Feature: From a revolutionary to a peaceful citizen

From the Philippine Information Agency (Jun 23): Feature: From a revolutionary to a peaceful citizen 

“Maayo ang propaganda pero kutob lang sa teorya, dili sa aktwal. (The propaganda is good but only in theory not in actual scenario),” a former armed rebel said.

Adrian (not his real name) is one of the 24 rebels who recently surrendered to the battalions of the 1003rd Infantry Brigade of the Armed Forces of the Philippines. Adrian surrendered last June 6 in New Corella to the 60th Infantry Batallion.

He was a platoon commander in the New People’s Army Guerrilla Front 33, whose territory expands from New Corella, Tagum City, Asuncion, Nabunturan, Mawab, Laak and part of Agusan.

Adrian started his revolutionary life at the age of 14. His parents were against it. “Dili jud sila mutugot na mo-apil ko pero ninglabaw akong kaugalingong desisyon (They really did not allow me to join (the revolutionary group) but my personal decision prevailed),” he said.

He said he was trained together with a number of new recruits on armed combats with lectures on the force’s political agenda.

“Dasig kaayo ko atong panahona kay na-awhag ko sa ilang mga propaganda (I was really motivated that time because I was persuaded by their propaganda,” he said.

Adrian said that their team was the ones, who threatened businessmen in their area to pay revolutionary taxes.

“Pag dili sila magbayad, magmando sa amoa ang kahitasan na daoban ilang mga sakyanan (If they (businessmen) won’t pay (taxes), those at the top will command us to burn their vehicles),” he said.

Incidents of ransacking and burning of company vehicles were apparent in the local news last year. He said he was part of those people, who did those ground works for the NPA.

He defended that they were just following orders from their leaders. “Nagahulat lang kami sa mando sa taas. (We just await instructions from the top.)”

“Sa amo pud, diri man pud nagikan ang pagkaon sa among pamilya (For us, this (revolutionary tax) is the source of our family’s food.”

Adrian is now 31 and has a family with four kids. He said that at first, the provisions to his family were given as agreed on time. He however did not disclose the amount given to his family.

“Pero sa kadugayon, putol-putol na ang suporta. Naa usahay na tagtulo ka bulan tas kulang ang ginahatag. (However, as time passed by, the support (financially) were not given regularly. There were times that it comes every three months but still lesser (than the agreement).”

He said that these circumstances increased his scepticism in the revolutionary group. “Kaming mga nasa ubos na ang-ang sa kadre, gigamit lamang tas sila nga naa sa taas hayahay kaayo ang ilang kahimtang pati ang ilang pamilya (We, who are in the bottom level of the cadre, were being used and those at the top are living comfortably, including their families).”

“Sa kadako sa among area, pila gud na ka milyon ang makolekta nila? Pero kulang man ang gihatag sa among pamilya. (With the big area within our jurisdiction, how many millions were being collected (from the businesses)? But they gave less than what had been agreed to our families).”

His voice was strained as he said that they were the ones who battled the army to sustain the revolutionary movement but then he realized that they were just being seen as assets ready to be disposed.

Adrian recalled that his troops were even killed during armed battle and he also said that he killed a number of military forces. “Dili na malikayan kay panagsangka man. Ang girila nagapangita jud na ug panagsangka. (This could not be avoided since it is an encounter. Guerillas seek for encounters).”

He said that he could barely visit his family. “Sila na ang moadto sa amoa kung asa mi naka-asyn. (They (families) are the ones who visited us wherever we were assigned.)

He relayed that their families would visit them every three months or six months, depending on the encounter, which happens weekly or monthly.

Adrian said that his struggles in the revolutionary group with the finances and their actual practices led him to go back to the Philippine government.

But he said it was not easy. “Pagkabalo nila na mu-surrender ko, gi-dayban ko ug upat ka tao. (When they knew that I was going to surrender, four persons attacked me.)”

Adrian identified the persons as his colleagues in the revolutionary government. He even reminisced that one of them put a gun on his wife.

Good thing, he said that he escaped and now, his family was secured by the army.

“Sukwahi sa gina-ingon bahin sa army, pero naa man juy uban na abusado sa una, pero wala jud mi katilaw ug kulata sa army. (Contrary to what they (NPAs) said about the army, however there were really abusive army in the past, but we never experienced brutality in the army (when we surrendered.)”

Adrian said that he saw that the changes implemented by the Philippine government now to bring development in the countryside.

He said that in his stint in the revolutionary government, he too recruited a number of people to join the revolutionary force because of the abuses of the army and the lack of development in their area.

“Na inganyo nako sila tungod kay na inganyo pud ko. Karon ang uban lider napud sa mga hukbo sa Luzon ug Visayas. (I persuaded them because I too was persuaded. Now, some are leaders of the groups in Luzon and Visayas.)

Adrian said that if he could, he want to tell them to stop from being used by the revolutionary government run by their leaders, who are enjoying the fruits of their bloody encounters in the ground.

“Karon na ning-surrender nako, sana matabangan pa sa gobyerno akong pamilya na ilang matilawan ang wala nila natilawan tong naa pa ko sa kalihokan. (Now that I already surrendered, I hope that the government will help my family that they may experience what they never experienced when I was still active in the revolutionary.)”

Adrian also has one wish to the government. And that is to be a member of the Armed Forces of the Philippines.

“Buot pud nako maging army. Gusto nako matabangan sila na ipakaylap sa mga tao nga nindot lang sa propaganda ang kalihukan pero dili sa aktwal ug ginagamit lang ang mga ubos na element sa mga pipila ka lideres sa hukbo.” (I also desire to be an army. I want to help them spread to the people that the revolutionary government is good only in its propaganda but not in the actual scenario and the low elements were just being used by a number of leaders in the forces.)

http://news.pia.gov.ph/article/view/2871435042700/feature-from-a-revolutionary-to-a-peaceful-citizen-