What are the perspectives of people here on the politics of the Communist Party of the Philippines and the National Democrats?

Submitted by kasama_libsoc on February 14, 2020

This site is obviously named libcom for libertarian communism, but I am still interested to hear the perspectives of other people on the politics of the National Democratic movement led by the Communist Party of the Philippines.

Reddebrek

4 years 9 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by Reddebrek on February 26, 2020

Well they were kindof on the periphery in the UK. I can't remember any discussion of them at all that wasn't online amongst the Maoist internet, and that was mostly focused on the CPPs military campaigns.

I remember another user of the site said that in the 80s there was a joke about the NPA being the "Nice People's Army" since unlike all the other maoist guerilla movements that didn't appear to be responsible for massacres. Then some news about how they did in fact murder people in their territory got out, and they just sort of faded.

I can't think of anything that dealt with the national democratic front much. The only things that come to mind is a youtube video, again about the guerilla army, and an anecdote I came across while looking up left wing homophobia that said the CPP movement had conducted same sex partnership ceremonies.

kasama_libsoc

4 years 9 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by kasama_libsoc on February 27, 2020

Hmm alright thanks. Yeah I know of those purges. I am uploading articles on the purges for libcom because the original sites went down.

Yeah they conduct gay weddings but for me that is a "so what?" kind of thing. If they murder their own comrades, what's the point of them officiating gay weddings? Really their authoritarian structure consumes their own committed communists.

indonesiasindikalis

4 years 4 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by indonesiasindikalis on July 7, 2020

How many died in that purges?

Entdinglichung

4 years 4 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by Entdinglichung on July 8, 2020

950 according to http://www.europe-solidaire.org/spip.php?article53029 in Mindanao plus some in other places

These Party actions—revising an official evaluation, then claiming a crisis was over—did not erase the devastating impact of Kahos. The killing cost the CPP dearly. While it did ferret out military spies, Kahos’s victims were mainly loyal cadres, guerrillas, and activists whose only transgression was to be critical of and disagree with Party policies. [11] Within a six-month period, 950 cadres, guerrillas, and activists were executed for being demonyo suspects. [12] The dislocation was massive—in nine months party membership declined from nine thousand to a mere three thousand due to resignation, surrender, or AWOL; the NPA was reduced from fifteen or sixteen companies to a mere two, supported by seventeen platoons; and the CPP lost over 50 percent of its mass base. [13] Reports of Kahos-like incidents in Southern Luzon, albeit on a minor scale, worsened matters for a CPP already placed on the political defensive after 1986. By the end of the decade, the CPP was experiencing the most serious crisis of its twenty-year history, with Kahos being the most painful of all its misfortunes.