Defense Chief will eat his own words -- Ka Roger

May 20, 2005

The Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) today dismissed as "reactionary wishful thinking" the statement yesterday by the Arroyo government's Defense Secretary Avelino Cruz that the armed revolutionary movement will be defeated in six to ten years. "Arroyo's Defense Secretary will eat his own words," CPP spokesman Gregorio "Ka Roger" Rosal said. He pointed out that based on the trend during the past 10 years, the revolutionary armed movement led by the Communist Party of the Philippines will continue to gain strength in the next decade and beyond.

Rosal said there are numerous factors why the New People's Army will achieve greater victories in the next years. The most important of them, according to Rosal, is the "widespread and thoroughgoing support of the Filipino masses of workers and peasants for the revolutionary cause".

"Unlike the reactionary state currently headed by Arroyo that relies on US support, the revolutionary movement relies principally on the strength of the Filipino people," Rosal said.

"The Filipino masses are the wellspring of new recruits of the New People's Army. In fact, the NPA's ranks are daily augmented by new recruits from the peasantry, the working class, students, rank-and-file employees, doctors and other professionals," Rosal added. He said that the worsening socio-economic crisis which has resulted in unprecedented levels of poverty, unemployment and suffering are conditions which lay bare to the people the need and correctness to carry out revolutionary armed struggle. "It is the corruption, puppetry and fascism of the Arroyo regime that teach the people why they should bear arms and overthrow the existing oppressive and exploitative system."

"In unleashing state terrorism to suppress the revolutionary struggle, the Arroyo regime worsens its own isolation, further inflames the Filipino people and incites them to carry out armed struggle and," added Rosal.

Rosal said the revolutionary armed movement will continue to advance despite US military support for the reactionary regime. Defense Secretary Cruz announced yesterday that the US government would be shouldering 50% of the $370 million Philippine Defense Reform (PDR) program to "modernize" the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP). The Arroyo government has again "proven its rottenness in relying heavily on US support for its survival," said Rosal.

Rosal also downplayed the capability of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP). "The AFP is corrupt to the highest levels. Morale among its foot soldiers is low. It is deeply factionalized between rival political and criminal overlords." Rosal said.

"The corruption, factionalization and low morale in the AFP is in dark contrast to the unity, iron discipline, militance and high morale of the New People's Army," Rosal added.

Reacting to Secretary Cruz's claim that the AFP was able to reduce the strength of the NPA, Rosal said, "Secretary Cruz is overrating the AFP."

"In truth, whatever setbacks which the revolutionary armed movement suffered during the last years of the 1980s up to the early part of the 1990s was not a result of the work of the AFP. It was rather a result of the internal weakness and mistakes of the NPA. These are the very issues which were addressed by the CPP in carrying out the second great rectification movement in 1992."

Reference:
Anne Buenaventura
Media Officer
Cellphone Number: +63910-240-3553

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