Filipino leaders explain her the on military.
recognized the existence of a debate within the party precisely on these questions. "The previous boycott position has since been criticized by the CPP and the NDF. Our participation in the elections would doubtless have made it possible to exacertheir perspectives bate the class conflicts.. moment an intense internal debate is going on [in the CPP and NDF] on tactical considerations. Our understanding of the united front undoubtedly wrong. We certainly had
WE ARE publishing the following interviews, done in Manila in
August 1986, to give a picture of three new movements that emerged this year. In the first, Edicio "Ed" de la Torre describes the Volunteers for Popular Democracy (VPD), the way this organization was formed, the idea of launching such a movement, its struggle and its place in the current political field.
In the second Jose Maria "Joma"
Sison, former leader of the Communist
Party of the
Philippines
(CPP)
describes the Partido ng Bayan (PnB
People's Party). It was officially founded at the end of August, but
Joma had been working for its formation several months before. Nonetheless, he does not hold any official position in the leadership of the party.
was chair. The general secretary of the PnB is Alan Jazmines, a former political prisoner.
In the third interview,
"Dodong" Nemenzo and Randolfo
"Randy" David describe Bisig, which was formed at the end of May 1986.
coming from almost every section of the Filipino what unites these diverse elements, the lessons that they have from their past experience and how new organization was forged.
In doing so, they were led to take up fundamental questions, such as the united front and relations among progressive forces, content and timeliness of a socialist
These three interviews illustrate the pluralism of the Filipino left today and the ripening of what are already long-standing
After the debates.
development of a multiform resistance to the
Marcos dictatorship, the experience of mass struggles in the years
"February
1983-1985 and of the revolution" in 1986, all the compof the people's movement onents are trying to make balance sheets.
4
They are also seeking, for the first time in a systematic way, to incorporate the lessons of revolutionary experiences outside Asia, especially those of the Central American revolutions.
In the Communist Party of the Philippines itself, fundamental debate has emerged. It is difficult to know its full extent or all of the positions involved. But from dialogue with activists, reading interviews with leaders and thanks to the circulation of internal discussion documents, it is possible to get an idea of the scope of the questions raised. Differences on CPP self-criticism
The self-criticism published last May by the CPP characterized the boycott of the presidential elections as a "grave tactical error." Elements of the CPP were opposed in principle to this self-criticism. But it is clear that there are also disagreements about the extent of this error, on the reasons for it, on what reorientations are desirable, on what meaning should be given to the term "tactical" in the self-criticism.
Since his arrest, Jose Maria Sison has not held an active leadership post in the CPP. He speaks in his own name. But it may be supposed that sections of the party identify with positions he expresses. Joma stresses the limits of the error committed.
our failings and maybe we showed sectarianism... but a broad antiMarcos opposition front established. On the other hand,
'semi-feudal, semi-colonial' stage to a system that is essentially capitalist. Shortly, the pan wal discussion articles signed by Marty Villalobos take up straightforwardly a certain number of big political questions in the light of the Central American experience in particular. (2) They analyze the turn in the situation in the Philippines in 1983 and its implications for revolutionists. They discuss the anti-dictatorial struggle and the question of the united front, the quicking of the pace of the fall of the Marcos regime, shift from a strategy of prolonged people's war to a more insurrectionary one and, finally, the tactical flexibility and capacity for national initiatives party must demonstrate when the time is favorable.
The discussions underway are all the more difficult since there is not political and Filipino left. While they are necessary, it is not certain that these can be carried through to the end the coming period. But they are nonetheless rich and basic, of interest to every revolutionary activist.
discussions have made more difficult by the country's great political instability.
Interview August 21, 1986, published in Philippines Informations,' No. 46, October 1986, p. 4.
2. The documents signed Marty Villalobos the point of view within the CPP of a group of influential cadres, especially in the capital. This made up from the names of the Salvadoran revolutionist Joaquin Villalobos and the Farabundo Marti National Liberation Front. International Viewpoint 8 December 1986