Reports from Correspondents:
People in Central Visayas vigorously joined the anti-Estrada struggle

Basahin ang artikulong ito sa Pilipino

In unity with the entire people, the revolutionary movement and people of Central Visayas celebrated the victorious ouster of the Estrada regime in January. Simultaneous with the humongous mobilization at EDSA and different urban centers of the Philippines in the same period, progressive forces and the people of the region launched gigantic mass protests in a span of four days. These protest actions surpassed in size and intensity, protests launched in the region in the last few days of the Marcos dictatorship.

According to Pakigbisog, the revolutionary mass paper in Central Visayas, the gathering at the center of Cebu City peaked at 50,000 in the afternoon of January 19. Like the AFP and PNP leadership, local police and military forces, as well as a number of politicians, were encouraged by the size of the mobilization to turn their backs on Estrada and his regime.

These gigantic demonstrations were made possible due to thoroughgoing preparations by the revolutionary and progressive forces. They forged the broadest unity of the people through common and coordinated mobilizations and formal and informal organizations which eventually led to ever growing mobilizations on the city, provincial and regional levels, simultaneous with national mobilizations.

The revolutionary forces in the region are at present persevering in consolidating the victories achieved in the broad anti-Estrada front. Concurrently, the revolutionary forces continue to advance the struggle against the Estrada clique to its logical conclusion.

In this regard, the Arnulfo Ortiz Regional Operational Command of the New People's Army gave assurances of its capability to launch the necessary tactical offensives to punish the most notorious cohorts of the Estrada regime in the region. Among them are Estrada's co-conspirators in jueteng and other criminal syndicates and those involved in large-scale corruption and anomalies from kickbacks and bribes given by pro-imperialist projects in the region. Under the Macapagal-Arroyo regime, the Party, people's army and revolutionary forces in the region will continue to advance protracted people's war and strengthen the revolutionary united front and mass movement.

The revolutionary forces in the region pay urgent attention to the consolidation of youth activists and their organizations which are products of the anti-Estrada movement. Thus, more and more activists from the peasant, worker and urban poor youth as well as the studentry are encouraged to join the new-democratic revolution. The revolutionary forces recognize the importance of continuously recruiting the youth, particularly the educated youth, into the people's army for the continued advance of protracted people's war.

May 2001
English Edition

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