Today marks the 50th anniversary of the reestablishment of the Communist Party of the Philippines.

Party cadres, members, the New People’s Army, revolutionary mass organizations, allied forces, and the Filipino people in general all over the nation commemorate the Party’s outstanding achievements in its 50-year war of resistance against US imperialism and of genuinely serving the people, of being the standard bearer of the interests and longing of the toiling masses for genuine freedom and social liberation.

In Negros, where one of the starkest prototypes of mass exploitation in the world exists due to the persistence of the hacienda system, thousands of revolutionary forces and allies in the island assembled in undisclosed locations within the region’s guerrilla fronts to commemorate the Party’s golden jubilee.

In one of the main celebrations, more than three thousand spectators looked upon their genuine army in admiration and applause as a company of uniformed Red fighters marched in column formations towards the ceremonial site.

Ka Juanito Magbanua, spokesperson of the New People’s Army-Apolinario Gatmaitan Command (NPA-AGC), in behalf of the Executive Committee of the Negros Island Regional Party Committee, took pride in raising high his fist in Red salute to all revolutionary forces on the island and to all progressive and patriotic Negrense people.

“The revolutionary forces and people of Negros are particularly dedicating the celebration of the Party’s founding anniversary in memoriam of and in seeking justice for the nine farm workers of Sagay who were murdered in the most heinous way two months ago by armed elements of the state and the despotic landlords who rule the island,” said Magbanua.

Magbanua also spoke of how Mt. Kanlaon, being the highest peak on the island and also an active volcano, has come to symbolize the incendiary nature of the social unrest in Negros, and of how it is a social volcano that is nearing eruption, “the memory of the exemplary lives of Apolinario Gatmaitan, Leonardo Panaligan, Roselyn Jean Pelle, Armando Sumayang, Jr., and Rachelle Mae Palang should keep our will to serve the people and the revolution ever burning and explosive.”

“The Party in Negros is confident it can fight and defeat the ‘total war’ Oplan Kapayapaan campaign of the Duterte regime,” Magbanua added.

Another highlight of the celebration was a stage play depicting the history of the Party in Negros, among a wide variety of cultural presentations, including song, dance, and drama performed by members of the Kabataang Makabayan.

National Democratic Front of the Philippines-Negros spokesperson Ka Frank Fernandez also conveyed his greetings through a written message. Firstly hearkening back to the experiences of the genesis of the Party in Negros and the obstacles and struggles overcome during the Second Great Rectification Movement, Ka Frank pronounced the significance of learning from past errors and persistently studying the universal theory of Marxism-Leninism-Maoism.

“Atong hinumdumon permi ang mga dungganong nga kabuhi sang aton mga martyr ug mga bayani nga mga rebolusyonaryo, katapuan sa Partido, Hukbo ug masa nga naghalad sa ilang kabuhi para isulong ang buhi-kamatayon nga rebolusyonaryong kawsa,” concluded Fernandez.

Ka Luis Jalandoni and Ka Coni Ledesma, via pre-recorded video, greeted the crowd and congratulated all the comrades in Negros for the many victories attained. In his message, Ka Luis recalled how in 1973 the first organizing committees on the island were formed, and how that in hindsight these committees were the seeds that would later become the New People’s Army in Negros.

“Nalipay gid kami ni Ka Coni nga ang mga binhi sang 1973 naglapad kag nag baskog sa bug- os nga Negros,” said Jalandoni.

Correspondingly, representatives from the Negros chapters of the Revolutionary Council of Trade Unions, Pambansang Katipunan ng mga Magsasaka, Kabataang Makabayan, Malayang Kilusan ng Bagong Kababaihan, Katipunan ng Samahang Manggagawa, Katipunan ng Gurong Makabayan and Christians for National Liberation conveyed the revolutionary mass organizations’ salute to the founding anniversary of the CPP and their messages of solidarity.

Also, a solidarity night was held the evening prior to the event, where the youth of the Kabataang Makabayan and soldiers of the New People’s Army showcased their talents in a wide variety of cultural presentations. ###