Left wing extremism: 90% of NPA cadres recruited from schools: ex-commie
MANILA – A former cadre of the Communist Party of the Philippines – New People’s Army (CPP-NPA) revealed that 90% of cadres were recruited from schools.
Appearing in a public interview Friday for the first time since he severed ties with the communist group in December 2008, Jeffrey Celiz, alias “Ka Eric”, said he wants to put an end to the more than 50 years of sowing fear and terror activities of the CPP-NPA, a movement he served for 27 years.
Ka Eric admitted he and his fellow cadres were recruited while they were in college. He was about to turn 18 years old when he was recruited into the College Editors Guild of the Philippines (CEGP) at the West Visayas State University by the cadres of the CPP-NPA-National Democratic Front (NDF) through their legal front organizations.
“We all started through a legal organization but they are not purely legal,” he said, adding that Red-affiliated organizations give the impression that above-ground organizations are legal by riding on issues such as the anti-tuition increase and even workers issue.
After three or four months, however, they will then cross to the underground organization., he said
“The deceptive, manipulative skillful, masterful lies of the CPP-NPA-NDF in the recruitment of different sectors more particularly in the recruitment of the youth and the students must be put to stop,” he said.
He then appealed to Department of Education (DepEd) Secretary Leonor Briones and Commission on Higher Education Chairman Prospero de Vera III to exercise the power of their departments to prevent recruitment among students.
“I call on them to be strong, please, to prevent recruitment in schools. Ninety percent ng mga cadre of the CPP-NPA-NDF nanggagaling sa schools (90 percent come from schools. Lahat kami dun nanggaling halos ( Most of us cadres of the CPP-NPA-NDF were recruited there),” he said, urging them to be strong and not fear harassment.
Deciding to come out in the open and tell the truth about the CPP-NPA-NDF, Ka Eric lamented that the infiltration of schools and recruitment of senior high school students, the missing students from universities like the far Eastern University (FEU), Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP), University of the Philippines (UP), University of Santo Tomas (UST) and other state universities are not being addressed.
Mothers of students duped into joining underground organizations weep and suffer just like his own mother when he was recruited at a young age.
Recruitment, he said, starts through legal organizations like the League of Filipino Students, Anakbayan, Christian Movement of the Philippines, National Union of Students of the Philippines, College Editor Guild of the Philippines, among other organizations infiltrated by communists nationwide.
Fearless
Despite fearing for his own life and those of his loved ones, Ka Eric said he is more than determined to tell everything that he knows about the CPP-NPA-NDF.
“Kailangan matigil na ang recruitment sa kabataan. Matigil na ang pagwasak sa mga pamilya. Matigil na ang walang saysay na pagpatay at madugong pamamaraan ng pag advocate ng idolohiyang itinakwil na sa buong daigdig, ang marxismo, leninismo at maoismo ay mga library references ito hindi para baguhin ang lipunan (Recruitment of the youth should be stopped. Destruction of families should be stopped and end the killings and violent means of advocating ideologies that have been rejected. Marxism, Leninism, and Maoism are all but library references and should not be used to change society),” he said.
He went on to say that he already told his wife and children that in case he gets killed because of what he did, he will die for a noble cause.
“If in case the CPP-NPA-NDF kills me at least I will die for the cause of peace because I want to contribute to the cause of peace for our nation and for the cause of the future of our children,” he said in a mix of English and Filipino.
Challenge
Ka Eric also challenged members of the Makabayan bloc to denounce all terroristic activities of the CPP-NPA-NDF or else, resign from their posts.
“You cannot be there in Congress if you are not a hardcore CPP cadre. I attest with my blood, sweat and my physical danger put in line today,” he added.
He directly named Bayan Muna Reps. Carlos Zarate, Ferdinand Gaite, and Eufemia Cullamat, ACT Teachers Rep. France Castro, Kabataan Rep. Sarah Elago, and Gabriela Rep. Arlene Brosas as high ranking CPP cadres.
He said these Makabayan bloc members will not be able to sit, or even be nominated as party-list representatives of these organizations that were created by the CPP and support its armed wing, NPA, and political wing, NDF, if they are not high ranking officials.
He said he will prove that what Lt. Gen. Antonio Parlade, Jr. and Communications Undersecretary Lorraine Badoy are true.
If they do not resign, then they should directly tell Filipinos that they are not members of the CPP-NPA-NDF and condemn and denounce the communist organization for all the crimes and terroristic attacks that have brought so much bloodshed and destruction to the country, he added.
Makabayan bloc representatives, he said, should pledge their loyalty to the government and support all efforts to bring peace and security, and ending the local communist armed conflict.
Ka Eric also called on House Speaker Lord Allan Velasco to let him and other former cadres speak at the Congress and face the Makabayan bloc representatives, and for Senate President Tito Sotto to conduct a Senate inquiry into his revelations.
“This is going to be war, a war of information, a war of decision for standing up for the truth and war to side with the people,” he added
Comments