Why the Macapagal-Arroyo regime�s all-out war and the US� war of aggression in the Philippines are bound to fail

Gregorio "Ka Roger" Rosal
Spokesperson
Communist Party of the Philippines
August 14, 2002

With the Macapagal-Arroyo regime�s declaration of all-out war, US imperialism is simultaneously undertaking full-scale preparations for waging a war of aggression in the Philippines. The inclusion of the Communist Party of the Philippines and the New People�s Army (NPA) on the list of so-called �foreign terrorist organizations� and the attendant measures being taken by the US are all preparations for justifying its violation of Philippine sovereignty and launching a war of aggression in the territories of the People�s Democratic Government.

The revolutionary and progressive forces must take action to thwart armed aggression even before it is actually waged and frustrate it once American troops enter the Philippines. We must unite the people, raise their spirit of militant patriotism and mobilize them in all arenas of resistance, both armed and unarmed.

We must sharply point out and take advantage of US imperialism�s strategic and tactical weaknesses. The revolutionary and patriotic forces must seize the opportunity presented by US imperialism and the Macapagal-Arroyo regime's many manifest economic and political vulnerabilities at the present. These vulnerabilities all demonstrate why and how the US and the Macapagal-Arroyo regime are bound to fail in their objective of finishing off the armed revolutionary movement in the Philippines.

Among them are the following:

1) The Macapagal-Arroyo regime�s worsening political isolation and weakness and the intense conflicts among reactionaries. The regime will definitely have a hard time inviting support for the all-out war and the US� war of aggression especially once American troops directly come in and human rights violations as well as the widespread havoc on the masses� livelihood are exposed. In fact, Macapagal-Arroyo is indirectly rousing the patriotic spirit that is fast spreading especially among the toiling masses as well as among the youth and other sectors.

On the other hand, even some reactionary politicians are not ready to support direct US intervention in the Philippines� internal affairs. Unlike Macapagal-Arroyo, they still have some respect left for the Philippines� national integrity and independence.

2) The continually worsening socio-economic crisis of the ruling system. Even if US imperialism thoroughly supports the all-out war against the revolutionary movement with tens or even hundreds of millions of dollars, the war effort will definitely keep on siphoning massive resources away from the already bankrupt Philippine economy.

3) War of quick decision versus protracted war. US imperialism and the reactionary regime want to quickly end the counterrevolutionary war. But they are bound to fail. The revolutionary armed movement is ready and has the capability to advance and raise further the level of protracted war now being waged in the form of extensive and intensive guerrilla warfare that enjoys the expanding and deepening support of the Filipino people. As proven by the experiences of China, Vietnam and Korea, people�s war gains strength and expands with time. Meanwhile, the oppressive ruling system, the reactionary regime that serves as its caretaker and US imperialism, which now desperately wants to overcome its crisis, grow ever weaker.

4) The participation of US ground troops. In their desire to quickly end the counterrevolutionary war and attain absolute superiority in terms of forces, the US and the AFP must mobilize more than a hundred thousand troops nationwide. US imperialism must order the massive deployment of ground troops, which it has not done since it waged war on the Vietnamese people. The US is bound to suffer growing casualties among American troops, who are all vulnerable targets of the tactical offensives of the people�s army.

5) US economic interests in the country. Among them are operations of multinational companies owned by big American monopoly capitalists. Patriotic workers may launch strikes in these enterprises to protest the blatant violation of Philippine sovereignty.

In addition, the NPA has many options in putting calculated pressure on the operations of these multinational companies, especially inside the guerrilla zones, and even outside the latter. US multinational companies will realize just how much a US war of aggression in the Philippines will disadvantage them.

6) Anti-war movement in the US and worldwide. The oppressiveness and destructiveness of a US war of aggression in the Philippines will eventually be exposed before the American people and the world�s peoples. This may bring forth a broad anti-war movement in the US like the anti-war movement in that country back in the 1960s. As casualties among American troops mount, the illusion of invincibility of the US� high-tech war will be shattered. There will be diminished support for the war from Americans who support it only on condition that American troops will come to no harm.

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