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</font><font face="Courier New, Courier" size=3>For Reds, takeover in RP
'just a question of time'<br>
Posted: 10:37 AM (Manila Time) | Apr. 27, 2004<br>
By Karl Wilson<br>
Agence France-Presse<br><br>
BISLIG--For Ka Oris, it is not a case of whether there will be a<br>
people's revolution in the Philippines, but when.<br><br>
The 55-year-old is spokesman for the National Democratic Front for<br>
Mindanao (NDF), an umbrella organization for the Communist Party of<br>
the Philippines and its armed wing, the New People's Army
(NPA).<br><br>
"We are gaining strength every day," he told Agence
France-Presse in<br>
an interview from an outpost in the hills above Bislig on Mindanao
island.<br><br>
A revolutionary all his life, Oris, who was born George Madlos,<br>
maintains an unwavering belief in a new order. "It may not happen
in<br>
my life time but it will happen. All revolutions take time," he
said.<br><br>
Celebrating the 31st anniversary of the NDF's founding, he surveys
the<br>
camp and the platoon of young NPA guerrillas carrying arms and<br>
equipment taken from the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).<br><br>
"They are the future of the revolution," he said, dismissing
the<br>
oft-quoted government figure of 8,000 armed NPA fighters throughout<br>
the country.<br><br>
"No matter what the government says we are gaining strength day
by<br>
day. Our involvement with the people living in the countryside is
solid."<br><br>
Oris claims that in Mindanao alone the NPA is operating on 38
fronts<br>
with control of over 2,000 villages or districts in cities and<br>
municipalities.<br><br>
In Bislig there is no sign of a military, other than weapons stolen<br>
from the army and equipment used by the NPA guerillas.<br><br>
But with the collapse of communism in Eastern Europe and the
dramatic<br>
changes that have taken place in China, does he not think he is<br>
fighting a lost cause?<br><br>
On the contrary, he says, socialism is not dead, "it's just
sleeping".<br><br>
"The masses realize this is a protracted people's war. In the last
35<br>
years the combined forces of the imperialists, the landed classes,<br>
business class,and successive puppet governments in the Philippines<br>
have not destroyed the revolution. If anything they have only<br>
prolonged it. The point is that time is on our side."<br><br>
On Friday the chairman for the Commission on Elections, Benjamin<br>
Abalos,said the NPA rebels had "become our biggest problem"
ahead of<br>
the May 10 elections.<br><br>
Philippines army spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Daniel Lucero, said<br>
recently that the communist guerrillas had cost the Philippines
more<br>
than a million dollars this year through sabotage and
extortion.<br><br>
He claimed that in the three months to March, the rebels
"exacted" six<br>
million pesos (107,600 dollars) in "permit to campaign fees"
from<br>
politicians alone, compared with the 12 million dollars they earned<br>
from such fees in the 2001 mid-term elections.<br><br>
A further 20 million pesos were "exacted" from business
establishments<br>
in rural areas, he said.<br><br>
According to Lucero, for those who refused their demands the NPA<br>
destroyed infrastructure and other equipment such as buses and
mobile<br>
telephone broadcast sites worth 32 million pesos (574,000
dollars).<br><br>
But Oris dismisses the claims. "The revolution does not
condone<br>
kidnapping,extortion, or drug dealing. That is syndicated
banditry.<br><br>
"You have to understand that the NPA is the armed wing of our<br>
revolutionary government. We have our own system of justice, land<br>
reform program, social services and other strengths.<br><br>
"It is an inherent responsibility of any revolutionary government
to<br>
implement its own program of taxation.<br><br>
"Yes, we tax businessmen and people doing business within
areas<br>
controlled by the revolutionary movement. And the same goes for<br>
politicians. This is not extortion.<br><br>
"No one will admit it in Manila but there are two governments
working<br>
in this country. One that exploits the masses and the revolutionary<br>
movement that is working for the masses.<br><br>
"There are many politicians in Mindanao who are seeking our support
in<br>
the forthcoming election because they know we can deliver the
votes.<br>
All we ask of them is how they intend to help the people."<br><br>
On a final note, the born revolutionary adds: "This is not an
armed<br>
struggle, it's a struggle for the hearts and minds of the people.
And<br>
in that we are winning and our strength is gaining every day.<br><br>
"Just look around the camp at all these ordinary villagers and
tribal<br>
people. They know we are here to help them.<br><br>
"I may not live to see the day when victory is ours but this I
am<br>
certain the people's revolution will triumph."<br><br>
<a href="http://www.inq7.net/brk/2004/apr/27/brkpol_5-1.htm">http://www.inq7.net/brk/2004/apr/27/brkpol_5-1.htm<br><br>
<br><br>
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