Ex-rebel leader confirms NPA recruitment of college students
Published Jan 14, 2019 12:29 pm
By Aaron Recuenco
Communist rebels formerly operating in Laguna and nearby provinces confirmed Monday the recruitment of college students by the New People’s Army (NPA) who are reportedly first lured to visit poor communities in the Calabarzon (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, and Quezon) region for immersion that end in frequent visits to rebel camps.
(MANILA BULLETIN)
The 20 rebel returnees said students from the University of the Philippines (UP) and the Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP) regularly visit them.
“They would go to some far-flung communities for research but some of them would no longer go back and would choose to stay,” said alias Ka Ruben, one of the communist leaders based in Laguna revealed in an interview at Camp Crame.
The revelation reinforced the allegations of the Philippine National Police (PNP) that the New People’s Army (NPA) has been recruiting in colleges and universities through the rebels’ legal fronts.
Chief Supt. Edward Carranza, director of the Calabarzon PNP, said their focus now is on persons who served as point men in recruiting the students.
“We really have to find these people because they are not only putting the lives of these students at risk but also destroying the future and hope of their families,” Carranza told reporters.
The official said they have long been receiving intelligence reports of the supposed visits of college students in known areas where communist rebels operate in Calabarzon.
While some may have voluntarily joined the local communist rebels, Carranza said some have been tricked into joining rebel groups.
The students, Carranza revealed were first lured into visiting indigenous people and poor communities living in the mountains of Calabarzon. After the visit, the communist rebels would reportedly tell the students they have to stay a little longer due to the presence of police and military forces who detected their arrival.
The students are reportedly led to join the regular communist rebels in finding safe routes out of the rebel lair.
The problem, according to Carranza, is that the students are sometimes pinned down once the operating military units chance upon the rebel group.
He cited a case in Batangas a few years ago where some of those killed in military engagements were college students.
Carranza said some of the rebel surrenderers were members of the Dumagat tribe living in the mountainous areas of Laguna.
“These Dumagats were recruited from 1997 to 2016 under Bagong Hukbong Bayan. They were issued handguns and long firearms such as AK-47 and Ma16 rifles,” said Carranza.
The firearms were turned over to the government when they surrendered.
The rebel returnees will be given livelihood and cash assistance by the government.
Huge mistake
Meanwhile, the Liga Independencia Filipinas, a group of former NPA rebels picketed The Netherlands Embassy and asked the Dutch government to terminate the asylum status of Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) founder Joma Sison and repatriate him to the Philippines to face punishment.
Nolan Tiongco, leader of the anti-communist group said Sison has conveniently made The Netherlands his safe haven while the communist group he founded lost touch of its purpose to bring injustices to light in the country.
“Ang nangyayari pa, mas marami pang injustices na idinulot ang mga giyera ng New People’s Army (NPA).
“"Maraming nasaktan at namatay, wala naming naligtas katulad ng dapat sanang mithiin ng grupo (What happened here is more injustices were brought by the NPA. Many were wounded; nothing has been resolved),” Tiongco said.
The 50-year struggle of the communist group showed no proof that the group’s fight is legitimate.
Tiongco said most of the rebels who joined during his time dropped the fight because they realized it made no sense.
“Malaking pagsisi namin na dating kabahagi ng movement ang pagsali. Mali yung pakikipaglaban, mismo yung mga kasama na nakikibaka, sila mismo yung nag-aaway away at karamihan ay terroristic act (Joining the movement was a huge mistake. Fighting was wrong, our comrades in the group were fighting against each other, mostly terroristic acts),” he added.
Early this year, Senator Panfilo Lacson reminded the Department of Justice to follow-up in its petition seeking to tag the CPP-NPA as a terrorist group.
“I urge the executive branch, particularly the DOJ to follow up with the judiciary the case that they filed calling for the prescription of the NPA as a terrorist group which is provided under Section 2 of the Human Security Act of 2007,” Lacson said on Twitter.
“They have not succeeded for the past five decades so I don't see how they can. Right now, they are reduced to a band of extortionists, arsonists and robbers, even a terrorist group,” added Lacson, former PNP chief. (With a report from PNA)
(MANILA BULLETIN)
The 20 rebel returnees said students from the University of the Philippines (UP) and the Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP) regularly visit them.
“They would go to some far-flung communities for research but some of them would no longer go back and would choose to stay,” said alias Ka Ruben, one of the communist leaders based in Laguna revealed in an interview at Camp Crame.
The revelation reinforced the allegations of the Philippine National Police (PNP) that the New People’s Army (NPA) has been recruiting in colleges and universities through the rebels’ legal fronts.
Chief Supt. Edward Carranza, director of the Calabarzon PNP, said their focus now is on persons who served as point men in recruiting the students.
“We really have to find these people because they are not only putting the lives of these students at risk but also destroying the future and hope of their families,” Carranza told reporters.
The official said they have long been receiving intelligence reports of the supposed visits of college students in known areas where communist rebels operate in Calabarzon.
While some may have voluntarily joined the local communist rebels, Carranza said some have been tricked into joining rebel groups.
The students, Carranza revealed were first lured into visiting indigenous people and poor communities living in the mountains of Calabarzon. After the visit, the communist rebels would reportedly tell the students they have to stay a little longer due to the presence of police and military forces who detected their arrival.
The students are reportedly led to join the regular communist rebels in finding safe routes out of the rebel lair.
The problem, according to Carranza, is that the students are sometimes pinned down once the operating military units chance upon the rebel group.
He cited a case in Batangas a few years ago where some of those killed in military engagements were college students.
Carranza said some of the rebel surrenderers were members of the Dumagat tribe living in the mountainous areas of Laguna.
“These Dumagats were recruited from 1997 to 2016 under Bagong Hukbong Bayan. They were issued handguns and long firearms such as AK-47 and Ma16 rifles,” said Carranza.
The firearms were turned over to the government when they surrendered.
The rebel returnees will be given livelihood and cash assistance by the government.
Huge mistake
Meanwhile, the Liga Independencia Filipinas, a group of former NPA rebels picketed The Netherlands Embassy and asked the Dutch government to terminate the asylum status of Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) founder Joma Sison and repatriate him to the Philippines to face punishment.
Nolan Tiongco, leader of the anti-communist group said Sison has conveniently made The Netherlands his safe haven while the communist group he founded lost touch of its purpose to bring injustices to light in the country.
“Ang nangyayari pa, mas marami pang injustices na idinulot ang mga giyera ng New People’s Army (NPA).
“"Maraming nasaktan at namatay, wala naming naligtas katulad ng dapat sanang mithiin ng grupo (What happened here is more injustices were brought by the NPA. Many were wounded; nothing has been resolved),” Tiongco said.
The 50-year struggle of the communist group showed no proof that the group’s fight is legitimate.
Tiongco said most of the rebels who joined during his time dropped the fight because they realized it made no sense.
“Malaking pagsisi namin na dating kabahagi ng movement ang pagsali. Mali yung pakikipaglaban, mismo yung mga kasama na nakikibaka, sila mismo yung nag-aaway away at karamihan ay terroristic act (Joining the movement was a huge mistake. Fighting was wrong, our comrades in the group were fighting against each other, mostly terroristic acts),” he added.
Early this year, Senator Panfilo Lacson reminded the Department of Justice to follow-up in its petition seeking to tag the CPP-NPA as a terrorist group.
“I urge the executive branch, particularly the DOJ to follow up with the judiciary the case that they filed calling for the prescription of the NPA as a terrorist group which is provided under Section 2 of the Human Security Act of 2007,” Lacson said on Twitter.
“They have not succeeded for the past five decades so I don't see how they can. Right now, they are reduced to a band of extortionists, arsonists and robbers, even a terrorist group,” added Lacson, former PNP chief. (With a report from PNA)