Dante A. Ang, Publisher
Manila Times
June 10, 2004

This article was featured in the Manila Times . The views contained herein are of the author's and do not necessarily reflect the views of the CPP and the revolutionary forces.

Second of three parts

Only 5 feet 1.5 inches tall, Ka Roger commands the respect of his peers and his detractors alike. When he speaks, you can't help listening. He has depth. He is, after all, the party spokesman.

Turning immediately to James, he asked if the young man had brought with him the vest he had ordered. James said yes. While putting it on, Ka Roger said he wanted to wear the vest during the interview.

It was a little past four p.m. We started to set up the television camera for the interview while there was still light. We came prepared. We brought along tapes good for a 10-hour interview.

It was past six p.m. when we concluded the first part of our interview. As dusk fell, we retired in the hut to prepare for dinner. Two gas lamps lighted our dinner table. Together with Ka Roger, James, the two NPA who fetched us, the other armed NPA and the women in hut, we ate the Max fried chicken and pancit canton that we brought along and the fried tulingan (a local saltwater fish variety) that they prepared for dinner.

As we prepared to go to bed, they cleaned the table and somebody suggested that I sleep on it. They had a banig (mat) laid out as my bed for the night, I decided to sleep instead on a bench nailed to the wall that served as a back stopper.

The bench surrounded the table in rectangular shape so that it allowed me to share the pillow with Ka Roger, who slept on the other end of the bench. All through the night, he had stories to tell. Quite honestly, I could not recall his stories the night before. I was too sleepy and to tired from the day's trip.

Photo courtesy of The Manila Times

I could hardly sleep that night. In the first place, my back aching. I am no longer used to sleep on a hard surface. Besides, the bench was too narrow. Good thing it was nailed to a wall else I would worry falling off only from one side. But if the bench I was sleeping on was narrow, my driver was sleeping on a narrower, standalone bench. How he managed to sleep remains a wonder to me.

The mosquitoes also did a good job of keeping me awake almost the whole night. They certainly gave me a warm welcome. With their buzzing, they made sure I wouldn't forget the occasion. Boy, they really had a grand time.

I knew it was already dawn when I heard the AM radio turned on. I couldn't tell, however, which station they were listening to. Must have been one of the more popular AM programs. Soon after, Ka Roger was already being interviewed on the air. I was still sleepy and too tired from trying to get some sleep the night before. I didn't want to get up. I tried to catch up with a few more hours of sleep. But it was almost daylight and the cocks were crowing all over the place.

Besides, I could hear people walking, talking, preparing for daybreak. Somebody was boiling something and the smoke partly filled the hut, which made me lose sleep even more. The smoke bothered me no end.

Faces of contentment

I finally decided to pull myself up and got out of "bed". A few meters from the hut, under a mango tree, Ka Roger was busy talking on his mobile phone to one of the morning radio announcers. His security detail was busy for the morning chores. One of them was boiling corn for breakfast. I ate the corn and almost choked. The corn was so tough it took quite an effort to chew it. I would not recommend it for people wearing false teeth.

Yet the guerrillas showed no displeasure; no irritation; no dissatisfaction. On the contrary, they were the faces of contentment, of satisfaction as they ate their corn with gusto no different from the average family for the blessings of the day.

They must have noticed that I had barely touched my corn. One small bite, and that was it. I thought I had known poverty until the two days and one night I spent with the NPA. I was too embarrassed not being able to finish my corn. But I guess they understood.

We proceeded to prepare for the morning interview with Ka Roger the better to finish it as early as possible. I did not think I could endure another sleepless night at the camp, occasioned by the welcoming committee of pesky mosquitoes.

And so, over a cup of very strong, fresh salabat (ginger brew) we resumed the interview with Ka Roger. He said he likes his salabat extra strong and very sweet. Very appropriate indeed for a man who is much feared by his detractors, yet a very charming and regular person.

Ka Roger was careful enough to distance the NPA from the "electoral process by the present government" he was being consistent. They consider themselves a separate, independent government. Throughout the negotiations with the government they maintained that they have attained a belligerent status for being in control of substantial territories in the country, mostly in the rural areas.

Being a "revolutionaries," they do not believe that the election could bring about a meaning change in the country. In their view, the only change that would occur would be a change in personalities or leaders who will run the government.

Ka Roger said it doesn't matter who becomes President, whether installed by the United States or not; he or she will predictably do the bidding of the Americans because up to now we still depend on them economically.

'Self-serving statements'

Whoever wields economic power wields political power. That is why, it matters little, according to Ka Roger, whether we were given political independence by the Americans because we are still economically controlled by them.

Malacanang was not surprised by his statements, which it said were "self-serving." "We cannot expect any favorable comment from (Ka Roger) on anything that is happening in the country or on any efforts being exerted by the government to solve the country's problems," said the President's spokesman, Ignacio Bunye, "the NPA has its own agenda."

Elections, Ka Roger said, merely bring changes in names. From Marcos who was deposed through a popular people's revolution in 1986, to Corazon Aquino to Fidel Ramos, to Joseph Estrada, who also fell through People Power, paving the way for Vice President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo to claim the presidency by virtue of constitutional succession.

Ka Roger, however, deplored the lack of an alternative program of government by the opposition. He noted that it did not present to the electorate a program that was substantially different from that of the President's platform.

That is why the NPA does not believe that the election can bring a meaningful change. So much money was spent around during elections and Ka Roger is a afraid so much spending could sink the economy further down the hole. Worse, he said the winning politicians will recover their campaign expenses immediately after the election.

Ka Roger had admirable words for Vice President Teofisto Guingona Jr., whom he described as the "voice of the pro-people businessmen." Regrettably, the political system prevents him from carrying out his nationalistic views, because, Ka Roger said, the majority of those in government are antipeople.

He said it is good that Guingona advises the presidential aspirant Fernando Poe Jr., but he is not sure whether Guingona's nationalistic views would prevail or be listened to, given the people around Poe who are mostly traditional politicians.

Some of the most "deplorable" businessmen are supporting Poe. According to Ka Roger. They may not be talking publicly, but it is clear as sunlight that they are behind Poe. He did not name them, however.

He said that although the NPA thinks Poe may have his own convictions, it would be interesting to see if he can face up to the dictates of his patrons, whether he can impose his own views on them and if Guingona's advice would be heeded as well. (One of the campaign issues against Poe was that he is surrounded and controlled by a horde of advisers who once belonged mostly to the discredited Kilusan Bagong Lipunan, or KBL, of the martial law years.)

Ka Roger accused the President of not following her conscience when making decisions for the country. He said she has failed to deliver on her promises to the people who brought her to power like the farmers, students, the professional and various organizations. He was probably alluding to the promise of EDSA 2 when President Estrada was forced to abdicate.

Committed to globalization

What Mrs. Arroyo did, according, to him was to vigorously flesh out her commitment to the provisions of globalization. She pursued the policy on liberalization, privatization and deregulation. Which started during Corazon Aquino's presidency.

He accused the President of making the Philippines' commitment to globalization even more severe instead of making the country dependent on itself. That is why the NPA no longer hopes that the countryside can still be industrialized. What is happening, he said, is a clear of de-industrialization which forces the remaining businesses and industries small and medium, to close down owing to the influx of foreign products and multinational companies.

Businessmen who enter into partnerships with foreign businesses for survival will soon be gobbled up, Ka Roger predicted. The resultant benefits the consumers get from foreign competition like low prices and quality products are nothing compared with the loss of jobs. He blames government neglect and apathy for the failure of Filipino companies to bloom and stand up to foreign competition, which eventually led to their closures.

More than imposing tariff, Ka Roger said, the government should develop and strengthen our local market instead. The Philippines may be considered a big country based on its population. "We are now more than 80 million, that is why the imperialist capitalists are fighting over us," he said.

Ka Roger said the local industries would have become more globally competitive and the worker's purchasing power would have been higher had the government suspended importing foreign goods at critical periods.

Self-sufficient livelihood

Nations fight for foreign markets for their own products. Japan, the European Union and the United States fight for market control, which he believes is the root of global conflicts. That is why we should develop our own market based on a self-sufficient livelihood policy.

Only then, he said, can we develop our native products like coconut and sugar, but not before. The country abounds in natural resources, yet only the foreigners are benefiting from them and after mining us dry, leave us behind. "Parang babaeng ginahasa, nang magahasa at makuluntoy na, ay iiwan na lang (Like a woman who has been raped and after weakening has been abandoned)," Ka Roger wryly noted.

The NPA is against privatization. It believes strategic industries, like power, water and mining, should remain under government control. Despite government inefficiency and corruption, the NPA would rather have the State run those industries than a private businessmen.

The reason for that, Ka Roger said, is that businessmen operate for profit and not for public service. He admitted, however, that private businesses are more efficient but that only a handful benefit from company profits: certainly not the people. He believes that the only way to prevent government officials from milking government-owned controlled corporations dry is to change the system of government from democratic to socialist.

Under this plan, all strategic industries will be placed under government control. The socialists would put out fate in the hands of the Pilipinos and resist the dictates of the foreign powers. Yet he said we can affords to sever our relations with other countries but that relations must be based on mutual respect and mutual benefit.

Ka Roger, the culprit is the system, not the people. People merely do things based on the system. Politics and culture are imbedded in the system, he said.

The fact alone that Mrs. Arroyo when she was still senator, had to insert a safety-net provision in the GATT bill meant something was inherently wrong according to Ka Roger. Globalization is not just the influx of foreign goods or foreign investment. Although he agrees that we need foreign capital, he said it must not be the kind that causes our businesses to fold up.

Globalization, or the free flow of products in a so-called free market, is not really as free as the advocates make it appear, he said. Small countries are forced by powerful nations to tear down tariffs and open local markets for their products.

'Cockroach competition'

Ka Roger recalled how former President Fidel Ramos tried to speed up our country's compliance with the WTO even before the 2010 deadline, making the presence of foreign products even more pervasive. The situation brought the country deeper in the economic mire, he said. Ramos wanted to carry of "zero tariff" years ahead of the deadline just to impress members of the WTO, particularly the United States observers said.

The impact of the WTO treaty on the Philippine economy can be assessed as being positive because it will continue on the momentum to foster a more open, predictable and competitive environment. This has been the official policy of the government as contained in a paper presented by the Bureau of International Trade Relations of the Department of Trade and Industry in August 2001.

Ka Roger noted that industrialized countries have reached a high level of sophistication, but what they practice is not longer free trade but a kind of monopoly. He calls it "cockroach competition" or dog eat dog." Where no real competition exists and where the strong rule the weak.

It was very much unlike in the 19th century, he said, when capitalism was in its nascent stage and competition was meaningful. He rues the absence of an honest-to-goodness free market in our country, wondering how sari-sari stores could compete with big department stores. Soon, he said even the malls will have to close with the entry of bigger malls owned by foreigners. What will happen, he said, is that Filipino mall owners will go into partnerships or joint ventures with their foreign counterparts, but they, too, will be gobbled up.

Far-fetched independence

Even if President Arroyo is elected, Ka Roger said he is not optimistic she can exert political will and be more independent in making decisions. He does not share the optimistic view of others.

The President's becoming more independent is far-fetched, he said, because the presidency is but one part of the government. There is Congress with two houses: the House and the Senate. Beside, he said, there is the United States, which will make sure that only pro-American leaders are voted into office.

Then there is the military, the most important component of government. The United States will see to it that it controls the Philippine military so that "failing in election and anything untoward happens, it can immediately move to change the leaders by force."

Ka Roger was alluding to the EDSA phenomena when two sitting presidents-the first in 1986 and the second in 2001-were forced to step down in 1986 the former AFP vice chief of staff, Gen. Fidel Ramos, and the former secretary of national defense, Juan Ponce Enrile, supposed by the Revolutionary Armed Movement, broke away from President Marcos to launch the first EDSA revolution.

There was a parallel to the second EDSA uprising in 2001. President Estrada stepped down when the military, led by the Armed Forces chief of staff, Gen. Angelo Reyes, and Secretary of National Defense Orlando Mercado dumped him and joined the demonstrators at EDSA.

But to say that the two upheavals were US-inspired and military led would be to rewrite history. In both instances, it was the people who led the military and not the other way around. It was the people who actually protected the military from harm and getting massacred by the forces of Marcos during the first People Power Revolution.

In the second revolution, the people effectively neutralized the military from intervening in the uprising. Except for Reyes and some generals-mostly retired-the army stayed largely on the sidelines. They allowed the events to unfold right before their bewildered eyes before deciding on what to do next. Reyes and his military commanders took sides only when it became clear which way the wind would blow. The United States? Well, it came in to support the EDSA revolutions after it became apparent that it was all over but the celebration.

Ka Roger supports house arrest for Estrada. He agrees with President Arroyo that Estrada should be given more humane treatment, but he believes that others similarly charged should also be given the same treatment.

The government however, must apply the law on Estrada. If found guilty as charged, he should be punished and put behind bars for the rest of his life.

Poe claims he is a good businessmen. He said he was able to keep his movie production afloat but "we have to hear him talk about his platform of government," Ka Roger said. More to the point, he does not find Poe's programs significantly different from those of the other candidates.

He supports Poe's plan to restructure our external debts. But he is against a unilateral decision. Ka Roger believes that any debt restructuring should be subject to mutual agreement with the lender countries. (Now I understand why Poe, in one of his meetings with some business leaders early in the campaign, announced that he was in favor of renegotiating the country's external debts. He was courting the votes of the Left. Central Bank Governor Rafael Buenaventura had to issue a rejoinder to allay the jitters in the business community.)

Abrogating the country's debt unilaterally is not possible. We still have to worry about our relations with other countries whether friendly or hostile.

Jose Maria Sison, according to Ka Roger, considers the presidential aspirant Raul Roco the lesser evil. Regrettably, the communists can't vote and even if they can. Sison doesn't believe Roco would win. Roco doesn't have the machinery to put up a good fight against President Arroyo and Poe Jr.

Lacson is dreadful. He has a reputation for killing people. Like many political analysis, Ka Roger thinks that Lacson was the weaker candidate than Poe but that the opposition had better chances of winning the presidency in May if Lacson and Poe had united.

Not necessarily godless

Ka Roger doubted the win ability of Brother Eddie of Brother Eddie Villanueva. Although Villanueva may have good intentions. Ka Roger does not believe Villanueva's "army" was sufficient to make him win the presidency.

Communists don't believe in God. Yet the CPP, according to Ka Roger, has its own beliefs in religion or Divinity and it is not necessarily godless. This is because the CPP does not impose its will on its members.

NPA members are free to practice their religious beliefs. This attitudinal change must have been shaped largely by the priests and nuns whose membership in the organization helped bring about guarded religious tolerance. Ka Roger, however, emphasized that party members should serve the country first and that any other interests (religious beliefs) come second. #

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