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haps.
commonly known as Huks. In
times past, this makeshíft, commu–
nist-ínspired army of over 10,000
continually terrorized the country–
side, especially Luzon, the Philip–
pines' largest island.
Today the Huks have dwindled in
numbers and influence, but in their
place has risen the Maoist-oriented
Bagong Hukbong Bayan,
or New
People's Army (NPA). The NPA is
schooled in Maoist thought and
practice with many of its leaders Pe–
king-trained in revolutionary
science. For years the revolution–
a ries have been slowly gaining
ground in central and northern Lu–
zon, from their apparent base in Isa–
bela Province. Numbering only a
few thousand in actual numbers,
their base of popular support prior
to Marcos' declaration of martial
law was reportedly in excess of
500,000 persons in over twenty of
the nation's sixty-seven provinces.
When martial Jaw was imposed
last fall, President Marcos declared:
"We've prevented another Vietnam
in tbe Philippines." He asserted that
his action against the guerri lla
movement would prevent, in the
Philippines, that which had already
occurred in Vietnam.
However, many concemed ob–
servers nevertheless draw disturbing
parallels between the Philippines of
the seventies and the Vietnam of the
early sixties. They stress the initially
socialist nature of tbe NPA - "so–
cialist as Ho Chi Minh was social–
ist." Tbey see danger in its
continuing success in garner ing
local support among extremely poor
peasants wh o understand little
about "isms" but mucb about im–
poverished Jife-styles. These observ–
ers are concemed with the forming
of "revolutionary committees" in
eighteen or more Pbilippine prov–
inces. They also point out an obvi–
ous para llel with Vietnam : the
presence of U.S. military advisors
against the backdrop of a huge $2
billion-plus U.S. economic invest–
ment in these islands.
10
Southeast Asian "Jihad"?
Thus far the communist insur–
gency of the NPA has been essen–
tially Jocalized in the northern
Philippine provinces. But in the
southem region of Mindanao and
the Sulu Archipelago, another even
more bitter and explosive struggle is
taking place.
President Marcos went befa re the
nation on Apri l 24 this year to an–
nounce that almost one million per–
sons had fted their bornes in the face
of brutal fighting between groups of
Philippine Moslems and Christians
in these southern provinces. Reach–
ing back to Spanish rule in the 16th
century, skirmishes between these
opposing forces have accounted for
well over three thousand dead over
the last five years. Add to that the
innumerable other Josses in injured
and in property on both sides.
Often paralleling Northern Ire–
land in its ugly violence, this bitter
animosity between Moslems and
Christians caused mobilization of
opposing rebel forces estimated at
14,000 to 16,000 troops. Taking the
bizarre nickname of
ilagas
or "rats,"
Christians formed vigilante bands to
fight marauding Moslem groups
known as "barracudas."
Though officials in Manila st ress
that the Mos lem- Christi a n in–
fighting does not constitute a jihad,
or Moslem " holy war," the dangers
involved are serious. Among the 3.5
million Moslems heavily clustered
in Mindanao's Cotabato Province
and much of the Sulu Archipelago,
there is talk of secession from the
Philippine nation. Certain Moslems
have dreamed of a link up with
neighboring Sabah, a Moslem semi–
autonomous state in Malaysian Bor–
neo, thus forming a new nation out
of Sabah, Mindanao and the Sulu
island chain.
Since the declaration of martial
law, there has been a steady stream
of Moslems moving across the Sulu
Sea to Sabah. Senior officials in Ma–
Iaysia privately estímate the number
at ten to twenty thousand.
Tbe Ma ni la governmen t has
voiced concern over indications of
inftuence from other nations. Rebel
leaders are reportedly being trained
by Maoist elements, and Libya's
Colonel Muammar Qaddafi has
warned that Libya will be forced
to
"assume her responsibility" if the
asserted "extermination" campaigns
against Filipino Moslems continue.
Also, it has been reported that fi–
nancia! and other aid has al ready
been suppl ied to the Moslem seces–
sionists from Middle East sources.
Oil
a Factor
One of the world's "geocultural"
ironies is that here in Southeast
Asia, as in the Middle East, Isla
mi
e
peoples are sitting atop significant
reserves of oil. Tests by leading oil
companies have demonstrated the
existence of commercial quantities
of petroleum in the Sulu Sea region.
Drilling has already begun in se–
lected areas, with more offshore and
land-based facilities foreseen in the
near future.
Though the full potential of the
region as a source of oil is not yet
known , it is clear that natu re's
"black gold" could well become a
rallying point of secessionist efforts.
Neighboring Moslem states such
as Brunei and Indonesia also have
important underground petroleum
reserves.
Mounting Social llls
Added to the dual threat of com–
munist intervention and Moslem–
secession, Philippine leaders have
had to fight against a veritable ka–
leidoscope of domestic ills.
Leading Philippine businessman–
economist Sixto Roxas, speaking to
a gatbering earlier this year at Ma–
lacañang, the Philippines' Presiden–
tia! Palace, summed up much of the
Philippine dilemma wben he said :
"The limits of our
agri~ultural-land
frontiers have beco reached. Our
population [nearly 40 million] is
double what it was thjrty years ago,
and is expected to double again in
PLAIN TRUTH November 1
973