With utmost fondness and respect, we pay tribute to our leader and teacher Jose Ma. Sison as we celebrate the 54th founding anniversary of our Communist Party of the Philippines. The great achievements of the CPP in the struggle against US imperialism, domestic feudalism and bureaucrat capitalism are testimonies to Ka Joma’s clear and correct leadership. Let us keep his brilliant guidance always shining with our firmest determination to advance the national democratic revolution to victory.

Despite the previous US-Duterte regime’s and its NTF-ELCAC’s fascist terrorism in the region, all desperate efforts to pulverize the NPA and other revolutionary forces in Panay has come to naught. No NPA unit has been wiped out, no guerilla front abandoned, and the NPA continued to gather strong support of the masses as they organize and mobilize themselves in confronting the enemy’s brutal focused military operations and various forms of human rights violations, such as forcibly occupying the barangay centers and restricting movements of the population.

With the indispensable support of the masses, NPA-Panay were able to launch successful tactical offensives in the form of harassments, command-operated bombing and ambuscades, inflicting casualties on the armed enemies. Even when the enemy attacked our units, our red fighters were able to defend themselves and wounded the enemy. The masses rejoice whenever their people’s army scores victory over their enemy, belying rehashed claims of the AFP and PNP that the people are fed-up with the presence of the NPA in their communities.

The underground revolutionary mass movement persists amidst intensified state terrorism in the region, masses and allies giving clandestine participation and support in the armed struggle and are prudently using the revolutionary dual tactics in the face of the enemy. The legal democratic mass movement of the basic sectors remains vocal and militant in exposing the regime’s anti-people programs, terroristic laws and actions and has proven time and again the legitimacy and validity of their calls and demands. Wider segment of the middle classes are loudly voicing out their opposition against the state’s importation of rice, sugar, fish, meat and spices that gravely jeopardizes the agricultural sector in Panay, considering that the region is a primary producer of rice, sugar and fish in the country.

Despite the declarations of “persona non grata” by some local government units due to coercion and pressures from NTF-ELCAC, the CPP-NPA-NDF in Panay has maintained and even widened positive relations with many LGUs. Several candidates have respected and abided by the revolutionary government’s policies during the May 2022 reactionary elections.

The present US-Marcos II regime’s economic rhetoric and statistics has not reversed or even buffered Duterte’s notorious legacy of being the worst-performing economy in Southeast Asia with record-breaking public debt (almost 14 trillion pesos), biggest balance of payment deficit, highest inflation rate and lowest per-capita income. Worse, Western Visayas is being hit with a higher inflation rate than the national average.

The worsening economic situation coupled with the pro-elite and anti-people laws passed by Marcos II’s lapdogs in congress are hastening the rising discontent and disdain of the majority of people in Panay. People’s rights are continuously being violated, as seen in the unabated illegal arrests of political activists, red- tagging, intimidations, and many others. Our right to privacy and communications is being trampled upon with the regime’s imposition of the railroaded SIM registration law.

The CPP was reestablished in 1968 when the old Communist Party was severely incapacitated by the grave errors of the Lava dynasty and the revolutionary armed forces that was still confined in Central Luzon was weakened by the Taruc-Sumulong treachery. Since then, the revolution has flourished for more than five decades under the correct leadership of comrade Jose Ma. Sison and other dedicated communist cadres. The revolutionary movement is now spread out strategically nationwide and remains the most potent force against the country’s ruling classes and the US imperialism-puppet regimes. The CPP has proven that the national democratic revolution is the most valid and clearest solution to the worsening socio-economic and political crisis besetting our country.

The worsening poverty of the Filipino people, especially the landlessness of the peasantry was never solved by all previous puppet regimes, and will never be solved by Marcos II even as he put himself as secretary of the Department of Agriculture. Only a national democratic revolution led by the CPP could seriously carry out genuine land reform.

We call on all CPP cadres and members in the region to take deeper roots among the masses, organize and mobilize them for their urgent and long-term benefits and interests.

We call on all Panayanons to actively participate, widen and deepen support to the people’s legitimate demands. Courageously fight the enemy’s anti-people policies and programs, and assert for meaningful changes and reforms. Counter the reactionary state’s terrorism by actively taking up arms and support of the armed struggle through all forms and means. We call on all patriotic youth to join the NPA and take a part in shaping a brighter future for you and the next generation.

We must reach out all the basic sectors and allies to gather enough forces against the anti-people policies of the Marcos II regime that kowtows to the dictate of US and Chinese imperialism. Uphold our national sovereignty, support our local producers, protect and defend our basic rights.

We must all diligently study and practice Jose Ma. Sison’s teachings, popularize it down to the basic level and emulate Ka Joma’s boundless dedication, optimism, determination, and very deep grasp of Marxism-Leninism-Maoism and the Philippine revolution.

Salute to the Communist Party of the Philippines!

Salute to our great leader Jose Ma. Sison and all revolutionary martyrs and heroes!

Salute to the Filipino People!