Barangay chiefs gathered in a “Barangay Summit on Good Governance” initiated by the Negros Occidental and Bacolod Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) held at SMX Convention Center Bacolod yesterday. Some 700 barangay leaders listened to the talk of Colonel Benedict Arevalo, 303rd Infantry Brigade Commander, on the evils and deceptions of the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army-National Democratic Front (CPP-NPA-NDF).
The talk was highlighted by a film showing of “Pindoy”, an animated video showing the modus of the NPAs in the recruitment of minors. He also presented the DILG Memorandum Circular 2018-211 which prohibits the local chief executives from giving support to the left-wing rebel groups. The memorandum also reminds any person not to support terrorist organizations and individuals which is anchored on Republic Act No. 10168, or “The Terrorism Financing Prevention and Suppression Act of 2012”.
“Even before the said DILG memorandum was issued, the local residents of Barangay Washington, Escalante City already resolved to make a petition for the city government to stop providing fund and material support to leftist organizations supporting the NPA and condemned their presence after the government forces clashed with NPAs in said barangay last November 16, 2018”, Col. Arevalo said.
A former CPP-NPA-NDF United Front Committee member and overall National Party List Coordinator from Luzon, Evelyn Bustamante also talked in the summit. Through her personal experience, she exposed the direct connection of the CPP and NDF as the source of manpower, financial and logistics support of the NPA. “Do not support the leftist party list groups because directly or indirectly, they will support the armed struggle of the NPAs”, Bustamante urged the local chieftains as she named several party list groups of the CPP-NDF. “Let us not believe in the lies and deceptions perpetrated by the CPP-NPA-NDF. They had been fooling us and causing misery to our country and people for the last 50 years”, Col. Arevalo on the other hand also said.
(303rd IB PR via NDB)
