Armed struggle not the way in addressing social injustice

Enrico "Ka Marco" Curamat

DAVAO DEL NORTE, Jan 19 (PIA) --- Armed struggle is no longer the way to go in addressing social injustice. A young former rebel leader of the New Peoples Army (NPA) pointed this out.

 

Enrico “Ka Marco” Caramat, former political instructor of Sub-regional Guerilla Unit (SRGU) of Southern Regional  Committee (SRC) 5, Southern Mindanao Regional Committee (SMRC) of the Communist Party of the Philippines New People’s Army (CPP-NPA)  said this during his guesting this morning over Sayron Ta! Pakigsayod Serbisyo Alang sa Katawhang Pilipino radio program.

 

Caramat noted the convergence of  government services that have reached far-flung and peripheral areas even right at the heart of  the communities that the guerilla unit  used to hold its base.

 

He significantly took note of the “dwindling mass base support”, driving members of the communist insurgency movement to surrender to the government which they had noted to have shifted their focus towards people in the geographically isolated and depressed areas (GIDA).

 

“Over time mo-distansya na sila. Naka question ko sa akong kaugalingon, basin sayop na among gibuhat kay dili na man mi tuuhan sa mga tawo. Hantod karon nisurender ko, didto nako na-amguhan nga wala na dyuy mass support sa CPP NPA. (Over time, they distanced from us. I started questioning myself. What we’re doing may no longer be turning right because we are losing our command over the people. When I surrendered, I realized that the CPP-NPA indeed has lost the support of the masses.),” he said.

 

“Unsa pay hinungdan nga makigbisog kung ang mga kauban unta namo sa pakigbisog dili na jud andam nga mo-suporta. (What’s  the use of armed struggle when our comrade in  that  struggle are no longer ready to support us?),” he raised the question during the Pakigsayod radio discussion.

 

Caramat admitted that indeed the SRC 5 had declared “Game Over” which he said means, “it’s  the end of the line”.

 

“Wala nay hinungdan para motunhay  mi kay naa na man ang Armed Forces of the Philippines  nga andam na motabang; naa na man ang national government, mga local governments nga andam motabang.   (There is no reason for us to continue because the Armed Force of the Philippines is there ready to help; the local and the national government are ready to help).

 

With this observation, he shared his realization that  armed struggle indeed is useless means of spreading societal benefits for the marginalized sectors specially the farmers, the indigenous peoples, the ordinary workers, among others.

 

“Dili na  kinahanglan na gyud kinahanglan ug armed struggle, dili na gyud kinahanglan nga  makig-away  away pa ta. Isa na sa akong mga realizations, mas importante ang unity mas importante ang tinabangay. (There is no need for arm struggle; there is no need for us to be fighting each other. That is one of my realizations; unity is more important, it is important to help each other.),” he said.

 

Meanwhile, Caramat called on his fellow youth members of SRC 5 to  surrender and to put faith in the goodness of the military and the government which he has noted to have shown sincere desire to address the needs of the disadvantaged.

 

He shared his realization that indeed the CPP-NPA, the military and the government are aiming the same goal of checking social injustice which he said can no longer be addressed through armed struggle.

 

He cited the indigenous peaceful means  he had witnessed adopted by Talaingod tribal leaders who usually sit down together to thresh out misunderstanding and discuss  the solutions.  (Jeanevive Duron Abangan, PIA XI)