page_title: Communism in the Philippines
section_title: Formation of the CPP and other groups
hierarchical_section_title: Communism in the Philippines / Martial Law and Fourth Republic / Formation of the CPP and other groups
caption_attribution_description: English: Main hotspots of Communist activities in the Philippine archipelago.
context_page_description: Communism in the Philippines emerged in the first half of the 20th century during the American Colonial Era of the Philippines. Communist movements originated in labor unions and peasant groups. The communist movement has had multiple periods of popularity and relevance to the national affairs of the country, most notably during the Second World War and the Martial Law Era of the Philippines. Currently the communist movement is underground and considered an insurgent movement by the Armed Forces of the Philippines.
  The Communist movement in the Philippines officially began in 1930 with the formation of the Partido Komunista ng Pilipinas. The party was outlawed in 1932 by a decision from the Supreme Court, but was technically legalized in 1938. During the Second World War the PKP played a part in guerrilla warfare against the Japanese Occupation forces by way of the Hukbong Bayan Laban sa Hapon. The PKP took a more moderate stance, supporting efforts by the Osmena administration for social reform, before fully committing itself to the support of armed struggle by the Huks.
context_section_description: The PKP was practically non-existent at the onset of the 1960s. This was exacerbated by arrests of top CPP officials, culminating with the arrest of Jesus Lava in 1964. Six months prior to his arrest, Lava appointed four secretaries for the PKP. Among these were Pedro Taruc, a distant relative of Luis Taruc, and Amado Guerrero, nom de guerre of Jose Maria Sison, who at the time was a prominent figure in youth activism. Sison created the Kabataang Makabayan (Patriotic Youth), a youth-oriented nationalist organization in November 1964.
  That same year, Sison proposed a critique of the history of the PKP, which he submitted in 1966. Sison was highly critical of Lava and his policies during the past decade, referring to his "adventurism" and mishandling of the HMB rebellion. The document was suppressed by another one of Lava's appointees, a distant nephew. Tensions between the Lava group and Sison continued. In April 1967, Lava convened a group of seven and proclaimed himself the general secretary of the PKP. This led to a split within the PKP ranks.
  The culmination of this split occurred on December 26, 1968, when Sison and ten others formed the Communist Party of the Philippines. The following March, Sison established the New People's Army, its military arm. The NPA was headed by Bernabe Buscayno, under the alias Commander Dante. Starting with only 60 fighters and 35 rifles, the NPA focused on building support throughout the period. Events during the Marcos administration would swell its ranks through connections in local communities, the Catholic Church, and unions. In 1969, Sison published the pamphlet Philippine Society and Revolution, which detailed the problems faced by Philippine Society – imperialism, feudalism, and bureaucrat capitalism, as well as its solution – democratic revolution carried out through protracted people's war. The document drew heavily from Maoist principles and outlined the ideology of the new CPP.
caption: Communist Hotspots in the Philippines
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