The country needs more people like Angela O. Aguilar who will surface to expose truth about the so-called progressive groups with links to the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army terrorist movement.
Thus spoke Major Gen. Antonio Parlade of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict after learning of Aguilar’s petition before the Commission on Elections calling for the cancellation of the registration of a number of partylist groups linked to the CPP-NPA.
“We need more Aguilars to tell their story. We need more former rebels like Father Balweg, whom the NPAs silenced, to expose the true colors of these Kamatayan Bloc and the politicians who are supporting them. We need more to speak about these crook politicians kowtowing with the Kamatayan (Makabayan) bloc and its armed NPAs that perpetuate their selfish agenda rather than national interest,” Parlade said on Sunday.
Named in the petition, docketed as SPP 19-006 before the Comelec on April 26, were the Makabayang Koalisyon ng Mamamayan (MAKABAYAN), Bayan Muna, Anakpawis, Kabataan, Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT), General Assembly Binding Women for Reforms, Integrity, Equality, Leadership, and Action (GABRIELA), with senatorial aspirant Neri Colmenares as the lone individual respondent.
In her petition, Aguilar cited the Comelec’s motu propio powers under the Republic Act 7941 or Party-List System Act’s Section 6, Paragraphs 2 and 5 as reference.
The Party-list System Act, which was passed in 1995, allows the Comelec to cancel the registration of any group, which among others, “advocates violence or unlawful means to seek its goal” and “violates or fails to comply with laws, rules or regulations relating to elections.”
The CPP-NPA is listed as a terrorist organization by the United States, European Union, United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the Philippines.
Parlade said Aguilar’s petition is very timely and should serve as a wake-up call for Filipinos long tired of the insurgency being foisted upon them by the communist rebels.
“It’s about time. Like I said, one of these days the people will wake up and slap them with anything they can get hold of, including filing of cases for all the crimes they have committed against humanity. We just don’t realize it but this 50 years of communist protracted war has killed around 60,000 Filipinos. Some former cadres even place the estimate of those they have killed at 80,000,” the NTF ELCAC official added.
Due to the violence being propagated by the rebels, Parlade said, there are untold numbers of widows and orphans left behind.
“How many widows and orphans have these left behind? And until now they are still killing hapless people and IPs (Indigenous Peoples),” he added.
He said he will not stop until the entire country and its people learn and realize the deception and exploitation imposed on society by these progressive groups linked with CPP-NPA.
“Again, we will not stop until the Filipino people have fully realized the deception and exploitation of our society by these Kamatayan Bloc, using the democratic process as a cover to attack our democratic system and supplant it with theirs,” Parlade added.
Youth recruitment
He also warned parents to keep a tight watch on their children as the communist rebels are known to recruit teenage minors and use them as pawns in their illegal activities against the government.
“To all parents and teachers, please listen to the plight of young children aged 12-17, newly recruited by these Kamatayan Bloc to act as auxillary of the NPA’s starting as lookouts, surveillance agents, logisticians, and eventually as Red fighters. Hear the story of (alias) ‘Lisa’, 15 years old of Oma-oma, Ligao, Albay who is now under the custody of DSWD (Department of Social Welfare and Development) in Manila. She was invited by the Municipal Police Station (MPS) of Tabaco, Albay after the police noticed her abnormal behaviour and presence near the MPS. Apparently she was given the mission to conduct casing on the Police Station before a raid will be conducted by the NPAs,” the NTF ElCAC official bared.
He said during her debriefing, “Lisa” told authorities that there are about 29 other young children lured with the promises of money, and are now training with the NPA members in Castilla, Sorsogon where she was released for the mission.
“She now prays that the government will be able to rescue the other children who have been going up the mountains for training with the NPAs. These are the kinds of activities the CPP-NPA and the NDF(National Democratic Front) that the Kamatayan Bloc is part of and have been doing for years. Now they use kids in order to circumvent the law with the protection of minors,” Parlade said.
He also scored and condemned the communists for using inhumane tactics.
“When shall we stop this dual tactics of the Kamatayan (Makabayan) bloc? How many more IPs (indigenous people) will they kill in Butuan, Davao Oriental, DDN (Davao Del Norte) Bukidnon and Mindoro? How many more former rebels will they kill in Samar, Negros, Bicol and elsewhere? And when shall our broadsheets wake up to help spread the truth and balance news to expose these monsters?” Parlade said.
On Monday, the NTF ELCAC official said the public will learn another sad truth about the realities in the underground movement.
“Tomorrow (Monday) is another sad story about truth and realities in the underground movement. (It will be) tomorrow because (there will be an) ocular inspection by the House Committee on Indigenous Cultural Communities and IPs in Surigao del Sur on alternative learning achools,” he added.