Name: Dublin, Daniel Subject: IPEN11F

Section: FS 302 Professor: Sir Jumel G. Estrañero

Insurgency in the Philippines

Actual Anasynthesis/Critique

Before we dive in to the presence of insurgency in the Philippines, let us define about the
meaning of insurgency. Karl Marx, in his theory, incorporated the word ‘insurgency’ to rebellion
and he defined it as for an ultimate goal to overthrow the ruling class in a state. Later on,
rebellion attempts to change its new system of political economy that one is suited and best for
the new set of systems in the ruling class. According to United Nations Department of Defense,
Insurgency was defined as an organized association or movement aimed to overthrow a
constituted state’s government through use of subversion and armed conflict, usually violent
attempt to control of a government considered as rebellion and uprising.

The popular insurgent groups or association in the Philippines are the CPP or the
Communist Party of the Philippines and the NPA or New People’s Army. These two insurgent
groups seek to overthrow the Philippine government in favour to form a new state government
and overthrow the influence of U.S. government in the Philippines. The CPP-NPA was
established by Jose Maria Sison on December 26, 1968 and became its chairman with his
pseudonym of Amado Guerrero. Months later, Sison established NPA on March 29, 1969 and
appointed Bernabe Buscayno as its first commander. Sison originally based the CPP-NPA’s
guiding principles in a book entitled “Philippine Society and Revolution”. With his basis on this
book, he identified the three major problems of the Philippines; these are bureaucrat capitalism,
feudalism and U.S. imperialism.

CPP-NPA possibly considered as Belligerent group by the International Humanitarian

Law because they have caused deaths of civilians and innocent people during their propaganda
activities in different years and times. For example, the NPA’s attacks 11 months before
President Rodrigo Duterte in many parts of Luzon that caused huge destructions of properties
and deaths of civilians, and military soldiers during their encounters. In my own opinion, I
considered CPP-NPA as terrorist groups because as I said it earlier, they have caused fear and
deaths of civilians and innocent people and have brainwashed people’s minds especially the
young minds to disagree to Philippine government and cause more terror to the Philippines.
During the new administration, President Rodrigo Duterte cancelled the peace talks with the CPP.
He later announced that the government will not launch any offensive attacks with the
communist groups following his unilateral ceasefire declaration during the holidays. The
relationship of the present Duterte’s administration with the communist groups have been on and
off because there have been conflict with their decisions and happenings during his
administration that triggered his will to eradicate those groups that are against the government.
 With my basic knowledge about communism, activism and political economy, I find it
difficult to relate these three but with my opinion, these three concepts are related to each other.
First, communism is a political movement trying to change the political concept by removing the
private ownership and raising the concept of socialism wherein there is no class struggle in the
society and communism in the Philippines is trying to change the political economy concept by
overthrowing its present governmental concept and trying to change it with their new concepts
and principle. Activism, on the other hand, was a movement by campaigning for a political or
social change. Activists are only fighting, not belligerently, their opinions with regards to
specific issues or policies in the government and changes in the political economy concept in the
Philippines. Both concepts of communism and activism are only trying to change the state
government’s ruling by implying and fighting for their own principles but these two have
different methods on how they try to change the political economy concept of the Philippines.

As a student, a Filipino and a concerned citizen of the Philippines, I could only

recommend to people especially the youth to raise awareness and widen their knowledge about
the communism and communist groups in the Philippines because these issues are not given
much attention by the generation today because of their concentration with the social media. But
with the help of new technology, these would help them to gain some information on what are
happening between the communist groups and the Philippine government. I also suggest that we,
Filipino citizens, should digest and understand what the government do in regards with these
issues especially the communism in the Philippines. We should appreciate how the government
make ways on how to maybe not to eradicate completely but to lessen the problems with the
connections to communist groups that causes destruction and terrorism. For my recommendation
to the present government, they should try to build a good relationship with communist group by
having peace talks and lessen the force to settle the issues between them. For the communist
groups, they should lessen their cause of destruction and deaths to the Philippines and try to
reach out with the government to have good relationship but trying to suggest their principles
and advocacies to the present government. But in the end, all of us must hope that all of things
would go through with our wishes to have peace and unity in our country and our countrymen
and struggle to reach a better Philippines with the guidance of our Almighty God.