NDF/NPA-Negros Island: Apolinario Gatmaitan Command on the pressing issues affecting Negros Island

NPA-Negros Island propaganda press statement posted to the National Democratic Front Philippines (NDFP or NDF) Website (Jun 4, 2019): Apolinario Gatmaitan Command on the pressing issues affecting Negros Island

Press Statement

After Duterte’s rigging of the midterm elections this May 2019 in favor of his cronies we expect an increase of the Duterte-style deception, maneuvers and attacks against the people.

The revolutionary movement must steel itself to confront and defeat the regime’s attacks from Oplan Kapayapaan to Oplan Kapanatagan and Oplan Sauron. The gimmicks of the enemy more so its growing brutality and all forms of fascism against the people must not be allowed to prosper. We must surmount the state agents’ unceasing smear campaign and efforts to tarnish the prestige and reputation of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP), New People’s Army (NPA) and National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) in order to cover up their own blunders and receive additional bounty from their commander-in-chief.

It is but right for the people to oppose Duterte with greater unity and more vigorous campaigns against tyranny, fascism, corruption, deceipt, violations of human rights (young and old) and abandonment of Philippine sovereignty.

For the New People’s Army Apolinario Gatmaitan Command (NPA-AGC), the genuine people’s army musters its collective determination to fight for and defend the people. It earnestly tackles the enemy’s counterrevolutionary attacks and carry the revolution forward.

The following is the NPA-AGC’s position on the current issues in Negros Island:

1. Increasing militarization, redeployment of the 11th Infantry Battalion of the Philippine Army and the relocation of the 302nd Brigade Headquarters to Negros.

In the past months battalions under the 303rd and 302nd Brigade were humiliated after their successive failures. The Armed Forces of the Philippines’s (AFP) foot soldiers are in miserable condition because they are being fed by their commanders to the battlefield and in the end their deaths are outrightly dismissed. In the first half of 2019, the enemy has sustained at least 84 casualties. Recently, eight firearms were seized by the NPA from the hands of the mercenary RPA, an AFP paramilitary unit. Even if the AFP denies it and how much 303rd Brigade Commander Benedict Arevalo parrots the NPA’s defeat, these are all talk and will never deceive the people. On the NPA’s part, each life spent in service of the people is honourable. All who take part in the revolution is prepared for the highest sacrifice and is acclaimed by the people.

The people is repulsed of the AFP and Philippine National Police (PNP) and this is their greatest disadvantage. It is the reason behind the intensifying fascism in the countryside and even in the cities. The AFP and PNP are obsessed of chasing the NPA. The crackdown on the legal democratic movement shows their madness in keeping to their deranged master’s orders. The AGC has monitored the ongoing movement of military and police forces in Negros to implement bloody operations like what happened in the Synchronized Enhanced Managing of Police Operations (SEMPO) 1 and 2 in Negros Oriental. Due to alarming killings in Negros since the Sagay 9 massacre, political extrajudicial killing has abruptly increased to six killings per month from the one per month average. It is important for the people to take courage and be astute of the enemy’s attack especially of the imminent SEMPO 3.

The move of the AFP Central Command of redeploying the 11th IBPA to Negros Oriental bodes of the heightening of terror deliberately propagated in the countrysides. The 11th IB has a long list of crimes against the people of Central Negros. The NPA is ready to face additional forces of the enemy. Through protracted people’s war and the continuing support of the masses frustrate the attacks of the butcher AFP. The national democratic revolution is spreading fast in the entire country. The AFP and PNP are frantic about repressing the advance of the revolution.

2. On Gross election fraud.

Before the May 2019 midterm elections, the CPP have been consistent in exposing Duterte’s plan of cheating the elections to consolidate his rule. He wants to crush those who block his pipedream of becoming a fascist dictator. Duterte is using the full force of his administration including the Commission on Elections to ensure the seats of his allies. Now, without doubt, the scheme of fake federalism and sellout of Philippine sovereignty through charter change and other laws strengthening Duterte’s fascist reign will be railroaded in Congress.

The rampant cheating in the elections took place even in Negros Island. Duterte is exposing the bankruptcy and weakness of his regime. In his aim to display the people’s resounding support for his administration, he gained instead the rage of the people for ruining democracy, tainting the sanctity of their votes and installing his minions who like him have no regard for any interests but their own.

3. The bogus and deceitful localized peace talks.

The ambitious and greedy officials of the 303rd and 302nd Brigade prate of alleged numerous NPA surrenderees and scores of firearms yielded from their “successful” localized peace talks. But because of its firm principles and ironclad discipline, not one unit of the NPA will be caught in the trap called localized peace talks. In reality, troops under Arevalo and 302nd Brigade Commander Ignacio Madriaga have only spread terror among the masses.

The AGC has received accounts that the Army is gathering people in barangays luring them with government programs (i.e. DSWD’s 4Ps, DA’s animal dispersal and farm implements distribution) and then after the assembly declaring them as NPA surrenderees. In another circumstance, people are threatened if they will not confess of being NPA members and supporters. Often if state agents cannot force those they accuse of being “rebels” to admit guilt, conniving with judges and the courts, they are charged with trumped-up charges or evidences are planted in their homes.

The surrendered firearms that the AFP eagerly boasts of are taken from the same heap of lies. These are only recycled firearms from the Army’s armory and fabricated reports in order to access the corresponding reward for every firearm and surrenderee. It is popularly known for a fact that the Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Program (E-CLIP) is a big source of corruption of AFP top dogs.

4. On declaring the NPA as persona non grata.

State agents show desperation in whitewashing the failure of the “counter-insurgency” campaign in pressuring local government units (LGU) to declare the NPA as “persona non grata.” This move is part of the “whole-of-nation” approach through Duterte’s Executive Order 70 or the National Task Force Against Local Communist Conflict where the LGU is obligated to engage in the “counter-insurgency” campaign. This is part of a propaganda gimmick and serves as a threat to the LGU and local officials. It is geared towards mobilizing the LGU thus leeching off public funds for the program of the AFP and PNP; directly taking over civilian authority.

No matter how many times government declares the NPA as “persona non grata” this will not reflect the expanding People’s Democratic Government (PDG) well-rooted in the countrysides. The NPA is cherished by the people and because of this the NPA will succeed in advancing the desire of the people for national liberation and genuine freedom.

5. Extortion activities maliciously implicating the NPA.

Reports on proliferating extortion activities in Negros Island implicating the NPA reached the AGC. In one reported incident, a businessman received text messages introducing themselves as NPA. Still through text message they demanded for money and gave instructions on wiring the money. Last May 2019 in Sibulan, Negros Oriental, an alleged extortionist, Ivy Tordillos, also benefited from posing as an NPA member. Ivy Tordillos a.k.a. Norie is not related to the NPA and extorting “protection money” violates the policies and processes of revolutionary taxation.

These extortion activities are modi operandi of syndicates protected by the AFP and PNP. Apart from blackmailing people, these are also black propaganda of the enemy to discredit the revolutionary movement and the prestige it has attained even with people in business.

Revolutionary taxation is implemented by the PDG asserting its status as belligerent state challenging the Government of the Republic of the Philippines. There are policies that are strictly followed and primarily it is implemented against businesses of class enemies of the exploited and oppressed who amass big profits while not giving just wages and benefits to their workers. Funds generated from revolutionary taxation mainly goes to social services of the revolutionary government like education, production, livelihood and health and sanitation. This is contrary to how the reactionary government milks the coffers of the people’s taxes to enlarge the pockets of insatiable bureaucrat capitalists like Duterte. The existence of the revolutionary government primarily relies on the conscious support of the basic masses and all exploited classes.###

reference:

Ka Juanito Magbanua
Apolinario Gatmaitan Command Spokesperson
New People’s Army Regional Operational Command
Negros Island

https://www.ndfp.org/apolinario-gatmaitan-command-on-the-pressing-issues-affecting-negros-island/