CPP-NPA ruins dreams, destroys families, oppresses IPs -Esperon
By PIA-NCR Reportorial Team / Philippine Information Agency
QUEZON CITY – National Security Adviser Secretary Hermogenes Esperon Jr. on Monday branded the Communist Party of the Philippines and its armed wing the New People's Army as "ruiners of dreams, destroyers of families, and oppressors of Indigenous Peoples."
Speaking during yesterday's commemorative event of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) titled "National Day of Solidarity, Condemnation and Outrage Against the CPP-NPA-NDF," Esperon led all stakeholderis in strongly castigating the atrocities committed against Filipino families by the group led by "global terrorist" Jose Maria Sison.
"At ano na nga [ba] ang nadulot ng CPP-NPA? Pagkasira ng mga pangarap at kinabukasan ng ating mga kabataan, na siyang pinagluluksa ng [ating] mga magulang na nawalan ng anak," the NTF-ELCAC Vice-Chairperson said.
"Nagdulot ng pagkawasak ng mga pamilya, pang-aapi sa mga katutubo, at sa pangkalahatan, hindi umangat ang ating kanayunan at bansa," he added.
To reacall, the Armed Forces of the Philippines earlier submitted to Signe Poulsen, representative to the Philippines of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, and Gustavo Gonzales, United Nations resident and humanitarian coordinator in the Philippines, a report on the atrocities committed by the NPA against civilians and their properties detailing that since 2010, the CPP-NPA-NDF caused 532 violent incidents, including the destruction of civilian-owned properties, in the hope that appropriate charges for violation of international humanitarian law will be filed against the communist group. The data were collected by the AFP-Human Rights Office (AFPHRO) from field units.
Also tagged with the CPP-NPA's five decades of violence are the Inopacan mass murder, the Taganito attack, Plaza Miranda bombing, Borongan Eastern Samar ambush, and the Lapanday Foods Corporation attack, among others.
Sec. Esperon, however, also called for support for the NTF-ELCAC in reaching its goal of eradicating the Communist Terrorist Group (CTG) by 2022 through the Whole-of-Nation and Whole-of-Government approach in hopes to attain lasting peace, order, security, and development for the country.
"Itong NTF-ELCAC ay magdudulot sa ating ng pagkakaunawaan, pagbabalik-loob, pagtahimik, pagpapa-abot ng serbisyo, at pag-unlad ng mga lugar na dati nang magulo dahil sa NPA," he pointed out.
The event, which coincided with the 52nd anniversary of the terrorist communist NPA, drew in the public's support and condemnation against organizations that "promote violence" as a means to achieve their goals of overthrowing the government.
"Organizations that promote violence will never have a place in this world. We will never celebrate Terrorist Organizations," some participants expressed.
Meanwhile, members of the League of Parents of the Philippines and Liga Independencia Pilipinas appealed on the Netherlands Government to "terminate" Sison’s asylum status that may curtail the attacks by the NPA.
"We appeal to the Netherlands Government to expel Joma Sison together with his co-terrorists," they expressed in their joint manifesto.
"The State of the Netherlands has provided Joma Sison and the ruling members of the terrorist group CPP-NPA-NDF [National Democratic Front] a sanctuary and a staging ground in Utrecht, Netherlands, to propagate their senseless war of terror and aggression against the government and the Filipino people," they said.
They also cited the Joma-led group's reported use of landmines forbidden under international law, and how their legal fronts, under the umbrella National Democratic Front, "sabotage development" through obstructionist policies.
"All of these have the blessings or direction of Sison," they lamented.
The League of Parents of the Philippines or the "Liga ng mga Magulang" was formed fueled by issues on the CPP-NPA’s supposed recruitment of the youth into the armed movement. The Liga Independencia Pilipinas, on the other hand, is a coalition of at least 48 organizations nationwide that promote peace and development building, among others.
"We know and believed that the Netherlands is a state that pushes humanitarian actions and which has been wrongfully deceived by Joma Sison and his co-conspirators," they added.
"Now is the time to expel these terrorists from their sanctuary. They have brought so much hate, manipulation, death, and destruction to our society and our lives while evading prosecution," they further said.
The groups said these terrorist enablers pass themselves off as victims, feigning persecution and harassment by the Philippine Government, but "attack the peaceful lives of the Filipino people from the safety of Europe." (PIA NCR)