Ex-NPA cadre says Sison's death to end communist ideology

From the Philippine News Agency (Dec 22, 2022): Ex-NPA cadre says Sison's death to end communist ideology (By John Rey Saavedra)

END OF COMMUNISM. Cebu City Councilor Pastor "Jun" Alcover Jr. is seen delivering a message in an event with farmers in this Sept. 2, 2022 file photo. Alcover delivered a privileged speech on Wednesday (Dec. 21) before the Cebu City Council, saying he sees the death of Jose Maria "Joma" Sison would bring about the death of communism as an ideology. (Photo courtesy of Councilor Pastor "Jun" Alcover Jr.)

CEBU CITY – A former member of the New People’s Army (NPA), who led a squad of the earliest fighters in this city in the '70s, said on Wednesday the death of Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) founder Jose Maria “Joma” Sison will also bring about the death of communism as an ideology.

In his privileged speech before the Cebu City Council to honor his former comrade, Councilor Pastor “Jun” Alcover Jr. said he hopes the death of Sison will put an end to the more than 50 years of fighting between the communist groups and the government forces.

“May Sison’s ideology also die and may his death put an end to violence and armed struggles in the country,” he said.

Even as Alcover condoled with the family of Sison, he said that as an elected government official, he hopes Sison's passing would become an opportunity to finally achieve lasting peace in the country.

He encouraged his former comrades who are still in the mountain fighting against the government and causing the destruction of some communities to leave the violence behind.

“My message to our youth and Red Activists, dili lalim ang magpabukid ug mag rebelde batok sa atong gobyerno tungod lamang sa usa ka idolohiyang sayop (it’s not easy to be in the mountain to rebel against the government because of erroneous ideology),” he said.

He urged Sison’s followers to finally bring lasting peace in the communities as “there is no peace if there is violence.”

Alcover warned that the small number of remaining rebels could still launch attacks against government troops as their way to mark the demise of their founder and leader.

The CPP will celebrate its 54th founding anniversary on Dec. 26.

Alcover urged the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Philippine National Police (PNP) to double their efforts to preserve the peace during the holidays.

As the first NPA leader in Cebu City, Alcover said he was promoted to the regional party committee and was given the chance to lead a platoon of NPA fighters in Samar island.

He left the armed struggle after 10 years in the mountains fighting with government troops. He then joined politics as a nominee to Congress representing an anti-communist party-list, the Alliance for Nationalism and Democracy.

Sison died on Dec. 16 after two weeks of confinement in a hospital in Utrecht, The Netherlands, where he has lived in self-exile after then-President Corazon Aquino released him from detention in 1986.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1191264