CPP/NDF-EV: NDF-EV gives ultimatum to reactionary die-hards Evardone and Zacate over crimes against the people and the revolution

Posted to the CPP Website (Apr 25): NDF-EV gives ultimatum to reactionary die-hards Evardone and Zacate over crimes against the people and the revolution

Fr. Santiago Salas (Ka Sanny)
Spokesperson
NDFP Eastern Visayas Chapter

The National Democratic Front-Eastern Visayas today issued a final warning to reactionary die-hards Ben Evardone and Javier Zacate over their counterrevolutionary and anti-people crimes that are being investigated by the people’s democratic government, otherwise they will surely face the full force of revolutionary justice.

Evardone, the previous governor of Eastern Samar and the incumbent congressman of the province, is running for reelection while Zacate is gunning for governor after formerly serving as mayor of Sulat town. “Evardone and Zacate are partners both in politics and in crime,” said Fr. Santiago “Ka Sanny” Salas, NDF-EV spokesperson.

“They both enriched themselves in office as well as through masterminding criminal activities. The Evardone-Zacate tandem also violates the guidelines for electoral access in revolutionary areas by bringing along soldiers to secure and support their campaign sorties. Despite the many opportunities the people’s democratic government gave them to change their rotten ways, these hoodlums persist with impunity. Enough is enough.”

Fr. Salas slammed Evardone as a plunderer who became enormously rich at the expense of the people. “Ben Evardone is one of the richest congressmen while Eastern Samar is the poorest province in the region and the fourth poorest in the country. He looted the P173 million loan to the province in 2006 meant to buy equipment and for other purposes. His political reign in Eastern Samar is characterized by anomalous projects, purchases and disbursements. He also opened the province to mining projects that pretended to be small-scale but were in reality large-scale because of sheer numerousness. He also backed the human rights violations of the military and actively contributed to the surrender campaign against the New People’s Army known as the Social Integration Program. Evardone even funded the setting up of military intelligence networks in Dolores and Can-avid towns.”

The NDF-EV spokesperson also said Evardone’s cousin and and bet for governor, Javier Zacate, is a known criminal and corrupt official. “Javier Zacate has been arrested for involvement in kidnapping-for-ransom to enrich himself as well as support his political candidacy. He also faced corruption charges as Sulat mayor. For several years, he has been misrepresenting himself as a member of the revolutionary movement to extort money from businessmen. Recently, he extorted P500,000 from a construction contractor to fund his gubernatorial campaign. Zacate commits his crimes with impunity because of his connections to Evardone and the military.”

Fr. Salas also noted that Evardone and Zacate have been campaigning with widespread military support and security, thus putting the people at risk as well as violating the territorial integrity of the revolutionary areas. “The people in the towns of Oras, Dolores, Arteche and San Policarpio have been complaining of widespread military operations whenever Evardone and Zacate conduct their campaign sorties. Bringing goons and soldiers during political campaigns inside the revolutionary territories seriously violates the guidelines for electoral access in the said areas. The people’s democratic government has long been warning the reactionary politicians that doing such will be penalized. Evardone and Zacate are fully aware of this and are therefore acting with grave defiance and impunity.”

The NDF-EV spokesperson said that the NPA in Eastern Samar is authorized to disarm and dismantle the goons of Evardone and Zacate and to take offensive actions against their military and police backers. “Who do Evardone and Zacate think they are? They are just a couple of crooks and criminals who have been coddled by a ruling system that is rotten-to-the-core. The people of Eastern Samar have long been demanding to be rid of these scoundrels through the elections or any other means. The NPA will surely take offensive action against the continuous violations of Evardone and Zacate’s goons and military backers which are both legitimate targets. Evardone and Zacate are also warned by the people’s democratic government to cease, desist and account their counterrevolutionary and anti-people activities. This is their final warning and no appeal is possible.”

http://www.philippinerevolution.net/statements/20130425_ndf-ev-gives-ultimatum-to-reactionary-die-hards-evardone-and-zacate-over-crimes-against-the-people-and-the-revolution