In the spirit of the rectification movement being carried out by the Communist Party of the Philippines throughout the country, all revolutionary forces in the Southern Tagalog provinces are earnestly advancing various aspects of their work. Units of the New People’s Army (NPA) are painstakingly recovering areas that were long abandoned in order to reconsolidate the mass base and strengthen these further amid intensified enemy attacks.

Bagtuan is one of these places. The village has a rich revolutionary history making it a prime target for the NTF-Elcac. The people in the area are victims of mass forced surrender, physical and mental torture, threats, harassment and intimidation. Over the past five years, fascist military and police forces have relentlessly carried out focused military operations (FMO) and Retooled Community Support Program Operations (RCSPO) with the goal of destroying the revolutionary unity of the masses.

A number of bogus and destructive development projects are set to be brought to Bagtuan, including mining operations in the mountains. It will destroy the swidden farms, paddy fields and settlements the people won through successful agrarian revolution waged by the masses in the area, along with the NPA.

However, the Bagtuan masses are undaunted in the face butchers’ attacks and devastation. They welcomed the return of the NPA unit to the area with great joy despite an RCSPO stationed in one of Bagtuan’s communities.

The NPA unit immediately gathered the key people in the area for a meeting to reorganize their revolutionary activities. Through the efforts of the masses and the unit, they launched a series of studies of the Party Constitution, Program on the National Democratic Revolution, and CPP-CC statement on the 55th anniversary of the Party. Many former members of the local Party branch (SPL) renewed their Party vows by way of reaffirming their commitment.

“The enemy cannot subvert our commitment to the Party and the NPA no matter how many times they operate in the area to terrorize us,” Tatay Ipe, secretary of the SPL, said.

Many new members also took their oath, demonstrating the unbroken chain of revolutionaries starting with the first Party members who started a new chapter in the village history and revolutionary tradition.

“As beneficiaries of the agrarian revolution, we are fully aware of our duty to continuously persevere in the Party’s work like our elders. Unless we do this, the Marcos government will only take back our land,” Jonas, a young new Party member, said.

Because the masses understood more deeply the great need to reorganize the Party leading their mass movement, they carried out a series of reconsolidation activities and meetings of the Party’s branches in the Bagtuan communities. Through this, they laid out plans for collective defense and mass action in the area to frustrate the enemy’s attacks and oppose any bogus and destructive development project that the NTF-ELCAC and the reactionary government intend to implement in Bagtuan. A plan was also developed for suyuan (farm labor exchange) and collective farming, which is important during this time of the peak of planting in the swidden farms and paddies.

Tatay Ipe said, “Our future is in our own hands. We can only defend our lives and livelihood when the Party is strong and we are all united.”

Bagtuan’s experience belies the grand declarations by the US-Marcos regime and its fascist military and police minions that the revolutionary forces will certainly be defeated nationwide this year. This is a living example that no matter how brutal the enemy is, it cannot crush the revolutionary unity of the masses and the New People’s Army and the proletarian Party leading the revolution.