ENOUGH. Anti-Reds groups demonstrate outside the Dutch Embassy in Makati in this June 2021 photo. They demanded that the Kingdom of the Netherlands send back exiled Communist Party of the Philippines founding chair Jose Maria Sison to face numerous charges. (Photo courtesy of SMNI)
MANILA – The operations of the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People's Army-National Democratic Front (CPP-NPA-NDF) to recruit and radicalize more members is "comparable to an octopus with many tentacles", a former rebel said.
Jeffrey Celiz, also known as Ka Eric Almendras in the communist terrorist group (CTG), said the CTGs put up the National Organizations Department (NOD) to infiltrate and radicalize various sectors such as the youth, women, industry workers, urban poor, transport, and even the government.
"NOD is a central committee staff organ of the Communist Party of the Philippines at dyan po nagmumula ang (and that's the start of) organizing and recruitment, infiltration, radicalization both above ground and underground," Celiz said during Monday's regular press conference "Debunking lies by telling the truth" of the National Task Force To End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC).
Celiz said the NOD is responsible for luring people from rural areas, central towns, universities, religious groups, media, and other professionals to join the communist revolution.
The CPP-NPA-NDF also has an international department which is maneuvered by CPP founding chair Jose Maria "Joma" Sison himself, he said.
"Iyan ay mayroong humigit-kumulang 47 years of existence abroad. Diyan nagtatago sila Joma Sison at iyan din po ang kumukumpas ng mga peace talks sa (It has been more or less 47 years of existence abroad. That's where Joma Sison is hiding at and it's the one demanding for peace talks) abroad and infiltrating overseas Filipino workers and Filipino communities," he added.
Departments, roles
The National Military Commission (NMC), he said, is responsible for the operational command and attacks by NPA rebels across the country.
The NMC organizes mass actions and stages rallies in urban and far-flung communities while the national propaganda and cultural commission is handled directly by the Communist Party Central Committee.
"Nandirito po ang kanilang mga pagmi-maintain ng pangalan na (It involves maintaining the name) Marco Valbuena. In fact, Marco Valbuena is just a name, it’s not a person. Marami pong gumagamit ng pangalan na iyan sa ilalim ng (Several individuals are using that name under the) CPP information bureau. It’s an alias being used by at least three (persons)," Celiz said, noting that Sison himself is hiding under the name to communicate with CTGs.
Celiz lamented that the CPP-NPA is also using tactical operations against local businesses, telecommunications companies, and politicians to extort money they will spend for their terroristic operations.
"So, they are very organized like a big criminal syndicate. This is a national finance extortionist unit. The NPA also has a unit involved in burning, explosions, attacking businesses and politicians, and even targeting big companies such as telecommunications firms," he said.
The CTGs likewise established the national tax implementing group and the national peasant commission that conspire with the land grabbers.
There is also the National United Front Commission responsible for mass actions involving the middle class, media operations infiltration, lawyers, campaign for party-list groups, and non-governmental organization operations.
Real threat
"Ito iyong binabanggit ni Lt. General Antonio Parlade, na ang threat sa pagwasak sa kabuhayan, karapatan at kagalingan ng mga kabataang Pilipino at ng pamilyang Pilipino by way of the deceptive and radical recruitment among the youth ay totoo at hindi kathang isip ng military o ng NTF-ELCAC (This has been mentioned by Lt. General Antonio Parlade that the threat of destroying the livelihood, rights, and well-being of the Filipino youth and the Filipino family by way of deceptive and radical recruitment among the youth is real, not mere imaginations by the military or the NTF ELCAC)," he said.
Celiz said the CPP-NPA-NDF is expanding toward infiltrating "government rank and file workers, the academe, teachers, and even health professionals in public hospitals.
"We are confronting an enemy no matter how maybe small their numbers, compared to our government bureaucracy organization, but they have the capability to sabotage, subvert, and undermine our way of life in a democratic system, even able to maximize legal processes and democratic processes such as elections," 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. (PNA)
