It has come to my attention that many comrades here have taken the imperialist hook, like and sinker. Is Duterte deserving of a shot to the head because of a slur? Can we brush off recent progressive developments in the Philippines under his watch because of extrajudicial killings? How do Filipino communists, us who are actually on the ground, see and analyze Duterte?

For the longest time, the Philippines has been ruled by presidents who serve as puppets of the imperialist United States. These presidents, since the granting of nominal independence in 1946 by the US, have only serve local reactionary and imperialist interests. Economic and political policies have been implemented in accordance to the dictates of the World Bank, International Monetary Fund, Association of Southeast Asian Nations, and other international bodies that merely serve as masks of US imperialism. Due to the implementation of these policies, the Philippines has been reduced into a semi-colony — a country with political independence yet serve the function of a colony — of the United States. Foreign mining companies have raped our mountains and displaced communities, aggravating the militarization of the countryside. The domestic industry never saw development as the framework of industrialization plans of these regimes merely strengthen the import-dependent character of our economy. Landlessness of poor farmers continued to remain in the countryside, exploited under feudal relations. As if exporting raw resources isn't enough, even Filipinos are shipped to overseas as a way to sell off cheap labor. These societal problems, among many others, continued to prevail in Philippine society under all presidents the Philippines ever had.

Before and during the elections, Duterte has no doubt charmed the Filipino masses who yearn for change. He presented himself as different from all other candidates and politicians who came from political dynasties and landlord families. He used strong words and slurs of every kind. He said what your typical Filipino has always had in mind. Needless to say, Duterte's victory was seen as a reaction to the extreme conditions the Filipino masses have been forced to endure. It is also worth mentioning that Duterte has deep ties with the revolutionary movement. His professor back in college was the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) founder Jose Ma. Sison. He became part of the Kabataang Makabayan or Patriotic Youth, which is an underground revolutionary organization that comprise the United Front and exists up to this day. He also facilitated the release of prisoners-of-war held by the New People's Army (NPA), building a close amiable relationship with one of the well-loved and well-respected NPA commander, Ka Parago. When Ka Parago was martyred, he said that he would have liked the NPA commander to run with him as his vice-president . He then allowed a grand procession for Ka Parago in the city he serves as mayor. There was also one incident when Duterte accepted an invitation to be a National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDF) peace consultant. This alarmed the Aquino administration that they sent the Interior secretary to talk him down

guardedly optimistic under the Duterte regime. Once sworn into office, he asked the NDF for a list of people to be put to four cabinet posts . For whatever reason, Duterte reduced the number to three. The secretaries for Agrarian Reform, Education, and Welfare all came from NDFP nominees and are part of the legal mass movement. This is an effort to set a good atmosphere for the formal resumption of peace talks between the government and the NDF, representing the revolutionary forces. Two of his campaign promises were the release of NDF consultants held as political prisoners with trumped-up charges, and the formal resumption of peace talks. This is in stark contrast to what the ruling party's candidate attitude towards the Left. Mar Roxas, the Liberal Party presidential candidate, has once called the Left as godless communists , people who the government can't possibly negotiate with. Needless to say, militant and progressive groups, along with the revolutionary forces, saw the appointment of militant and progressive secretaries, as a very positive development. In response, the legal mass movement greeted Duterte's first State of the Nation Address (SONA), not with the burning of effigies, but with a 'festive and militant march' . It was also the first time ever that a president invited representatives of the legal mass movement inside the president's palace , the Malacañang Palace, for a warm welcome after the SONA demonstration. The legal mass movement, headed by Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (BAYAN) or the New Patriotic Alliance, crafted a list of reforms called the People's Agenda that they urge the newly elected president to implement. The Communist Party of the Philippines also sees the Duterte presidency as an opportunity to be seized for pushing forth the peace talks and accelerating the implementation of bourgeois democratic reforms. All in all, the revolutionary should beunder the Duterte regime.

Here are recent progressive developments that were over-shadowed by Duterte's slurs and strong words, and the serious problem of extrajudicial killings:

Unilateral declarations of ceasefire from both the government and the revolutionary forces

2, 3 Suspension of mining operations in the countryside 1

What I ask of comrades is to not brush off these progressive developments under Duterte because of what you have read in the headlines.

READ: CPP analyses of Duterte administration 1, 2, 3