MANILA – Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Deputy Chief-of-Staff for Civil-Military Operations, Major Gen. Antonio Parlade Jr., on Friday renewed his call for the Makabayan bloc in Congress, and human rights defenders to condemn the Communist Party of the Philippines – New People’s Army (CPP-NPA) after the recent killings in Agusan del Norte, and Surigao.
“There is an upsurge of killings in Agusan and Surigao by the communist terrorist groups CPP-NPA. Again why haven’t we heard from Joma’s (Jose Maria. Zsison) stooges from Bayan Muna, NUPL (National Union of Peoples Lawyers), Karapatan, Kabataan, etc.?,” Parlade said in a statement.
Parlade cited the recent spate of killings in the three provinces and the participation of the left in the said killings.
He also tagged the CPP-NPA for the murder of Marino Cabag last May 16 in Brgy. Guinabsan, Buenavista, Agusan del Norte.
“He was suspected to be an asset of the government when in truth, he is not,” he said on Cabag’s murder.
Parlade also cited the case of Datu Rodeto Buklas, a Mamanwa leader, who was allegedly kidnapped by NPAs in Sitio, Dakulang, Bangonay, Jabonga, Agusan del Norte on May 20. Bukas’ body was found with multiple stabbed wounds hours later in Sitio Amontay, Bangonay.
“On the same day, CAFGU (Citizen Armed Force Geographical Unit) member Fijie Ignalig was shot dead by NPA terrorists in Sto. Rosario, Bacuag, Surigao del Norte. The next day, May 21, 2019, another CAFGU member, Ronald Borja Contemplo, was shot dead by communists in Brgy. Anomar, Surigao City,” he added.
Left’s arrogance
Parlade, also a ranking official of the National Task Force to end Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC), called out the arrogance of the Makabayan bloc even after losing their hold in the 2019 midterm elections.
“After obviously being shamed and discredited by millions of their former supporters during the last election, these gangsters have continuously showed their arrogance and the blatant disregard of the human rights of our fellow Filipinos without let up,” he said.
Left-leaning groups that once dominated the party-list race fell back in the 2019 mid-term polls, giving way to the Tulfo brothers-backed Anti-Crime and Terrorism through Community Involvement and Support (ACT-CIS) to rise on top.
Parlade said he expected the non-condemnation of the CPP-NPA by the leftist Congressional bloc. He said the left is supporting the armed struggle while trying to take advantage of the parliamentary struggle.
“And now that the people has shown their disgust over this duplicity, they start to rant about being cheated in the electoral exercise. They want to have their cake and eat it too,” he said.
The people, he said, are against the type of government that the leftists are trying to push for.
“These people fight their government because what they want to establish is a proletarian dictatorship. And yet they charge the government of being a tyrant. They want to put up a People’s Democratic Republic, like that of North Korea and Vietnam which do not believe in election, yet they participate in a democratic electoral process,” he said.
“The people have made its judgement and then they convene Kontra Daya because the masses they claim to be theirs supported the candidates of a regime they perceive to be a tyrant,” he added.
Parlade said the people themselves will condemn the CPP-NPA and Makabayan bloc in the future.
“More people are now aware of this revolutionary dual tactics of the Kamatayan (Makabayan) bloc and the CPP NDF. It’s only a matter of time when people will start to condemn you. Before that happens, you’d better start denouncing these violence and killing spree of the terrorist CPP NPA NDF, if you are not part of them,” he said.
The CPP-NPA is listed as a terrorist organization by the United States, European Union, United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the Philippines.
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