Launch a decisive battle and encircle Malaca�ang to forcibly oust Estrada
Statement of Gregorio "Ka Roger" Rosal
National Spokesperson
Communist Party of the Philippines
The people and the revolutionary forces in the guerrilla zones are one with the tens of thousands who have been launching gigantic demonstrations in various parts of the Philippines since midnight of January 16, including those who have massed along EDSA-Ortigas. The Party and the New People�s Army (NPA) are hopeful that these demonstrations will continue to swell in the next few days and culminate in the immediate ouster of Estrada from power.
To accomplish this, the Filipino people must launch in the next few days a decisive battle in the form of gigantic, peaceful, militant and sustained street demonstrations that shall culminate in the siege of Malaca�ang by a million or more people. The various anti-Estrada forces must be firmly united in order for this to succeed.
Different forms of mass actions must be launched, including workers� strikes, peasant rallies, urban poor assemblies and school walkouts, all focused on massing hundreds of thousands of people in the streets. Mass actions must be launched in different provinces. March-rallies to Manila may be held from nearby provinces to concentrate the strongest force and deal the most stinging blows against the US-Estrada regime.
There is need to be vigilant and to resist counterrevolutionary groups that pretend to be anti-Estrada, that wish to exploit the upsurge of protests to conduct bus burnings, destruction of property, assassinations and other acts of sabotage that may be used by the government as a pretext to wage fascist attacks against the people�s peaceful demontrations. There is also need for vigilance against fanatical, mercenary pro-Estrada groups that the government may unleash to provoke the anti-Estrada movement.
We warn the US-Estrada regime against waging any act of fascist suppression against the anti-Estrada demonstrations. Police and military troops and officials must disobey Estrada�s orders to suppress demonstrations. More than this, they must turn their backs on the regime and arrest the worst elements of the ruling Estrada clique, especially those who issue orders to suppress the people�s actions.
While the Party and the NPA maintain that the struggle to oust Estrada is being waged, in the main, through gigantic, peaceful and militant street demontrations, the NPA shall continue to intensify its tactical offensives in the countryside. Troops that shall be mobilized by the Estrada government to go to Metro Manila to suppress the people�s resistance shall be considered legitimate targets of the NPA�s tactical offensives.
The revolutionary forces both in the countryside and urban areas shall continue to strengthen themselves to put an end to the Estrada regime and to resist succeeding reactionary governments that shall trample upon the people�s national and democratic interests.
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