About 2,000 former members of the Communist Party of the Philippines-New Peoples Army-National Democratic Front (CPP-NPA-NDF), joined the “Kalinaw ug Kalambuan, Singgit sa katawhan!” march rally at the Freedom Park in Tagum City, Davao del Norte on Saturday, which sought to reject the armed struggle of the CPP-NPA-NDF and their alleged exploitation of the electoral exercise.
In a statement released on Saturday, Kalinaw Southeastern Mindanao (KSM) Inc. stated that since the inception of the whole-of-nation approach to solving the problem of insurgency, the former rebels have fully collaborated with the government and have become instrumental in achieving the insurgency-free status of the entire Davao Region.
However, KSM said that even as the armed capacity of the NPA in the region has been dismantled, the threat of insurgency resurgence remains.
“As former rebels, we are all aware of the tactics of the CPP-NPA-NDFP in using elections to recruit, strengthen, and recover. We know, because it had been part of our political work when we were members of the organization. We are living witnesses to how the organs of the CPP-NPA-NDFP gather funds, resources, and support to ensure the victory of our local and national candidates—all Party members—and party lists—all established by the Party. We know that these candidates and party lists, along with other “legal democratic forces,” secretly implement the directives of the CPP-NPA-NDFP within the Philippine Congress and other government agencies,” the statement said.
The statement emphasized that they also know that their strategy of infiltrating the democratic arena, like elections, has no other purpose but to strengthen the armed struggle and the NPA.
The KSM said they have no fear in exposing the truth amid the threats to their lives and will bravely expose the lies and deception of the Makabayan bloc, which consists of 11 senatorial candidates and five partylists currently running in the elections.
The group firmly rejected Bayan Muna Partylist, Kabataan Partylist, ACT Teachers Partylist, Gabriela Women’s Partylist, and Health Workers Partylist.
“Without fear, we unmask Liza Maza, Jerome Adonis, Jocelyn Andamo, Ronnel Arambulo, Rep. Arlene Brosas, Rep. France Castro, Mody Floranda, Teddy Casiño, Mimi Doringo, Amirah Lidasan, and Danilo Ramos,” it said.
The KSM criticized the said partylists for calling them red-taggers, traitors, and paid hacks.
“We have indeed turned our backs on the violence of armed struggle and the dictatorship of the CPP-NPA-NDFP, but we have not betrayed the masses. And who are the real traitors and mercenaries? Who is truly isolated from the masses? Is it we who are striving to return to our communities and continue the struggle to help solve people’s problems? Or is it those who claim to be the “advanced detachment” but can no longer set foot in communities because they have been strongly rejected by the masses?” it said.
KSM denounced the CPP-NPA-NDFP for having no shame in allying with what they once called the “ruling class.”
“This only shows that, first of all, they have become utterly corrupt, as they are now willing to trade their principles for money or personal interest. Secondly, the true state of our former organizations is being laid on display—they are now desperate and extremely weak, to the point where they must compromise their fundamental principles merely to sustain themselves amid the harsh reality of absent mass support,” it said.
The KSM stated that in its return to the fold of the government, it knows that much remains to be improved.
“But we have also directly experienced the benefits of the whole-of-nation approach being implemented today. Because of this, we must constructively criticize the mistakes while continuing to systematically help address the root causes of the people’s unrest,” it said.
The group underscored that people must deprive the CPP-NPA-NDFP of the material bases for their deception and recruitment.
“We carry decades of knowledge, skills, and experience in mobilizing the masses to achieve their interests, and we must now use these within the framework of the law and our democratic rights,” it said.
