NPA TO UNDERTAKE STEPS TO PREVENT CIVILIAN CASULATIES-NDF (tags)
THE PESANTE BULETIN based in the United States today reported that the National Democratic Front-Eastern Visayas said today that the New People’s Army is undertaking steps to prevent civilian casualties over concerns of such occurring last Dec. 8 and Dec. 14 in Northern Samar. The PB reported that “In upholding the people’s war as just, correct and principled, it is important for the NPA to ensure the observance of the rights of civilians,” said Fr. Santiago Salas, NDF-EV spokesperson. "This demonstrates the NPA’s firm unity with the people and differentiates it from the enemy, which is carrying out an unjust and unpincipled counterrevolutionary war backed by US imperialism. It is the people, not arms alone, who are decisive in war — contrary to the casual acceptance of so-called “collateral damage” as well as the willful targetting of civilians by the Armed Forces of the Philippines."
NDF-EV in solidarity with the Catholic Church against large-scale foreign mining in Region (tags)
The Los Angeles based PESANTE NEWS said today that the National Democratic Front-Eastern Visayas today ( August 26, 2010) said it is one with the Catholic Church in fighting large-scale foreign mining in Region 8. "We agree with the stand of the Palo Archdiocese that large-scale mining today will not benefit the people but only foreign capitalists, as well as seriously damage the environment,"said Fr. Santiago Salas, NDF-EV spokesperson. "Indeed, foreign mining seeks the quickest way to make profits from simple raw materials extraction and export, without contributing to our industrial development and without regard for safeguarding the environment.
NDF Response to military propaganda for surrender before peace talks (tags)
THE PESANTE NEWS based in Los Angeles learned today that the National Democratic Front-Eastern Visayas today ( August 5 in the Philippines or PST) said that the 8th Infantry Division, by calling for the surrender of the revolutionary forces, highlighted the unjustness of the ceasefire-and-surrender line of the Aquino administration. "Through its program in a radio station last August 1, the 8th ID essentially dismissed the peace talks as irrelevant and called on the revolutionary forces to surrender first," said NDF-EV spokesperson Fr. Santiago Salas.
NDF-EV demands immediate release of Michelle Adelantar from GRP custody (tags)
The PESANTE NEWS learned today that the National Democratic Front-Eastern Visayas today demanded the immediate release from the Arroyo government's custody of Michelle Adelantar, a daughter of a cadre of the Communist Party of the Philippines and New People's Army. "In violation of international humanitarian law, Michelle, 17, was abducted and detained last Feb. 3 in San Jose de Buan, Western Samar by operating troops from the 34th Infantry Battalion merely because she was the child of a CPP-NPA cadre," said Fr. Santiago Salas, NDF-EV spokesperson.
8th ID offensives in Basey prove worthlessness of AFP ceasefire declarationJanuary 2, 2010 (tags)
PESANTE NEWS of Los Angeles today learned through news sources today that the National Democratic Front-Eastern Visayas today said that continuing offensive operations by the 8th Infantry Division in Basey, Western Samar proved the worthlessness of the short-term unilateral ceasefire declared by the Arroyo government. "A unilateral ceasefire declaration is only as good as the word of its proponent, and meant for goodwill and respect," said Fr. Santiago Salas, NDF-EV spokesperson. "But the 8th ID offensives in Basey belie the Arroyo government unilateral ceasefire from Dec. 24-26 and Dec. 31-Jan. 1.
NDF -EV URGES PEOPLE TO ACT ON UTILITIES CRISIS (tags)
PESANTE NEWS today learned through news sources that NDF-EV or The National Democratic Front-Eastern Visayas today expressed solidarity with the people over the crises in electricity and water in Tacloban and the rest of Leyte and the region. "The people of Tacloban are struggling to get such basic needs as electricity and water," said Fr. Santiago Salas, NDF-EV spokesperson. "But the Petilla and Romualdez political dynasties not only ignore this, they add further to the mess by squabbling over water administration as one of the political spoils at stake in the 2010 election. Meanwhile, the people are fuming at the lack of water and furthermore anticipate a power rate hike on top of that problem. Poor water and electricity services are not unique to Tacloban but widespread in the region because of government neglect."
Arroyo government plotted and carried out Fr. Lucero's murder- NDF-EV (tags)
-The National Democratic Front-Eastern Visayas today , September 7, accused the Arroyo government of planning and carrying out the dastardly murder of Fr. Cecilio Lucero, a well-known peace and human rights advocate who served as parish priest of Catubig town and chairman of the human rights committee of the Catarman diocese in Northern Samar. Fr. Lucero was shot and killed by assailants in bonnets and military uniform in San Jose, Northern Samar, yesterday Sept. 6 while his two companions were wounded. "Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo herself virtually signed Fr. Lucero's death warrant," said Fr. Santiago Salas, NDF-EV spokesperson.
NDF-EV condemns virtual martial rule in troop deployment to Tacloban City (tags)
The National Democratic Front-Eastern Visayas today condemned the virtual martial rule in the deployment by the 8th Infantry Division of soldiers to the northern barangays of Tacloban City and the outright role of the military in rigging the elections to favor the Arroyo regime. "The military psywar blabberers blatantly lie that the 8th ID is sending troops to the northern barangays of Tacloban City because of the alleged presence of the New People's Army," said NDF-EV spokesperson Fr. Santiago Salas. "What the military really aims after the elections is to forestall mass protests by heightening the psywar campaign against the people's organizations and party-list groups, whom they frame as part of the NPA to justify attacking and killing off their leaders and members. In the elections, various reports from Samar and Leyte also describe soldiers as terrorizing the people against voting for the progressive party-list. But the people have democratically defied the military and the Arroyo regime in the elections: Despite the barefaced use of fraud and military terrorism against them, the progressive party-list groups are clearly headed for Congress. The people have spoken, but in retaliating by sending troops against them, the military goes on with its script of mayhem and murder."