Sison: Reds’ success ‘only a matter of time’
Credit to Author: DEMPSEY REYES| Date: Wed, 26 Dec 2018 16:16:22 +0000
COMMUNIST rebels in the countryside still need to gather strength before taking over the country’s urban areas, but success will only be a “matter of time,” exiled communist leader Jose Maria
“Joma” Sison said on Wednesday, the 50th anniversary of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP).
In an interview over the ABS-CBN News Channel, Sison stressed that the CPP remained “relevant” amid a “vibrant revolutionary movement,” noting that “tens of thousands” were joining the Maoist rebellion.
While the CPP has not yet achieved its goal of seizing political power, “it is establishing red political power in the countryside and this power is advancing.”
“Upon the increase of strength of the revolutionary movement, the cities will become ripe for seizure by the revolutionary forces and by the people,” Sison claimed.
“I think it is only a matter of time that the revolutionary movement would be able to advance in terms of armed strengths, advance [its movement] on the city and there is a fast rate of deterioration of decomposition of the ruling system,” he added.
Duterte ‘mediocre’
The communist leader, exiled in Utrecht, The Netherlands, took a swipe anew at President Rodrigo Duterte, saying he had not surpassed any standards and only “managed to sneak into power.”
He said Duterte’s victory in the presidential elections “shows very much the degradation and the state of decomposition of the entire ruling system if a mediocre student like Duterte and someone who is only good for being a mayor” managed to become the leader of the country.
Sison also slammed Duterte for not fulfilling promises made during the 2016 election campaign, including the release of political prisoners such as communist leaders Wilma and Benito Tiamzon.
“He was [also] the one who was talking about making a coalition government with the communist party and he promised the release of political prisoners by amnestying them, but as soon as he assumed presidency, he forgot all these promises, he backed out from those promises and so Duterte pretended to be friendly to the revolutionary movement only to elevate his standing,” he explained.
In a separate message for its 50th founding anniversary, the CPP Central Committee echoed the remarks of Sison, saying that the “revolutionary forces” in the cities must strive to establish its underground movement.
“[T]he revolutionary forces must persevere in building their underground organizations and network to frustrate and defeat the Duterte regime’s surveillance, arrests, extrajudicial killings and other forms of attack against the legal democratic forces,” the CPP said.
“As we mark and celebrate the Party’s 50th anniversary, we look forward to accomplishing ever bigger achievements and revolutionary victories,” it added.
Truce violation
The Philippine Army on Wednesday recorded the first violation of the unilateral ceasefire declared by the communist rebels in Rodriguez, Rizal, wherein one militiaman was wounded.
Cpt. Patrick Jay Retumban, spokesman of the Army’s Rizal-based 2nd Infantry Division, said government troops were conducting patrols at about 12 noon on Christmas Day in Rodriguez town, when they encountered some 20 NPA rebels.
Maj. Mikko Magisa, executive officer of the Army’s 202nd Infantry Brigade, said civilians in the area had tipped off the military regarding the NPA’s plan to raid the Macaingalan patrol base at Barangay Puray in Rodriguez.
Firefight between the communist rebels and the soldiers lasted for five minutes and resulted in the wounding of one member of the Civilian Armed Forces Geographical Unit Active Auxiliary on the leg.
The Army suspects that the communist rebels are under the NPA Sub-Regional Party of the Regional Military Area in Calabarzon region under the leadership of Jonathan “Boyong” Mopon.
This was the first skirmish between the NPA and the military since the communist ceasefire that started at 12:01 a.m. on Monday (December 24). It was set to end at 11:59 p.m. on Wednesday (December 26).
The NPA has also declared a truce from 12:01 a.m. on December 31 until 11:59 p.m. on January 1.
The Duterte administration did not reciprocate the communist rebels’ unilateral ceasefire declaration.
The post Sison: Reds’ success ‘only a matter of time’ appeared first on The Manila Times Online.