Like a spoiled child having tantrums, #DiMasaligan79IB’s Commanding Officer Lt.Col. Arnel Calaoagan released a statement lately bragging about the terrorist-tagging of the CPP-NPA-NDF as a whole and Roselyn Jean Pelle Command-Northern Negros Guerrilla Front of the NPA (RJPC-NPA) in particular. A trained fascist by US imperialism, peace saboteur Calaoagan flared up trying to cancel out the people’s victory, including long-sought justice meted on criminals and counterrevolutionaries like the Sarona Group, by merely branding it as ‘acts of violence.’

The people of Northern Negros has long demanded for the Sarona Group’s punishment. Involvement in the massacre of nine farm workers in Sagay City (more known as Sagay 9 massacre), land grabbing and labor malpractices particularly in barangays in Toboso and Calatrava, Negros Occidental, labor issues, contract issues for their lumber business (tricking log owners as to payment and exploitation of log cutters), and cohabiting with criminals are only some of the many crimes of this mercenary group led by Juvie Sarona.

The Sarona Group is also a counterrevolutionary gun-for-hire syndicate. These mercenaries are active PNP intelligence operatives monitoring movements of suspected NPA supporters in the area. RJPC-NPA requested for a meeting with the Sarona Group to make them understand the gravity of their actions and its implications, but they did not respond.

The Sarona Group was punished for their unforgivable actions against the people of Northern Negros as despotic landlord and counterrevolutionaries. The revolutionary movement does not allow business operations that endanger the people’s security and livelihood within its territory. RJPC-NPA has not transacted with the Sarona Group for revolutionary taxation or other financial obligations.

The complicity of the AFP to such crimes and its sheer hypocrisy of condemning acts to punish the Sarona Group, who has been proven to have perpetrated killings and other heinous crimes against the people, show that Lt. Col. Calaoagan and the AFP are instruments to preserve the class interest of landlords.

Calaoagan and the AFP’s terminologies and definitions are heavily contaminated with the narrative of imperialism, bureaucrat capitalism and feudalism. For them, ‘peace-loving individuals’ (like Sarona) are those who willingly submit themselves to carry out the corrupt aggressions of imperialists, and the big comprador bourgeoisie and local landlords that will result to ‘peace.’ Meanwhile, they tag as ‘terrorists’ those who openly oppose such aggressions to defend the vast number of people’s lives and livelihood that, to the AFP, will result to ‘violence.’

Calaoagan’s deceitful claims of #DiMasaligan79IB and PNP being ‘professionals committed to the performance of their duty’ disregarded numerous rights violations against civilians and poor Northern Negros communities perpetrated by their ranks, including the barbaric acts of killing hors de combat, like Ka Ella, Ka Monet, Ka Simo, Ka Huawei, and Ka Brod, and pronouncing them as casualties of fake encounters.

It is the RJPC-NPA’s obligation to own responsibility to its activities against criminals and counterrevolutionaries to protect the people against baseless accusations and trumped-up charges by the NTF-Elcac and its whole-of-nation approach. The NPA makes its action public for the people to be informed of the reasons behind each military action.

In a ‘he says-she says’ situation, the RJPC-NPA urges the public (and the media people) to investigate up to the grounds to gather truthful information. The vast number of ordinary citizens are the unbiased source of knowledge versus the AFP/PNP spokespersons who are in the pockets of landlords.

Even though farmers and farm workers are poor and live a modest life, they make sure their beloved NPA are nourished and clothed. The NPA, being the genuine people’s army, are always welcomed and sought after by the toiling masses. ###