BRIEF MESSAGES & LETTERS, 2001 - Present

Message of Solidarity to the Grand Reunion
By Jose Maria Sison
Chief Political Consultant, National Democratic Front of the Philippines

November 15, 2003

Let me congratulate the organizers for realizing this Grand Reunion and let me express my warmest greetings of solidarity to all the street parliamentarians of the 1980s.

I welcome this occasion as one of renewing and revitalizing the bonds of patriotic unity, friendship and militant cooperation among all the activists who rose up to defend and advance national and democratic rights of the Filipino people.

To these activists belong the honor of contributing to the rebuilding the urban-based open mass movement and to the mass struggles to topple the Marcos fascist dictatorship, preempt the rise of military rulers and continue the resistance against semi-colonial and semi-feudal oppression and exploitation under the Aquino regime.

I join you in exchanging personal reminiscences and reviewing the struggles, sacrifices and successes of the patriotic and progressive mass movement in the 1980s. Learning from the past is necessary and crucial to understandng what we can and must do at present and what we can look forward to.

The Grand Reunion is timely because there is again the urgent need to broaden and strengthen the alliance against US imperialism and the puppet Macapagal-Arroyo ruling clique. We must rally all available forces to the broadest possible alliance to further isolate and oust the current regime that knows no bounds for its puppetry, corruption, cruelty and mendacity.

It is fine if the current ruling clique could be removed from power before the May 2004 reactionary elections. There would certainly be greater political turbulence and broad popular resistance if the current president manages to keep herself in power by cheating in the elections, as already expected by the opposition and the people at large.

The current regime is using state terrorism to suppress the revolutionary movement but at the same time attempts to derail this by making the false offer of reconciliation. In fact, it gives the highest priority to seeking the foulest kind of reconciliation with Eduardo Cojuangco, Joseph Estrada and the Marcoses and staying in power at the further expense of the people.

The worst section of the reactionaries can always try to strike deals among themselves and sometimes succeed in making some temporary and partial deals. But the rapidly worsening crisis of the world capitalist system and the domestic ruling system of big compradors and landlords continue to work against such unstable mutual accommodations among the reactionaries. Their contradictions are becoming more and more bitter and violent.

The crisis unleashes more oppression and exploitation and inflicts more intolerable suffering on the people. But it also incites the people to wage all forms of resistance and generates the desire to change the incumbent government and the entire ruling system. The objective conditions are thus favorable for developing the subjective forces of revolution and for vigorously advancing the people’s democratic revolution. ###