NPA PRIORITY. Former Bayan Muna Party-list Rep. Teodoro Casiño joins the Senate hearing on red-tagging on Tuesday (Nov. 24, 2020). He admitted that activists are the first target for recruitment of the New People’s Army (NPA), armed wing of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP). (Photo from Senate)
MANILA – Former Bayan Muna Party-list Rep. Teodoro Casiño admitted that activists are the first target for recruitment of the New People’s Army (NPA), armed wing of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP).
He made the comment after Senate President Vicente Sotto III asked why former NPA members, who stood as resource speakers at the Senate hearing on red-tagging on Tuesday, were not directly recruited as armed rebels but as activists.
“Ang NPA nagre-recruit yan (The NPA recruits) among the idealistic sectors of our society. And of course, their first priority for recruitment are precisely the activists kasi ito [sektor] yung tingin nila kayang mag-sakripisyo, (because they think this sector can do the sacrifice), can devote their full time for these kinds of activities),” Casiño shared.
Among the former NPA rebels and now part of the National Task Force on Ending Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) who attended the Senate hearing are Noel "Ka Efren" Legaspi who served as a deputy regional secretary in the Far Southern Mindanao Region and Joy James Saguino who was a former guerilla front secretary in the Southern Mindanao Region.
Legaspi was introduced into communism as a student leader and youth or student organizer of the alliance of left-wing organizations Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan) while Saguino was first recruited as a member of the League of Filipino Students in 2007 then into the Kabataan Partylist.
Saguino was also part of the leadership of the CPP Sub-region operating in the areas of Compostela Valley (now Davao de Oro) and Davao (not specified).
Communications Undersecretary Lorraine Badoy presented the former rebels and revealed that they all started as young activists “recruited” by the Makabayan bloc.
Casiño told the Senate defense panel that the revolutionary movement “recruit primarily from all these kinds of groups.”
During the Senate hearing, parents of students who joined the left-leaning organizations, rallied outside the Senate building.
"Kung tunay kayong makabayan, ibalik niyo ang mga anak namin. Iilan lamang 'to sa mga kabataang nawawala na pagkatapos maging aktibista ay umakyat sa kabundukan para humawak ng armas (If you are truly patriotic, bring our children back. They are just a few of many activists who have gone missing after you brought them to the mountains to hold firearms)," Elvie Caalaman said.
Caalaman said her daughter Lory was recruited into one of the progressive groups while at school and has not returned home or continued her education.
Earlier, Southern Luzon Command (SOLCOM) chief, Lt. Gen. Antonio Parlade Jr. warned celebrity Liza Soberano to educate herself on the activities of Gabriela Women’s Party before considering any involvement with the group.
"Let us not red-tag Liza Soberano. It's not fair to her. She is merely supporting advocacy for women's rights. She has to be protected in the exercise of her rights. Is she an NPA? No, of course not. Not yet. So let's help educate her and the other celebrity targets of Malayang Kilusan ng Bagong Kababaihan (MAKIBAKA), the Underground Mass Organization hiding under Gabriela Women's Party," said Parlade, also a ranking official of the NTF-ELCAC.
Parlade drew flak but explained that some media agencies “twisted and misquoted” his statement about Soberano.
Sotto said that if Casiño claims that activists are the top target of the NPA, then Parlade was correct in warning Soberano.
“If what you are saying is accurate, then General Parlade's warning is correct, it has value. Mag ingat yung mga sumasapi kasi doon tumatarget ang NPA. Hindi sila magiimbeta direkta, following your logic. Mag ingat yung mga celebrity. (If what you are saying is accurate, then General Parlade’s warning is correct, it has value. People who are joining these groups should be wary because the NPA is recruiting from them. They [NPA] do not directly invite [people to join the armed rebellion], following your logic. The celebrities should be wary),” he said.
Casiño said what Parlade has said could be harmful for them and the organizations they represent.
National Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperon Jr., for his part, found it irresponsible for the Makabayan bloc to allow their members or the activists in their organizations to join the armed rebellion.
“[You told us] na yung mga aktibistang naging miyembro ng NPA ay sarili nilang desisyon yun. Mangyayari ba yun kung walang nagre-recruit? That is simply an alibi, and denying responsibility from all cases. Doon sa mga rally, ipagmamalaki doon na ang alumnus ninyo ay mga NPA, saan ang responsibility ninyo, parte kayo ng gobyerno (Those activists who became members of NPA, you told us that that was their personal decision. Will it happen if they were not recruited in the first place? That is simply an alibi, and denying responsibility from all cases. In your rallies, you boast that your alumnus are members of the NPA, where is your responsibility? You are part of the government),” Esperon said during the Senate hearing.
NPA not militants’ enemies
Senator Panfilo Lacson, chair of the Senate Committee on Defense, asked the Makabayan bloc if they denounce the NPA rebels for killing security forces of the government.
“Definitely we do not consider them as enemies. We do not judge them as enemies,” Casiño replied.
The Senate held its first Senate hearing on November 3 but members of the Makabayan bloc: Representatives Carlos Zarate; Eufemia Cullamat; Ferdinand Gaite of Bayan Muna; Arlene Brosas of Gabriela Women’s Party; France Castro of Alliance of Concerned Teachers; and Sarah Elago of Kabataan did not attend and instead sent their lawyers as their representatives.
Lacson said Bayan Muna chairperson and former lawmaker Neri Colmenares had requested a separate hearing without the presence of military officials, including Parlade.
Activism not terrorism
After Tuesday’s Senate hearing, Esperon told the media that the government is “alright” with activism but like other democratic expressions, it should have boundaries.
“Activism is not terrorism but there is a boundary. If you are an activist, you will not carry arms to force the government to decide for the people. You can go to the streets as long as you have a permit, you can voice out injustices wag lang kayong pumunta sa armadong pakikibaka or magbigay ng suporta o mag recruit o magbigay ng material support (just don’t join the armed rebellion or give them support or recruit for them or give them material support),” said Esperon, former Armed Forces of the Philippines chief of staff.
He said the youth can share their voices for change in other platforms.
“Gusto natin maging progresibong bansa ang ating tinitirhan. Hindi lang kayo ang may problema nito, sama-sama tayo dyan. Baka hindi pa ninyo panahon na magbigay ng solusyon. Just make us aware of your problems, and the government will do it. May gagawa nyan. Mayroong nag-iisip na gagawa nyan (We all want to develop our country. The problems of this country, it is not only you who are aware of that, we are all aware of that. Maybe it is not yet your time to provide a solution. Just make us aware of your problems and the government will do it. Someone is already doing ways to solve it),” he added.
Esperon also urged them to join different causes offered by non-government organizations, initiatives of private groups, or join the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) to express their advocacies.
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)
