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Inquirer’s Costly, Senseless War

Contrary to what the people in Inquirer are saying, the Filipino people’s Maoist revolution is not a senseless war. Yes, I may agree that this is a costly war but it’s not, by any means, senseless.

While I have to recognize that some of the points in the opinion article are, well, true (and for that matter, is not an opinion for opinion’s sake), some of the points are, if not unsubstantiated, not well-researched.

Yes, it is true that for the past 42 years of the people’s revolution, the government has been unable to crush it. It is interesting to note that the revolution is a qualified candidate for belligerency, the government, for the past 42 years, is calling it as an armed insurgency. Despite the government’s army’s annual pronouncements and targets that it will crush the revolutionary army by the end of the year, the revolution is still on going, if not growing in members. In fact, in its statement for this year’s anniversary, the people’s revolution under the leadership of the CPP-NPA-NDF is under a plan to move the armed struggle from strategic defensive to strategic stalemate in the next five years. Also in its statement, the revolutionary army is claiming that they grew in numbers this year.

Whose statistics should we trust?

We have the statistics from the government’s armed forces that is claiming that the revolutionary army is at its all-time low for the past 42 years. This claim came from a military institution who announces every year that the revolution will be ended by the end of the year and that no anniversaries will be celebrated the year after. And obviously, by the way, for the past 42 years has not been fulfilled.

We have, on the other side, the claims of the revolutionary army that they grew in numbers and that they were able to expand their guerrilla zones especially in Southern Mindanao. Now on its 42^nd anniversary, the revolution is moving from its first phase to the second in its four-phase people’s protracted war. More than its armed strength, the party remains to be strong ideologically.

Who is more credible? Which side is more believable?

Yes, the people from inquirer are right when they said that this is just a propaganda war. This is just a battle of one’s side propaganda to the other. But mind you, some propagandas are more credible not to mention believable than the others. Talk about a credible army.

It is not true that communism is dead or, as the people from Inquirer are trying to tell us, will soon be dead. It is far from becoming a dead ideology. The resurgence of social movements anchored on Marxist philosophies cannot be a possible consequence of an ideology that is dying. Contrary to the claims of the article, there is a re-awakening of communist wars in different parts of the world. And this cannot be easily done by a dead or dying ideology. In the words of V, ideas are bulletproofs. The communist ideals are not just bulletproofs, they are immortal. For as long as an oppressive capitalist society exists, the people will find a way to rediscover the Marxist communist principles.

Those who are supporting the revolution are far from supporting a senseless war. The people’s demand for a just and equitable society anchored on human rights is far from being senseless. The people’s war in defense of the oppressed workers, farmers, youth and the women is far from being senseless. If there is anything lacking in sense here, it is the government that continues to be deaf and blind to the demands of its people. Senseless policies such as the continuing state abandonment of its responsibility to social services, the state repression and unjustified killings, the continuation of the concentration of lands to few wealthy landlords and the concentration of the power and money to members of the ruling class is but a shame to the sensible demands of the peoples of the revolution.

As the people’s revolution celebrate yet another year, the mainstream media, the government and other individuals are again busy with their annual habit. Year after year, these are the same people who propagate false ideas and unsubstantiated claims regarding the Philippine communist movement. Ranging from "Communism is dead" comments to whatever these people are doing - wasting their time typing articles, every year, these same institutions and individuals engages themselves in a propaganda war against the people’s revolution.  If there is anything lacking in sense here, it is these people who continually engages themselves in black propaganda against the people’s revolution. Some writers are just not in the right side of history, and well, senseless. Or some writers just do not know their history.

Unless the government is willing to change, dialogues will only mean propaganda wars. Unless the system changes, the people will continually wage a, yes, costly, but justified and sensible war. Imagine this government and weep.

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