As part of its new book bans, the government has been attacking independent authors and publishers over alleged ties to the Communist party and for circulating work that is “subversive.” But where is this sudden spike in Communist and anti-government accusations coming from? Is there a real basis for it, or are these bans yet another stitch in the historical pattern of the government using fears about Communism to restrict the people’s freedoms?

Even before the creation of the Communist Party of the Philippine Islands (CPPI) in 1930, the country’s colonization by the staunchly anti-Communist United States meant that the Filipino government took a strong stance against Communism. At the time, this was because Filipino Communists were drawing parallels between American and European imperialism that the U.S., with its presentation as different from the oppressive European imperialists and its desire to keep a foothold in the Philippines, sought to suppress. Furthermore, due to the Communists’ ideals consisting of reorganizing the social order and eliminating capitalism, the Filipino government joined the Americans in lowering public opinion of the Filipino Communists as much as possible, accusing them of creating public unrest and intent “to incite violence against the state.”

More accurately, however, Filipino Communists have a history of being the foremost opposition to oppressive forces in the Philippines, including the government at various points, and otherwise standing as background figures in the Filipino sociopolitical environment. During the reign of Ferdinand Marcos (1965 - 1986), the Communist Party of the Philippines was one of the most organized groups standing against the dictatorship; however, its membership peaked during that time, and though the government continues to paint the organization as a threat, its numbers have been declining ever since. This decreasing power/influence on the part of Filipino Communists is one of the reasons why the Communist allegations coming from those enforcing the book bans are suspicious at best and propaganda at worst. And what do we do with the more vague claims of certain works being “subversive” or “attack[s] on the government”?

Well, if we have the luxury, we could step back and ask ourselves why the government might be so afraid of Communists, why it’s trying to project fear of Communists onto the public, and why it wants to limit criticism of itself. When surrounded by propaganda and limits on free speech, it’s important to remember that free thought is, with effort and the right intentions, impossible to restrict.