Category Archives: reds

An Unofficial Guide to Understanding the Socio-Economic Proposals of Filipino Communists

By admin | October 1, 2017

Published by Bulatlat The most important peace document submitted by the National Democratic Front of the Philippines contains seven parts and is 82 pages long. Here’s a summary of the proposed Comprehensive Agreement on Social and Economic Reforms or CASER: The preamble links the country’s economic backwardness to its colonial history. But it also highlights […]

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What Does Duterte’s Martial Law Mean for the Philippine Peace Process?

By admin | August 9, 2017

Though it is still early days, what has been the impact of the Mindanao-wide martial law on these ongoing peace initiatives thus far? Since the declaration of martial law, most of the headlines have been devoted to the Maute group and the ISIS threat in the Philippines, while very little has been discussed about its […]

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Back-to-basics grassroots organizing in the time of Duterte

By admin | July 21, 2017

*Summary of my contributed essay to the workshop organized by the Third World Studies Center of the University of the Philippines-Diliman and the Conflict Research Group of the Ghent University. The workshop’s theme is “Politics and Power in the Philippines: Towards a Contemporary Research Agenda”. Published by Bulatlat Political forces vie for national dominance but […]

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Is Rodrigo Duterte Really Anti-American?

By admin | July 17, 2017

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has a reputation of being a staunch critic of the United States government. However, it is probably more accurate to describe him as being critical of former U.S. President Barack Obama but not of current President Donald Trump. A few months after becoming president in 2016, Duterte launched a series of […]

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Bakit hindi matalu-talo ang New People’s Army?

By admin | July 1, 2017

Published by Bulatlat Lahat ng rehimeng nagdaan ay nagtangkang buwagin at talunin ang New People’s Army (Bagong Hukbong Bayan). Lahat ay nagsabing sila’y magtatagumpay. Lahat sila’y nabigo. Ano ang nasa likod ng misteryong lakas ng NPA? Paano ito nagpunyagi sa nakalipas na limang dekada? Walang sikreto maliban sa puspusang pakikibaka habang sinusulong ang pulitika ng […]

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The political legacy of the Filipino Sixty-Eighters

By admin | June 8, 2017

Published by Bulatlat Mention the year 1968 and what comes to mind are the youth uprisings across the world. The year of student strikes, anti-war rallies, and Chinese Red Guards bombarding the headquarters. In the Philippines, the political landscape during that time was dominated by Marcos. But another political event was the reestablishment of the […]

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The problem is not excess but lack of activism

By admin | May 12, 2017

Published by Bulatlat A week before the global celebration of Human Rights Day in 2016, various people’s organizations in the Philippines conducted a solidarity fasting campaign to press for the release of 400 political prisoners. In response, a government peace negotiator described the action as counterproductive and that it is putting undue pressure to President […]

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Pure Maoism Doesn’t Exist in the Philippines

By admin | March 12, 2017

Published by Bulatlat Like the sun that sustains life on this planet, it is Maoism that inspired the rise and spread of the National Democratic movement in the Philippines. That political slogans such as ‘Serve the People’ and ‘Learn from the Masses’ are still openly advocated by Filipino progressives today reflect the enduring legacy of […]

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2016 is the year of the Mindanaon

By admin | February 10, 2017

Published by Bulatlat President Rodrigo Duterte is the man of the year; but this is not his year, this is the year of the Mindanaon. Duterte is the Mindanaon who made history when he became president of the Philippines. This alone is enough to recognize Duterte’s enormous impact in the local political landscape. But beyond […]

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Tribute to parents of activists

By admin | January 1, 2017

Published by Bulatlat The untold first mission of many activists does not involve the smashing of the bourgeois state or the ‘bombarding of the headquarters’ of the repressive government; their first instinct is to go home and confess their political conversion to their parents or guardians. It is a delicate and difficult duty. Delicate because […]

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