Integration of the CPLA into the AFP will lead to more tribal wars

Simeon "Ka Filiw" Naogsan
Spokesperson
Cordillera Peoples' Democratic Front
an allied member of the NDFP
June 19, 2003

The stench of the rivalry among the CPLA factions is again spreading. The moribund CPLA factions are attempting to resurrect themselves in their desire to lord over the Cordillera. They are elbowing and throwing accusations and aspersions at each other.

According to Mailed Molina, he was able to convince the remaining leaders of the Conrado Balweg faction to turncoat and unite with his group last May 2003. They elected a new set of officials for the Cordillera Bodong Administration (CBAd). They grabbed the presidency of CBAd from Mariano Agosto and gave it to Marcelina Bahatan. They also put Abrino Aydinan as chief executive, Corazon Cortel (Balweg�s widow) as executive secretary, and Gabino Ganggangan as secretary-general, all from the Balweg faction.

Because of this, the Balweg faction accused Bahatan and Cortel of treachery. Bahatan and Cortel quickly denied this. They said their intention was not to unite but to �consolidate� the factions.

Out of spite, the Balweg faction ousted Bahatan from the CBAd presidency and reinstated Mariano Agosto, claiming that the elections were bogus. They also warned Bahatan to stop misrepresenting herself as CPLA-CBAd spokesperson and expelled her from their organization.

According to Leonardo Bun-as, chief commander of the Balweg faction, the Molina- Sawatang faction is not the real CPLA. He dismissed Molina�s claim to being the Supreme Commander of the CPLA. He also said that the government committed a mistake in recognizing the Molina-Sawatang faction as the real CPLA. The Balweg faction is envious of the integration of the Molina-Sawatang faction into the AFP. Bun-as asserted that his group is the real CPLA. He and his vice-commander Mike Suguiyao are currently lobbying for the integration of their faction into the AFP. They are bragging their past record in counter-insurgency to convince the government to integrate them.

Money and power are the real cause and motivation of the factions� rivalry and claims to being the real CPLA. They are not fighting for the people, for autonomy, nor any principle, but for their own selfish interests. They have abandoned even the bogus autonomy for the Cordillera that they were peddling in the past. Recognition as the real CPLA and integration into the AFP will satisfy their desire for regular salaries and supply of arms and ammunition, which they will use to lord over the Cordillera.

The CPLA is a mercenary group, guns for hire. Money is the motivation of their thoughts and actions. The CPLA is a terrorist group and a criminal syndicate. Their integration into the AFP will lead to more rampant crimes. They will be used by the military officials for vile purposes. Thus the AFP is choosing to integrate those who are most subservient to follow orders. Just as the military is using the CAFGU, it will also use the CPLA as bait and shield against the NPA and the people�s revolutionary mass movement. The people will again be the ones to suffer because CPLA integration will surely result in the following:

the worsening of crimes which the CPLA are involved in such as robbery, holdup, illegal gambling, marijuana planting, and drug syndicates;
increase in human rights violations committed by the CPLA such as the murder of Daniel Ngayaan, Romy Gardo, and many others;
the CPLA will use their arms to grab lands and territories such as what the CPLA of Bugnay did with the lands of the Betwagan tribe;
these will lead to fellow villagers and tribes fighting each other;
more peace pacts will be broken and more tribal wars will erupt;
tribal wars will lead to fear and death, loss of livelihood, and famine among the tribes.

In such a situation, the government will have all the more reason to intensify militarization of the Cordillera. It will then be easier for the government to impose its vile plans, projects, laws, and policies on the Cordillera, with the CPLA at its command. More human rights violations will be incurred not only by the CPLA but also the AFP � arrests, detention, torture, rape, salvaging, massacres, and others.

Therefore, the Cordillera People�s Democratic Front (CPDF) calls on the people to oppose the integration of the CPLA into the AFP. The people should convince their relatives who are in the CPLA, CAFGU, and AFP to quit. Explain to them that there is no excuse for betraying the people, certainly not even a measly salary that is usually late and swindled. The people�s blood and lives will be on their heads if they enter these groups that are the instruments of the ruling classes for oppressing and exploiting the people.

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