Reds to hold ‘simple but joyous’ activities for CPP’s 52nd anniversary

The Communist Party of the Philippines on Friday announced that revolutionary forces would hold "simple but joyous" activities to commemorate the CPP's 52nd anniversary on December 26.

The CPP said the activities in rural and urban areas would push through despite the alleged attacks of the military, especially in peasant communities.

"These activities are going to be held clandestinely to evade suppression by the fascist enemy's military and police forces," the CPP said.

"The AFP (Armed Forces of the Philippines), has so far, failed to detect and prevent the gatherings and assemblies which have already been held in some revolutionary areas, and which are to be held tomorrow and in the coming days. In some villages, the masses and local NPA units were able to mount their gatherings right under the nose of the AFP," it added.

According to the CPP, the aim of the activities is "to look back in the past year, take stock of the current situation, pay tribute to the heroes and martyrs of the Philippine revolution, and affirm the commitment and determination to serve the people and fight to end the reign of terror and evil of the tyrannical US-Duterte regime."

These activities will also serve as education seminars to discuss the CPP's views about the present national and international situation, the group said.

Revolutionary forces in cities will hold gatherings in their communities and homes while in rural areas, assemblies can be held in a creative method "to avoid enemy detection."

"In their desperation to drown the joyous and militant spirit of the Party's anniversary celebration, it is not far fetched for Duterte's NTF-ELCAC to carry out another clampdown against the legal democratic forces, as it did last December 10, again by baselessly linking them with the revolutionary armed struggle in the countryside," the CPP said.

GMA News Online has reached out to the AFP regarding this matter. It has yet to reply as of posting time.

Both the CPP and the Philippine government did not declare truce this year. President Rodrigo Duterte pronounced that there would be no more truce with the rebels for the rest of his term.

According to the AFP, the communist rebels had been insincere in the past holiday ceasefires as they continued their hostilities against state forces and civilians.

For its part, the CPP said the vicious attacks of the government forces have forced the CPP Central Committee to "dispense with the traditional holiday ceasefire this year." — RSJ, GMA News