Secured by dozens of look-outs, the Ancestral Domain Defence Unit (ADDU) Military Conference was successfully held attended by 53 representatives from the ADDU Partisan units, stationary regular guerrilla, regular mobile guerrilla, local militias, RPM-M –South Central Mindanao Region (Rebolusyonaryong Partido ng Manggagwa – Mindanao) leadership, Revolutionary Peoples’ Army – Regional and National Operational Commands, traditional elders and local RPM-M (Party) organs. The conference was held in one of ADDU’s guerrilla base in the tri-boundary of Maguindanao, Sultan Kudarat and North Cotabato provinces last week of June 2018.

  In an opening statement the Commanding Officer of ADDU Regular Mobile Company Ka Abel Durano (in behalf of the whole command), he expressed his gratitude to the attendees and the support of the community. Emphasizing the valuable support of the traditional leaders, Moro and Lumad masses particularly and social organizations. “First and foremost thank you for your valuable support to ADDU. Who thought that under the Duterte’s Martial Law in Mindanao we can launch this Military Conference? We owe a lot to all of you,” said Ka Abel. “We are here today not just to talk about documents, theories and our struggles. We are also here to celebrate our continued commitment and our victories that we remained intact and committed even expanding. We are still here with and for you performing our political and revolutionary tasks and survived the circumstances that are almost unfavourable to us. Comrades, we are here to review and assessed our orientation, our conduct, our tasks and reflect on our current situation and concretely and collectively discuss and laid down concrete solutions” Ka Abel added.

The conference tackled the situation of the peoples and communities under the Martial Law in Mindanao, aggression over the ancestral domains particularly of the Indigenous Peoples and the Moro populations, various aggression over the Bangsamoro and Indigenous People’s Ancestral Domains and claims by corporate and politicians’ interests, government anti-poor anti-drug drive, soaring high of prices of the commodities, the federalism and charter change campaign of the Duterte government contexts.

“Lumad and Moro territories are now under attack and targeted for corporate exploitation. The Martial Law, anti-drug, anti-terrorism campaigns and policies of the government are being used to enforce the neo-liberal project in our domains and communities. These campaigns today of the government are being used against those who resist these corporate interests. Anybody can be drug addict, terrorist or whatever today. This situation do not exempt our traditional and community leaders and all of those who lived to defend their lands and the environment. Even if we’ve got political successes recognizing and protecting our cultures, traditions and practices if our environment is devastated and destroyed affecting mostly us the vulnerable, those successes remained useless. The neoliberal capitalist assault to ecology do not only caused flooding and landslides but a destruction to civilizations and generations. The more that an armed defender of our environment, our ancestral domains and our peoples is needed” Ka Ador, representative of the South Central Mindanao ADDU – RPA Regional Operational Command and member of the RPM-M SCMR Military Commission said in his message.

Documents on Military Orientation, Discipline, Tasks and Functions were reviewed and validated through a workshop participated not only by the ADDU and RPA elements but also of the non-combatant community and traditional leaders. “We need to review these documents with the peoples and communities we are serving thru their leaders so they can impart in enriching the documents and our day to day conduct” emphasized by Ka Abel. The documents integrating the workshop results have been affirmed by the conference.

Ka Krishna Amir from the RPM-M South Central Committee leadership in a message, wished the whole revolutionary army and Party cadres in attendance and reminded to make the daily tasks of whatever line of works to closely and consciously link it to the struggles of the masses, the oppressed class and peoples. “First is congratulations Comrades. Salute to our martyrs in the struggles for self-governance and self-determination. Comrades, as we are faced with a fast changing political climate more importantly that we should not depart from the day to day struggle of our peoples even in a blink of an eye. A detached revolutionary line is un-revolutionary at all. Being grounded means we can help the struggle towards concrete solution based on the objective and subjective condition.” Ka Krishna said. “Let us build socialism today, every day. Liberation of the oppressed is incomplete without the liberation of women, workers, peasants, LGBTs, environment and so are the Indigenous Peoples and the Bangsamoro. It is our duty to be with the Indigenous Peoples for their right to self-determination thru the full practice of their Indigenous Political governance and justice system in a particular Ancestral Domain. We should also be with the Bangsamoro for a political and economic future determined by them with substantial participation and benefit of the Moro masses. These assertions should not compete instead should be pushed together. It should not divide us and our peoples, instead it should unite us as oppressed peoples and class. Our task is to contribute to the assertions of these peoples in all fronts. And thank you Comrades in the ADDU and RPA for the greatest sacrifice in our Socialist Revolution” Ka Krishna added.

A traditional leader from the community have expressed their solidarity on behalf of his constituency. “We are happy that we’ve got eco-warriors in our lands. ADDU did not only defended us from intrusions and crimes but also have helped us defend our life – the forests, rivers, lands and hills, our domains against corporate and politician’s interests. But the challenge remains real today and so we should not just relax and stop fighting,” said by Elder Busilak.

RPA National Operational Command and RPM-M leadership expressed solidarity in a message and give thanks ADDU and the whole delegations for steadfastly pursuing the struggle to defend and liberate the oppressed peoples, class and the environment.

The new Regional ADDU command was elected along with the committees.

STRENGTHEN THE RANK AND DEFEND AND PROTECT THE ENVIRONMENT, ANCESTRAL DOMAINS, THE PEOPLES AND THE MASSES have been the agreed call of the time.

The conference ended with a festive celebration thru an ADDU company-size regular unit military parade, marksmanship skills of the ADDU stationary units, songs of struggles, traditional and theatrical dances, solidarity messages and the singing of the International.

ADDU is the RPA’s regional counterpart in the South Central Mindanao particularly operating in the Indigenous People and Bangsamoro territories and RPA is the armed component of Rebolusyonaryong Partido ng Manggagawa – Mindanao (Revolutionary Workers Party – Mindanao) in the Philippines.

It was a six hour bumpy motor bicycle ride, walking hills and crossing rivers and a three hour 75 degree slope downward trek (how challenging going home) to reach the conference venue.