THE Cordillera People's Liberation Army (CPLA) is calling for a rejection of all forms of armed rebellion.
Reacting to a press statement of Simon "Ka Filiw" Naogsan, spokesperson of the Cordillera People's Democratic Front, which branded the CPLA as a sinking boat, Narda Cayat said, "they have always harped this statement over and over again, during the Aquino regime, the CPLA was branded as being coddled by the late President Corazon Aquino. It is the same line they used during the terms of Presidents Fidel Ramos and Joseph Estrada."
Cayat said all those who left the communist movement are branded as counter revolutionaries. "And worse, some have been killed as products of 'kangaroo courts'."
In its own statement, the CPLA said looking back at history, the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People's Army (CPP/NPA) has never been there for the people as seen in their anti-development stance and their stance against government.
"The only agenda they have is to overthrow the democratic government," the group said.
"The farmers at Hacienda Luisita are still suffering, the same is true for the miners at Lepanto Mining Company," the statement said, alluding to the communist's influence in these areas.
"Most of the companies with the Kilusan Mayo Uno as their union have closed, there are no alternative for the workers who now have no jobs after the companies they worked for closed down," the statement added.
The NPAs are now bolder and have a history of terrorism and violence. They are an obstacle to economic recovery, said the group.
Aresnio Humiding now sits as interim chairman of the CPLA and has acknowledged only 1,200 legitimate members will be issued identification cards bearing the signature of the new set of officers.
Humiding said the focus of the CPLA's is to integrate its qualified members into the Armed Forces of the Philippines as part of the three point agenda.