CPP-NPA lone goal is to grab power: ex-NPA cadre

From the Philippine News Agency (Jul 5, 2021): CPP-NPA lone goal is to grab power: ex-NPA cadre (By Lade Jean Kabagani)

Jeffrey 'Ka Eric' Celiz, a former CPP-NPA-NDF member (Screengrab)

What civil liberties and political rights?

Thus, said former rebel Jeffrey Celiz adding that the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People's Army-National Democratic Front (CPP-NPA-NDF) do not advocate those as its goal is to seize power from the government.

Celiz, also known as Ka Eric Almendras when he was still a CPP cadre and NPA combatant, said insurgents simply want to push for a communist system in the Philippines.

"Ang CPP-NPA-NDF ay hindi po naglalayon na magpalaganap ng kapayapaan at ng pagkakaisa ng taumbayan. Ang CPP-NPA-NDF ay binuo upang mang-agaw ng kapangyarihan at pabagsakin ang gobyerno at maitayo ang sistemang maka-komunista sa pamamaraang marahas, madugo at pumapatay at gumagamit ng terorismo (The CPP-NPA-NDF does not aim to promote peace and unity. The CPP-NPA-NDF was created to seize power and overthrow the government and build a pro-communist system through violence, bloody tactics, and killings through terrorism)," Celiz said during Monday's regular press conference of the National Task Force To End Local Communist Armed Conflict dubbed "Debunking lies by telling the truth".

He said the atrocities, violent attacks, and illegal recruitment of minor combatants are all maneuvered by CPP's high-ranking officials.

"They are doing it on the different sub-areas of corporation pero iisa lang po ang kumukumpas. Armado man ‘yan at hindi armado, lantad at hayag o tago at lihim ay iisa lang po ang kumukumpas niyan (but there is only one orchestrator. Whether it is armed or unarmed, obvious and overt, or hidden and secret, there is only one orchestrator). 'Yun ay (That's the) Communist Party of the Philippines," he said.

Celiz emphasized that the main objective of the armed struggle is to destroy the government and tear apart Filipinos until the nation becomes a communist state.

"The monster may come in different faces with different heads, but the objective of the monster CPP-NPA-NDF ay iisa lang po, wasakin ang ating bayan at pagwatak-watakin ang mamamayan, gumamit ng karahasan at terorismo at magkaroon ng pagkakataon na udyukan ang taong bayan at linlangin ito upang sumama sa marahas at madugong pagbabangon upang pabagsakin ang ating bayan, ang ating buong pamahalaan at buong sistema ng demokratikong pamumuhay (The CPP-NPA-NDF has only one objective, that is to destroy our country, divide the people, use violence and terrorism and have the chance to urge and deceive the people to join violent and bloody actions to overthrow our country, our entire government, and entire democratic system)," he said.

"That has always been the case for the last 52 years. It never changed," he continued.

He said the CPP-NPA-NDF may have "distinct entities" but they are "inseparable in terms of operations".

The NPA rebels are getting orders directly from the CPP leaders, he added.

"Ang NPA, ang kanyang directives at mga programa ay kinumpasan ng (The NPA's directives and programs are maneuvered by the) Communist Party of the Philippines," he said.

The backbone and core of the NDF's underground operations, he said, such as infiltrating legal front organizations and alliances, is the CPP itself.

One of the NDF's tasks, he said, is to penetrate all communist front organizations and alliances to work against the interest of the state.

"Ang NDF, ang kanyang underground operations o ang kanyang pag-infiltrate sa mga front organizations at alliance na nagkukunwaring legal organization na kumukilos (its underground operations or infiltrating front organizations and alliances pretending to be legal organizations to act) are against the interest of the state in the government and misleading a lot of sectors of our people," he said.

Celiz said spreading wrong ideologies, particularly in far-flung communities, must be put to an end.

"The time has come for us to really know and understand them and expose them to the people," he said.

The CPP-NPA is listed as a terrorist organization by the United States, European Union, the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the Philippines.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1146047