On February 8, the Filipino people celebrates the 86th birthday of Comrade Jose Maria Sison, founding chairman of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP). Two years have passed since Ka Joma’s death, but he remains an inspiration to the youth and the entire nation. The treasure chest of lessons and legacy he left behind now serves as part of the foundation and guide in advancing the rectification movement of the Party and the entire revolutionary movement.

Among these lessons is the need to thoroughly struggle against counter-revolutionary ideas, which was highlighted in the First and Second Great Rectification Movements (SGRM). This was underscored by Ka Louie Jalandoni, one of the leading officials of the National Democratic Front of the Philippines and long-time comrade of Ka Joma. Ka Louie pointed out Ka Joma’s particular and crucial role in advancing the SGRM in preparing the draft of the document “Reaffirm Our Basic Principles and Rectify Errors.”

“At this time, many different ideas had penetrated our revolutionary movement. The errors identified in the rectification document influenced the thinking and ideology of comrades,” Ka Louie said. He added that even comrades in the Netherlands, where they were in exile, were not spared from the influence of these wrong ideas.

He recounted that there were key leaders and pioneers in the organization in Europe who were “carrying a line in ideology that was contrary to the line of the rectification document.” Ka Louie further explained that it was a very difficult phase for them during the time of trying to explain the “Reaffirm” document, and encourage comrades in the Netherlands to understand its importance.

He also shared the case of a former comrade who criticized the rectification movement based on the opinion of friends, instead of studying and examining the document released by the Party. Ka Louie added that during that phase, the term “kontras” also emerged in the Netherlands for the “rejectionists” or those who rejected the rectification movement.

“Without the SGRM, I don’t know what could have happened to our revolutionary movement,” Ka Louie said. The Party identified and rectified during the SGRM the major errors that prevailed in the movement for many years. Among these errors was the line of “strategic counter-offensive” that contradicted the three stages of people’s war. In the 1980s in Mindanao, large military formations were prematurely established which led to neglect of mass work and resulted in major damages.

“Instead of analyzing why it happened that way, the kontras concluded that spies (or Deep Penetration Agents) infiltrated the movement. This led to the most bitter period in our revolutionary history,” Ka Louie recounted.

Like the rectification movement currently being launched by the Central Committee, the SGRM at its core was an education movement. The lack of ideological work for many years resulted in serious errors.

“Ultimately, only a small percentage of the revolutionary movement denounced the rectification movement. The rest underwent rectification in ideology, politics and organization. The NPA grew stronger. Many guerrilla army fronts were opened. We regained the trust of the masses,” Ka Louie said.

Ka Louie narrated that the treasury of lessons left to us by Ka Joma is very rich. From its establishment, identifying errors, and advancing after the rectification movements. “In his last message to us, he said: The Filipino people’s democratic revolution is invincible!”