MANILA, Philippines — The Communist Party of the Philippines announced that its founding chairperson Jose Maria Sison died Friday night after a two-week confinement in the hospital. He was 83.
Sison, a former youth leader and university professor who founded the CPP and the New People's Army, had been in exile in the Netherlands since the late 1980s. He had also often been rumored to have died. The party on Saturday morning said that this time, it was true.
“The Filipino proletariat and toiling people grieve the death of their teacher and guiding light,” the CPP said Saturday in a statement as it gave its “highest possible tribute” to Sison whom it called a “great Marxist-Leninist-Maoist thinker, patriot, internationalist and revolutionary leader.”
"Even as we mourn, we vow to continue to give all our strength and determination to carry the revolution forward guided by the memory and teachings of the people's beloved Ka Joma," the CPP said further.
Sison founded the CPP on December 26, 1968 and the New People’s Army as its armed wing the following year. The NPA has since been waging the longest-running insurgency in Asia.
He was arrested in 1977 and held in solitary confinement for most of his years in detention before his release in 1986 after the fall of the Marcos dictatorship.
After peace talks with the administration of then President Corazon Aquino failed in 1987, Sison fled to Europe in self-exile, where he remained until his death. He was unable to return home because the government had cancelled his passport and because of concerns for his safety and security.
At the time of his death, Sison was chief political consultant of the National Democratic Front of the Philippines, which represents the CPP and NPA at peace talks. He was also chairperson emeritus of the International League of People's Struggles.
Peace negotiations between the Philippine government and communist rebels went on-and-off during the administrations following Aquino.
Rodrigo Duterte, who had billed himself as being socialist and from the political left, restarted peace talks in 2016, but these collapsed over accusations of ceasefire violations.
Duterte then declared the CPP and NPA as terrorist groups, although a court has yet to formally declare them as such.
The Anti-Terrorism Council designated the two groups as terrorist in 2020. The National Democratic Front of the Philippines, which represents the CPP and NPA at peace talks, was designated a terrorist group in 2021.
Crumbling hierarchy
The Department of National Defense (DND) on Saturday said the death of Sison in the Netherlands on Friday would crumble the leadership of the remaining insurgents.
"The death of Jose Maria Sison is but a symbol of the crumbling hierarchy of the CPP-NPA-NDF (New People's Army-National Democratic Front) which he founded to violently put himself in power," the agency said.
The DND said Sison's death also deprived the Filipino people of the opportunity to bring this fugitive to justice under the country's laws.
"Sison was responsible for the deaths of thousands of our countrymen. Innocent civilians, soldiers, police, child and youth combatants died because of his bidding," it said.
With this development, the DND is calling on the few remaining believers of Sison who have unwittingly turned themselves into the enemy of the people and are still blinded by the deceased's duplicitous and failed promises, to turn their backs on the violent and false ideology of the CPP-NPA-NDF.
"Five decades of brutal and bloody aggression against the state and the Filipino people have led to nothing but destruction and strife for thousands of Filipinos. A new era without Jose Maria Sison dawns for the Philippines, and we will all be better for it. The greatest stumbling block of peace for the Philippines is gone; let us now give peace a chance," the agency said.
Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) spokesperson, Col. Medel Aguilar, for his part, said Sison's death is an opportunity for his successor to turn away from the armed struggle.
"It's an opportunity for his successor if there will be, to chart a new direction in promoting reforms. Hopefully, away from armed struggle," he said when asked about the possible impact of the CPP founder's death.
Also, Aguilar said there were only 2,112 insurgents as of last validation and this figure has declined since then.
He also expressed optimism that Sison's death will further weaken the underground movement.
"The loss of a 'teacher' and 'guiding light' leaves the organization with no purpose and clear direction. But the organization needs to have a good 'teacher' and 'guiding light' who will lead its members away from violence and destruction," Aguilar said.
Meanwhile, Philippine National Police (PNP) spokesperson, Col. Redrico Maranan, said Sison's death is a huge blow to the CPP-NPA-NDF.
While deaths are not causes of joy for anyone, Maranan said he is looking at this development at a "positive note" as a law enforcer.
"It is really a big blow to the CPP-NPA-NDF as they lost the person they are looking as a leader," he said.
The CPP earlier said the Netherlands-based Sison died around 8:40 p.m. Friday after two weeks of confinement at a hospital.
Sison's death came as the CPP would mark its 54th founding anniversary on Dec. 26. He founded the organization in 1968.
Sison was arrested during the time of President Ferdinand E. Marcos -- the father of the incumbent president -- in 1976, along with his wife. They were released from detention in 1986 after then President Corazon Aquino came to power.
In 1987, Sison went on a self-exile in the Netherlands after peace talks with the government stalled. Peace talks were on and off since then until President Rodrigo Duterte terminated the negotiations in November 2017.
The CPP is the political wing of the NPA. —With reports from PNA