Roland G. Simbulan » The Future of the Philippine Left

Social change does not belong to one group or another, but it has to be the work of the entire people. Diversity and pluralism side by side with solidarity in struggle must be mustered by the progressive forces as a prerequisite for future democratic governance that requires tolerance, consensus-building and respect for differing ideas. The Philippine Left should also prepare itself to manage and lead those who may still disagree with it, and develop the skills necessary for efficient, accountable and productive administration. This is what governance is all about. It is true that the Left has made mistakes, but even failure is a great teacher when put into perspective by criticism and hard-earned lessons.

The best way to solve armed insurgency and rebellion is to guarantee the safety of those willing to work for peaceful reforms even if they openly advocate the Left’s agenda. For how can the Left even look forward to an electoral future when vigilantes and death squads attempt to systematically cripple their grassroots machinery by physically eliminating their unarmed local coordinators and members, a situation anathema to democracy? Political warlords and the landed aristocracy should now realize that they can no longer inflict coercive force with impunity in our countrysides and that they can be neutralized by an organized and socially-conscious force of peasants, farm workers, indigenous people and sacadas.

In the Cagayan region for example, the KAGIMUNGAN, an alliance of Cagayan farmers which has won many benefits for thousands of farmers, and gained recognition as their staunch defender , is under violent attack by vested interests trying to roll back the peasants’ hard earned gains. Even as the Left bears the brunt of the gendarmes of repression in various parts of the country, it cannot fail politically in the eyes of the people who daily bear the violence of hunger, poverty and malnutrition. In fact, most of those victims of extrajudicial killings from the Left are seen locally as martyrs, heroes and even role models by the masses with and for whom they have lived selflessly, with the basic mission of improving social conditions.

For as long as oppression and exploitation exists, the Left will persist — in various forms of struggle — to challenge the oppressors and to continue to touch our conscience. This country needs the Left’s ideology and dedication that goes beyond loyalty to family, clan or a narrow social circle: a sense of community and nationhood. If all the progressive forces of the Left could unite around a national development agenda for the people’s welfare and upliftment and overcome sectarianism — and unity not based on a strict doctrinaire line is necessary — it is not farfetched that in the future the progressive Left can strategically share power or even gain power like their counterparts in Latin America, Japan and Europe. To solve manifold problems in governance may be difficult, but it is not impossible. Spain, one of the countries in Europe that President Arroyo just recently visited, is ruled by a socialist party, the Partido Socialista Obrero Espanol (PSOE).

Just visit the Bantayog ng mga Bayani shrine along the corner of EDSA and Quezon Avenue and one will read on its walls the names of this country’s brightest and most committed martyrs and heroes, most of them from the Philippine Left who sacrificed their lives in the struggle against the Marcos dictatorship. Names like Lorena Barros, Edgar Jopson, Emmanuel Yap, Antonio Tagamolila, Lean Alejandro, Macli-ing Dulag, Fr. Zacarias Agatep, Emmanuel Lacaba, Purificacion Pedro, Liliosa Hilao, Dr. Bobby de la Paz, Dr. Juan Escandor among many others with deep social convictions, are engraved on the Bantayog walls.

It is to the credit of the broad Philippine Left that what were once considered “leftist issues” like debt service, trade liberalization, land reform and foreign investments, etc., are now being tackled and debated as part of the national consciousness by the mainstream media and even by our policy makers in Congress. Today, the Philippine Left thrives in every community, organization and institution that they have empowered : among our farmers, workers, indigenous people, students, teachers, health workers, government employees, artists, church people, and yes, soon even among our restive soldiers!

Indeed, the true parent of people power is the Philippine Left. (pinoypress.net)