Partido Komunista ng Pilipinas (1930)

Preamble to Constitution and By-Laws of the Hukbong Mapagpalaya ng Bayan

1950


Written by: Hukbong Mapagpalaya ng Bayan (HMB), the armed wing of the PKP-1930;
Published: 1946
Source: Text retrieved from pages 89–90 of the appendix of Communism in the Philippines: An introduction by Alfredo B. Saulo and published by Ateneo de Manila University Press in 1990; the appendix indicates this was taken from the from the AFP Handbook on the CPP issued by the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP);
Markup: Simoun Magsalin;
Public Domain: Marxists Internet Archive 2005. This work is completely free.
Note: This is a translation.


World War II has ended, the Axis was defeated; but fascism was salvaged, improved and adopted by Anglo-American imperialists and their puppets. Freedom-loving people everywhere, who fought against fascism, now realize that even if we have won the war, we have not won the peace — that democratic and indivisible peace we all fought for. Fascist-imperialists and their puppets are now using the combined power of the bloody dollar, the policy of “divide and rule,” and cold-blooded ruthlessness to reimpose their will and crush all democratic movements.

Our country is a typical example. The government is a fascist dictatorship of feudal landlords, comprador capitalists, professional political lackeys and bootlickers of imperialists propped up by the American-imperialist-trained and supplied mercenary army. Terrible persecution or death comes to any militant citizen who resists this tyrant and farcical “democracy.” “Independence” is a gross insult. Central Luzon, Southern Luzon, Negros, Lanao and many other parts of the country lie prostrate under the iron heels of the Liberal Party’s Wall Street-backed fascist dictatorship.

The judiciary, the legislative, the Electoral Commission — all branches of the government — bow meekly to the whims of Malacañang. The supreme law of the land, the Constitution, has been declared a “useless scrap of paper” by Quirino. When the “Apo” speaks, the mailed fist clanks, armored cars and tanks rumble, cannons boom, bombs explode and the war-ravaged people cower in terror. While the populace tremble, the corrupt officialdom gorge themselves with the flesh and blood of the nation.

In the face of these national crimes and treachery we have no other recourse but to act. We, the freedom-democracy-and-peace-loving Filipinos, consider it our supreme duty to our Mother-land, our national martyrs, countless unknown brothers who fell in the fields of all past battles for freedom, to our posterity and cherished code of honor and righteousness, to band together and resort to our inherent right and only remaining means to save our country and our nationhood — armed uprising or revolution. But for a revolution to succeed the people must be well organized to enable them to coordinate all their efforts for the common purpose. And the vanguard of the struggle must be a strong people’s army of liberation. This people’s army must be guided by an efficient and disciplined organizational life. Patriotism and noble aspirations alone are not enough.

For our common guidance, discipline and action, we therefore adopt this Constitution and By-Laws and such related regulations and basic principles mentioned and fundamentally expressed therein, this ———— day of ————————————————————, 19 ———————— in the Sierra Madre Mountains.