National Democratic Front chief consultant Jose Maria Sison.
DAVAO CITY – National Democratic Front chief consultant Jose Maria Sison said on Thursday, June 2, that their draft proposal for the second substantive agenda on socio-economic reforms is realistic.
“Our reforms are not [yet] socialist but what we are proposing is a bourgeois democratic reforms, we will still follow the classic development of the advance capitalist countries; national industrialization and land reform,” Sison said through Skype social networking site in a live media forum hosted by Altermidya – People’s Alternative Media Network.
During the said forum, Sison throws question to the media, “who doesn’t want democracy? Who doesn’t want national industrialization so that there will be no need for the 20 percent labor force of the country to look for job abroad? Who doesn’t want land reform that will benefit the 70 percent of the people [farmers] and will ensure sufficient food supply of the country?”
“Who doesn’t want patriotic and progressive culture and broad free education for the youth?” Sison added.
Sison said that in order for these reforms to happen, a cooperation with the incoming Duterte administration and the NDF is needed.
These proposed reforms by the NDF, according to Sison, “is just a completion of the national democratic revolution of Bonifacio,” where is he said is “very much” doable.
“The changes we wanted to happen in our country are very doable if the Duterte government is determined, together with the NDF, to have a fundamental change, genuine freedom, and development,” Sison said.
However, Sison also recognized “certain realities” of the existence of the local oligarchs, landlords, and the foreign countries who are not in favor of the reforms they are proposing.
“If the oligarchs, landlords, and big compradors will resist, the united Filipinos will fight against them. As long as you are with the Filipino, you will not be defeated, it will always be a victory,” he said.
Sison lauded Duterte’s recent statement on the influence of the United States with the Philippines given the friendly relationship it has.
On Tuesday press conference at the Presidential Guest House in Panacan here, Duterte said that his administration will not be dependent on the US.
He said that “it is not intended to please anybody but the Filipino interest.”
Sison said that “as long as the spirit of patriotism is there on the ranks of the state forces and the people, the president can do what he wanted alongside with the revolutionary forces.
This will be done if “Duterte has political will, the President has the biggest power under the constitution,” Sison said. (davoatoday.com)
