33 Ilocos Norte residents renounce support to CPP-NPA’s front groups

From the Philippine Information Agency (Sep 19, 2020): 33 Ilocos Norte residents renounce support to CPP-NPA’s front groups (By Freddie G. Lazaro)

SAN FERNANDO CITY, La Union, Sept. 19 (PIA) - - Army Brigadier General Audrey L. Pasia, the commander of the army’s 702nd Infantry Brigade, announced that a total of 33 Ilocos Norte residents renounced their support to the three front organizations of the Communist Party of the Philippines – New People’s Army (CPP-NPA).

In a joint meeting of the Regional Peace and Order Council – Regional Development Council (RPOC-RDC) meeting on Thursday, Pasia said the 33 mass supporters of the Gabriela, Anakpawis Partylist, and Stop Exploitation (Stop-Ex) have voluntarily took their oath of allegiance to the government in a ceremony held at the covered court in Barangay Cacafean, Marcos, Ilocos Norte on September 13, 2020.

Marcos town’s Mayor Antonio V. Mariano officiated the oath of allegiance of the surrendered NPA supporters.

Pasia called on the supporters of the CPP-NPA including its front organizations to return to the fold of the law and cooperate with the government in ending the local communist armed conflict.

“The residents have the primary role in ending the problem on insurgency in the countryside; if you (residents) love your country, let us cooperate and help with one another because no one could help us against the CPP-NPA terrorists but ourselves,” said Pasia.

Lieutenant Colonel Ulysis V. Laude, the commander of the army’s 24th Infantry Battalion that covers Ilocos Norte, said the withdrawal of support of the 33 sympathizers of the CPP-NPA is vital in the fight against local insurgency problem.

“With a lessen mass base, the three NPA’s front party lists will have a hard time mobilizing women and youth,” said Laude.

Further, Laude said that the 33 mass base supporters were victims of the deceptive approach of the CPP-NPA as they didn’t know that the two-party lists and one peasant group were affiliated with communist terrorist organizations.

AKA “Tita”, 55, a surrendered NPA rebel in 2003, admitted that she joined the Gabriela Partylist in 2015 because the organizers convinced them that they were defenders of the abused women.

Later, she realized that they were just organized to be used in preparation for the 2016 elections.

AKA “Tita” disclosed that it was just during the orientation conducted on September 13, Sunday when they learned the truth about the party lists and was surprised about it.

I want peace and I don’t want to become a victim of deception strategy of the CPP-NPA anymore,” AKA Tita said. (JCR/FGL, PIA1)

https://pia.gov.ph/news/articles/1053540