SURRENDER NOW. Anti-communist groups and civil society organizations have marched from Morayta Street to the Mendiola Peace Arc in Manila, to protest the CPP-NPA-NDF's commemoration of its 52nd founding anniversary on Saturday (Dec. 26, 2020). The groups also condemn the 52 years of atrocities, killings of innocents, unhampered terror attacks, and relentless recruitment of minors perpetrated by the NPA rebels. (PNA photo by Joey Razon)
MANILA – Anti-communist groups and civil society organizations on Saturday called on the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army-National Democratic Front (CPP-NPA-NDF) and its allied legal front-organizations to step down and surrender.
Members of the League of Parents of the Philippines (LPP), Liga Independencia Pilipinas (LIPI), Sulong Maralita, Duterte Youth Movement, Kabalikat ID, Kabataan Kontra Droga at Terrorismo (KKDAT), Yakap ng mga Magulang, and Hands-Off our Children (HOOC), alongside parents of the missing student activists reportedly recruited by the progressive organizations, have marched from Morayta Street to the Mendiola Peace Arc in Manila, to protest the CPP's 52nd founding anniversary.
In a picket rally, the groups strongly denounced the CPP-NPA-NDF's 52 years of atrocities, violence, recruitment of minors as child warriors, and exploiting the indigenous peoples (IPs) for the armed struggle.
The anti-communist groups reiterated their relentless call to the NPA members to return to the fold of the law and live a peaceful life.
"Let the country be free from the CPP-NPA's lawlessness, barbaric activities, and cruelty," they said.
CPP-NPA as terrorists
Remy Rosadio, LPP chairperson, urged the revolutionary rebels "to return to the fold of the law, while the government is giving them the ample time to surrender."
She made this call after the country's Anti-Terrorism Council (ATC) has officially announced the approval of a resolution designating the CPP and its armed wing, NPA as terrorist organizations on Friday.
Rosadio cited the need to end the deceptions and lies of the communist rebel groups and its legal front-organization.
She assailed the communist groups' continuous indoctrination of wrong ideologies to the youth, particularly the exploitation of student activists and IPs, to recruit more members to join the armed revolution.
The anti-communist groups are relentless in their call to end armed conflicts perpetrated by the CPP-NPA-NDF, Rosadio said.
Following the guidelines set by the United Nations Security Council, the ATC is tasked to designate any individual or group as a terrorist under the Anti-Terror Law.
"Pretending to work for the betterment of the community, the CPP-NPA is able to receive support from international non-government organizations (NGOs) to raise funds and continue perpetuating its rebellious deeds. By striking fear through violence, they also employ extortion and collection of fees during the campaign period,” the council said.
It added that the CPP-NPA has been tagged in numerous election-related encounters.
ATC also claimed the CPP-NPA has extorted around PHP5.5 billion in form of “revolutionary taxes,” from 2016 to 2019.
Rosadio said the council's move to label the communist groups as terrorists will give justice to the innocent civilians, who were killed during the senseless armed conflicts.
She added it will also dignify those abused women and youth within the NPA ranks.
Addressing terrorism in PH
Meanwhile, Ka Pep Goita, LIPI secretary-general, encouraged the current members of the CPP-NPA-NDF who would like to start new lives away from the communist insurgency, to return to the fold of the law and surrender their loose firearms to the government.
"Nananawagan ako sa kanila na isuko ang kanilang mga armas bago maging huli ang lahat (I'm calling on them to give up their weapons before it is too late)," Goita said during the rally.
Goita called on all sectors of the society to support the government efforts to address the communist insurgency and mitigate terrorism in the country.
"Denounce the violent actions of the CPP-NPA-NDF. Our nation’s future is held at gun-point and more innocent lives will be destroyed if we let the atrocities continue," Goita said.
The declaration of the CPP-NPA as a terrorist organization, he said, could end the communists' 52 years of insurgencies, maltreatment, and inhumane abuses amongst innocent Filipinos.
"Joma’s (Jose Maria Sison) belief that the problems we face will only be solved by replacing our system of governance with communist rule by way of an armed struggle is barbaric. This is unacceptable to all peace-loving Filipinos," he said.
Nolan Tiongco, LIPI spokesperson, cited the various deceptions and dirty tactics of the CPP-NPA-NDF and its allied organization to fulfill their "senseless cause."
Fight vs. recruitment of minors
Meanwhile, Relissa Lucena, mother of Alicia Jasper (AJ), a student activist who was reportedly recruited by the youth group Anakbayan allegedly linked to the CPP-NPA-NDF, railed against the communist groups for recruiting youths and urging student activists to become rebels.
Lucena slammed the Makabayan bloc lawmakers and other local politicians for supporting the communist insurgency and aiding illegal activities of the CPP-NPA-NDF.
Rosadio, meanwhile, called on anew for House Speaker Allan Lord Velasco to initiate an investigation on the connections of the Makabayan bloc lawmakers to the CPP-NPA-NDF, citing the involvement of the bloc's progressive organizations to the continuous recruitment of student activists to the armed movement.
The anti-communist groups also criticized the Makabayan lawmakers for repeatedly concealing their involvement on the missing student activists, wherein some of them were found in the mountains infiltrated by the NPAs.
The groups said this could be substantial evidence of the Makabayan bloc's ties with the CPP-NPA-NDF.
The groups called on the resignation of the Makabayan legislators.
They hit the CPP-NPA's front organizations for pushing most of the recruited student activists to overthrow the government.
During the condemnation rally, the protesters burned the CPP-NPA-NDF's flags and tarpaulins bearing the images of the NPA rebels and CPP founding chairman Jose Maria “Joma” Sison as they condemned the 52 years of atrocities, killings of innocents, unhampered terror attacks, and relentless recruitment of minors by the communist rebels.
Former NPA members and cadres also shared their experiences in joining the armed struggle.
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)
