Revolutionary Proletarian Army

The Revolutionary Proletarian Army (RPA) is a Communist militant organization that emerged in the 1990s as a splinter group of the Communist Party of the Philippines—New People’s Army (CPP-NPA). The RPA was one of several splinter groups formed after a major rift in the early 1990s within the CPP-NPA, which occurred because of disagreements over tactics and ideology. The RPA’s exact origins, goals, and early activities are unclear. In 1997, it allied with the Alex Boncayao Brigade (ABB), another CPP-NPA splinter group, and formed a political wing called Rebolusyonaryong Partido ng Manggagawa ng Pilipinas (RPM-P). In December 2000, the RPM-P signed a peace agreement with the Philippine government, and it has put forward candidates for elected office. The RPA, in collaboration with the ABB, continues to operate as the RPM-P’s militant wing. The name “RPA-ABB” is often used to refer to both groups as a single entity because of their close alliance. However, while the ABB has been listed on the U.S. State Department’s Terrorist Exclusion List since December 2001, the RPA has not been included on that list.