Short of saying that the ideology guiding the rebel New People’ Army has outlived its usefulness, Philippine Independent Church bishop Nilo Tayag said last week Marxism-Leninism is incapable of mobilizing the Filipino nation to follow its path.
“Marxism-Leninism has been there since 1938 but it has hardly taken roots,” he said, attributing this to what he calls “concrete conditions.”
“You cannot erase more than more than 500 years of Catholicism and more than 100 years of Aglipayan and Iglesia ni Kristo influence,” he said.
Filipinism that is rooted in belief in God and love of country is more likely to propel “Revolution Duterte” towards transforming Philippine society, he said.
Tayag was in town Saturday for the launching of the Kabataang Magsasaka (KM) whose objective is to form a national coalition of young farmers.
Richard “Bong” Ano, who organized the KM, said the young farmers’ coalition will promote agriculture advocacies like organic agriculture, support legislation that will promote agricultural development, and ensure the participation of young farmers in the formulation of agricultural development plans from the village to the regional levels.
“We shall also help in the regional formation of commodity roadmaps to promote the crops suited to our regions,” he said.
Tayag said that other than nationalist ideology, ‘Revolution Duterte’ has three components that are bound to turn things around for Philippine society.
Foremost, he said, is the overwhelming clamor for change that leaves President Duterte no choice but to follow.
“This revolution is not violent but is inspired by a Filipino ideology that is acceptable, practical and capable of inspiring,” he said, adding that it is bound to reshape a history controlled by more than 50 families for the past 119 years.
The second component revolves around a military component that is imbued with the Filipino ideology of love of God and country.
He said the 320,000-strong army and police are not keen on committing abuses.
He said the third component is political with a mass base of five million Guardians, five million Marcos loyalists and 13 million Duterte supporters.
Tayag is remembered in the 1970s as chairman of the militant Kabataang Makabayan. He was arrested in 1970 but released in 1982. He has since embraced the Philippine Independent Church, was ordained a priest and later elevated to bishop.
