Let us celebrate, with utmost joy, the 51^st anniversary of the re-establishment of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP), today, December 26, 2019.

Let us render the highest tribute to all cadres and members of the Party and the revolutionary forces who gave their lives for the people’s democratic revolution.

We praise the determined struggle of all Party members, fighters and masses in North Eastern Mindanao Region (NEMR) and the entire country. Because of them, the CPP and revolutionary movement continue to advance and strengthen within 51 years amidst the brutality of the consecutive reactionary regimes backed by US imperialism.

Amidst the sustained military operations of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and Philippine National Police (PNP), the Party and New People’s Army (NPA) in the region continue to fight back to preserve itself and protect the welfare of the people. The fascist AFP/PNP failed to defeat or neutralize armed struggle in the region.

The enemy utilized different forms of brutality and deceit to suppress the people’s struggle. Through the  National Task Force/Regional Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict  (NTF/RTF-ELCAC), they cold-bloodedly attack leaders and members of the legal and progressive organizations by killing, “red-tagging”, arresting and filing trumped-up cases.

Under the continuing martial law in Mindanao, countless are being harassed and killed, including leader-activists, church people, lawyers and members of the media and other middle forces; oppressive regulations are being imposed upon the people, especially with the establishment of checkpoints where travelers are harassed and extorted.  An increasing number of detachments are established to control and restrict the movement of people.

The US-Duterte regime and the AFP failed to turn the minds of revolutionaries through the Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Program (E-CLIP), offering of “reward money” and other trickeries to effect the surrender of Red fighters. The said government program has been exposed as milking cow of the AFP’s corruption and basis for their promotion.

Duterte’s cavalier pronouncements and deceit failed to convince the people to his chicanery because the socio-economic conditions has not improved, in fact, poverty and lack of livelihood has worsened.

The US-Duterte regime deliberately allowed China to occupy the islands within Philippine territory for millions of dollar of Chinese loans and projects — a clear betrayal of the national rights of the Filipino people.  This happens while the US strengthens his own all-encompassing control of the Philippines.

Despite all these, members of the Party, Red commanders and fighters and the revolutionary masses are more than ever determined to further improve the three integral components of the protracted people’s war – armed struggle, agrarian revolution and mass base – as effective weapons against fascism. It continues to strive to overcome conservatism in engagements and accelerate the development of the democratic revolution.

In the ideological front, amidst the difficult and winding road of the revolution, the revolutionaries in the region persevere to embrace and intensify further the level of understanding and practice of Marxism-Leninism-Maoism, and launch Party courses to all its members.

The organizations under the Party fervently endured, amid enemy attacks, by firmly upholding the principles of democratic centralism, where democracy in the organization is guided by a centralized leadership.

The Party and the NPA in the region persist in organizing the workers, peasantry, youth and Lumad in the area, continue and step by step, build the leadership in mass organizations, until the formation of the people’s government.

The Party and the NPA continue to receive all kinds of warm support from the broad masses, such as having their best children join the NPA as Red fighters, combatants and political officers. The brutal attempts of the enemy failed to stop the youth from joining the NPA.

Thus, as we celebrate the 51^st anniversary of the re-establishment of the Party, let us all overcome conservatism and defeat all attempts of the the US-Duterte regime against the revolutionary movement and the people, and destroy these until total victory of the national democratic revolution with a socialist perspective.

Long live the CPP on the 51^st anniversary of its re-establishment!