Former New People’s Army member 'Glen' speaking before the participants of the rally which condemned and mourned the atrocities and sufferings of the Filipino people brought by the communist rebel movement held at the Negros Occidental Multi-Purpose Activity Center in Bacolod City Wednesday afternoon (December 26, 2018). (Photo by Nanette L. Guadalquiver)
BACOLOD CITY -- A former rebel in Negros Occidental said the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army-National Democratic Front (CPP-NPA-NDF) has done nothing for the masses contrary to their claim of waging a people’s war.
“It’s been 50 years, but what have (they) really done for the people? Nothing. That’s why I left the movement,” said “Glen,” 32, a former NPA amazon.
“We try to convince our former comrades to return to the fold of the law. We can help each other open the eyes of the people that this organization will not bring progress to us, people in Negros Occidental,” she added.
“Glen”, now a civilian who assists the Armed Forces of the Philippines in the anti-insurgency campaign, shared her experience during the gathering dubbed “Araw ng Pagkundena at Pagluluksa sa Karahasan at Pagpapahirap ng CPP-NPA-NDF sa Taong Bayan sa Nakalipas na Limang Dekada” (Day of condemnation and mourning for the atrocities and sufferings of the people brought by the CPP-NPA-NDF for the past five decades) held at Negros Occidental Multi-Purpose Activity Center here on Wednesday afternoon.
She spoke in a mix of Hiligaynon, Cebuano and Tagalog during her testimonial.
“Glen” became an NPA member for eight months between 2008 and 2009.
As a CPP member, she was required to go on a “tour of duty”, which led her to become part of the NPA cadre.
“Why am I here now? I’m the living example of someone who saw that the organization which I thought would help us rise from poverty and would help us from being oppressed by the government, is the same one that exploited me,” “Glen” said.
She added that the cadre told her she could no longer return to her family because she has become a “wanted person”, but she decided to leave without informing them that she is not coming back.
“I left the armed group because I could no longer stand them taking advantage of me and my cadre,” said “Glen”, who also admitted having collected “revolutionary taxes”.
“I may have helped the people, yes. However, what we did to the people was even worse. They provided us food, but the masses could even hardly feed themselves,” she added.
“I eventually realized that we were the ones exploiting the people. We relied on the people for all our needs…No one can help enlighten the people except us because we became part of the movement and we did all these things,” “Glen” said. (PNA)
