PKP-1930
Published: 1950;
Source: CIA Reading Room;
Markup: Simoun Magsalin;
Copyright: No specific copyrights.
Archival note: The following document, a propaganda publication calling for the establishment of underground local governments and the overthrow of imperialist-puppet rule in the Philippines, was issued by the Central Committee of the Philippine Communist Party. It was among the Communist documents captured in the Manila raids of October 1950. The document is undated but it probably was written after August 1950.
Today, during the twentieth year of its patriotic and continuous struggle for national liberation, the Communist Party of the Philippines calls upon the Filipino people to organize underground local governments as organs of power and struggle in order to hasten the armed overthrow of the imperialist-puppet rule and the establishment of the New Democracy.
The traitor and puppet Quirino has already confessed to the people the incapacity of his government to protect the peoples' interests. In desperation, he called on them to organize “Barangays” and a “citizens' army” to defend contemptible crooks and traitors against patriotic onslaughts of the HMB.
Fearing the proving strength of the peoples' liberation movement under Communist leadership, the Nationalista Party was forced to reveal its true colors. The Nationalista Party decided to collaborate with the corrupt Liberal Party witch terrorized them in the last elections, in the organization of Barangays to reinforce the rule of the exploiters.
Why did the Nationalista Party decide to collaborate with the Liberal Party traitors, knowing as they do, that the Liberal Party is rapidly losing the peoples' confidence and heading towards collapse? The reasons are not difficult to understand.
The Nationalista Party cannot avoid collaborating with the Liberal Party because they have the same class interests to defend — the interests of imperialists, feudal landlords, compradores and wealthy capitalists.
There is no difference between the leadership of the Nationalista and Liberal Parties. Both come from the same group of opportunist leaders of the Nationalista Party of Quezon, which collaborated with the American imperialists since the Party's organization, collaborated with the Japanese Fascists during the country's occupation, and subsequently collaborated with the American imperialists when the Philippines were reoccupied in 1945. Nationalista and Liberal Party members are the descendants of the traitors to our beloved country since its colonization by Magellan and Legaspi. The are the descendants of those responsible for imposing upon us the rule of the Spanish kings and friars.
The Nationalista Party fought bitterly against the Liberal Party in the last elections, primarily because they wanted to be in office and enjoy the spoils of victory, and because they believed they could more effectively stabilize the rule of the exploiters, because the Liberal Party was deteriorating. Now that the Nationalista Party has realized finally that the Liberal Party crooks are determined to remain in power while the Communist-led HMB is extending its organization and influence to all corners of the country, it has no choice but to collaborate with its fellow exploiters in a last ditch defense of their properties, profits and privileges.
The Filipino people know better than to allow themselves to be fooled by the “patriotic” claims of the Nationalista Party regarding its decision to collaborate with the Liberal Party. As that great American proletarian Lincoln said, “You can fool all the people some of the time and some people all the time, but you cannot foal all the people all the time.”
Can the Filipino people still trust reformist leaders outside the Liberal and Nationalista Parties, who continue to sow dangerous illusions on the exploited masses claiming they can still achieve their basic aims through parliamentary elections? Certainly not! These reformist leaders are not only misleading the people, but are even fooling themselves, and cannot be trusted by the exploited people.
One, and only one path is left for the patriotic and exploited people to follow, namely, overthrow imperialist-feudal power in our country by smashing their puppet state.
To hasten such armed overthrow, the Communist Party calls on the people to:
1. Arm yourselves to defend your lives, liberties and properties against the abuses of the puppet forces, profiteers and hoarders.
2. Enforce equitable crop sharing between the peasants and friendly landlords. Confiscate the harvest and other properties of enemy landlords and other traitors. Enforce living wages of workers in business establishments owned by friendly capitalists, but destroy and sabotage the business of imperialists and enemy capitalists.
3. Refuse or delay payment of taxes to the puppet government, and urge your neighbors to do likewise.
4. Produce food crops in areas which are safe from enemy seizure, and defend your harvests from stripping by enemy forces. Refuse to sell your harvests to enemy agents.
5. Establish connection between the underground local governments and the puppet local governments so that coordination may be achieved in the armed struggle for national liberation.
6. Cooperate with the local HMB unit or Communist Party nucleus in the establishment of mass schools to educate local barrio leaders on the aims and methods of struggle of the HMB, and the Communist Party. Teach the illiterate masses to read and write.
7. Establish local peoples' courts of justice to settle amicably and equitably petty quarrels and misunderstandings among neighbors who have the same class interests.
8. Gather all information and statistical data about the enemies of the people, as well as other information which will be useful in the conduct of the struggle. Report such information to the local HMB unit or Communist Party nucleus.
9. Maintain intact your connections with the local HMB unit or Communist Party nucleus. Shelter and feed HMB forces and Communist Party cadres who seek aid from you, and facilitate their transit from one place to another so they are able to perform the tasks assigned to them.
10. Arrest yellow labor leaders, local puppet officials, and other confused elements who are committing hostile acts against the national liberation movement and the people. Give these persons a chance to change their ways and serve the people. Liquidate those who are unwilling to change their anti-social and unpatriotic ways. Eliminate too, enemy landlords, traitors, and spies.
11. Begin organizing underground local governments on a barrio level. Safeguard the security of such government by eliminating the barrio spies of the enemy. Proceed in the organization of underground town governments, and prepare to organize underground provincial governments, leading to the final establishment of a provisional national government.
The Day of Liberation from Exploitation and Oppression is not Long in Coming!
Join the HMB and Hasten the Establishment of the New Democracy!
Paralyze the Imperialist-Puppet State by Organizing Underground Local Governments!
Utilize Underground Local Governments as Organs of Power and Struggle!