EXPOSING REDS' LIES. Former CPP-NPA cadre Jeffrey "Ka Eric" Celiz appears before the Senate hearing on red-tagging on Tuesday (Nov. 24, 2020). Celiz, who was with the communist movement for 27 years, said joining the group is not the answer to the clamors for genuine change and is not a way of showing one's love for his country. (Photo courtesy of Armed Forces of the Philippines Facebook page)
MANILA – Joining the Communist Party of the Philippines - New People's Army - National Democratic Front (CPP-NPA-NDF) is not the answer to the clamors for genuine change and is not a way of showing one's love for his country, a former rebel said Tuesday.
“Hindi mo kailangang maging CPP-NPA-NDF para mahalin at paglingkuran ang ating pinakamamahal na bayang Pilipinas. Much more, you don’t need to become an activist in the framework of the CPP-NPA-NDF para ikaw lang ang magkaroon ng franchise para mahalin ang bayang Pilipinas (You don't need to be a part of the CPP-NPA-NDF to love and serve our beloved Philippines. Much more, you don’t need to become an activist in the framework of the CPP-NPA-NDF for you to have a sole franchise to love and serve the nation)," Jeffrey "Ka Eric" Celiz said during the Senate Committee on National Defense and Security, Peace, Unification and Reconciliation hearing on red-tagging.
He also slammed the CPP-NPA-NDF's claim of being the sole advocate of patriotism.
"Napaka-insulto yan sa mga senador at sa iba pang mga nag-aalay ng buhay para sila lang ang mag-claim ng exclusive right na sila lang ang makabayan at sila lang ang puwedeng magmahal at maglingkod sa ating mga kababayan (Their claim of having the exclusive right to patriotism and that they are the only ones allowed to love and serve our compatriots is an insult to the senators and to those who risk their lives for the country)," Celiz said.
He and other former communist terrorist cadres and members came out to the public to expose the deceptive recruitment schemes and misleading mobilization of the group through its legal front organizations, saying "the moment of truth has come."
Celiz, now a government security consultant, also hit the representatives of the Makabayan bloc for their "shooting-the-messenger" tactics.
He lamented that the Makabayan bloc representatives did not focus on the message that he was trying to convey during the Senate probe into the issue of "red-tagging".
"They tried to demolish and attack my person. Kulang na lang ibato nila ng septic tank para palabasin na ako'y polluted witness (It’s as if they wanted to throw a septic tank to show that I am a polluted witness)," Celiz said.
He, however, did not give in to their words, knowing that the public would be the "biggest takers" when the truth comes out.
"Kapag mulat ang taumbayan, maraming kabataan ang masasalbang buhay nila sa (If people are aware, many young lives would be saved from the) deceptive, manipulative, and highly systematic organized crime operations of recruitment of young people towards the radical extreme position of being NPA fighters, only to be killed," Celiz said.
Battling to end communism
When asked for his opinion, he said the government should look into schools reportedly infiltrated by the CPP-NPA-NDF, including the University of the Philippines (UP), Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP), Far Eastern University (FEU), and University of Santo Tomas (UST), where the terror group’s recruitment is “unhampered, unchallenged, and school administrations do nothing against it."
"Libo-libong kabataan ng mga magsasaka ang hindi makapasok sa UP dahil sa standard nito and yet iilang daan lang naman sila diyan sa UP pero parang pagmamay-ari ng Communist Party of the Philippines–NPA-NDF ang UP at ang PUP (Thousands of farmers' children cannot get into UP because of its standards. And yet, they are only a few hundreds there but it seems like the CPP-NPA-NDF owns UP and PUP)," Celiz said.
He said the communist infiltration of schools must end.
"There should be an intervention to that, either by way of revising and reviewing the charter of UP and PUP at ibasura ang lahat ng mga (discard all the) sub-cultural institutional encroachment na ginawa nila (founded by) Joma Sison inside UP," Celiz said.
He noted they are not against the UP administration itself, but its position, branding it as an "impotent and pathetic" stand to allow students to become part of the communist struggle.
"That since for a long time they are taking the people for a ride, kung UP student okay lang maging NPA? Nasasayang and pondo ng bayan (is it okay to let UP students become NPA? It's a waste of people's funds)," Celiz said.
Moment of truth
Joy James Saguino, alias "Ka Amihan", said he was recruited by the League of Filipino Students and Kabataang Makabayan in 2007.
"Hindi masabi na alumnus (ako) kasi hindi naman ako naka-graduate (I cannot say that I am an alumnus because I did not graduate), but I came from the University of the Philippines. To view things objectively – we don't (intend) to demonize the University of the Philippines by calling some circumstances that recruitment activities are happening inside the University of the Philippines para yung mga estudyante ay ma-radicalize at maging miyembro ng NPA (so that the students would be radicalized and would later become NPA members)," Saguino shared.
He said that while promoting democratic activism to push students to intervene in tackling societal issues, the administrators of various universities should not tolerate the recruitment of youths inside the campus.
"Sa amin bilang organization ng mga former cadres, we formed Sambayan – tumatayo kami sa paninindigan na dapat 'yung universities ay maging venue for academic freedom, yes. (For us, as an organization of former cadres, we formed Sambayan. We stand firm on the concept that universities must be a venue for academic freedom, yes.) But at the same time, it should not promote anything that pushes its students towards terrorism and armed struggle," Saguino said.
He said there is still a need to promote academic freedom inside the campus "but that should not warrant anything" that would push students to become the so-called "Red fighters" of the NPA or be part of any other illegal and terroristic activities.
Meanwhile, Noel Legaspi alias "Ka Efren" said the majority of the student population in various universities and colleges do not want a revolution.
"Kailangan lang talaga imulat sila na mayroong ganito at i-challenge sila into theoretical and ideological debate sa loob ng paaralan para hindi ma-monopolize nung kaliwa (They just need to be made aware of this and for them to be challenged into a theoretical and ideological debate within the school so that they would not be monopolized by the Left)," Legaspi said.
Ivy Lyn Corpin, alias "Ka Red/Elis", disclosed that even the professors of various universities are infiltrated by the CPP-NPA and its front organizations.
"Kaya dapat mag-intervene na talaga ang government kung ano ang dapat gawin sa mga state universities and colleges na ito pinapasok at ini-infiltrate ng CPP at hindi lang basta nai-infiltrate, talagang (nadidiktahan) na nila ano yung mangyayari dun sa loob ng pamantasan (The government should intervene on what to do with state universities and colleges being infiltrated by the CPP as they are not just infiltrated. They already have control over what is happening inside the university)," Corpin said.
She said freshmen students are the primary target for the recruitment process inside the campus, due to their vulnerability and innocence.
Denial
Meanwhile, Makabayan bloc lawmakers in the House of Representatives denied the allegations linking them to the CPP-NPA.
Kabataan Party-list Rep. Sarah Elago refuted claims that her organization recruits members for the NPA.
"Hindi ako NPA, hindi ako NPA recruiter. Hindi po bahagi o front ng CPP ang Kabataan Party-list. Hindi NPA recruiter ang Kabataan Party-list. Hindi rin ito nagre-recruit para maging NPA (I'm not an NPA, I'm not an NPA recruiter. The Kabataan Party-list is not part of or a front of the CPP. The Kabataan Party-list is not an NPA recruiter. It does not recruit anyone to join the NPA)," Elago said.
However, Saguino confirmed the ties between the CPP-NPA and the youth organization as he explained the correlation and mutual relationship of the legal democratic mass movement with the revolutionary underground mass movement.
"Again, I reiterate, Kabataan Party-list is a front of the Communist Party of the Philippines, advancing the legal democratic mass movement," he said.
Saguino noted that these lawmakers "would not really admit categorically that they are front organizations of the CPP-NPA."
"Because, when they speak of the truth, what's behind the legal organization, they will be just like us who will be targeted by the CPP for assassination," he said.
Saguino said their denial of the allegations against them only shows their loyalty to the CPP, "not enduring any harm to their comrades who are still active."
The CPP-NPA is listed as a terrorist organization by the United States, the European Union, the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the Philippines. (PNA)
