40th Founding Anniversary of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP)

40th Founding Anniversary of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP): Celebrating Forty Years of Continuous Denial of A Better Way of Life for Every Filipino by Col. Daniel A. Lucero

As the Communist Party of the Philippines celebrates its 40th founding anniversary, it highlights as it always does, its propaganda that it is fighting to achieve an equitable society through a democratic political system for the Filipino Nation.

Just like any insurgent group, the CPP, with its armed component, the New People’s Army (NPA) and its mass base organizer, the National Democratic Front (NDF), continues to promise anything to advance its political cause without any obligation and responsibility to prove it. It still uses the usual deceptive measures such as lying, cheating and exaggerating hoping that these can undermine the government’s credibility and press forward its political and social ambitions.

A case in point of this observation is the recent condemnation against the Philippine Army’s 48th Infantry Battalion based in Aurora Province which is another clear media trick initiated by the NDF, and supported by the proposal of the Multi-Sectoral Action Group of Aurora submitted to the Commission of Human Rights for the closure of the battalion’s camps in Aurora.

It speaks well of the NDF’s influence over an unsuspecting non-government organization. The Philippine Army has been positively receptive of any criticism from the public hoping that this can improve the delivery of its sworn security contract with the Filipino Nation. However, any request for a pullout of an army’s encampment is seen rather as a move of a local terrorist group to get rid of a hindrance to the achievement of its political aims.

Today, Aurora Province is the only remaining CPP/NPA/NDF’s sanctuary in Central Luzon, after nine guerrilla fronts have been dismantled in this year alone. As an added setback, in September of this year, four NPA members namely; Carlos Hurial, Ton-Ton Mijares, Orlando Aimboyutan and Jessie Garcia decided to turn their backs against the terrorist group in Aurora and surrendered five firearms to the government forces. Carlos Mijares even killed four of his comrades when they tried to stop him from joining the cause of the government and even took two M-16 rifles when he fled.

The story mentioned above is just one of the many stories of failure of the CPP/NPA/NDF. The group has continuously denied every Filipino of achieving a better life. It has continuously ignored the fact that there are still citizens and groups in our nation which only support them because of fear and reprisal. The CPP/NPA/NDF then has nothing to celebrate. (The author is the Commander of the Civil-Military Operations Group, Philippine Army in Fort Andres Bonifacio, Makati City)

Army Reminds Troops Anew To Respect Human Rights

MANILA, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / August 28, 2008) – The Philippine Army leadership reminded again all field commanders, specifically those who are deployed to pursue military actions against lawless Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) members about their responsibility to see to it that all soldiers will strictly observe and respect human rights.

This move was prompted by the alarm raised by Human Rights head Leila de Lima that a growing number of civilian casualties were monitored as a result of military offensive against lawless MILF elements.

Col. Daniel Lucero, chief of the Army’s Civil-Military Operation, said army commanders were further reminded to inculcate in the minds of their soldiers to be impartial and unprejudiced in their observance of human rights - that every individual’s rights, regardless of his or her professed religion, ethnic attachment, gender, political beliefs, among other should be guaranteed and respected.

“Likewise, all army soldiers were reminded that the reason for existence of the Philippine Army was primarily to guarantee that every Filipino’s rights to life, speech and property are protected.”

“As such, soldiers were further reminded that they should see to it that no act should be pursued if this will mean an infringement of the rights of any individual which they as soldiers have sworn to protect,” he told reporters.

Lucero said they are aware that militant groups would use the issue of human rights to malign and damage the reputation of the Philippine Army.

“However, soldiers are reminded that they should take these negative criticisms as a challenge to do better. Soldiers were told that their deeds in pursuit of their observance of human rights will be greater than the words we use to refute these false allegations,” he said. (Mindanao Examiner)

Army Assures Respect For Human Rights, Rule Of Law In Pursuit Of MILF Raiders In Mindanao

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