Revolutionary forces in Eastern Visayas today celebrate with the Filipino people the 48th anniversary of the founding of the National Democratic Front of the Philippines, the secret and most consolidated organization of revolutionary forces who carry forward the struggle for genuine democracy and national liberation. On this occasion, all Filipino revolutionaries are called upon to unite the masses in bravely waging armed revolution to oust the US-Duterte regime.

In a few days, revolutionary forces shall also celebrate the 500th anniversary of the Battle of Mactan, the first organized armed struggle of the Filipino people against foreign aggression. Five centuries ago on April 27, Datu Lapulapu along with 1,500 natives decisively defeated the armed forces led by Ferdinand Magellan who were to occupy new territories for the King of Spain.

The present armed revolution of the Filipino people is part of the five-century continuum of armed resistance for national sovereignty. After the victory in Mactan, Filipinos throughout the archipelago armed themselves to fight oppression and exploitation in the hands of their Spanish colonial masters. They fought against land confiscation, forced taxation, corvee labor, and brutal abuses. Their armed resistance continued and achieved greater unity through to the 1896 Philippine revolution, and thereafter during the Filipino-American War. During this period, the Battles of Balangiga and Catubig served as shining examples of the triumph of superior tactics and collective action by Filipino guerrillas against the better-armed troops of US imperialism.

During the Japanese occupation, armed resistance will eventually be led by the Communist Party of the Philippines (1930) to be waged by the Hukbalahap. This was then carried to a higher level through the reestablished Party, now under the supreme guidance of Marxism-Leninism-Maoism, and leading the New People’s Army to wage the national democratic revolution of the new type.

Such a rich revolutionary history inspires the Filipino people’s current struggle against the worst monster borne out of the rotten semicolonial and semifeudal system: the US-Duterte regime. In the countryside, the people and the NPA wage armed struggle against the regime’s all-out war of killing, intimidation, forced surrender, and wanton spending of public funds for brutal and pointless military operations and war materiel. In the cities, right under the enemy’s nose, the people bravely and collectively struggle for their democratic rights. Throughout the country, the people rely on their own strength to help each other as the reactionary government remains inutile and corrupt. Courageously, they are able to frustrate the regime’s brutal suppression against all opposition.

The people continue the struggle against the illegal occupation by Chinese imperialism and intervention by US imperialism. The unity of various forces calling for genuine independence is broadening. Even the conservative opposition and patriotic elements within the military and police grow more convinced that Rodrigo Duterte, a puppet twice over, must be ousted.

In persevering in this armed resistance, revolutionary forces must look back at the rich revolutionary history of the Filipino people. This shall serve as guiding light in fulfilling their most immediate task of uniting the broadest masses in ousting the inutile, anti-people, brutal and traitorous monster Duterte. #