Open Letter by NDF-EV to the People on
the Diatribes of the Northern Samar Peace and Development Forum
September 30, 2010
The National
Democratic Front-Eastern Visayas would like to answer the "Statement
of condemnation of the inhuman killing of the eight police officers
and barangay councilman" by the Northern Samar Peace and Development
Forum dated August 21. The statement was allegedly issued on the day
of the tactical offensive by the New People's Army in Catarman, but
came to light suspiciously only recently.
The NSPDF statement
maliciously makes it appear that human rights violations were
committed by the New People's Army in its Aug. 21 tactical offensive
against the Philippine National Police in Brgy. Imelda, Catarman,
Northern Samar. As the NPA's Rodante Urtal Command has already
clarified, T/Sgt. Rolando de Guia was punished for being a military
intelligence handler of the 63rd Infantry Battalion, acting under
cover as a village councilor of Brgy. Imelda. Moreover, the eight
PNP elements
who were killed in action were legitimate targets for the NPA. The
entire operation against De Guia and the PNP was therefore a
legitimate act of war. The NPA has also asserted its firm adherence to
human rights and international humanitarian law.
It is thus sheer
hypocrisy and manipulation for the NSPDF to pontificate about the
NPA's taking away the right to life of the casualties. That is
certainly ridiculous, because were not De Guia and the policemen
clearly combatants in the armed services of the state, who themselves
were ready and authorized to take away the right to life of enemies of
the state such as the NPA? We also remind NSPDF that as far as
respecting the right to life is concerned, the Philippine government
remains a pariah in the international community for more than 1,200
unsolved political killings under Oplan Bantay Laya since 2001. The
silence of the Aquino regime on bringing Gloria Arroyo to account for
these crimes becomes all the more damning because these continue: at
least 12 political killings have been committed by state security
forces even before Aquino's one hundred days in office.
The NSPDF also grossly
distorts the facts in misrepresenting that the heavily-armed policemen
were not combat-ready but only on police investigation, as if even
that would not make them legitimate targets as members of the armed
services. Much more maliciously, the NSPDF claims the NPA finished off
the policemen by shooting them in the head and burning their vehicle.
But despite the serious allegation, no credible evidence, or even a
formal complaint whether to reactionary or revolutionary authorities,
have been presented more than a month after the incident.
The NSPDF statement
feigns concern for human rights, but its contents reveal gross
distortions, manipulations, and lies that all amount to similar
fascist diatribes by the military against the revolutionary movement.
It raises questions, such as what is NSPDF, and who benefits from this
fascist statement pretending to avow human rights?
To the knowledge of
NDF-EV, the NSPDF is a hollow organization but claims to represent, as
per its statement, the Church, government, academe, civil society and
youth in Northern Samar. In reality, the NSPDF is a puppet
organization being manipulated behind the scenes by reactionary
government officials and the military in the province to present a
pro-fascist united front. They use the NSPDF for parallel political
maneuvers in support of the "counter-insurgency" program Oplan Bantay
Laya and other reactionary government projects. They have even duped
the Church and other members of the community into supporting the
NSPDF. The military in fact gave away its leading role in NSPDF in
2009, when it denied responsibility for the assassination of political
activist Fr. Cecilio Lucero, and insisted Fr. Lucero supported the
military because he participated in the NSPDF. But it is also known
Fr. Lucero had distanced himself from NSPDF upon knowing its
reactionary nature, refused to cooperate with the military, and was
actually investigating human rights violations by the 63rd IB in
Catubig, Northern Samar
when he was killed.
The latest diatribes
by the NSPDF are not for genuine peace and development and thus do not
benefit the people. Such a statement intends to obscure the observance
of human rights and international humanitarian law in the armed
conflict, by disparaging the NPA while ignoring the decade-long
impunity of Oplan Bantay Laya. By doing so, the NSPDF also helps to
justify the government's escalation of human rights violations, as is
being done by the Aquino regime in pursuing Oplan Bantay Laya until
Junary 2011, and in planning to supplant it with a new scheme based on
the 2009 US Counter-insurgency Guide. Thus, the NSPDF plays a part in
sugarcoating "counter-insurgency": massive psywar deception going with
brutal military suppression.
We appeal to the
Catholic Church and other sectors in
Northern Samar: Listen to the sufferings of the people under Oplan Bantay
Laya and discern the preponderant influence of the reactionary
politicians and the military in the NSPDF. Such an organization only
deceives and isolates the Catholic Church and other sectors from the
masses of the people. This can only lead to unwitting participation in
spreading government-instigated fear and violence among the people
because of Oplan Bantay Laya and whatever new "counter-insurgency"
scheme of the Aquino regime.
Let us not be like
sheep lying down with wolves; let us reject NSPDF now, and oppose
Oplan Bantay Laya and the US Counter-insurgency Guide. Instead, let us
support the people in genuine struggle for human rights, justice,
peace, democracy and national sovereignty.
Fr. Santiago Salas, Spokesperson
National Democratic Front of the
Philippines
Eastern Visayas
Reference: Roy Santos, NDF-EV Media Officer, Email:
ndfevis@gmail.com ,
ndf_ev@yahoo.com
