Category Archives: reds

These are what the Communists will do if they win in the Philippines

Written for Manila Today Beware of communists, they will confiscate your properties after forcing your family to live in a labor camp. Is this true? Perhaps yes, but only if you belong to the .01 percent of the 1 percent of the ruling elite, and only if your family’s political record is scandalously brutal. Otherwise, […]

Also posted in economy, nation | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Why I am not offended when somebody calls me a communist

Written for Bulatlat I keep silent every time I am tagged a communist. It’s not embarrassment but more of disbelief that in this day and age, a red baiter still thinks that this kind of witch hunt is politically legitimate or even persuasive. How dangerous it is to live in a society where people are […]

Posted in reds | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Maoism is the reason why the hills are alive in the Philippines

Written for Bulatlat How do you explain the presence of communist rebels in the country’s forest frontiers? Interestingly, the last remaining green spaces in the boondocks are strongholds of the New People’s Army. So who really should rejoice every time a province is declared NPA-free? The masses or the extractive industry? To preserve the richness […]

Posted in reds | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Bakit Aktibista Ang Crush Ng Crush Mo?

Sinulat para sa Manila Today Dahil nagtitiwala siya sa masa; dahil kinakalinga siya ng masa Kaibigan ng mga inaapi, kaaway ng mga ilustradong kontrabida sa lipunan. Hindi umaastang bayani, sa halip ay nakasandig sa lakas ng mamamayang pumipiglas. Mayroon siyang barkada na ang tawag niya ay kolektib, mayroon siyang ugnay mula siyudad hanggang probinsiya na […]

Also posted in youth | Tagged , | Leave a comment

How to write against the Left

Written for Bulatlat Start by insinuating that it’s evil to be associated with the Left, for example ‘Beware of Left-leaning groups’. There’s no need to elaborate; simply insert the term ‘Left’ in a sentence to warn innocent minds about the threat posed by Leftist individuals, groups, institutions, and ideologies. To make it more convincing, tag […]

Posted in reds | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Why we should reject the sentimental activism of reactionary bureaucrats

Written for Bulatlat Some reactionaries in the bureaucracy erroneously assume that their activism in the past makes them intellectually and even morally superior over the present generation of change advocates. Some probably misjudged their bohemian lifestyle as activism or they could have lied about their political record. But there are really existing apostates in various […]

Posted in reds | Tagged | 4 Comments

Everything you wanted to know about Philippine politics but were afraid to ask the Left

Written for Bulatlat What did the Philippines, South Korea, and Japan had in common in the 1950s? They all allowed the United States to build military bases in their territories. But in 1991, the Philippines kicked out the bases even if it remained an unabashed admirer of American culture. The expulsion of American troops from […]

Also posted in nation | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

From Abra to Sarangani: The revolution in four deaths

Written for Bulatlat Tatay Francis Morales. Arnold Borja ‘AJ’ Jaramillo. Recca Noelle Monte. Rendell Ryan ‘Perper’ Cagula. AJ, Recca, and Perper were martyred NPA revolutionaries while Tatay Francis was an environmental activist who succumbed to leukemia. Their untimely deaths meant so many things to many people especially to loved ones who already shared moving tributes […]

Also posted in youth | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Why a communist threat will make the world a better place

Written for Bulatlat A specter is badly needed today, the specter of communism. It is not enough to expose the evils of capitalism; we must offer and revive a leftwing alternative. To borrow a few words from a philosopher, we have already interpreted capitalism in various ways – the point however is to change it. […]

Also posted in economy | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

10 Happy things activists always love to do

Written for Bulatlat 1. Journeying to the countryside to live with peasant and IP communities. Nature tripping, mountaineering, and political field work plus more. Tourism is fun but an activist explores the rural not just to celebrate and document geography but to study the condition of the masses. He is not there to feitishize the […]

Posted in reds | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment