CPP-NPA members, ‘stragglers with no direction’: Esperon

FILE: Screenshot of the video interview uploaded in PCOO Secretary Martin Andanar’s Facebook page (PNA Photo)

MANILA — The members of the Communist Party of the Philippines and New People’s Army (CPP-NPA) are ‘stragglers’ whose ideology does not fit in the Philippines, National Security Adviser (NSA) Secretary Hermogenes Esperon said.

“Ang Communist Party at New People’s Army ay talagang nagsimula sa kasinungalingan at panggigipit at mga illegal na activities (The CPP-NPA really started in deceit, extortion, and illegal activities),” Esperon said in an interview posted by Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) Secretary Martin Andanar on Facebook on Sunday.

In the video interview, Esperon enumerated the crimes which the CPP-NPA has been involved, which included the 1971 Plaza Miranda bombing, extortion from local businessmen and politicians, mass murder of comrades, and violation of indigenous peoples’ rights.

He said the CPP-NPA cannot deny these as their own comrades confessed the organization’s involvement in these crimes.

“Ngayon gising na gising na ang ating mga katutubo lalo na diyan sa Mindanao, talagang umaalma na sila, alam na nila yung ginagawang tunay ng New People’s Army at Communist Party of the Philippines (The indigenous peoples, especially those in Mindanao, their eyes have now been opened, they now resist as they now know the real doings of the NPA and CPP),” he said.