The Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) extends greetings of solidarity to Christians for National Liberation (CNL) on its 49th anniversary. Through the CNL, the Party works with the patriotic and democratic religious community who seek to serve the broad masses in their struggle to be free from national and social oppression.

We remember today Fr. Frank Navarro, Fr. Nilo Valerio, Fr. Zacarias Agatep and scores of other religious who saw their calling in the path of the people’s revolutionary struggle. They braved the dark reign of terror. Their martyrdom will forever be remembered.

We recall as well the 149th anniversary of the execution of Fathers Mariano Gomez, Jose Burgos and Jacinto Zamora who fought for freedom from Spanish colonialism. Indeed, our current struggle for national liberation traces its path to the 500-year continuum of resistance against colonialism and neocolonialism.

We share with the community of Catholics, Christians, Muslims and other Philippine religious their abhorrence of gross injustice, inequity, exploitation and repression, which has grown severe under Duterte’s tyranny.

The CNL plays an important role in the Filipino people’s resistance against the fascist-terrorist regime. It must rouse the people and give them courage to fight amid grave dangers and great adversity.

By making sacrifices in difficult struggle, the CNL will surely share with the Filipino people the joy of inevitable victory against Duterte’s tyranny even as they determinedly tread the longer path towards national and social liberation.