STATEMENT OF THE NTF-ELCAC ON THE DEATH OF JEVILYN CULLAMAT

The National Task Force ELCAC would like to extend its sincerest condolences to the family of MAKABAYAN Bloc (KOALISYONG MAKABAYAN)

Representative Eufemia Cullamat on the death of her 22 year old daughter, Jevilyn Cullamat, who was killed in an encounter involving government troops of which the young Cullamat was an NPA combatant.

Indeed there are no victors in this war created by old men and hardened ideologues who have deeply wounded our country with an ideology centered on the Doctrine of Hate and that has deeply and bitterly divided us as a people- more so when it is our children who are offered up as sacrifice in this altar of radicalism where Filipinos have been taught to hate then kill fellow Filipinos for over 52 years now.

This senseless rebellion has escalated and poisoned all sectors of Philippine society- and most tragically, this unwinnable war has devoured our children.

Perhaps alone among the Makabayan party-listers, Congresswoman Cullamat knows now, first-hand, the same kind of loss and grief experienced by all those parents whose activist children were killed in violent pursuit of a misguided cause.

It is not too late, however, for her to try and save her own brother from the same fate.

Nor to find common cause with parents whose grief over the loss of their children ought to transcend ideological loyalties no matter how important today they may seem.

It is the prayer of this Task Force that those in the leadership of the CPP NPA NDF call on their allies to lay down their arms, move away from extremism and stand in the center of our shared ground of love for country and our children so that this country may finally know what it is like to live in genuine peace and understanding.

Undersecretary Lorraine Marie T. Badoy

NTF ELCAC Spokesperson