“Ours is an unfinished revolution. Today we continue to be engaged in the task of completing the struggle for national liberation and genuine democracy.”–National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP)

As the reactionary Philippine government marks the country’s sham 125th Independence Day on June 12, the Christians for National Liberation (CNL)–the underground political organization of revolutionary Christians–stresses that genuine freedom and democracy can only be achieved upon the completion of the national democratic revolution (NDR) with a socialist perspective through people’s war.

A country is genuinely free and democratic when its people, led by workers and in alliance with the peasant class, own and control the means of production in economy. Through US colonialism and neocolonialism (and earlier centuries of Spanish colonialism), the country’s economy has been tied to the former through a colonial pattern of production and trade. The country has served as a source of cheap raw materials and an importer of finished products. This has been most beneficial to big compradors and landlords but has stunted domestic industrialization and perpetuated a very backward agricultural economy.

In the geo-political sphere, the continued presence of US bases and facilities, with even new ones created through the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA), demonstrates the country’s absence of any independent foreign policy as the reactionary Marcos II regime willingly plays pawn in the heightening US-China inter-imperialist rivalry in the Asia and IndoPacific regions. Marcos Jr is servile to both.

CNL thus reiterates the importance of building the broadest united front in defeating US imperialism and all reaction, including their running dogs represented by the ruling elite in the country. The general challenge for church people is to take the path of militant mass struggles and armed revolution, as against preserving the status quo by keeping the Christian faith within the confines of reforms alone–or reformism. It is not keeping content with palliative measures such as bourgeois elections or sham land reform programs that do not change the State’s systematic oppression and terrorism on the people.

The specific challenges for revolutionary church people remain those set out in CNL’s four-year plan after its successful 9th Congress last year: consolidate and expand our ranks; participate and support the armed struggle; participate in the anti-fascist, anti-imperialist and anti-feudal open mass movement and parliamentary struggle; push the peace negotiations between the GRP and NDFP; win over the leadership of the institutional church to support the NDR and deprive its support to the reactionaries; and mobilize the international network to support the NDR; participate in the global anti-imperialist struggle against fascism and war.

We have a rich history of resistance. The Katipunan launched a national and democratic revolution (old type) in 1896–the first victorious anti-colonial struggle in Asia. Even then the US intervened in 1899 and launched a war aggression to deprive us of national freedom. By the time of the grant of bogus national independence in 1946, the US has ensured that the country’s economy, politics and culture are under its control and influence. The US shift to neocolonial rule was a result of the “relentless clamor of the people for national independence and the upsurge of national liberation movements throughout the world. State power was entrusted to a succession of puppets to cover up continuing US imperialist domination and control.” (NDFP)

Today’s national democratic revolution is of a new type since it is waged under the leadership of the proletarian party, the Communist Party of the Philippines which has absolute leadership over its armed wing, the New People’s Army (NPA), and has a socialist perspective. Central to the NDR is genuine agrarian revolution, with the country being largely agricultural and majority of the people are peasants. The NDFP pursues the revolutionary class line in the united front. It promotes the unity, cooperation and coordination of all patriotic and progressive classes, sectors and forces in order to fight for national liberation and democracy and overthrow the oppressive and exploitative ruling system, now chiefly represented by the US-Marcos II regime. It conducts proletarian internationalism and reciprocal solidarity with other oppressed peoples of the world fighting US imperialism.

In the words of the great revolutionary Prof. Jose Maria Sison (Struggle for National Democracy, 1967): “Let us above all strive for national democracy in this country. xxx That national unity can only be created if we are bound with the masses in a common struggle against U.S. imperialism, feudalism and bureaucrat capitalism.”

Win the National Democratic Revolution with a Socialist Perspective!
Attain Greater Victories in the People’s War!
Long live the Communist Party of the Philippines!
Join the New People’s Army!
Long live the National Democratic Front of the Philippines!
Long live the Filipino People!