NDF calls president biggest NPA recruiter

From the Visayan Daily Star (Nov 6, 2019): NDF calls president biggest NPA recruiter

The National Democratic Front-Negros tagged President Rodrigo Duterte as the number one recruiter of the New People’s Army, citing the worsening human rights violations, injustices, economic crisis that have driven the people to join the revolutionary movement, its spokesman, Bayani Obrero, said in a statement.

In the statement dated Nov. 2, Obrero said that the administration of Duterte is in hurry to destroy the revolutionary movement in Negros by implementing a de facto martial law, in order to silence all his critics, especially activists who are members of progressive organizations.

He also dismissed the attempt of the Duterte administration to destroy the revolutionary movement as an “illusion”, stressing that it will fade away like smoke.

Obrero condemned the joint and synchronized operation of the Philippine National Police, Criminal Investigation and Detection Group as well as of the 3rd Infantry Division against progressive organizations, such as Bayan Muna, Gabriela and National Federation of Sugarcane Workers in cities of Bacolod and Escalante, Negros Occidental, that he claimed arrested more than 62 persons.

He also linked Lt. Col. Jovie Espenido, who is newly assigned at the Bacolod City Police Office, to the crackdown against militant organizations.

Obrero also likened the arrest of activists in Bacolod and Escalante City to Oplan Sauron 1 and 2, Oplan Barnstark as well as the arrest of nine other activists in Escalante City.

He strongly denied that those arrested in Bacolod City are members or officials of the NPA, or extending support to the revolutionary movement.

Brig. Gen. Benedict Arevalo, 303rd Infantry Brigade commander, yesterday reiterated his challenge for Bayan Muna Rep. Carlos Zarate and Negrense lawyer activist Neri Colmenares to explain the presence of 14 minors, who were among those rescued by state security forces, during simultaneous raids in offices of militant organizations in three barangays of this city on Oct. 31.

Arevalo yesterday said that all they got was a deafening silence from Zarate, Colmenares and their allied militant organizations, on his challenge to explain, what they have been doing to minors.

Zarate and Colmenares had earlier accused the authorities of having planted guns and explosives as evidences, and claimed that there is an undeclared martial rule in Negros.

The raids are also being described by militant groups as possible prelude to an intensified crackdown to cut down or eliminate progressives and critics of the Duterte regime.*

http://www.visayandailystar.com/2019/November/06/topstory9.htm