Alleged ex-NPA member claims CPP recruited over 8,000 students from 2016-2019

The Communist Party of the Philippines was able to recruit over 8,000 students for the underground movement, a confessed former communist rebel said during a Senate hearing on alleged military red-tagging on Tuesday.

"In the last three years, 2016 hanggang 2019, more than 8,000 na kabataan ang na-recruit nila from the document mismo ni Vic Ladlad. Nakuha ito at ang karamihan senior high school which means 16 or 17 years old," Jeffrey Celiz, alias "Ka Eric," told senators.

"Proud na proud sila that they were able to recruit in three years ng walong libong kabataan muli in the underground movement at mostly from senior high school from PUP, UST, FEU," he added.

Ladlad, whom Celiz was referring to, was a National Democratic Front of the Philippines consultant arrested in November 2018 over alleged illegal possession of firearms and explosives.

‘Casiño also a CPP member’

Celiz said he was first recruited to be an activist in the West Visayas State University in 1991 and claimed that former Bayan Muna Representative Teddy Casiño is also a member of the CPP.

"Ang kapanahunan ko po ay si Teddy Casiño. He was the national president of the CEGP (College Editors Guild of the Philippines), I was the regional chairman of the CEGP," he said.

"Do I know him also to be part of the CPP? Hindi na po ako magpapakaipokrito Mr. Chair, yes. They are all CPP, they are still CPP. They are still part of the Communist Party and worse, they deny it and they are not admitting it to the nation," he added.

In a statement, Casiño denied Celiz' allegations.

"Celiz presents no proof or evidence of the accusations he makes against me, other than his and his military handlers' belief that because I am a prominent activist, then I must also be a high ranking leader of the CPP-NPA-NDF," he said.

"In 2006 the government accused me and five of my colleagues in Congress of basically the same thing. The charges were dismissed. This time, it's trial by publicity, using the Senate as a platform for their dirty propaganda blitz," he added.

Casiño said the lies being peddled by the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) should stop as these imperil the lives of activists and their families.

NPA share in infra projects

Celiz, who claimed to have been assigned at the NPA National Operational Command, also alleged that the communists were receiving kickbacks from some infrastructure projects including those of telecommunication companies and Triple-A contractors.

"From the perspective of a former cadre, anong kapabilidad ng CPP-NPA-NDF? They cannot overthrow the government but they can make Smart and Globe pay P200 million more every year, combined," he said.

Senator Panfilo Lacson, chair of the committee on national defense, said Celiz's claim was an open secret.

"Two percent ang cut ng NPA sa mga infra. Basta lahat ng infra walang aandar, lalo sa mga [lugar ng kanilang] influence, kung walang 2 percent from the contractors. That's in additon to the 10% of the congressmen... some congressmen, I'd like to qualify," Lacson said.

"If there is one single biggest, mafia-style, highly organized, most prolific extortion machinery to come before the face of the earth, it is the CPP-NPA," Celiz said in response.

It was also revealed during the hearing that Celiz was included in President Rodrigo Duterte's narco list in 2016. He, however, said it does not diminish the authenticity of his claims.

"My inclusion to the narco list of the President in 2016 does not negate all the truthful circumstances related to my involvement in the CPP-NPA," he said. "My inclusion to that narcolist was part of a government project." — DVM, GMA News