AFP official: Karapatan has clear pattern of bailing out arrested Reds

MANILA – There’s no stopping the military from unmasking human rights group Karapatan and other communist front organizations.

Major General Antonio Parlade, Jr, Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Deputy Chief of Staff for Civil-Military Operations, on Saturday bared Karapatan has shown a clear pattern of bailing out arrested leaders and members of the Communist Party of the Philippines and its armed wing, New People’s Army (CPP-NPA).

Aside from paying for the cash for arrested Romeo Nanta, head of NPA Regional Operations Command (ROC) Negros Island in 2012 and Zaldy Canete alias “Ka Jinggoy”, leader of NPA 1st Pulang Bagani Command, in 2015, Parlade said Karapatan – Northern Negros bailed out in 2012 Hernando Llorente alias “Ka Adoy”, NPA Northern Negros Front commander, and wife Faith Roseen Basergo alias “Ka Bea”, an NPA political instructress.

“That’s a clear pattern they have established and it doesn’t need rocket scientists to understand that,” Parlade said.

He said it is “heroic” for former Karapatan – Southern Mindanao region secretary general Honey Mae Suazo, and Karapatan – Negros secretary general Fred Caña to have raised money to help bail out Canete and Nanta, respectively.

“What a coincidence? Maybe Karapatan doesn’t know that they are telling the same pathetic story,” he said, adding that this is also the version of Karapatan- Northern Negros who raised money to bail out the Llorente couple.

The Llorente couple were released from jail in April 2012 after a total of PHP80,000 bail was paid. Both were among those charged with robbery-in-band in connection with the 2011 raid of the fish farm of Joseph Edgar Sarrosa, a nephew of then Governor Joseph Marañon in Brgy. Bulanon, Sagay City.

Records at the time of the couple’s release showed that more than P2 million has already been spent to bail out more than 10 arrested NPA leaders in Negros, who later rejoined the revolutionary movement to resume their armed struggle.

“Ms. Palabay, where are you now? Honey Mae Suazo is appealing for pity now, saying she is a single mother after being separated from her NPA husband, Jonald Suazo,” said Parlade referring to Karapatan secretary general Cristina Palabay.

“To establish how selective they (Karapatan) are as human rights defenders, let’s see how they can help the poor Mangyan relatives of Hanunuo tribal leader Jose Barera who was abducted and killed by NPA members led by Ka Mikoy and Ka Aira two days ago in Benil, Bulalacao, Oriental Mindoro,” he added.

The 47-year old Barrera, he said, was a former rebel who surrendered, only to be murdered by Karapatan’s ally — CPP-NPA.

Parlade lamented that these are the advocacies financially supported by non-government organizations (NGOs) of Gemany and Belgium like Viva-Salud and Solidagro.

“Don’t they know that they are directly aiding these terrorist organizations with their funding from Europe?” he said.

SEC probe

He added that it’s about time that Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) look into at all these CPP front organizations before other well-intentioned NGOs are dragged into this mess.

Data obtained by the AFP showed communist front organizations receive funds from the Belgian government and some European countries in the guise of marginalized and pro-poor programs. The military has identified seven recipient organizations based on documents from the Belgian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, not to mention those from other European countries.

The Belgian government has reportedly released its first tranche of more than 621,000 Euros (PHP36,663,840) to the Rural Missionaries of the Philippines out of the 15-million Euro (PHP885,600,000) or 3 million Euros per year grant to some Belgian NGOs for the 2017-2021 program. This year, some 1.3 million Euros (PHP76,752,000) are expected to be released until the Philippine government flagged them.

The ILPS

Many of these CPP front organizations, he added, can easily be identified at the website of International League of Peoples Struggle (ILPS) chaired by Jose Maria Sison.

“The ‘Kamatayan Bloc’ refutes this claim but they have been participating in this international assembly called by terrorist Joma in the last five assemblies,” he said, referring to the Makabayan party-list groups in Congress.

He added that in the 6th ILPS Assembly that will be held in Hong Kong in June is where Joma, as head of the CPPs International Department and the International Coordinating Committee, gives his orders on what NGOs do to generate foreign funding using various social developmental projects as cover.

“These include literacy, IP issues, women and children’s rights, human rights, health, and even disaster resilience. No wonder they amass billions of pesos from European and Western donors, Parlade said.

Local front activities

At the local front, Parlade said, it was Rey Casambre, head of the National United Front Commission, who orchestrated all these illegal activities, using legal fronts like Karapatan, KMU, ACT, LFS, Gabriela, Bayan Muna, Anakpawis, Kadamay, among others, until his arrest in 2018.

“These are classic revolutionary dual tactics. When shall we finally wake up to ban organizations under the NDF? I hope we get this into our minds before they proudly celebrate the NDFs anniversary on 24 April,” he added.