NDFP Answers False Claims Against the Revolutionary Movement

Ruth de Leon
Executive Director
International Information Office
National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP)
January 21, 2005

Introduction

In the course of its thirty-six years of struggle for national and social liberation, the Philippine revolutionary movement has fought for the fundamental national and democratic rights and interests of the Filipino people. Thus its programs for land reform, health, education, and culture are meant to respond to the demands and aspirations of the peasants, workers and other sections of the people.

We are convinced that the unjust social order, the corrupt and rotten semicolonial and semifeudal ruling system, inflicts the most intolerable exploitation and oppression on the people. Furthermore, US imperialism and the local exploiting classes of big compradors and landlords subject the people to the daily violence of exploitation and the use of its military, police and paramilitary forces to violently suppress the people's just struggle against this unjust social order. Therefore, the revolutionary movement fights to overthrow this unjust social order and to achieve genuine independence, social justice, democracy and peace.

In carrying out its legitimate struggle, the revolutionary movement relies on the support of the people. Because its programs respond to the people's deepest aspirations for national liberation, land reform, national industrialization, and for social justice, democracy and peace, it has been able to grow strong and develop mass organizations, organs of political power and units of the people's army in more than 800 municipalities and almost 70 provinces throughout the country.

The revolutionary movement has taken pains to observe the highest standards of human rights and international humanitarian law in carrying out its struggle as a national liberation movement. It has laid down the fundamental rights and duties of the people in its Guide for Establishing the People's Democratic Government. It has declared its adherence to the Geneva Conventions and Protocols. It has proclaimed the strict standards in the Basic Rules of the New People's Army. It took the initiative to have both the Government of the Republic of the Philippines (GRP) and itself to respect the Comprehensive Agreement on Respect for Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law (CARHRIHL).

As it grows in strength, the revolutionary movement is subjected to all kinds of attacks against its integrity. Relying on the support of the people in their millions and confident that the truth will prevail against false claims, we present the stand of the revolutionary movement regarding various claims that have been raised against it recently. Since we wish to present our responses concisely, we refer all interested persons to feel free to visit our websites for further information: www.philippinerevolution.org and http://home.wanadoo.nl/ndf

RUTH DE LEON
Executive Director
International Information Office
National Democratic Front of the Philippines

CLAIM: The revolutionary movement maintains a "hit list" of its political and ideological adversaries.

ANSWER: The revolutionary movement does not maintain a "hit list". This is an immediately slanted way to ridicule the revolutionary movement.

Political and ideological adversaries are engaged by the revolutionary movement on the level of debate and struggle of ideas. They are not subject to criminal proceedings for their ideas.

Persons charged with criminal offenses are guaranteed due process under the revolutionary movement's legal and judicial system.

The principles and norms of the legal and judicial system of the people's revolutionary government can be gleaned from the following documents, among others: Guide for Establishing the People's Democratic Government, October 1972; Basic Rules of the New People's Army, May 13, 1969; Declaration of Adherence to International Humanitarian Law, August 15, 1991; Declaration of Undertaking to Apply the Geneva Conventions of 1949 and Protocol I of 1977, July 5, 1996; and the Comprehensive Agreement on Respect for Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law, 1998.

The people's courts are created by the revolutionary government at different levels and consist of a panel of at least three judges. Persons charged with criminal offenses before a people's court are presumed innocent until proven guilty, and have the right to be informed of the charges filed, the right to counsel, and the right to appeal, among other rights.

CLAIM: Those who drop out from the revolutionary movement and become ideological and political adversaries of the movement are targeted for killing.

ANSWER: Individuals voluntarily join the revolutionary movement and voluntarily participate in revolutionary struggle -- utilizing their knowledge and skills, facing the hardships and sacrifices of revolutionary struggle, and laying down their very lives for the advancement of the national democratic aspirations of the people -- for as long as they are willing and able. Individuals can voluntarily leave the revolutionary movement when they wish to.

Leaving the Communist Party of the Philippines, the New People's Army, or any of the revolutionary mass organizations is not a crime. The constitutions of these organizations guarantee the right to voluntarily join and the right of every member to resign.

Persons claiming they were formerly active members of the revolutionary organizations or the CPP are proof to refute the claim that those who drop out from the revolutionary movement are targeted for killing.

CLAIM: The armed struggle being waged by the revolutionary movement is the cause of poverty and underdevelopment in the Philippines.

ANSWER: This is turning the truth upside down. Before the people's armed struggle, there is first the existence of the unjust social order. This unjust social order is more violent and vicious because it kills the poor daily and silently. This unjust social order cannot remain; it must be overthrown.

Those who benefit most from this existing oppressive and unjust social system and fight with all their might to maintain it are sometimes the loudest in calling for "peace". But in fact what they want is peace of the grave. They are the first to use violence against the poor and struggling people, as in the case of the Hacienda Luisita Massacre last November 16, 2004.

Without the armed revolution started by the Katipunan in 1896, we would still be under colonialism. And so long as the Filipino people do not yet win victory against US imperialism and the local reactionaries, they would remain oppressed and exploited by these.

CLAIM: The NPA engage in gross human rights violations and destruction of property in much the same way as the AFP, the PNP, and their paramilitary units.

ANSWER: This claim is not at all borne out by the complaints and facts submitted to the Joint Monitoring Committee of the CARHRIHL and to the various human rights organizations. After six months in existence, the JMC thus far has received only two complaints of human rights violations committed by personnel and units of the NPA, in sharp contrast to the 275 complaints of human rights violations filed against the armed forces of the Government of the Republic of the Philippines.

The Red fighters and commanders of the New People's Army follow a strict code of conduct under the rubrics of the Three Main Rules of Discipline and Eight Points of Attention requiring them to always take the interest of the people at heart and to refrain from any action that may harm them. The people know that the NPA fights for their interests and they willingly give their best sons and daughters to serve in the people's army.

On the other hand, the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), the Philippine National Police (PNP), the CAFGU and other paramilitary units commit the grossest forms of human rights violations like indiscriminate bombing and strafing of villages, ransacking of peasant homes, torture, summary executions and disappearances in the hope of terrorizing the people. They are corrupt to the core and despised by the people.

Under the Macapagal-Arroyo regime, human rights organizations have documented a total of 2,461 cases of human rights violations, victimizing 169,530 individuals, 18,515 families, 196 households, and 71 communities.

CLAIM: The Communist Party of the Philippines is responsible for the bloody witch-hunt called �Kampanyang Ahos'.

ANSWER: The CPP openly criticized, repudiated and comprehensively rectified the ideological and political errors which led to the tragedy and crime called �Kampanyang Ahos'. The Party condemns the vicious crimes committed under Kampanyang Ahos and is exerting all efforts to bring to justice those who have been accused by the surviving victims, the victims' families, and the masses as the most responsible for the torture and unjust killing of hundreds of mass activists, NPA commanders & fighters, and CPP cadres & members.

To date, those who have been identified have managed to escape revolutionary justice by callously denying all responsibility for the crimes and violently refusing to present themselves before the people's court, seeking refuge within the territory of the GRP, and allying themselves with rabid anti-communists. One of the accused masterminds of Kampanyang Ahos is now the chairperson of Akbayan, which is most vicious in attacking the revolutionary movement.

CLAIM: Revolutionary taxation is extortion.

ANSWER: The revolutionary movement is building a new society to replace the present semi-feudal and semi-colonial society characterized by widespread poverty and economic backwardness. The new society that is being built promotes the interests of the overwhelming majority of the Filipino people comprised of the workers, peasants and the middle-classes. In many areas under the control and influence of the revolutionary movement, the democratic organs of people's government are being set up and socioeconomic programs that benefit the people are being carried out.

Revolutionary taxation is a function of the people's government. It is implemented to defray the expenses of the organs of the people's government and to finance the socio-economic programs for the good of the people.

In general, revolutionary taxes are levied on businesses and economic concerns operating in areas under the control and influence of the revolutionary movement. Businesses, however, that cause harm and injury to the people and the country, such as commercial logging for export that causes denudation of the forests are not allowed by the revolutionary movement in areas it controls.

Real extortion consists of the reactionary government's imposition of a heavy tax burden on the people only for the revenues to be stolen by the high bureaucrats, and then denying the people of basic social services. They collect the most taxes from the people through withholding taxes from employees' wages and through sales taxes and the VAT. They condone notorious tax evaders like Lucio Tan. Every year, an estimated 20 percent of the budget of the reactionary government is eaten up by corruption. In 2003 alone, this amounted to PhP 180 billion.

CLAIM: The revolutionary movement is responsible for deforestation because the NPA controls the forests.

ANSWER: The widespread denudation of the forests that has been going on for many decades is caused by the reactionary government's policy of allowing the unbridled plunder of our forest and other resources. The logging companies are licensed by the reactionary government through Timber Licensing Agreements (TLA). They are protected by this government wherever they operate, and bureaucrats and the military collaborate with illegal loggers. Just before the recent calamities, the Macapagal-Arroyo regime granted logging concessions to cronies of Mike Arroyo.

Logging for export � legal or illegal � continue because the reactionary government allows the logs to move through the highways and through the ports.

CLAIM: Permit to campaign is a form of extortion and is a violation of the freedom of expression and freedom to campaign.

ANSWER: The so-called permit to campaign is but an agreement between the revolutionary movement and politicians participating in reactionary elections. These politicians voluntarily approach the movement since they recognize its mass following. They declare that they have no hostile intentions against the movement, express their support for the movement and its programs, and agree to respect the rules of the movement for the safety of the communities and their own security. They are then granted security clearance and safe conduct in the territory of the revolutionary movement. There is no extortion. There is no violation of the freedom of expression or freedom to campaign.

CLAIM: The New People's Army (NPA) recruits child guerrillas in violation of international standards and rules of war.

ANSWER: The NPA carries out a longstanding policy of the Central Committee of the CPP that only those who have reached the age of 18 or above may be recruited as NPA fighters. In 1988 the Political Bureau of the CPP issued a policy establishing 18 as the minimum age for NPA fighters. Furthermore, on October 15, 1999, the Executive Committee of the CPP Central Committee issued a memorandum to all Party organs and NPA commands entitled: "On the Minimum Age Requirement for the New People's Army Fighters". In this memo, the EC of the CPP CC stipulates the minimum age of 18 and amends the Basic Rules of the New People's Army.

The revolutionary movement upholds the rights of children and is committed to implement the provisions of the Comprehensive Agreement on Respect for Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law (CARHRIHL) pertaining to them, such as, Article 10, Part IV Respect for International Humanitarian Law: "The Parties shall provide special attention to women and children to ensure their physical and moral integrity. Children shall not be allowed to take part in hostilities." Article 2, No. 24, Part III Respect for Human Rights states: "The right of children and the disabled to protection, care, and a home, especially against physical and mental abuse, prostitution, drugs, forced labor, homelessness, and other similar forms of oppression and exploitation."

Children are victimized by the widespread military operations of the AFP-PNP that are marked by forced evacuations, food and population control, indiscriminate bombardment and firing, illegal searches and arrests and other forms of fascist abuse and intimidation. The AFP-PNP have been kidnapping children from rural communities, labeling them "NPA combatants", detaining them indefinitely, and subjecting them to cruel and humiliating treatment.

The revolutionary movement recognizes the right and capability of children to perform their role as children in cultural, health, educational and other non-combat tasks.

CLAIM: The New People's Army (NPA) uses land mines in violation of international humanitarian laws.

ANSWER: The NPA is committed to uphold and carry out the Geneva Conventions and Protocols and other international humanitarian law. It is committed to implement the CARHRIHL. All these stipulate that the civilian population and civilians are to be protected in the course of the armed conflict.

The NPA makes use of command-detonated landmines directed at legitimate military targets. The detonation takes place upon sight of the enemy vehicle or military target. This method ensures that civilians and other non-military targets are not harmed.

Those who call on the NPA to stop using command-detonated landmines should call on the US to stop launching cruise missiles, dropping cluster bombs, using depleted uranium, and other weapons prohibited by the international laws on armed conflict. They should demand that the GRP's armed forces stop using attack planes, helicopter gunships and 101 mm. howitzers against civilian communities and suspected areas of the NPA.

It is worth noting that the US, which is the principal supplier of weapons to the GRP's armed forces, refuses to sign the agreement to ban anti-personnel mines. It has caused, for example, many casualties due to anti-personnel landmines around the Guantanamo Base in Cuba. ###

Reference:
NDFP International Information Office
Amsterdamsestraatweg 50
3513 AG Utrecht
The Netherlands

Tel. +31-30-2310431
Fax +31-30-2322989
Email: [email protected]