FILIPINO YOUTH MATTERS. Under pouring rain, members of Liga Independencia Pilipinas, League of Parents of the Philippines, and Yakap ng Magulang burn the images of Jose Maria Sison during a picket rally in front of the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands along Paseo de Roxas in Makati City on Wednesday (Sept. 8, 2021). The groups renewed their call for the European nation to stop coddling Sison, who is the Communist Party of the Philippines' founding chair. (PNA photo by Avito C. Dalan)
MANILA – Several multi-sectoral groups believe that providing a safe haven for the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) founding chair Jose Maria "Joma" Sison in the Netherlands would only prolong the sufferings of innocent civilians victimized by the atrocities of the CPP’s armed wing New People’s Army (NPA).
Members of Liga Independencia Pilipinas (LIPI), League of Parents of the Philippines (LPP), and Yakap ng Magulang, along with mothers of students who were reportedly recruited by various CPP's front organizations, staged a picket rally in front of the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands along Paseo de Roxas in Makati City on Wednesday to renew their call to terminate the asylum status given to Sison and his comrades in the European nation.
The groups urged the Netherlands government to stop allowing Sison and his colleagues to freely plan their violent attacks and atrocities in the Philippines.
LPP chair Remy Rosadio said the high-ranking officials of the Netherlands should cooperate with the Philippine government in sending Sison and other communist leaders back to the Philippines "so they face the raps filed against them."
"They should hand over Joma Sison and his comrades to the Philippine government because they are responsible for more than 52 years of killings, kidnappings, the radicalization of our youth, and exploitation of our indigenous peoples," Rosadio said in Filipino during the rally.
Stop coddling Joma
She amented that the Dutch government remains mum to their request to stop coddling Sison in their country.
"What makes you different from them? They have been destroying many lives and murdering many of our youth's better futures. By refusing to cooperate with our government, the Philippine authorities, will only make you an accomplice to this unending crimes and atrocities committed by the CPP-NPA-NDF which were orchestrated by Joma Sison," Rosadio said, as she sent a demand letter to the Dutch government to remove Sison's asylum status.
Dr. Luvimin Madriaga, also an LPP member, said the "coddlers of Sison must hear out the cry of the Filipino parents."
"Many of us lost our child because of the armed struggle. They were lured to join the communist groups. They were radicalized to become distant to their own family and become closer to the enemy of the State that has been destroying our country for long-standing 52 years," Madriaga said.
Madriaga called out Sison for maneuvering the NPA attacks in the mountains while he lives a "luxurious life" in the Netherlands.
"If you truly love our country. Go back here in the Philippines and face all the criminal charges filed against you. Stop killing people. Stop recruiting minors. Stop destroying the government," she said.
She said the communist insurgency in the country will only be halted if Sison will be held liable for the lawlessness of the CPP-NPA-NDF (National Democratic Front).
"To the people of the Dutch Embassy, we are asking you to lend a helping hand to the Filipino people by assisting us in sending back Joma Sison here. We want peace. We want to end this communist insurgency," she added.
Madriaga said they will be relentless in urging the Dutch government to terminate the asylum status of the CPP leaders.
"We will not stop until you return Joma Sison back here," she said.
Save Filipino youth
Yakap ng Magulang founder Relissa Lucena, mother of AJ who was recruited by alleged CPP-NPA legal front organization Anakbayan, slammed the Dutch government for coddling Sison as a political refugee saying: "Joma doesn't deserve comfortable living because he is a terrorist."
"Napakasakit po na si Joma Sison ay nabubuhay ng masarap sa Netherlands habang sinisira niya ang maraming pamilyang Pilipino. Sumisira sa bansang Pilipinas (It hurts so much that Joma Sison is living a good life in the Netherlands while he is destroying many Filipino families. He is destroying the Philippines)," Lucena said.
She said: "It's time that the Dutch government must wake up to the fact that Joma Sison, who got a political asylum in the Netherlands, is truly a heartless terrorist."
Lucena hit Sison for allowing the CPP-NPA-NDF and its front organizations to exploit the innocence of the Filipino youth.
"Napakadaming bata ang nawawala. Napakadaming bata ang namamatay sa kabundukan (Many children have gone missing. Many children have died in the mountains)," she said.
Lucena added the Dutch government should listen to the testimonies of the former NPA rebels confirming that Sison is the main orchestrator and responsible for the violent attacks perpetrated by the CPP-NPA-NDF.
The protesters also plead for the end of the long-standing communist armed conflict.
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.
The NDF has been formally designated as a terrorist organization by the Anti-Terrorism Council on June 23, 2021, citing it as “an integral and separate part” of the CPP-NPA created in April 1973. (PNA)
