Military dares militant party-list to condemn NPA acts, urges voters to be ‘discerning’
THE Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) dared a militant bloc at the House of Representatives to condemn the atrocities of the New People’s Army (NPA) in the countryside, as it called on voters to be more “discerning” in choosing the party-list groups in the midterm elections.
“If they won’t condemn [the NPA], they are either complicit or they agree or acquiesced with the wrongdoings of this group,” Brig. Gen. Edgard Arevalo, military spokesman, told reporters at a news conference on Wednesday.
Arevalo also said the military would continue to expose the alleged ties between members of the Makabayan bloc and the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP).
Arevalo presented documents before the media which he described as a compilation of “several instances of murder, premeditated killings and other violations committed” by the communist rebels.
Some of the incidents included in the documents were the explosion in Northern Samar last April 17; the Kidnapping of a Hanunuo Mangyan leader named Jose Barera in Occidental Mindoro; and burning of a hydropower plant equipment in Mindoro, among others.
Arevalo said the Makabayan bloc and other progressive groups have been invited for a live television debate “on matters that needed to be discussed.”
“So far, none has been heard about them,” he said.
Arevalo also emphasized that Rep. Carlos Zarate of Bayan Muna party-list sponsored a resolution at the House of Representatives for an investigation of the supposed militarization of Alcadev and Salugpungan schools, which the military said were infiltrated by NPA members.
Arevalo said, however, that Zarate had not shown up for the investigation.
“We only see here the truth that they are not willing and ready to confront the AFP on the matters they accused the AFP of doing,” Arevalo said.
He said that the military found out from the teachers of these two schools that the students were being taught how to hold firearms. DEMPSEY REYES
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