Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, December 8) — The Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) on Monday affirmed that it will continue to “exert all efforts to strengthen” its forces amid losses against the military, as the party commemorates its 54th year on Monday.
“We must urgently identify and rectify all forms of subjectivist errors, which weaken and set back the different spheres of our work, [and] carry forward the revolution to qualitatively higher levels,” the CPP said in a statement posted on its website.
“It [CPP] will forever remain vibrant with the constant flow of young proletarian cadres who are determined to wage revolution and see the future of national freedom and socialism,” it added.
The CPP also paid tribute to founder Jose Maria “Joma” Sison.
READ:CPP founder Joma Sison dies at 83
“Ka Joma has bequeathed to us a treasure trove of Marxist-Leninist-Maoist work in which his immortal revolutionary spirit will forever live to guide the next generation of Party cadres to greater heights,” the CPP said.
Gains and losses
In a statement dated Dec. 16, the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) reported that the communist terrorist group has been reduced to 2,112 members with 1,876 firearms this year.
“Our localized peace-building efforts, with multi-stakeholder and whole-of-nation approach, also yielded positive results, as we encouraged enemies of the state to return to the fold of the law and built goodwill with communities,” AFP chief Lieutenant General Bartolome Vicente Bacarro said.
According to the AFP, the communist group reduced extortion activities from ₱4.2 trillion in 2017 to ₱8.5 billion this year.
Out of 22 guerilla fronts, 17 were classified as weakened while the rest are now in the focused operations of the military.
Amid the holiday season, the CPP refused to declare a ceasefire since the AFP continues to deploy combat troops.
READ: Communist rebels reject holiday ceasefire despite Joma’s death
However, CPP chief information officer Marco Valbuena told CNN Philippines that the party is open to resume peace talks should President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. want it.
READ: CPP says it’s ‘always open’ to resumption of peace talks after Sison’s death
