Gen. Palparan's men are the "third force" of abductors and murderers

Gen. Palparan has created a "third force" or "death squad" that is responsible for the abduction and murder of civilians. This is part of his dual tactics-to terrorize and to deceive-so as to "win the hearts and minds of the people" against the revolutionary movement. The deception part is done through the Civil Military Operations or CMO and the psywar machinery of the 8th Infantry Division, the Civil Relations Service (CRS). On the other hand, the death squad terrorizes the people. Whenever the tactics of deceptions do not work for the military, they resort to the tactics of terror in various forms like harassment, arson, torture, and extra-judicial killings. These are the same tactics the general used in his "counter-insurgency campaign" in Mindoro and he fancies that these will win wide support from the people.

Palparan also uses his "third force" both to vilify the New People's Army (NPA) and to set it up as the scapegoat for the military's crimes. For every murder the death squad commits, they are quick to shift responsibility to the NPA. But the people see through that it is the military who committed the crime in the pattern of the killing and because the victims are known leaders of militant organizations, or else are branded as having connections with the revolutionary movement. Whatever spin they make up, the office of the CRS cannot obscure the truth.

Their use of the tactics of deception and terrorism only rapidly exposes the perversity and anti-people character of the military and hastens their isolation from the people. It is a monumental lie in the statements of Maj. Alcovindas of the CRS that the military has a high regard for civilian lives and principally targets the armed force of the NPA. In truth, since Palparan launched his "counter-insurgency campaign", they have inflicted not a single casualty on the armed NPA, but they have murdered 14 civilians as well as committed almost 200 cases of human rights violations in just over three months.

Winning the hearts and minds of the people cannot be done through terror and deception. It will only come about through respecting human rights and seriously addressing the national and democratic interests of the Filipino people.

The grave violations of human rights are not occurring only in our region but throughout the country. The regime of Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo desperately bolsters fascist and militarist rule to stem the rising resistance of the people, as well as hang on to power. This is part as well of the Bush "war on terror" that Arroyo blindly follows. In this time of worsening state terrorism, the people have no other choice but to undertake armed revolution as the true path towards achieving national and social liberation. This is also the most effective way to resist, frustrate and defeat the military in their fascist rampages on the people.

Let us join the national democratic revolution!
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For confirmation::
Roy Santos, NDF-EV Media Liaison Officer
Cellphone No. 0918-3112138