Despite checkpoints by the Philippine Army and threats by a paramilitary group that it will kill attendees, thousands of members, supporters and invited guests attended the grand Communist Party of the Philippines 47th founding anniversary celebrations in Northeastern Mindanao last December 26.
Here is a video of the singing of the communist hymn “Ang Internasyunal” led by a company of New People’s Army fighters.
The Internationale. Part of a company of NPA guerrillas presenting arms as they sing the communist hymn “Ang Internasyunal” at the start of the CPP’s 47th founding anniversary.
Kitcharao, AGUSAN DEL NORTE—The Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) further gained strength despite more than five years of brutal counter-insurgency operations by the Benigno Aquino government, a top rebel leader said during their 47th founding anniversary celebrations in this town last December 26.
National Democratic Front of the Philippines-Mindanao spokesperson Jorge ‘Ka Oris’ Madlos said that the New People’s Army (NPA) now has six more guerilla fronts from 40 at the start of the Aquino administration in five regions of Mindanao.
Madlos added that the NPA’s operations in Mindanao now cover 2,500 barrios from 1,850 five years ago.
“These ever expanding and deepening bases render great advantage to the NPA’s maneuver, the launching of tactical offensives (TO), the recruitment of Red fighters, the implementations of widespread agrarian revolution and the launching of mass struggles,” Madlos in a video message said.
A company of uniformed guerillas presented arms while the communist hymn “Ang Internasyunal” was sung to start a three-hour program marked with speeches, songs and skits that delighted the thousands of supporters, well-wishers and guests who attended the event.
The fact that a single NPA Front can organize and successfully hold a big public event despite threats and harassments by the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Magahat paramilitary group is proof that Oplan (Operation Plan) Bayanihan 1 and 2 have failed, Guerilla Front 16 spokesperson Ka Utok said.
Uniformed and fully armed. A platoon of red fighters in their uniform and high-powered arms such as AK-47s and M-16s with grenade launchers. They say most of their guns were won through victorious battles with Philippine government forces.
Threats and harassments
Government troops set up checkpoints on roads leading to the venue of the celebrations but were ignored by convoys of vehicles carrying visitors to the guerrillas’ celebrations.
More than a dozen journalists also covered the event despite threats by the Magahat paramilitary group that they would kill those who will cover the anniversary celebrations.
In a press conference after the main program, Utok and Front 16 political officer Ka Edroy condemned threats made by Magahat leader Loloy Tejero as part of a single act by the paramilitary group, the Philippine Information Agency and the Aquino government.
“It was the PIA who disseminated Tejero’s threat to kill journalists who will cover our celebrations and it is proof they are colluding in this criminal act,” Ka Edroy said.
Philippine Army public information officer Col. Benjamin Hao however belied the NPA’s accusation as well as claims of increased strength and influence.
Loved and welcomed. A cultural presentation showing how the NPA guerillas are welcomed and loved by the masses.
No SOMO violations by Philippine Army
“The threat of the Magahats, if it is true, is of their own doing. We do not have anything to do about it,” Hao said.
“If journalists have problems on that, we will provide necessary assistance if they request from us, the PNP (Philippine National Police) or they can file an appropriate case,” Hao added.
The government army spokesperson belied their checkpoints were directed against the NPA and their supporters. He said no operation is conducted to violate the suspension of military operations (SOMO) with the NPA. The checkpoints, Hao claimed, were for the tower posts of the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP).
There were no reports of NGCP towers under threat of attack in Kitcharao town where the NPA held their celebrations, however.
A big celebration. A huge crowd of supporters, well-wishers and guests attended the anniversary celebrations despite being organized and hosted by a single NPA front, the Guerilla Front 16 in Agusan del Norte and Surigao del Norte. Insiders say GF 16 now has at least five full-sized companies.
AFP records
Hao also dismissed Madlos’s statements as “highly exaggerated”.
He said that based on AFP records, the NPA strength of 2,035 has gone down to 1,691 followers this year. He added that the NPA’s most significant decline is in the number of their guerilla fronts, which used to be 29 but is now down to 24.
Hao said further that out of the 547 NPA-influenced barangays, it is now down to 413. On firearms count, he said the NPA lost 101 firearms this year. “They also lost a lot of leaders, especially Commander Parago,” Hao added.
“These are contrary to what are being claimed by the NPA spokesman of Mindanao (Madlos)…So wherever he got his number, he is now accountable to his boss in The Netherlands,” Hao said, referring to CPP founder Jose Maria Sison.
Huge crowd. Part of the crowd who braved the difficult trek up and down the mountainous village, Philippine Army checkpoints and the Magahat threat of murder against attendees.
Festive mood
Despite threats by the Magahat and the presence of checkpoints on roads leading to the venue, the celebrations started on time this year.
To the delight of the crowd, the performers did not mind rolling on the ground rendered muddy by the intermittent rains.
Unlike last year, tents were put up to protect the crowd from the sun and the rain.
Before lunch time, dozens of lechon (whole roast pig) arrived strapped on “skylab” motorcycles that were served with fried chicken and rice.
Youthful NPA fighters took over the stage and sang as their guests started trekking back down to the main roads at around two in the afternoon.
On spots along the mountain roads, skylabs laden with big canisters were parked and ice cream was offered for free to the visitors.
The Philippine Army checkpoint at the corner of the provincial road and the national highway was gone by the time the main body of the attendees made their way back home. # (News and photos by Raymund B. Villanueva)
Ready to fight. While saying the Magahat group is not present in their area, Guerilla Front 16 said they are willing to face the paramilitary and the Philippine Army if they dared to disrupt their celebrations.
Ka Edroy, political officer of the New People’s Army’s Guerrilla Front 16 in Agusan del Norte, was among the leaders of today’s public celebration of the Communist Party of the Philippines’ 47th anniversary.
About three thousand supporters and invitees braved the difficult terrain, intermittent rains and Philippine Army checkpoints to attend one of the rebels’ year’s biggest events.
The CPP and the NPA condemned threats made by the paramilitary group Magahat through one of its leaders Loloy Tejero earlier they will kill journalists who will cover the event.
“The fact that it was the Philippine Information Agency which spread the criminal threat against journalists by the bandit group Magahat shows that they are working together on this,” the guerrilla said.
He also condemned the AFP for putting up checkpoints on roads leading to the celebration site.
“They violate their own ceasefire declarations, because they should stay inside their camps and let the people attend our celebrations,” Edroy said.
The event ended at two o’clock with much singing led by the guerrillas themselves.
Agusan Del Norte
December 26, 2015
(Photo: Dionel Campos at ALCADEV school)
The Cordillera Peoples Alliance (CPA) is outraged by the killing rampage of paramilitary groups and State security forces in Mindanao against Lumad activists, environmentalists, human rights defenders, educators and advocates for the indigenous peoples. CPA condemns these killings in the highest terms possible.
The long-time collusion of notorious paramilitary groups and State security forces in Mindanao resulted in the long list of killings, enforced disappearances, evacuations against the Lumads and advocates for peace, human rights and environment. The recent spate of killings in Mindanao mirrors the height of impunity under the BS Aquino regime. In his last year in power, BS Aquino is unleashing its deadly attack against human rights, environmental defenders and peace advocates.
Based on data provided by KARAPATAN, on September 1, 2015, two Lumad leaders and a champion for indigenous people’s education in Mindanao were killed in Surigao del Sur. Emerito Samarca, the executive director of ALCADEV (Alternative Learning Center for Agricultural and Livelihood Development) was gunned down by paramilitary forces Mahagat/Bagani within the ALCADEV campus in Lianga, Surigao del Sur. Samarca was found dead in a classroom in Alcadev with a stab wound, and his neck, arms and legs tied up. On the other hand, Dionel Campos, chairperson of Malahutayong Pakigbisog Alang sa Sumusunod (MAPASU) and his cousin Aurelio Sinzo were killed by the same paramilitary forces while they were coming out of a house in Diatagon, Surigao del Sur.
(Photo: Emerito Samarca, third from left)
KARAPATAN further stated that two days prior to the killing, the paramilitary group Magahat/Bagani Force and elements of the 36th IB encamped at the ALCADEV school compound and occupied the function hall and parts of the school grounds. During the encampment, the Magahat group threatened the school’s faculty members, staffs and community members that they will massacre the community if the people will not leave in two days.
On August 31, 2015, the MAGAHAT group burned down the community cooperative store of MAPASU while indiscriminately firing around the community. Samarca, according to initial report was held and detained by some armed members of Magahat before he was killed. On the evening of August 31, the Alcadev faculty and most of the residents in Han-ayan went to Km. 16 for safety. At around 4 a.m., Magahat Forces went from house to house in Km. 16 and ordered the residents to get out of their houses and go to the center of the community. That was when Campos and Sinzo were met by a volley of gunfire from brothers Loloy and Bobby Tejero of the Magahat/Bagani Force.
![20150831_091914-1-1[1]](https://kodao.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/20150831_091914-1-11.jpg)
(Photo: This picture was taken on August 31 at around 9:30 am of elements of the 36th IBPA at the school shed at the entrance to ALCADEV. The soldiers slept in the TRIFPSS school building the day before and occupied ALCADEV’s function hall. This shed is right across the MAPASU coop that was burned down later that afternoon.)
Magahat members also confiscated all cellphones and cameras from the residents and ALCADEV staff and remaining visitors in the community.
ALCADEV is an alternative learning system especially designed to provide secondary education to indigent indigenous youth – the Manobo, Banwaon, Higanon, Talaandig, and Mamanwa of Surigao del Norte and Sur and Agusan Norte and Sur. ALCADEV have been established by Lumads themselves with the help of cause-oriented groups. However, instead of recognizing their valuable contribution, the Lumad community school has been subjected to harassment and malicious accusations of the 36th IB and their rabid paramilitary groups that ALCADEV is a NPA school.
The killing rampage by the Magahat forces also resulted to the massive evacuation of more than 4,000 Lumad families from their communities in Surigao del Sur.
We should hold BS Aquino accountable to these heinous crimes committed against people. We also call on peace loving people to support the indigenous peoples in Mindanao at these difficult times. We should support them in their calls to demand justice for the victims. We also urged the government to conduct an investigation and prosecute the Mahagat/Bagani forces. Lastly, we call for the immediate pull out of military in indigenous communities, disbanding and dismantling of paramilitary forces in Mindanao. ***
(All photos are from Karapatan-CARAGA)
Karapatan today staged an indignation rally at the gate of the Armed Forces of the Philippines General Headquarters at Camp Aguinaldo on the Paquibato massacre, killing three civilians and wounding a 12- year old child.
Those killed were tribal chieftain Datu Ruben Enlog, Randy Lavarcon Carnasa and Oligario Quimbo. The three were killed midnight of June 14 when soldiers from the 69th Infantry Battalion strafed Aida Seisa’s house. Seisa, her husband and three daughters were able to run away from the scene although her daughter Chingching, the birthday celebrator, was wounded.
Camp Crame, Quezon City
June 17, 2015