The revolutionary forces of Southern Tagalog celebrates with the Filipino people the 50th Anniversary of the New People’s Army. The National Democratic Front-ST salutes all Red commanders and fighters of the NPA for putting forward the people’s democratic aspirations through armed struggle. March 29, 1969 is a landmark in the history of the Philippine revolution for it is the birth of the people’s army.

In the wake of the dictatorship of the fascist US-Marcos regime, the Communist Party of the Philippines established the NPA to face the brute force of the reactionary Armed Forces of the Philippines. Many joined the people’s army to fight and overthrow the tyrannical rule of the US-Marcos dictatorship. Marcos and his Martial Law became the main recruiter for the Red army in his time.

Past regimes after the downfall of Marcos’ rule implemented different counterinsurgency measures on US imperialist’s commands and yet failed miserably in defeating the New People’s Army even making it insignificant in the least. Today the people’s army is even more dedicated to pursue great victories in launching all-out offensives against the terrorist US-Duterte regime and its mercenary AFP-PNP-CAFGU. It is set to defeat the Oplan Kapayapaan and its National Task Force to End Communist Insurgency, the latest counterinsurgency program of the reactionary government. With fervent determination, the Red army upholds the people’s war until complete victory is achieved.

On the other hand, NDF-ST condemns the US-Duterte regime for violating the rights of civilians whom the AFP presents as surrenderees of the NPA. The AFP blatantly accused civilians as Red fighters and members of the people’s militia to incriminate them and present them as surrenderees. The Duterte regime is daydreaming yet again that it can weaken the whole revolutionary movement by presenting fake surrenderees. The people know better than to believe these made-up stories that the AFP and Duterte’s warmonger minions concocted.

There is no doubt that countless Filipinos will join the New People’s Army amidst the worsening socio-economic and political crisis in the country. The Red army always have the undying support of the people because it is prepared to face any battle against the fascist reactionary state to advance the people’s struggle for genuine social justice.

The persisting and worsening crisis in Philippine society under the US-Duterte rule is arousing the masses to join the NPA and take up arms. Duterte has done nothing to uplift the Filipino people from poverty and economic turmoil. Under his militarist and terrorist rule, genuine land reform and national industrialization became even more unattainable for the people. On the other hand, he implemented more anti-people neoliberal policies to further push the people to support the New People’s Army and even taking up arms against the AFP-PNP-CAFGU, 


For 50 years, the New People’s Army wages people’s war with victories of tactical offensives, results of the solid ties of the NPA and the people. The NPA is the instrument of the Party and the people in crushing the political power of reactionary ruling class of big landlords and bourgeois compradors and install the Red political power across the country.

The NPA adheres to the principle of “simple living and arduous struggle”. The NPA upholds the Three Rules of Discipline and Eight Points of Attention1 to win the masses’ trust and support and ensure close ties with the people. The Party on the other hand ensures that the people’s army remains modest, prudent and free from arrogance and rashness in its style of work. It upholds the highest level of military discipline, education and training according to principle of waging people’s war to make sure it is in its finest form for combat.

The Red army should grow in numbers and strength to achieve national freedom and democracy. NDF-ST calls upon the people to continue supporting the NPA and join the Red army to achieve greater victories than before. Large numbers of peasants, workers and intellectuals should join the NPA to strengthen the people’s army in facing the ever ruthless reactionary forces of the US-Duterte regime. In this light, the people celebrates the NPA’s 50 years with more perseverance and determination to bring the national democratic revolution to its victory.###