The Communist Party of the Philippines, which marks its 54th anniversary on December 26, said its armed wing, the New People’s Army, could “stage tactical offensives” in honor of its late founder, Jose Maria “Joma” Sison.
“We declare the following 10 days as a period of mourning for the entire Party to give the highest possible tribute to Ka Joma… During this period of mourning, the NPA can stage tactical offensives against the rampaging fascist forces to defend the people,” the CPP Central Committee said in a statement shared Sunday by the Philippine Revolution Web Central Twitter account.
It did not give details what the offensives would be, but military sources said a tactical offensive would be an operation usually smaller or more limited and often involved the use of special forces (or specialized forces).
Meanwhile, the Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation and Unity said Sunday it was hopeful the death of Sison would put an end to the local communist insurgency which had largely stalled development in the countryside.
“With the death of Mr. Sison, it is our hope that it will also put an end to the local communist armed conflict that claimed the lives of so many Filipinos and pushed back development in the countryside,” OPAPRU chief Carlito Galvez Jr. said in a statement.
He also noted that the passing of Sison marked “the end of an era in the nation’s history.”
“It was a period largely defined by armed hostilities, which to this day, is still being felt by Filipinos, especially those whose lives were affected by the communist movement,” Galvez added.
With President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s banner of unity, Galvez said thegovernment shall vigorously carry out interventions to sustain and build on the gains the government has achieved under the peace process.
For the Department of National Defense, Sison’s death “is but a symbol of the crumbling hierarchy” of the CPP-NPA-National Democratic Front.
“His death deprived the Filipino people of the opportunity to bring this fugitive to justice under our country’s laws. Sison was responsible for the deaths of thousands of our countrymen,” the agency said.
It called on all communist rebels in the country “to turn their backs on the violent and false ideology of the CPP-NPA-NDF.”
“The greatest stumbling block to peace for the Philippines is gone; let us now give peace a chance,” the DND said.
In related developments, Philippine National Police chief General Rodolfo Azurin Jr. said he regretted Sison would not be able to face any trial for the “violent years he had done” to the country.
In an interview on Super Radyo dzBB, Azurin said: “We mourn (his) passing…It’s unfortunate that he won’t be able to witness the trial that he would have faced for the many years of violent incidents, sowing terror in which over 50,000 died or were killed.”
The CPP ordered the NPA to perform a 21-gun salute on Dec. 26, the day of its 54th anniversary and the culmination of their 10-day mourning period.
“Let us dedicate our Party’s upcoming 54th anniversary to Ka Joma’s memory, to celebrate his life and all the victories that we have achieved under his leadership and guidance,” it said.
The CPP declared Sison “as the greatest hero of the Filipino people in their past century of resistance against imperialism.”
It added: “With Ka Joma’s passing, the Party lost a great leader…
The Central Committee and the entire Party will forever be guided and inspired by Ka Joma’s immortal revolutionary spirit.”
The Armed Forces of the Philippines said Sunday it did not currently see any problems from the CPP with the passing of Sison.
AFP acting spokesperson Colonel Medel Aguilar made the remarks when asked in a Super Radyo dzBB interview if there was anything the government forces should be wary about concerning the CPP-New People’s Army.
The CPP said that it would give its members time to pay their last respects to the deceased communist leader, born in Cabugao, Ilocos Sur in 1939, once his ashes arrive in the Philippines.
Sison, 83, died Saturday after a two-week confinement at a hospital in Utrecht, The Netherlands, where he had lived in a self-imposed exile for more than three decades.
A former university professor, Sison founded the CPP in 1968, along with a movement that would later become the world’s longest ongoing communist insurgency.
Col. Aguilar stressed Sison’s death might help bring more peace in the country while the government continued its peace talks on a community level.
He added: “In fact, the number of their members and supporters continues to decrease. Their armed men, their combatants and supporters, the mass bases and even some members of the underground mass organizations, continue to surrender. This is a good indication.”
The Department of National Defense said on Saturday that with Sison’s death, the “greatest stumbling block of peace is gone.”
For his part, Azurin said: “It’s unfortunate he could not see whether he’s guilty or whether he can defend himself. I hope that they [CPP-NPA] will not create any more troubles.
“I hope, now that Joma Sison is gone, those who believed in him for a long time will be united and step down from the government so that we can begin to restore order and development to our country.”
Asked if the PNP will declare a ceasefire against the communist rebels this Christmas season, Azurin said there was no order yet on the suspension of police and military operations (SOPO and SOMO).
Galvez himself expressed hope that Sison’s death would put an end to the local communist armed conflict in the country.
Galvez also called on members of the CPP to make use of the socio-economic assistance that the national government provides to former rebels under its local peace engagement and transformation programs.
“Now is the time for all of us Filipinos to unite and work together to bring a just and lasting peace to our country,” Galvez said.
He was arrested during the time of President Ferdinand Marcos Sr., father of the incumbent president, in 1976, along with his wife.
They were released from detention in 1986 after President Corazon Aquino came to power.
In 1987, Sison went on a self-exile in the Netherlands after peace talks with the government stalled.
Peace talks were on and off since then until President Rodrigo Duterte terminated the negotiations in November 2017.
Meanwhile, Negros Occidental Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson said the passing of Sison must also conclude the decades-long insurgency.
“The moment has come to end the armed conflict in the country so that we can effectively work towards lasting and genuine peace,” Lacson who chairs the Provincial Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict said, adding that the government has been in the pursuit of peace for a long time.
Lacson has been urging the remaining members of CPP’s armed wing, the New People’s Army, to surrender, telling them that “choosing peace is always the better choice” and that the provincial government is “eager to welcome you back as we vow to build a stronger and progressive Negros Occidental.”