MANILA, Philippines – In addressing the decades-long insurgency, aspiring president and labor leader Leody de Guzman has a pitch: meet the rebels’ demands. 

For his first face-off with fellow presidential aspirants, De Guzman said by addressing the demands of the Communist Party of the Philippines–New People’s Army (CPP-NPA), the country’s problem with insurgency would be solved. De Guzman said he will particularly focus on land reform. 

“Ang aking diskarte ay tutugunin ko ‘yong lahat ng mga demands ng mga New People’s Army na nakasulat doon sa kanilang dokumento. Nabasa ko lahat at napakamatarungan naman ‘yong kanilang kahilingan sa tunay na reporma sa lupa,” the Partido Lakas ng Masa bet said during the Panata sa Bayan: The KBP Presidential Candidates Forum on Friday, February 4. 

(My strategy would be to address this [insurgency] by meeting the demands of the NPA that they’ve written in a document. I have read all of it and their demand for land reform is highly justifiable.)

De Guzman and running mate, Laban ng Masa chairperson Walden Bello, are running to advance their pro-labor agenda and to fight their so-called “Marcos-Duterte Axis of Evil.” But aside from these, one of the tandem’s economic platforms is also to distribute all free remaining lands under a different agrarian reform. 

“Lahat ‘yan ay ni-recognize ni Marcos, ni Cory, ng lahat ng presidente pero hindi ipinatutupad nang totohanan. Ipatutupad ko nang totohanan ang tunay na repormang agraryo,” the labor leader added. 

(All of those [agrarian reform demands] were recognized by Marcos, by Cory, and all of the presidents, but they did not really implement the reforms. I will implement a true agrarian reform.)

President Rodrigo Duterte had a similar promise before he was elected: land reform and free water irrigation for farmers. Six years later, only free irrigation was fulfilled. 

Fighting injustice 

Aside from land reform, De Guzman said he would also address injustice in the country. According to him, injustice pushes people to take up arms. 

“Hangga’t ganyan ang hustisya sa atin, e hindi talaga mapipigil ang paglaban ng mga tao at pag-abot sa paghawak ng armas. Kaya sa tingin ko kapag natugunan natin ang kanilang kahilingan mauubusan ng dahilan ang NPA na maghawak pa ng armas,” the aspiring president said. 

(While injustice prevails, we can’t prevent people from fighting and taking up arms. That’s why I think if we meet their demands, the NPA would have no reason to continue taking up arms.)

Duterte had peace talks with rebels, but the chief executive ended it only a year into his presidency. Duterte terminated the talks because, he claimed, the communists “failed to show its sincerity and commitment in pursuing genuine and meaningful peace negotiations as it engaged in acts of violence and hostilities.”

The incumbent president failed to solve the insurgency in the country, which has been a concern for over five decades. After botching the peace talks, Duterte signed Executive Order No. 70, which seeks a whole-of-nation approach against insurgency. 

However, the order only worsened the red-tagging and crackdown on progressive individuals. A police operation dubbed “Bloody Sunday” in March 2021 even saw the death of at least nine activists and arrest of six others. – Rappler.com