In his statement, last
June 29, 2011, Mr Salas accused 8th ID to have been using the SIPPAD
to rubber-stamp “Oplan Bayanihan” claiming the new AFP
counter-insurgency approach is no different from the Bantay Laya
concept. Mr Salas also added that the SIPPAD is committing a very
dangerous mistake in rubber-stamping the 8th ID’s road project
proposal in
Samar Island.
(read article
The
military is using SIPPAD to rubber-stamp Oplan Bayanihan)
“What a pity this
misguided rebel priest has become. He is really determined to do
everything to prevent peace and prosperity in
Samar Island.
He will continue and will relentlessly push the issue just to prevent
development for he knows for a fact that it is only development that
will end the 40-year long existence of CPP-NPA-NDF, an organization of
deceit and violence headed by people whose main interest is for
personal advancement.
“When will Mr Salas
stop this kind of baseless accusations and cease from preventing
progress? Why can they come down, join the mainstream society and
participate in our projects in quest for peace and prosperity? Isn’t
it better to join our efforts to alleviate the lives of those less
fortunate instead of criticizing those people and organization,
government and non government who are doing the right thing for our
own people? I really pity Mr Salas. He is a victim and a slave of an
erroneous belief and selfish leaders. Since Fr Salas constantly
criticizes the road projects, I’d like to ask him what he and the
organization he protects has done to give our people a better life. I
know the answer already but I want to hear from his big mouth. It’s a
big “NONE”. If Fr Salas will succeed in preventing the road project,
which I strongly believed will not, what alternatives does he have? If
he is really for the people, why can’t he tell the people publicly his
own plan to ease the Samarnons from the difficulty of having no roads
particularly in the tri-boundary of
Samar Island”
says Major General Mario Chan, Commander of the Army’s 8th Infantry
Division.
It is nothing but
common to CPP-NPA-NDF to criticize the military having been the
government spearhead in defeating its armed component, the NPA.
However, it is very rare and it is new that this group directed its
criticism against the Bishops and accused them of aiding the AFP in
its Oplan Bayanihan which they said as no different from Oplan Bantay
Laya in pursuing the purely military solution to armed conflict as
well as eschewing human rights and international humanitarian law.
This baseless statement is equivalent to accusing the Bishops of
aiding the AFP to commit violation of human rights and international
humanitarian law. This is a display of disrespect at its best and must
be condemned by the church.
More surprisingly,
Salas chastised and accused the Catholic Church in
Samar of waltzing with the military through SIPPAD. Salas even
questioned the Catholic Church by saying that the Bishops are turning
their backs away from the majority of its flock who are mostly
peasants. These statements of Salas were seriously contested by Major
General Chan.
“It is a deceitful
challenge and a complete disregard to the Catholic Church. The
Bishops and the Catholic Church are always for the people regardless
of religious sect and denominations. I strongly believe in that
thought for it is the reality and it is unquestionable. All they want
is for the goodness of every son of God living in an environment of
peace and prosperity, a vision of SIPPAD that the 8th Infantry
Division mutually shares with. How about the rebel priest Fr Salas? He
has not presented any vision or project for Region 8. I am sure it is
because he does not have any and he only thinks of himself and what he
can get from the people. Who is he to question the noble intention
and credibility of the three Bishops? He really deserved to be
dismissed from priesthood. I am posting this as a challenge to Fr
Salas.”
Demonstrating again
the ignorance of the NDF-EV Spokesperson, Fr Salas has been repeatedly
bringing out the issue that the Oplan Bayanihan is based on the US
Counter-insurgency Guide. Isn’t he really aware that “Bayanihan” is a
virtue integral to every Filipino? Bayanihan is the natural character
of a true Filipino who is always ready to join hands to accomplish
matters that cannot be done without the help of each other. What a
shame to Salas. He forgot the ways of a real and genuine Filipino. He
might as well join his fellow big mouth coward Jose Maria Sison in
Netherlands.
Fr Salas also chided
that while the Commander of 8th ID is talking of peace and
developments, the soldiers are conducting offensive operations in
Samar and
Leyte. Gen Chan affirmed and said that it is true but not
accurate.
“Yes it is partially
true and I’m happy for him that at least few factual words come out
from his mouth. But to understand it better, few factual words of
Salas must be separated from the fictitious and deceitful ones. It is
true that the soldiers are there in the mountains of Samar and Leyte
even now as I’m giving these statements. They are there for security
operations to prepare those areas for the entry of development and
deny the group of Fr Salas, the NPAs, from preventing the construction
projects. The soldiers are there to ensure that the projects, once
they kick off, will not be hampered and be subjected to extortions by
the group of Fr Salas. Everybody knows that and everybody will agree
if I will say that is the way of life of the bandits like the NPAs,
the group of Fr Salas.”
The rebel priest
NDF-EV spokesperson further said that Major General Chan crowed to the
media about receiving new weapons, electronic equipment and military
vehicles from the US. Likewise, Salas’ statement was affirmed by Major
General Chan. However, he (Major General Chan) laughed and slammed
Salas’ informant for giving him (Salas) inaccurate information.
“Yes it is also
correct that we acquired and we will continue to acquire many of these
equipment as part of the AFP modernization program. However, Fr Salas
was given wrong information when he said that the new equipment came
from the US. The equipment were actually purchased from
Korea
and not from US. Anybody can confirm it. Check the brand of the new
vehicles, its KIA vehicles. Fr Salas, your intelligence networks is
not giving you the right information leading you to give false
statements” says Major General Chan with a big smile on his face.
Fr Salas also recycled
the issue that the
US
is at the back of the road projects. General Chan once again
categorically declared the allegations of NDF-EV to be baseless and
immaterial. He repeated his statement on June 2 of this year.
“8ID and the different
agencies continuously supporting the road projects are not connected
with the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC). Even the funds that
will be used are not coming from any foreign organizations. It just
happened that MCC has a similar project in the province which was
already pronounced early last year and which I think will also help
our province to move forward. I feel pity for Mr Salas; he is
desperately doing anything just to prevent development and the
imminent defeat of the NPA bandits he protects.”
In his final
statement, Fr Salas urged the people of
Samar to
strengthen their militant and revolutionary struggles against 8ID. He
said that the people must strengthen the struggle for human rights and
other socio economic reforms and support and join the revolutionary
struggle for social justice, national freedom and democracy.
Salas, as he always
be, is confusing the people through this statement. It may be nice to
hear for some with low level of understanding and adventurous
attitude. But it serves its purpose. It is really the objective of
Salas’ final statement to deceive people. He is promoting protection
of human rights but he is urging the people to strengthen their
militant and revolutionary struggles against the legitimate Armed
Forces of the country. We all know that nobody can prevent bloodshed
and loss of lives in a militant and revolutionary struggle. We also
know that the right to life is the highest form of human rights. Isn’t
he, himself, Fr Salas, violating the people’s right to life when he
urged them to strengthen the militant and revolutionary struggles?
Now, it is left to the people to conclude who is the real evil? Is it
the 8ID together with SIPPAD backed by the three Bishops or the
dismissed priest turned rebel and Spokesperson of NDF-EV, former Fr
Santiago Salas?