BOOK REVIEW

PIT SOUTHERN LEYTE

 Title: The Wars Within

Author: Phil Fortuno

Publisher: MindSpark Publishing

Date of Publication: March 10, 2020

Number of Pages: 275 Pages

Reviewed by: PEMS Mariano G Cerro Jr

Office: RIU8, PIT Southern Leyte

I. BOOK SUMMARY

This book focuses on the idealistic youth, the dispossessed and the poor,
and the victims of injustice are the easiest converts to communism and the revolution
it espouses. Thus, there is a need for a better understanding of revolution itself, that
its main objective is freedom from tyranny, the transfer of power from the oppressor to
the oppressed. Revolution means the modernization of archaic autocratic society, and
the ultimate modernizer is the revolutionary.

We must now turn particularly to our part of the world to the exemplary experiences of
Japan, Korea, Taiwan and Singapore. The modernization of these countries was
made with the least of violence because they were modernized by their elites
themselves, by the middle classes, professionals, and businessmen – not by the
revolutionary proletariat. The modernizers took advantage of the intelligence, the
vaulting nationalism of the awakened people and a strong State.

We have a very strong revolutionary tradition and an Armed Forces that developed
from this tradition. Our Armed Forces is composed primarily of the lower classes from
all sectors of society, an Armed Forces that is the only institution capable of holding
the country together. This country cannot be sundered by violence anymore. Many of
the NPA cadres come from the poor; so do most of the soldiers. When the poor kill
the poor – who profits?

Doctrinally, the communists are correct in fighting the Army as an instrument of the
State without quite understanding that our real enemy is the oligarchy, the very rich
Filipinos who control the economy and the State as well. If the Filipino communists
are real Marxists, this is what they will discover. As the American reformer Wendell
Phillips stated, “If the land (wealth) is in the hands of a few, you don’t have
democracy – you have an oligarchy.”

National Security Adviser retired general Hermogenes Esperon Jr. is deeply aware of
how poverty is a major rationale for the NPA’s longevity. He observed that
sometimes, a simple barrio road is all that is needed in distraught areas to banish
poverty.

As it is composed today, the Army continues to battle the NPA out of a sense of
patriotism and duty. So many soldiers have already given up their lives in this
struggle. Yet, even with all the inequalities and the crippling physical and moral
 poverty, there is great social mobility for the very poor. The public school system has
made this possible. To cite just a few instances of those who rose from the dumps,
there is Bulakeño Blas Ople, for instance, who rose to become senator and minister
of foreign affairs, the Caviteño banker Ramon Sy, the Cebuano tycoon John
Gokongwei and Tondo’s Isko Domagoso who is now Manila’s mayor. Though I
haven’t become as comfortable as these people, I like to think of myself as having
risen from the dregs, too.

We need that Revolution now – with the ballot and not with the bullet. That chance for
social change comes regularly with the elections. This requires from all of us more
discerning intelligence, for the young people to strive for excellence and, above all, for
us to love this country for it is all that we have.

II. BACKGROUND

a. Origin of the trade;

 This book is written highlighting the life of Victor Patria, that can
help provide theoretical insights into the emergence and
maintenance of enemy images in various social contexts starting
from the family, peer groups and the society. Significantly, the
book highlighted many key aspects of the CPP-NPA-NDF: (1)
how they recruited bright and promising students and impacted
millions of families in the process, (2) how they agitated different
sectoral groups, (3) how they infiltrated different organizations and
hijacked their advocacies to push the communist agenda instead,
(4) how the CPP-NPA-NDF runs on favoritism and corruption, and
(5) how resources for the people were and are being used for
communist insurgency initiatives. Sadly, tons of resources were
laid to waste in this so-called protracted people’s war (PPW).
Resources that could have been easily used for development
projects that could have benefited those who need it the most in
different far flung communities nationwide.

b. Modus Operandi;
 The CPP-NPA-NDF don’t just want reform, they want to overthrow
the Government and replace it with an entirely different system.
c. Threat/Adversary
  The CPP-NPA-NDF is considered in our country as terrorist group
who purposely conducting any terrorist attacks and other cruel
activities aiming to overthrow the Philippine government.
d. Strengths;
 Recruitment, CPP-NPA-NDF prioritized talented youths,
especially the thinkers, artist and the writers to become Cadre.
e. Weaknesses;
 They can easily be infiltrated by Deep Penetration Agent (DPA) of
the government.
 Monetary aspect.
f. Social Environment;
 The CPP-NPA-NDF are considered threat in the community
wherein majority of the residents in any different places don’t want
their presence within their barangay.
III. ANALYSIS

a. Related Philippine Vulnerability;

 The CPP-NPA-NDF is filled with master infiltrators and
propagandists. Their efforts are made stronger through well-
thought communication strategies, and supported by their allies in
the media. Government security forces must also take on the
communication and information battlefield, particularly the
internet, if they are to win the hearts and minds of Filipinos.
Further, as we have seen in Victor’s story, the most basic way to
prevent further CPP recruitment is at the basic unit of society, the
family. It is imperative that parents maintain good values and form
good relationship with their children who might be the vulnerable
for recruitment. Creating an open atmosphere at home can help
parents detect when their children are already being targeted.

b. Lesson that the Philippine Law Enforcement Agencies can learn from the
book;
 This book emphasizes the courses of action needed for our law
enforcement agencies in dealing with the plans and strategies of
the CPP-NPA-NDF.

c. Recommended Courses of Action for the PNP and other Law

Enforcement Agencies;
  The PNP and other Law Enforcement Agencies who are task on
Internal Security Operation (ISO) must focus on the directives of
“to End Local Armed Conflict”(NTF-ELCAC).
 Counter propagandas on areas concerned particularly Schools,
Universities and State Colleges infiltrated by the CPP-NPA-NDF.
 Uses of all media platform to downgrade the CPP-NPA-NDF
propagandas.
 Disallowing the International Support to the CPP-NPA-NDF.

IV. MOST POWERFUL LINE THAT SUMMARIZES THE BOOK

“Aside from defeating and crushing the NPA, and countering their political operations
in urban centers, the government also has to focus on how to curb and crush the
network of resource and finance generation of CPP. Unfortunately, the government
had long fell short on this effort.”