Habang mas tumatagal ako sa pagninilay, mas nauunawaan ko na ang digmaan labas sa romantisasyon ng propaganda. Sa papel, ang rebolusyon ay apoy ng katarungan. Sa aktwal, ito ay apoy na maaaring sumunog sa mga tahanan ng mismong mga taong nais mong ipagtanggol. Sa bawat engkwentro, hindi ideolohiya ang unang nasasaktan kundi tao. Magsasaka. Kabataan. Pamilya.

Tinay Palabay of Karapatan loudly proclaims about former rebel Alma Gabin: “Wala hong kredibilidad ’yan! Bayad ’yan ng militar!” It’s the familiar line of today’s national democratic organizations.

The killings are not random violence but systematic, claimed by the Communist Party of the Philippines and NPA’s vigilante-style summary execution. Their alleged offense? Being “suspected informants.”

On February 8, 2026, Julieta de Lima’s keynote speech for the 21st National Congress of the League of Filipino Students was uploaded to the organization’s YouTube channel. De Lima, who was the wife of the late Jose Maria Sison, addressed youth activists – praising them for their achievements, reminding them of the importance of struggle, and challenging them to stay engaged with the movement. However, an analysis of the speech, in the lens of former CPP youth cadres, sho