Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, October 15) – The Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) directed its armed wing to foil the government’s plans to further expand Chinese companies’ presence in the country, which it said displaces thousands of Filipinos and damages the nation’s natural resources.
In a statement dated Oct. 14, the CPP called on the New People’s Army (NPA) to intensify its armed resistance against the expansion of “anti-people” operations being carried out by Chinese firms, including mining, logging, plantation, energy and tourism activities.
The CPP further referred to businesses involved in the construction of the Chinese military bases and “destruction of marine resources” in the West Philippine Sea, as well as in big-ticket infrastructure projects.
“These infrastructure projects not only displace thousands of peasants and minorities from their lands, they also wreak havoc to the natural ecosystem of the country’s remaining forests,” the CPP said.
The organization has also ordered its revolutionary forces to mount escalated attacks against the state’s armed troops, in response to what it described as fascism and massive corruption of President Rodrigo Duterte’s administration.
“The NPA must heed the Filipino people’s clamor for justice,” it said. “The NPA must make the tyrant bleed from a thousand cuts and punish the fascists for all their crimes.”
Both the communist group and Duterte called for a nationwide ceasefire in March, citing the need to shift priorities to the anti-COVID-19 campaign. This came to an end on April 30, as both sides claimed the other continued with offensive operations despite the truce.
Duterte walked away from peace talks with communist rebels in 2017 as they accused each other of ceasefire violations.
The NPA has been waging a five-decade armed insurgency, the longest running in Asia.
