Characters / MTNO Philippines

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People's Republic of the Philippines

Official Name: People's Republic of the Philippines

Ruling Party: Partido Komunista ng Pilipinas - Reformismo^note Philippine Communist Party - Reformist Faction

Ideology: Reformist Socialism^note Socialism

The Philippines is a nation built upon the blood of its people. Having gone through a brutal military occupation by the Japanese, the Philippines would find their freedom in the rifles of the Hukbalahap - who went on to liberate the islands under the leadership of Luis Taruc. The country only saw decades of turbulence afterwards, until Fidel Agcaoili took command of the nation and brought it to a better direction. People have begun to consider the world beyond what they were raised into, and perhaps times really are changing after all.

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General Tropes

• The Alliance: The Philippines is a member of the Communist International.
• Allohistorical Allusion:
  • The Philippines' loose political system bears a resemblance to the Soviet Union during Perestroika and Glasnost. Like with the Soviet Union, these liberalizations only lead to the downfall of communism in the Philippines.
  • The Kontrareaksyon was loosely inspired by the Chinese Cultural Revolution with elements from the Marcosite Period in OTL Philippines.
  • The Binondo Commune bears a resemblance to the OTL CHAZ (Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone).
• Anarchy Is Chaos: Inverted. The Binondo Commune is actually quite orderly, and people living within it take care of their community and provide support in a way that the government was never able to.
• Black Market: The Philippines is one of the three "tips" of the smuggling triangle between East Asia and Southeast Asia, the other two being Japan and the GBASAR. Because of the Philippines' economic isolation from the United States and other large economies, criminal organizations such as the Triads and the Estrada Group have profited off of illegal black markets, bringing all sorts of goods into the country. These illicit markets have only grown substantially over the last twenty years, making it clear that they will not be disappearing anytime soon.
• Chummy Commies: The Philippines practices a unique form of communism that is much more liberal than its Comintern counterparts. Filipinos are allowed to voice their criticism and protest the government's decisions, trade unions act semi-independently from the government, and democratic centralism is not enforced in the party, leading to some degree of transparency and plurality between governments.
• Commune: After years of being neglected by the government, the people of Binondo form an anarchist commune in the heart of the republic.
• Corrupt Politician: Corruption has been an issue in the PKP since independence, leading to episodes such as the San Isidro Scandal that shook the Philippines and revealed the extensive corruption that continues to thrive under the party's wings.
• Crapsaccharine World: The Philippines isn't exactly the worst country in the region. Its economy has grown exponentially since the end of the Kontrareaksyon, and Agcaoili's government has been fairly liberal when it comes to ruling over the country. However, the Philippines is riddled with systemic issues, ranging from corruption and organized crime to political instability and widespread discontent with communist rule.
• Day of the Jackboot: When the government learns of the self-governing anarchist enclave in Binondo and see armed citizens blocking off the streets, the situation escalates into violence, ending with the army sweeping into the Ward and crushing the commune, leaving Binondo in ruins but back under government hands.
• Defector from Decadence: Several politicians led by Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo left the PKP in protest of the San Isidro Scandal, tarnishing the regime's reputation even further in what became known as the Arroyo Escape.
• Democracy Is Bad: The Philippines' political liberalization and intra-party democracy has led to a very fragile political structure, and has only aided the opposition to the regime. This becomes evident when Agcaoili dies, as the PKP's factions return to their endless bickering and leave the country in a paralyzed state.
• Divided We Fall: The divisions within the PKP become a major problem for the Philippines, as the party can't seem to agree on anything and is unable to take decisive action after the Manila Economic Crisis. This leads to mass dissatisfaction with the citizenry, who turn their frustrations towards the entire regime and take it to the streets to demand its downfall.
• Far East Asian Terrorists: Islamist groups are active in the Philippines, especially in the Mindanao region. These same terrorists go on to bomb Davao State University, triggering fears of another uprising in Mindanao.
• Foil: To Malaya. Both are southeast asian countries that are part of the Comintern, but Malaya is a totalitarian hellscape with a rigid Leninist party structure and terrible record with civil liberties, whereas the Philippines has a looser political system, somewhat decent liberties and a lack of an uniform party structure, flawed but still leagues better than what Malaya has.
• Hypocrite: Despite being a self-proclaimed communist regime, the Philippines actively crushes anarchist communes that adhere to communist principles and try to implement them directly.
• Minor Crime Reveals Major Plot: The San Isidro Scandal began when police discovered government containers filled to the brim with smuggled goods, leading to the discovery of a massive scheme involving Chairman Gregorio Rosal and his allies, the Chinese Triads, and an international criminal organization of Filipino exiles known as the Estrada Group. The revelation shook Filipino society and government, diminishing the Republic's image and leading to the rise of Fidel Agcaoili.
• The Mutiny: In the Legaspi Incident, an entire military base goes rogue and declares that the Filipino government has betrayed the revolution, going on to make a final stand against government forces to as they retake the base.
• People's Republic of Tyranny: Downplayed, given that the Philippines' political system is quite open in practice, albeit political repression still happens and the government is still structured along the lines of a one-party communist state.
  • Of course, this wasn't always the case. The Philippines was an actual People's Republic of Tyranny during the Kontrareaksyon, when mass executions, purges and political violence were commonplace.
• Rebuilt Pedestal: In this timeline, Ferdinand Marcos was an opportunistic reactionary landowner who tried to overthrow the government of the Philippines solely to preserve his economic interests and properties. Overtime, however, Filipino anti-communists began to rehabilitate him as a martyr fighting for democracy and freedom, making this all the more ironic given how Marcos is actually remembered in real life.
• Reign of Terror: The Kontrareaksyon^note Counter-Reaction was a period of unprecedented state violence that came not long after the Republic was created. After a failed coup attempt by the Blue Eagles, Filipino leaders were paranoid of the extent of counter-revolutionary forces within their ranks, given that many of the earlier party members were also, paradoxically, rich landowners. When Benito Tiamzon took control of the government, this paranoia rapidly escalates into purges, mass killings by pro-government paramilitaries and a totalitarian atmosphere that would take hold of the country until Tiamzon was deposed.
• La Résistance: Several anarchist organizations actively work to undermine the regime from the inside, forming democratic self-governing enclaves right under the government's nose and fighting them head-on.
• The Triads and the Tongs: Ever since the Estrada Group was fragmented after the San Isidro Scandal, the Triads have filled the power vacuum of the Filipino underworld, taking over rackets and operations from local gangs.
• We ARE Struggling Together: The Philippine Communist Party is not uniform even by non-communist standards, being split between pragmatic, reformist and hardline factions that rarely see eye-to-eye in most issues. while the party has managed to remain generally unified since Agcaoili's rise to power, these ideological divisions return once again when Agcaoili is assassinated and the Provisional Committee is organized.

Chairmen

Fidel Agcaoili

Role: Chairman

Party: Partido Komunista ng Pilipinas - Reformismo^note Philippine Communist Party - Reformist Faction

Ideology: Reformist Socialism^note Socialism

Fidel Agcaoili, born into a family with a deep history of revolutionary ideals, emerged as a prominent figure in the polarized landscape of the PKP. His early years were marked by a commitment to social justice and an unwavering belief in the party's core principles. Agcaoili gained recognition for his articulate and moderate stance on contentious issues within the party, notably critiquing Buscayno's reforms while proposing a nuanced approach. This approach resonated with party members, leading from rising the ranks as leader of the Reformist Faction to his appointment as Chairman by the Party. His leadership style has been characterized by a blend of reformist ideas and idealism, aiming to steer the party toward meaningful change. So far, Agcaoili's popular image and moderation has kept the Partido unified.

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• Being Good Sucks: His reforms have allowed opponents of the regime to organize against it en masse and express opinions that would otherwise be considered counter-reactionary in any other communist system. When his popularity drops following the Cagayan Valley Killings, people use these freedoms to call for his resignation and demand the overthrow of the regime in the June 18th Riots.
• The Charmer: Agcaoili first rose to prominence when he publicly condemned corruption within his own party, and since then, he has used his image as a clean politician and a reformer to win over the hearts of the Filipinos.
• Conspicuously Public Assassination: He is assassinated with a gunshot to the head in the middle of a live television address regarding the Cagayan Valley Killings and the June 18th Riots.
• Hero with Bad Publicity: Public opinion rapidly turns against Agcaoili after the Cagayan Valley Killings, with many believing he orchestrated the massacres on purpose. In reality, Agcaoili has nothing to do with the killings and is just as just as shaken as everyone else.
• Internal Reformist: Since taking power, Agcaoili has worked to diminish corruption within the party and reform the Philippines' political system, loosening restrictions on the press and public assembly and allowing citizens to express their opinions freely.
• Our Presidents Are Different: Agcaoili is the President Sue type. He rose to his position by leading a crusade against corruption, has done much to keep the party unified in the face of ideological division and has been far more benevolent than any of his predecessors. Even when the Cagayan Valley Killings tarnish his reputation, it's later discovered that Agcaoili had nothing to do with the killings and was innocent the whole time.
• The Purge: At the beginning of his rule, Agcaoili established specialized departments to combat corruption within the PKP, removing several party members who had ties to the San Isidro Scandal or other corruption schemes.
• Reasonable Authority Figure: His rational approach to handling the issues facing the party and the nation as well as his moderatism earned the support of both the party and Filipino society as a whole at a time where the country desperately needed it.
• Reconcile the Bitter Foes: Agcaoili was able to reconcile the Reformist and Pragmatic wings of the PKP following their split during the San Isidro Scandal.
• Universally Beloved Leader: Because of his reformism and anti-corruption campaigns, Filipinos have grown to adore Agcaoili, making him the most beloved Chairman since Taruc.
• Wide-Eyed Idealist: Agcaoili is a reform-minded idealist who envisions a truly egalitarian system where common people have a say in how they are governed and where the party is actually subjected to popular will, rather than being a magnet of corruption and a source of authoritarian governance.