The Reds and the new proletarian era

PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte questioned the sincerity of the communist leadership in pursuing peace. The offensives made by the Reds against government troops in the countryside is a manifestation of disorientation. Who is being followed by the New People’s Army? Are Sison and Jalandoni calling the shots for the field commanders? Is it possible that the local leaders are giving direct orders to fighters?

Social analysts believe that the peace talks between the government and the communist rebels are always aborted because the top leaders of the Reds do not believe in the fragmented solutions of government in our socio-economic political problems. The top leaders of the Reds in our country still believe in “The Communist Manifesto” of Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels. The Reds still adhere to the intellectual development of the working class.

The “true-blooded Reds” are preparing the way for a more complete insight into the true conditions for working class emancipation. A communist believes in the necessity of total social change. When I was a student leader in my younger years (Marcos era), I also believed (being a son of the sacada) that emancipation of the workers must be the act of the working class itself.

I was so attentive in the history of class struggles, contests between exploiting and exploited, ruling and oppressed classes. For the youth of the Marcos era, a stage that has been reached where the exploited and oppressed class – the proletariat – cannot attain its emancipation from the sway of exploiting and ruling class – the bourgeoisie – without, at the same time, and one for all, emancipating society at large from all exploitation, oppression, class distinction, and class struggles.

This is the belief of the Reds based on the “The Communist Manifesto” of Marx and Engels. I doubt if our Social Studies teachers have provided their students a view on this. Never heard? Bourgeoisie refers to the class of modern capitalists, owners of the means of social production and employers of wage labor. Proletariat refers to the class of modern wage laborers also, having no means of production of their own, are reduced to selling their labor power to live.

Society as a whole is divided into two great hostile camps, into two great classes: Bourgeoisie and Proletariat. The Reds believe that the real fruit of their battle lies, not in the immediate result, but in the ever-expanding union of workers. The proletarians have become a class and consequently put up their political party. They are now in Congress.

The immediate aim of a Communist is the formation of the proletariat into a class, overthrow of the bourgeois supremacy, and the conquest of the political power by the proletariat. Is this what President Duterte wants also? Oil will never mix with water. Can the two sides be serious if they do not have the same beliefs?

Can we stop this “nonsense conflict” after 50 years? Shall we have another 50 years of “nonsense” conflict” to prove what is really nonsense here? Negros Occidental had been a laboratory of their conflict. The late Bishop Ka Antonio Fortich warned us that we are seated on top of a bubbling volcano. We were visited by Pope John Paul II of Feb. 20, 1981 to tell the “Negros rich” to share so that the “Negros poor” will not become the social enemy.

The Reds (in Negros) are asking, “Where are we now? Are the hacienda workers happy with their salaries? How is their living condition? Do they have better houses? Are they able to send their children to school? Are our factory workers receiving the right salary and incentives? Are those working in malls have better working condition? Are they still victims of contractualization? Are our politicians polite and honest? Is the land reform program religiously implemented? More questions have to be asked.

Filipinos (our version of the bourgeoisie and proletariat) should come to argue with open senses on what we really want to happen to our people and society. Our politicians should be serious with their obligations to their people. President Duterte wants seriousness and the politicians cannot afford to be jokers. They have to show to the President the true colors of seriousness.

The Reds have to be sincere also. They cannot claim to be sincere if they do not value what was agreed. It takes first step to reach the finish line. Together, let us build an acceptable era, not just the proletarian era.

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