VANGUARD - Expressing the viewpoint of the Communist Party of Australia (Marxist-Leninist)
For National Independence and Socialism • www.cpaml.org
The Communist Party of Australia (Marxist-Leninist) joins with the entire international proletarian revolutionary movement in expressing our sadness at the passing of Comrade Jose Maria Sison, founding Chairperson of the Communist Party of the Philippines.
Comrade Sison died on Friday night at the age of 83 after a two-week confinement in a hospital in the Netherlands, where he had been living in forced exile from his own country. His death came after a life of inspiring revolutionary service to the people.
On December 26, 1968, Joma and his comrades founded the Communist Party of the Philippines in opposition to the revisionist Lava clique which had thrown in its lot with the revisionist leadership of the Soviet Union.
The new Party, founded on the birthday of Comrade Mao Zedong, committed itself to applying the teachings of Marxism-Leninism-Mao Zedong Thought to the circumstances prevailing in the Philippines.
Using the pseudonym Amado Guerrero, in October 1969 Joma published the ground-breaking manifesto Philippine Society and Revolution on which the activities of the Party, the National Democratic Front and the New People’s Army were based. The NPA has led the longest-running and very successful People’s War under Comrade Sison’s ideological and political leadership.
In 2001, Joma established the International League of People’s Struggles (ILPS) to coordinate and support the anti-imperialist and democratic struggles of the world’s peoples. In 2020 Comrade Sison resigned as Chairperson of the ILPS although he continued to provide great ideological leadership as immediate past Chairperson.
The CPA (M-L) has confidence that the people of the Philippines will turn grief into strength and score new victories guided by the enduring legacy and inspiration of Comrade Jose Maria Sison.
Central Committee
Communist Party of Australia (Marxist-Leninist)
17 December 2022