Article II. Membership

Section 1. Any citizen or resident of the Philippines, o at least 18 years of age, who accepts Marxism-Leninism, the Program and Constitution of the Party and agrees to work diligently in one of the Party organizations, carry out the decisions of the Party and pay the entrance fee and regular membership dues may be accepted as a member of the Party.

Section 2. Party membership shall be valid only on an individual basis and in keeping with the following methods of arranging the acceptance of members:

a. Workers, farm workers, poor peasants, poor fisherman or urban poor may become members of the Party on the recommendation of two Party members of good standing after having been accepted by a decison of a branch meeting, or as the case may be, the branch executive committee, and after having completed a period of six months as candidate-members.

b. Middle peasants, middle fishermen, office workers, handicraftsmen, petty traders and entrepreneurs, intellectuals or professionals, students and other segments of the petty bourgeiosie may become members of the Party on the recommendation of two Party members each of whom shall have been a member of good standing for at least one year, after having been accepted by the branch executive committee or Party group in a mass organization and after having completed a period of one year as candidate-members.

c. Persons of social positions other than those mentioned in subsections a. and b. above may become members of the Party on the recommendation of two Party members each of whom shall have been accepted by the branch executive committee and after having completed a period of two years as candidate-members.

Section 3. Every Party member who recommends a person to become a Party member shall provide a responsible and true statement to the Party concerning the ideology, political record and personal character and life history of the person concerned. He shall give his recommendee an adequate understanding of Marxism-Leninism, the Program, Constitution, policies and decisions of the Party. The recommendee shall formally answer a standard set of questions formulated by the Party.

Before taking any decision accepting a candidate-member,the branch executive committee or Party group concerned shall appoint a Party functionary to hold the broadest possible exchange of views with the person wishing to become a Party members, in order to get to know him further and verify all pertinent information.

Section 4. Under special circumstances, higher Party com mittees and Party groups in mass organizations may directly accept a new member.

Section 5. Party organs concerned shall provide candidate-members with basic Party education on Marxism-Leninism and the Party Program and Constitution, require trial Party work and raise their political quality.

The branch meeting, the Party committee or Party group may prolong or shorten the period of candidacy based on the performance and conscientiousness of the candidate-member.

The status of candidate-member shall be withdrawn if it becomes clear that the candidate-member does not meet the requirements of becoming a Party member.