bt corn and BB rice and to reiterate their resistance to the Plant Variety Protection Bill which gives the agrochemical companies exclusive rights to patented seeds. The KMP lambasted imperialist agrochemical companies like Monsanto for their control of Philippine agriculture resulting from their monopoly of chemical inputs and their promotion of GMOs in the country.
80,000 marh against EU Summit
Some 80,000 people marched December 10 in Brussels, Belgium to demand from the European Union (EU) a greater role for labor in the formulation of social policies and the reduction of unemployment. The demonstrators demanded quality social services, promotion of workers' rights, better working conditions in the workplace, and resistance against globalization.
The mobilization was launched on the eve of the two-day gathering of EU leaders. It was led by the European Trade Union Confederation which represents 60 million workers in 25 European countries.
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