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PRESS RELEASE
Information Bureau
Communist Party of the Philippines
CPP urges more AFP-CAFGU defections
August 27, 2003
The Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) today urged more officers and soldiers of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and forces of the Civilian Armed Forces Geographical Unit (CAFGU) to defect to the New People's Army (NPA) even as the National Democratic Front-Mindanao announced that two CAFGU platoons and their AFP handlers defected to the NPA in San Luis, Agusan del Sur last August 7.
CPP spokesperson Gregorio "Ka Roger" Rosal said that from Northern Luzon to Mindanao a number of CAFGU paramilitary forces and AFP soldiers have been defecting to the NPA "because they can no longer stomach the rampant corruption, the grave abuses against them and the revolting brutality against the masses that they are made to commit by their superior officers in the course of the AFP's all-out war of terror."
"The people are elated at the good news of the defection by two CAFGU platoons in Agusan del Sur and their surrender of firearms to the NPA. In defecting to the NPA, they help weaken the capacity of the AFP to commit further abuses against the people," Rosal added.
Rosal urged the rank and file of the AFP and CAFGU to defect to the NPA, work for the revolutionary movement while in the service or leave the service and thus do a great service to the people.
Rosal said that the Agusan defection of two CAFGU platoons "forms part of and boosts the revolutionary Lt. Crispin Tagamolila Movement (LCTM)." He explained that the LCTM is a movement in the AFP that is directly linked to the revolutionary movement that urges AFP soldiers to either defect to the NPA or smuggle out arms and from AFP armories, provide information to the NPA about AFP movements and recruit more members of the movement within the AFP.
Lt. Crispin Tagamolila was an AFP officer who defected to the NPA in the 1970s.
Rosal said that most AFP foot soldiers as well as CAFGU elements came from poor peasantry who joined the service not for political reasons or commitment but simply because of unemployment.
Rosal also called on the people to "discourage their sons and daughters to enlist in the AFP and instead encourage them to join the revolutionary forces to help address the roots of widespread social injustice and poverty."
Reference:
Anne Buenaventura
Media Officer
Cellphone Number: +63910-240-3553
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