UNRAVELLING THE FILIPINO DIASPORA'S RELATIONS WITH THE PHILIPPINE COMMUNIST MOVEMENT

Abstract

Since the Communist Party of the Philippines began waging its insurgency in 1968, it has presented a persistent security challenge for the Philippine government. Numerous studies have examined the New People’s Army (NPA), but little attention has been given to the National Democratic Front (NDF)’s efforts, particularly its International Solidarity Works (ISW), to surreptitiously establish an international organization to support the insurgency. Studies suggest that diaspora communities consistently emerge as a source of external support for homeland struggles. Because external assistance often improves insurgents’ capabilities, it makes counterinsurgency harder and costlier. Given the existence of the Filipino diaspora as a newer diasporic community, the Philippine communist movement could have already been receiving assistance from Filipino migrants, a possible contributing factor to the movement’s resilience. This thesis examines the role of the ISW as part of the NDF strategy and the benefits it gains by internationalizing the Philippine communist movement while at the same time disrupting the Philippine government’s existing international relations. By drawing on Gordon McCormick’s diamond model and Doug McAdam’s political process model, this thesis explores how the ISW weaponizes the Philippine diaspora and affects Philippine national security.