Communist groups out to smear gov’t spokesmen — NTF
By Willie Casas / Manila Standard
The government has accused the Communist Party of the Philippines – New People’s Army – National Democratic Front of having created ‘Oplan Delta’, a series of slanderous attacks targeting spokespersons of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict.
During the NTF-ELCAC regular ‘virtual’ press conference, Undersecretary Lorraine Badoy, NTF-ELCAC spokesperson on Social Media and Sectoral Concerns, revealed an intelligence report that indicates OPLAN DELTA was hatched by National United Front Commission Head Nathaniel Santiago of the CPP-NPA-NDF, in Quezon City recently. Other ranking party members of the communist terrorist groups like Maria Sol Taule who acts as a lawyer for NPAs and the partylist group KARAPATAN participated in the meeting according to the intel report.
Badoy added that a committee was formed against each NTF-ELCAC spokesperson to spread propaganda and “to create the most outrageous lies with the goal of inflicting the most damage on the Spokesperson assigned to that committee in a bid to destroy our credibility”.
“The committees in charge of me, Lt. Gen. Antonio Parlade Jr., Undersecretary Joel Egco and lawyer Marlon Bosantog were under special instructions to intensify their black propaganda and demolition jobs on us because they suspect we will be running for public office in next year’s elections,” Badoy revealed.
“The recent unearthing by the NTF-ELCAC of OPLAN DELTA comes as no surprise to us,” the spokesperson said, adding, “It has come at the heels of assassination plots specifically targeting NTF-ELCAC officials particularly its spokespersons and that was momentarily thwarted by government law enforcers in Sta. Rosa, Laguna early this year when armed elements of the CPP-NPA-NDF’s liquidation squad were neutralized by the AFP.”
National Security Adviser and NTF-ELCAC Vice-Chairman, Hermogenes Esperon Jr., also blasted the CPP-NPA-NDF for targeting the spokespersons of the NTF-ELCAC. He said the OPLAN DELTA is a sign of desperation among the terrorist groups, as they can no longer justify their atrocities.
“Don’t shoot the messenger. Kasi kung yung spokesperson ang inyong titirahin, mas mababa na yung antas ng usapan. Kung mag ga-gather sila ng information about the spokespersons and probably even the people involved in the National Task Force ELCAC, including me, then sige kung meron kayong makuha, but parang wala na ba kayong masagot sa aming mga sinasabi at yung messenger na ang inyong pinupuntirya?” Esperon stressed.
“They have run out of reasons, and therefore, ang masasabi ko lang ay merong sense of desperation sa parte nila. Let it be, let it be. Nakahanda naman tayo diyan,” Esperon said, adding that all the NTF ELCAC spokespersons and personnel are ready for any slanderous attacks.
Jeffrey Celiz, a former CPP-NPA-NDF official for 21 years who goes by the name of Ka Eric Almendras, also confirmed that the plot by the CPP-NPA-NDF to demonize the NTF ELCAC spokespersons—as revealed by Badoy—is true. Celiz said this is based on the terrorists’ history and capability to destroy government leaders, as well as the entire government.
Meanwhile, Badoy said among the agreements reached were the “gathering and dissemination of information by all front organizations—particularly the law firm of terrorists—KARAPATAN, about NTF- ELCAC officials with the express goal of besmirching our reputations in order to discredit the Task Force.”
Badoy also exposed that NUFC—whose main mandates are the mobilization of various sectors, alliance building in urban centers and the infiltration of government through the party-list groups—also directed their front organizations to perform equivalent demolition jobs on civil organizations that actively educate the Filipino people about the CPP-NPA-NDF.
“And if you think that the threats on our lives are going to stop us from shining the glaring light of truth on each of you, you are so wrong on so many levels and ways that I don’t even know where to begin telling you how wrong you are. We have married our destinies with the job of putting an end to the grievous harm and suffering you have caused our people. Death is a small price to pay to seeing our country finally free of this 52-year terrorist scourge,” she emphasized.