‘We know who you are’, NICA to CPP-NPA supporters in gov’t

From the Philippine News Agency (Feb 5, 2021): ‘We know who you are’, NICA to CPP-NPA supporters in gov’t (By Marita Moaje)

The National Intelligence Coordinating Agency (NICA) on Thursday said several supporters of communist terrorist groups (CTGs) have infiltrated different government agencies, working as state employees across various offices.

In an interview over DZAR on Thursday, NICA Director-General Alex Paul Monteagudo said they know about the individuals who were able to infiltrate government agencies.

“We know who they are, that they are even party members, supporters of the CPP [Communist Party of the Philippines]. But pinapaalam din natin sa kanila na alam natin. Alam nila na alam namin, alam ng security forces, alam ng gobyerno kung sino sila at binabantayan natin sila (We have informed them that we know. They know that we know, the security forces know, the government knows them, and we are watching them),” Monteagudo said.

Earlier, the Social Welfare Employees Association of the Philippines (SWEAP), the employees’ union of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), decided to cut ties with labor group Confederation for Unity, Recognition and Advancement of Government Employees (COURAGE).

SWEAP moved to disassociate the union from COURAGE after 20 years, citing money issues and supposed “questionable” activities and service.

Monteagudo said SWEAP officials and members started to question COURAGE on how membership fees are spent, adding that they also noticed that the group puts forward agenda related to the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army-National Democratic Front (CPP-NPA-NDF).

He said SWEAP officials and members felt they are being exploited by COURAGE and decided to disaffiliate from the organization.

Not from NICA but Sison

Monteagudo, however, clarified that it was neither NICA nor the government which claimed that COURAGE is part of the CPP-NPA-NDF, but CPP founder Jose Maria Sison himself.

“Ang pagsasabi naman na terrorist organization ang COURAGE ay hindi kami, mismong si Joma Sison, sa video niya nung 1987 ay in-identify niya ang COURAGE as one of those front organization ng CPP (We were not the one who said that COURAGE is part of the terrorist organization but it was Joma Sison himself in a video in 1987. He identified COURAGE as one of the front organizations of the CPP),” he said.

He added that during the early part of President Rodrigo Duterte’s term, the chief executive appointed several personalities whom he knows are part of left-leaning organizations, to show his sincerity that he is willing to accept and talk with them.

The appointees were assigned to different government agencies and brought their own people inside the agency.

Monteagudo said when the officials were removed from their posts, their people remained in the state agencies since they have security of tenure.

Reds infiltrated gov’t

He said even before President Duterte’s term, “Reds have already infiltrated the government with their 52 years of existence”.

“Halos lahat ng ahensya ng gobyerno ay napasukan na sa loob ng 52 years. They have all the time sa loob ng 50 taon na ma-infilitrate itong mga organizations natin (Almost all government agencies have been infiltrated in those 52 years. They had all the time infiltrating our organizations for more than 50 years),” he said.

Another mode of entering government service, Monteagudo explained, is through student leaders who were recruited to join different front organizations and later became members or supporters of the CPP-NPA-NDF.

He said students who decided to remain in the city but remained as CTG supporters were encouraged by the group to take civil service examinations.

After passing the examinations, Monteagudo said they enter government service and work in the agencies.

“Pero pag pumasok yun dun, ang part ng kanilang sweldo pupunta sa partido (When they enter the government, part of their salary goes to the party) but their primary function is to recruit more, to influence, to agitate and to indoctrinate and to act as eyes and ears of the CPP-NPA,” Monteagudo said.

He said NICA has been presenting special briefings in different government agencies on the extent of CTG infiltration on the bureaucracy.

As per NICA’s latest estimate, there are about 300,000 to 400,000 who are allies of different CPP-NPA-NDF front organizations.

However, Monteagudo clarified that being a member of these front organizations does not mean that they are terrorists.

He said many of these members from the government sector do not know that COURAGE is a front of the CPP-NPA-NDF.

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/1129696