Communist group says Villar more ‘patriotic and progressive’

By Delfin Mallari Jr.
Inquirer Southern Luzon
First Posted 19:12:00 12/24/2009





Filed Under: Politics, Elections, Eleksyon 2010


Original Story: http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/regions/view/20091224-243875/Communist-group-says-Villar-more-patriotic-and-progressive


LUCENA CITY, Philippines—The Communist Party of the Philippines says Sen. Manny Villar appears to be the more “patriotic and progressive” among the four major presidential candidates but is not certain whether the Nacionalista Party standard bearer would in fact turn out to be better than his rivals.

“Former Senate President Villar seems to be the most patriotic and progressive insofar as he advocates the interests of Filipino businessmen, expresses sympathy for the workers and peasants and condemns human rights violations,” the party’s Central Committee said in a statement.

“However, it remains to be seen whether he can win and prove himself any better than his major political rivals who have bloodstained records of opposing the demands of the workers and peasants, like (Sen. Benigno) Aquino of Hacienda Luisita notoriety, (Gilbert) Teodoro of being the mad dog defense secretary of Arroyo and (former President Joseph) Estrada of having a bellicose record during his failed presidency.”

The statement, an advance copy of which was e-mailed to the Inquirer on Thursday, was issued to mark the party’s 41st anniversary on Dec. 26

The CPP maintains that, with the exception of the Left-leaning Makabayan group, the major political parties and coalitions vying for power in the 2010 elections “avoid or even oppose the people's demand for national independence and genuine democracy and do not criticize and repudiate ‘free market’ globalization and the US-instigated policy of terror against the people.”

“The Lakas-Kampi party of the ruling clique clings to its discredited anti-national and anti-democratic policies. The major opposition parties, like the Liberal Party and the Partido ng Masang Pilipino, concentrate on pretending to be for good governance to dissociate themselves from the scandalous corruption of the Arroyo regime,” the CPP said.

For the CPP, whoever wins the presidency will also follow the same policy directions of President Macapagal-Arroyo’s administration.

“It will keep power under the dictates of the US and the local exploiting classes and will use its power to enrich itself and deploy the coercive apparatuses of the state to suppress opposition,” it said.

The CPP said the next administration would continue to treat communist and Muslim rebels like common criminals.

“It would merely pretend at being for peace negotiations and try to use these not to arrive at agreements on basic reforms with the National Democratic Front of the Philippines but merely to deceive and confuse the people and destroy the revolutionary movement,” it said.

The CPP accused the Arroyo administration of using the resources of the state to engage in electoral fraud and terrorism.

“Fears are widespread that it intends to declare martial law nationwide or in a number of key regions by claiming a failure of elections and thereby perpetuate itself in power. It can only inflame the people's resistance by treading the Marcos path of fascist dictatorship,” the CPP said.

The CPP directed the New People’s Army to accelerate tactical offensives against government forces in order to seize more weapons for building more communist guerilla units in war fronts across the country.

And in an apparent departure from its old strategy of waging guerrilla warfare in the countryside and ultimately surrounding the seat of power, The CPP added: “The NPA can take the initiative of developing armed city partisan warfare and launching special operations against enemy facilities and anti-people enterprises in order to force the enemy forces to go on guard duty and put more of its troops on the defensive.”

The communist leadership urged all its cadres to develop plans to increase the number of guerrilla fronts from around 120 to 180 in order to cover the rural congressional districts and gain the ability to deploy armed city partisan units in the urban congressional districts.

President Arroyo has given security forces until 2010 to defeat the NPA, which, according to military estimates, had 5,700 fighters at the end of 2007.

The on-and-off peace talks between the government and the rebels have been stalled since 2004 because both parties were adamant in pushing for their respective preconditions before the start of the talks.

On Wednesday, the government and the rebels declared a ceasefire from Dec. 24 to Dec. 26, and from Dec. 31 to Jan. 1.


Original Story: http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/regions/view/20091224-243875/Communist-group-says-Villar-more-patriotic-and-progressive