Joy “Ka Amihan” Saguino says for the longest time, the CPP-NPA-NDF has exploited party-list groups, through its parliamentary struggle, to advance their agenda to overthrow the government. (Joy Saguino FB page photo)
MANILA – A former New People’s Army (NPA) rebel expressed full support for the move to disqualify party-list groups that back communist terrorist groups (CTGs).
Joy “Ka Amihan” Saguino, in a radio program interview on Tuesday, referred to these sectoral organizations as communist party-list groups.
“Kasi ang (Because the) platform for the party-list system has been exploited, has been utilized by the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) para maisulong ng CPP 'yung kaniyang agenda (to push forward the CPP’s agenda) in the parliamentary platform,” Saguino said.
He said if people only give a closer look at the statement, actions, and the propaganda promoted by these party-list groups in Congress, they will notice that these support the propaganda line of the CPP.
A concrete example, Saguino said, is the attack being made by the party-list groups against the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) and even pushing for its defunding, and the issues against the different policies of the government.
“Halos nga kung titingnan natin 'yung statement ng CPP at ng mga communist party-list groups na ito halos ang pagkakaiba lang nito ay 'yung hindi pagbanggit ng armadong pakikibaka. In essence, 'yung context ng mga statement nila (If we will look at the statements of the CPP and these communist party-list groups, the only difference is the non-mention of armed struggle. The context of their statement) is reflective of the statements of the CPP,” he said.
Former leftist
Saguino, who served as secretary of Guerilla Front 20 under Sub-regional Committee 1 of the New People’s Army’s Southern Mindanao Region, said she was part of the leftist groups for almost 12 years.
He is also a former leader of the Kabataan Party-list and spokesperson of Anakpawis Party-list.
“I can definitely say that this communist party-list groups should be disqualified and should not be allowed to run in 2022 election kasi sa napakahabang panahon pinagsasamantalahan lang ng CPP-NPA-NDF (National Democratic Front) through its parliamentary struggle, ginagamit ang mga party-list groups na ito para isulong 'yung kaniyang agenda para i-overthrow our government and dapat matigil na ito once and for all (because for the longest time, the CPP-NPA-NDF has exploited, through its parliamentary struggle, they are using these party-list groups to advance their agenda to overthrow the government, and they should be stopped once and for all),” he said.
Redemption
Saguino said the CPP-NPA-NDF has already victimized so many people with their atrocities.
As a former member of left-leaning organizations as well as of the NPA, he added that he feels somehow guilty of having given false promises to the farmers, the youth, and other vulnerable sectors in the name of the CPP-NPA-NDF, of a better future and free society.
“Naging mas magulo 'yung pamumuhay ng ating mga magsasaka at katutubo sa kanilang mga komunidad sa presensya dito ng mga miyembro ng CPP-NPA-NDF (Instead the lives of our farmers and the Indigenous People’s in their community became more chaotic with the presence of the members of the CPP-NPA-NDF),” Saguino said.
Through the NTF ELCAC, he said that they were allowed to redeem themselves as he expressed support for the NTF-ELCAC and the whole of nation approach to attain inclusive and sustainable peace for the country.
“With the NTF ELCAC, isang napakaling opportunity para mag redeem, bumawi sa taong bayan, bumawi sa gobyerno, bumawi sa mga dating masa na naging biktima ko din nung nakaraan na para ipakita na this is true service na pwedeng gawin ng isang kabataan na nangangarap na maglingkod sa sambayanan (It is a big opportunity for us to redeem ourselves, to make up for what we have done to the people and the government, to those whom we have victimized, and show them that true service may be done) without going to the path of violence and terrorism,” Saguino said.
“Ka Amihan”, who is among the resource persons in the Nov. 24, 2020, Senate Committee on National Defense & Security, Peace, Unification and Reconciliation hearing on red-tagging, claimed he was recruited at the University of the Philippines Visayas in Iloilo as a member of League of Filipino Students.
She described the communist insurgency as worse than the coronavirus disease pandemic.
The CPP-NPA is listed as a terrorist organization by the United States, European Union, the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the Philippines. (PNA)
