Clarifications concerning the extent of Gregorio "Ka Roger" Rosal's responsibility in the "OPML" anti-infiltration hysteria in Southern Tagalog in 1998

Central Committee
Communist Party of the Philippines
February 05, 2003

This statement is being issued to set the record straight on the claims made by Manuel Quiambao and Rodolfo Salas on the supposed participation and accountability of CPP spokesperson Gregorio "Ka Roger" Rosal in the OPML ("Operation Missing Link") anti-infiltration hysteria.

Manuel Quiambao recently alleged that Ka Roger has direct criminal and personal accountabilities in the implementation of the anti-infiltration hysteria in Southern Tagalog in 1988. Quiambao used his personal experience as a victim of OPML to lend credence to his fabricated accusation that Ka Roger was supposedly responsible for the death of 66 Party cadres and members of the Party and in his own torture. On the other hand, Salas claims that Ka Roger was one of two persons who initiated and led OPML. Salas was in prison at that time and has no personal knowledge of the facts. In any case, the Central Committee refutes the statements made by Quiambao and Salas.

In its own investigation into the OPML, the Party central leadership concluded that the indiscriminate arrests, cases of torture and execution of comrades suspected of being enemy infiltrators was hysteria in its extreme and a grave error. It was condemned by the Party's central leadership as a direct violation of the rights of the victims who were upright cadres and members of the Party and fighters of the New People's Army; detrimental to the organizations of the Party and people's army and to the revolutionary mass base in the larger context; and a serious violation of the Party's principles, policies and processes.

Ka Roger, who was in the leading committee of the Party in Southern Tagalog at that time, was issued a stern warning for his part in some of the minor decisions regarding OPML. Up to now, he continues to accept with humility, his responsibility to make rectifications and relate and explain the matter to comrades and the masses. However, he had no major responsibility in OPML. He was not a member of Task Force Missing Link that was composed of members of the Party's regional leadership tasked with implementing OPML; and was not even in the area during most of the time that OPML was being implemented. Contrary to Quiambao's claims, Ka Roger had no direct participation in the execution or torture of any of the victims of OPML.

When the the CPP leadership was informed about OPML, it immediately went to the area where it was taking place, took stock of the situation, immediately ordered its termination and formed and led a committee comprised of members of the Central Committee to make an immediate review. Contrary to Quiambao's claims, he was not part of this committee.

In the thoroughgoing review conducted on all cases in general and on each individual case, the committee came to the conclusion that there was no solid basis to suspect and arrest the 55 comrades who were accused of being enemy infiltrators. All the more, there was no basis whatsoever, for the execution of a number of them. Those who were detained were ordered released and given assistance in their rehabilitation. We asked for their understanding and forgiveness and encouraged them to continue helping the revolution.

From lessons learned from this incident, the Party's central leadership issued in 1989 the document "Mga Alituntunin sa Pag-uusig at Paglilitis ng mga Pinaghihinalaang Espiya ng Kaaway" (Rules on the Prosecution and Trial of Suspected Enemy Spies). The OPML was carried out at a time when there existed a strict and direct policy against the use of torture. Still, the guidelines issued and training in intelligence work given by the NPA "General Command" under Romulo Kintanar had a bad influence on comrades engaged in intelligence work who led Task Force Missing Link. These guidelines and training propagated distorted views and unscientific methods culled from reactionary and bourgeois manuals on investigation and intelligence, which included the use of pressure and psywar. They were extremely deleterious also because of the errors and negligence of the regular leading Party committee in the region.

In its 10th plenum, the Central Committee declared that the violation of the rights and the victimization of Party cadres and members and NPA fighters during Kampanyang Ahos in Mindanao and OPML in Southern Tagalog were serious crimes against the Party and the revolution and imposed appropriate heavy sanctions. It approved a set of even stricter rules on the investigation and trial of suspected enemy spies. It also opened the possibility of granting amnesty to those with grave accountabilities. In this regard, prevailing circumstances were taken into consideration, especially the erroneous influences and views which were allowed to blind them and cloud their judgment. As a condition, they were to make thoroughgoing rectifications, earnestly ask forgiveness from the victims and make an all-out effort to repair the damage suffered by individuals, families and the organization.

The comrades who were sacrificed in this campaign are considered martyrs of the revolution. The Party humbly sought out their families in order to conduct self-criticism, explain what occurred and the underlying context, ask for their forgiveness and understanding, give some form of compensatory damages and encourage their continued support for the revolution.

The Party's conclusions and rectification measures were accepted by most of OPML's victims. They were restored to their former positions and levels of responsibility. Those among them who were not ready to return to the Party chose to leave the Party in the meantime even as they continued to support the revolutionary movement. Still, some of them, like Eddie Borromeo, chose to go to the AFP and become active instruments in psywar campaigns and military assaults against the revolutionary movement--to the point of being used in criminal activities and liquidated in the end by their handlers in AFP intelligence. And there are those like Manuel Quiambao who resumed their tasks within the movement but who later became embroiled in urban insurrectionist schemes which were concealed from the Party leadership; later veered towards populism, economism and reformism while rabidly opposing the rectification movement; became entrenched in NGO bureaucratism, rubbing elbows with big bureaucrats of the reactionary government; and are now relentlessly vilifying and sowing intrigues against the revolutionary movement.

All leading comrades who had individual accountabilities concerning the OPML anti-infiltration hysteria were meted various levels of disciplinary action, the highest being expulsion from the Party. Most of them fully acknowledged their errors, accepted the disciplinary action meted on them, gave their all in repairing the damage that had been wrought and made rectifications. All those involved were assisted in their rehabilitation, including those who did not have serious accountabilities. Loyal comrades who were responsible for OPML today continue in their tasks after having served the disciplinary action imposed on them.

One of the main leaders of the anti-infiltration hysteria was Miel Laurenaria who was then secretary of the Southern Tagalog Regional Committee. She was expelled from the Central Committee and was stripped of the right to hold any leading position at any level. Although she formally accepted disciplinary action, she did not truly acknowledge her errors and the Party's conclusions. She continues to assert that OPML was correct. Instead of making rectifications, she exacerbated her errors. In 1998, she removed herself from the Party and joined the Bill-Olive-Magdangal clique to lead in the attempt to fractionalize the revolutionary movement in Central Luzon and form the counterrevolutionary MLPP-RHB bandit group. Not long after, the group splintered and Laurenaria joined the Magdangal clique until her arrest by the AFP last year in line with its schemes to come up with false witnesses who would blame the OPML on Comrade Jose Ma. Sison.

Among those with the biggest accountabilities with respect to Kampanyang Ahos and OPML are those who led the all-out anti-Party campaign and groups opposed to the Second Great Rectification Movement who not only refused to conduct self-criticism and acknowledge their serious accountabilities but are currently going all-out in demolishing and attacking the Party by blaming others for their own deeds. Among them are Nathan Quimpo who was not only the mastermind and principal implementor but also the most avid promoter of Kampanyang Ahos; Ricardo Reyes who personally approved Kampanyang Ahos; Arturo Tabara who pushed for and personally participated in the torture and abuse of those who were arrested in the Visayas; and Nilo dela Cruz who led the campaign to pursue victims in Metro Manila and who, with Popoy Lagman, virulently opposed the rectification measures taken by the Party's central leadership. The worst among them are now openly cooperating with and serving as instruments of the mercenary and puppet AFP and PNP.

The anti-infiltration hysteria that was OPML resulted, on the one hand, from the intense life-and-death struggle between the forces of the reactionary state and the armed revolution; and, on the other, from grave subjectivism that resulted in serious disorientation, errors and setbacks that in the end, led to extreme suspiciousness made worse by erroneous views on, and methods of, investigation and prosecution. The thoroughgoing rectification of all this is the very reason behind the Second Great Rectification Movement which the Party initiated in 1992 and successfully completed in the early part of 1999. The rectification movement was thoroughly opposed by the likes of Manuel Quiambao. Not surprisingly, Rodolfo Salas likewise opposd it as he refused to conduct self-criticism and acknowledge the grave errors and weaknesses that took place under his leadership.

The Party has culled many lessons from the OPML experience, as well as from the similar anti-infiltration hysteria, Kampanyang Ahos, in Mindanao. These lessons are extremely relevant especially in terms of gathering, studying and weighing evidence and testimony, ensuring the implementation of the correct processes and respect for human rights. These lessons are being utilized in continually improving the revolutionary justice system and are regarded by the Party as extremely important in the all-sided advance and strengthening of the revolutionary movement and struggle.###

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