A ranking official of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF ELCAC) lauded the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) for its show of good faith on the formal decommissioning of its 1,060 combatants and weapons in Barangay Simuay, Sultan Kudarat, Maguindanao on Sept. 7.
"The NTF ELCAC congratulates the MILF for the display of good faith during the ceremonial decommissioning of MILF combatants and weapons yesterday in Simuay, SK (Sultan Kudarat)," said Major General Antonio Parlade, Jr. in a recent statement to the Philippine News Agency.
Parlade, who is also Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Deputy Chief-of-Staff for Civil-Military Operations, also hailed the MILF leadership for its willingness to work for peace so that their children and those who will follow them will have more opportunities in finding a better future.
"MILF Chair Al Haj Ahod Ebrahim in his message said, 'That instead of going to the field for conflict, we will now go to the field to harvest our crops; that instead of carrying firearms, we will now carry tools for work and education; that instead of thinking about a possible encounter the next day, we can now think of opportunities that await us, our children, and those who will follow'," he said.
The desire to better the lives of the coming generation is the real essence of peace talks, unlike the ones being proposed by the communist rebels and their allies which seeks only to further their distinct agendas, he added.
“That's the essence of genuine peace talks. Not the sham peace talks being broached again by Kamatayan (Makabayan) bloc, especially (Gabriela) Rep. (Arlene) Brosas, during the budget hearing of PCOO (Presidential Communications Operations Office). In the hearing, Rep. Brosas lashed at the PCOO and PNA for doing its job in keeping with the mandate of Executive Order 70 (NTF ELCAC). Reps. Brosas, Elago, and Castro took turns complaining about all the news of government vilifying and red-tagging 'progressive' groups. Instead, they want the government to pursue peace talks with the NDFP (National Democratic Front of the Philippines) and (Communist Party of the Philippines) Jose Maria Sison in Utrecht," Parlade said.
This, he said, is despite the 32 years of peace talks which did nothing to resolve the conflict between the government and the communist rebels and their allies who are still bent on the establishment a communist form of government that has been largely abandoned by its proponents.
"Really? After proving that 32 years of 'peace double-talks' did not get us anywhere but closer to the armed struggle, power grab, or power-sharing that PRRD (President Rodrigo R. Duterte) rejected, consistent with the CPPs agenda of establishing a 'proletarian dictatorship' under the guise of a people's democratic republic (CPP Constitution and Programs, May 2017). They want to establish a government similar to our communist neighbors, while the latter has shifted to a capitalist market economy?" he added.
In line with their desired peace talks, Parlade challenged Brosas and her allies to bare all their plans on how to bring this about.
"Is Rep. Brosas, as well as all the Kamatayan (Makabayan) bloc, willing to bare all their plans and their version of peace? Will they tell the people that their agenda includes the repeal of very relevant laws like Agri and Fisheries Modernization Act, Mining Act, and the (Indigenous People's Rights Act) IPRA Law? Will (Bayan Muna) Rep. (Eufemia) Cullamat, an IP, support it knowing that it’s the only law in the world that codifies the protection of our IPs and their AD (Ancestral Domain) If so, why? For them to continue the exploitation of our IPs and incite them to rebel against the government? What kind of duplicity is this?" he said.
He added that these party-list representatives have the courage to tell the Filipino public that once peace is achieved under the terms and conditions of the CPP-NPA that there will be no decommissioning of rebel fighters, which is in stark contrast to the what the MILF did.
Instead of NPA members who are guilty of many atrocities, it is the AFP, the mandated protector of the country and its people, that they want to be decommissioned, Parlade lamented.
"Will they have the nerve to announce to our people that they do not intend to demobilize the NPA, in contrast to what the MILF did? Instead, the CPP-NDF version of the CASER (Comprehensive Agreement on Socio-Economic Reforms) calls for the 'demobilization of the GRP (Government of the Republic of the Philippines) military' (Article VIII). The NPA, on the other hand, will continue to exist to implement agrev programs of the new government (Article VII). Those are all found in the Bayan Muna-USA website, tacked cleverly so not all will have access to," he said.
These party-list representatives, he said, are not willing to tell the public about the plans to disband the AFP and all its units despite their push for the resumption of peace talks.
"Think about that, they want your Armed Forces disbanded. I bet they are not willing to disclose these to the public, even if they peddle that narrative of going back to peace talks. Neither will they allow their progressive alliances in the media to publish government statements that will hurt the left. We tried this a few dozen times but to no avail. This is the reason why we laud PCOO for championing truth. The truth is what prompts Kamatayan (Makabayan) bloc to complain about red-tagging," he added.
Parlade also scored members of the Makabayan bloc for their efforts to intimidate heads of the Executive departments during the budget hearing in the past weeks.
"Using the power of the purse, Kamatayan (Makabayan) bloc members were consistently intimidating the Executive Branch chiefs during the series of budget hearings the past weeks. DND (Department of National Defense), DepEd (Department of Education), DFA (Department of Foreign Affairs), and PCOO all experienced blunt questioning from the Left. But the NTF ELCAC stood their ground. We don't need another 50 years of all these lies and revolutionary dual tactics," he added.
Parlade also scored the duplicitous scheme of the communist rebels and their allies as they seemingly project a willingness to pursue peace but in reality, they conduct schemes contrary to this.
"Are these Kamatayan (Makabayan) bloc members of the NPA? Now we know how to answer - they are not. That duplicitous nature is now as clear as the crystal ball. But not only NPAs have blood in their hands. These hypocrites have been recruiting and sending our children to their graves. They still have to account for 8,635 or more of these children, aged 13-16, recruited to Anakbayan, then to the underground Kabataang Makabayan, and eventually the NPAs. Just like the Salugpungan children they trafficked in Talaingod, Davao del Norte, many of these children are still out there in the mountains," he said.
Parlade also asked Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) party-list Rep. Frances Castro on why she is allegedly lying on the circumstances of the trafficked children in Salugpungan schools.
"Isn't Rep. Castro a teacher, representing the Alliance of Concerned Teachers? How can she lie about the circumstances of the trafficked children in Salugpungan schools? We will see about that case dismissal, ma’(a)m," he added.
Replying to Parlade’s remarks, Castro said the Makabayan bloc has always been at the forefront in the calling for the resumption of the peace talks, that militarists like Parlade always sabotage.
“In fact, the CASER (Comprehensive Agreement on the Socioeconomic Reforms) was already at the table for discussion before the termination of the peace talk due to advise of the militarist sabotagers like Parlade,” she said in a text message to PNA on Sept. 9.
The truth about the militarization in Salugpongan schools, she added, cannot come from those responsible for it.
“Ikatlo, binasura na ang bintang ng PNP at militar na trafficking at kidnapping sa lebel pa lamang ng piskal na patuloy na pininipil (Thirdly, the charges of trafficking and kidnapping were already dismissed at the prosecutors level),” she added.
Earlier, Department of Education Secretary Leonor Briones, responding to Bayan Muna party-list Rep. Eufemia Cullamat query during a House budget hearing on Sept. 5 on why the alternative schools catering to indigenous peoples (IPs) were closed and what procedures were undertaken by the agency to justify the closure, said the 55 Salugpungan Ta’ Tanu Igkanogon (Salugpungan) tribal schools in Southern Mindanao were “temporarily suspended” due to their failure to comply with the requirements set down by DepEd for private schools to be given a permit to operate.
Parlade also slammed Gabriela party-list group for not aiding the cause of the League of the Parents of the Philippines, a group calling for the safe return of minors allegedly recruited into NPA ranks, who have earlier conducted protests over this communist rebel atrocity in various parts of Metro Manila.
"By the way, if Gabriela is truly an advocate of women's rights, it should be leading those League of Parents of the Philippines, who are right now crying for the safe return of the kids. Many of them are children of Migrante and OFWs (Overseas Filipino Workers) members, all working so hard to provide the needs of their children, only to be devoured by these vultures like Anakbayan and Kabataan. ‘Progressive' they want to call themselves. I say they are depressive zealots in our society," he added.
PNA tried to get Gabriela party-list Rep. Arleen Brosas’ comments but failed, as of this posting.
https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1080365
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