(File photo)
MANILA – Former cadres and members of the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People's Army (CPP-NPA) slammed on Friday lawmakers from the Makabayan bloc for their continuous lies and deceptions to cover up their links with the communist rebels.
In a statement, the Sentrong Alyansa ng mga Mamamayan para sa Bayan (SAMBAYANAN) -- a multi-sectoral organization primarily composed of former cadres and members of the CPP-NPA-National Democratic Front (NDF), denounced "all forms of deception and lies being systematically spread by the Makabayan Bloc and other legal-front organizations of the CPP."
The group’s members said they remain firm on their stand that the organizations belonging to the Makabayan Bloc are the CPP-NPA-NDF's legal front groups which also serve as the recruitment wing of the NPA.
The group said the Makabayan bloc is orchestrating claims against the arrested top CPP-NPA cadres as they continue denying their links with the communist rebels.
"They have made their usual covers and make-up stories of arrested CPP cadres claiming anew that they are just activists and union workers’ organizers. This has become a deceptive script of denial of the Makabayan bloc," SAMBAYANAN said.
The former rebels said the underground organizations of the CPP-NPA have been undermining the judicial process.
"SAMBAYANAN believes that the arrest of these CPP cadres followed the judicial process and we have high recognition of the Judiciary’s professionalism and expertise in the issuance of the arrest and search warrants," the group said.
"It is of great insolence for the Makabayan Bloc to attack the credibility of the Judiciary and to question the determination of probable cause which led to the issuance of warrants by Quezon City Regional Trial Court (RTC) Judge Cecilyn Burgos-Villavert," it added.
SAMBAYANAN cited the Makabayan bloc's maneuvering efforts to belie the confessions of the former NPA cadres and members that they were once part of the youth organizations before joining in the full-time communist insurgency.
"Former rebels have categorically revealed the duplicitous character of Makabayan Bloc as a front organization of the CPP deceitfully participating in the Philippine electoral system," SAMBAYANAN said. "The Filipino people are already cognizant of this grand conspiracy of the CPP and its legal front organizations."
The group also committed to fully support the continuing efforts of the national government to end the communist insurgency.
"The recent arrest of top CPP-NPA cadres all over the country manifests the victory of the Filipino people. They have already rejected the communist program of the CPP-NPA," it said.
Meanwhile, the SAMBAYANAN commended Judge Villavert, noting her will to stand with the rule of law against the lawless CPP-NPA.
"The recent arrest of top CPP-NPA cadres all over the country manifests the victory of the Filipino people. They have already rejected the communist program of the CPP-NPA," it said.
The group also lauded the government's whole-of-nation approach to end the 52 years of atrocities, violence, and recruitment of minors committed by the CPP-NPA-NDF and its front organizations.
"The Whole-of-Nation Approach has been highly-significant and decisive in attaining peace and progress to communist-threatened communities. It has created stronger unities and convergence amongst all stakeholders towards our goal for a peaceful and progressive Philippines," SAMBAYANAN said.
Meanwhile, an official of the Department of National Defense (DND) denounced the Makabayan bloc’s call for an inquiry into the search warrants issued by Villavert.
“We fully support and commend Judge Villavert for standing up against the bullying by the groups aiming to assault her integrity and derail the judicial process. Under the guise of filing a resolution for "an investigation in aid of legislation", the members of the Makabayan bloc are clearly overstepping their bounds as part of the legislative branch,” said Defense Undersecretary Reynaldo Mapagu in a statement.
Mapagu, head of the Task Force Balik-Loob and chairperson of the Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Program (E-CLIP) and Amnesty Cluster of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC), said the Makabayan bloc is not only undermining the authority of Villavert’s chambers but are also assailing the independence of the Judiciary.
“As we continue to work on finally ending the scourge of the communist armed movement in the country, we call on the Makabayan bloc to let the judicial process take its course. Let justice be served for the victims of the CPP-NPA-NDF,” he said.
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. (with reports from Priam Nepomuceno/PNA)
