With utmost pride, the Christians for National Liberation [CNL] unite with other faith believers in celebrating its forty-eight years of its foundation anniversary . We salute all church martyrs who lived out their faith in the revolution. They broke the barriers of church conservatism, counter-revisionist and petty-bourgeoisie tendencies in journeying with the basic sectors for a ”new heaven and a new earth”. They were church leaders : bishops, priests, women religious, pastors deacons, church lay workers whose blood and struggle permeated into the national consciousness and collective pursuit for genuine democracy, social justice and freedom.

We look back and draw lessons as we are again confronted with another dictatorship represented by the US-Duterte regime. The apparent success in the anti-dictatorship campaigns and mobilizations, in the past was not complemented by a systemic study off correct revolutionary principles, hence many Church people were trapped.

After the 8th Congress members were challenged and have conducted regional and provincial congresses as well as chapter assemblies and discussed burning societal issues together with the basic sectors, planned and acted appropriate responses. We are now present in almost all the dioceses and regions of the country.

CNL is proud that there are church people who rendered invaluable service to the basic masses of farmers, workers, the national minorities including disaster victims. They who helped advance the journey of the farmers and workers for genuine land reform and better labor conditions. President Duterte betrayed the people by promoting an unholy alliance of neo-liberal economic policies that contributed the worsening crisis in the country.

We call on Christians and faith believers to put into action your faith to contribute to the democratic revolution, as the ground is fertile to arouse, organize and mobilize the basic sectors towards the “new heaven and new earth” as described in Scripture. Organize the youth and lay church people, and immerse them to the realities of the basic sectors and the countryside. We must take this opportunity as the fertile ground to sum-up, learn from past mistakes, and aim ever higher to fulfil the requirements to help usher the people’s war towards the strategic stalemate phase and bring the nation ever closer to its glorious socialist future.

Long live CNL- Actively Live out your Faith – as a Revolutionary Challenge !

Long live the National Democratic Revolution with Socialist Perspective !