Ex-rebel bares pantry organizer’s link to commies

From the Philippine News Agency (Apr 22, 2021): Ex-rebel bares pantry organizer’s link to commies (By Marita Moaje)

REVEALED. Former communist cadre Shane Valdez tells the Philippine News Agency on Thursday (April 22, 2021) that Maginahawa community pantry organizer Ana Patricia Non was a former communist terrorist group member. Valdez said she expected Non’s denial about her underground movement connections. (Photo grabbed from D Express Facebook)

A former rebel bared the links of a community pantry organizer to communist terrorist groups (CTGs).

Shane Valdez, in a phone interview Thursday, told the Philippine News Agency that Maginhawa, Quezon City community pantry organizer Ana Patricia Non was affiliated with Kabataang Artista Para sa Tunay na Kalayaan (Karatula).

“Yung nag-umpisa nung community pantry na yan, ‘yung si AP Non kung tawagin nila, dati siyang miyembro ng Karatula (This AP Non who started the community pantry, she was a former member of Karatula),” said Valdez, who is a former cadre of the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army-National Democratic Front (CPP-NPA-NDF) for more than seven years.

Valdez, who admitted she was recruited into joining the Youth Communist League in Angeles City, Pampanga in 2011 when she was only 14 years old and later became the spokesperson of Anakbayan Central Luzon before becoming a full-pledged CPP-NPA member, said Non’s father was also a supporter of the movement.

When she heard about Non, her name sounded familiar.

Family ties

“Ni-research ko ngayon. Tumugma nga. Sabi ko ito nga ‘yung anak nung kaalyado namin sa Angeles City. Tatay pala nya yan. Alam ko nga kasi na ‘yung tao na ‘yun may anak na tibak. Party member pa nga kung tutuusin (I did my research and then I confirmed that she was the daughter of our supporter in Angeles City. He’s her father. I already knew back then that he has an activist daughter, a party member after all),” Valdez said in a Facebook video.

She added that when she heard of Non and the community pantry, she already knew it has a hidden agenda.

“Galawang komunista ‘to. Ganun yan. Meron silang hidden agenda. Bakit nila ‘to ginawa? Binababoy nila yung diwa ng bayanihan, eh kasi imbes na tumulong ka, tumulong ka lang. ‘Wag mo ng bigyan pa ng politika, ‘wag mo na bigyan pa ng hidden agenda. Ginagawa mo pang dahilan ‘yan para mang-recruit eh, para sirain ‘yung gobyerno (These are confirmed communist moves. They have a hidden agenda on why they are doing this. They change the meaning of bayanihan because if you really want to help then just help, don’t politicize it, don’t make hidden agenda. You’re using it to recruit and destroy the government),” said Valdez, who denounced her CPP-NPA membership in 2018.

Non earlier denied involvement with communist groups, even branding a reporter’s question about it as inappropriate.

“Sa totoo lang po, wala akong link sa Communist Party. And pasensya na po, napakadumi po ng question na ‘yan (I have no links with the Communist Party. I’m sorry but that’s really an inappropriate question),” Non said during an online press conference on Tuesday.

“Gusto ko lang po may ma-i-set up na community pantry and makakain ang mga tao (I just want to set up a pantry to help feed the people),” she added.

Protecting CTGs at all cost

Valdez said she already expected Non would deny her affiliations as it is the first thing the communist movement teaches its members.

“Dahil nga underground organization siya, iligal at lihim kaya ino-orient ang bawat kasapi na i-deny mo, itanggi mo, ‘wag kang aamin, sukdulang ikamatay mo, ‘wag mo lang aaminin para hindi mapahamak ang organisasyon. So expected na namin ‘yan na itatanggi talaga niya (Because these are underground organizations, meaning they are illegal, members are oriented to deny, to not admit anything, even if it may cost your life so as not to endanger the whole organization. That is why we already expected that she will deny that),” Valdez said.

Valdez clarified that she is not against community pantries as long as they are not tainted with ideological and political agenda.

She called on the public to be vigilant and to differentiate those who really want to help from those who have other agenda.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1137726