CPP/NDF-Eastern Visayas: Disaster survivors in Biliran forced to surrender by 802nd IBde

Propaganda statement posted to the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) Website (Aug 20, 2021): Disaster survivors in Biliran forced to surrender by 802nd IBde

NDF-EASTERN VISAYAS

NATIONAL DEMOCRATIC FRONT OF THE PHILIPPINES

AUGUST 20, 2021

The National Democratic Front-Eastern Visayas today sounded alarm over the surrender campaign led by the 802nd Infantry Brigade against members of a disaster survivors group in Biliran last week.

“The Duterte regime continues its Red-tagging against people’s organizations and progressive party-lists as part of its crackdown against its opponents. The NDF-EV condemns the 802nd IBde, the PNP and the Duterte regime for coercing innocent civilians to surrender,” the NDF-EV said.

The Army brigade recently announced that it is conducting a surrender campaign together with the Philippine National Police under the Provincial Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (PTF-ELCAC) against the Biliran chapter of People Surge, a group of disaster survivors. Previously, the AFP-PNP also illegally arrested and detained the group’s spokesperson in February 2020.

The NDF-EV said that the Duterte regime’s crackdown on people’s organizations underscores its criminal negligence and gross incompetence towards victims of calamities.

The NDF-EV added, “Under the Duterte regime, there is no end to the plight of disaster survivors. In Leyte, fisherfolk communities along the coasts of Tacloban City, Palo and Tanauan have been forced to leave their homes and livelihood to give way to the Tide Embankment Project, one of Duterte’s flagship Build, Build, Build projects, and for the San Jose Airport extension project.

“In Samar and Northern Samar, victims of typhoon Bising were hoodwinked into attending ‘surrender ceremonies’ veiled as relief operations by local government units and the AFP-PNP. They were made to sign papers declaring them as ‘former rebels,’ had their photos taken and then paraded on social media. This is Yolanda twice over.”

The NDF-EV called on the disaster survivors to resist the Duterte regime’s state terror and continue fighting for their rights. “They must congregate in numbers to overcome state repression, and exert all efforts to expose Duterte’s negligence, corruption and fascism.”#

https://cpp.ph/statements/disaster-survivors-in-biliran-forced-to-surrender-by-802nd-ibde/