“Dati, takot (ang nararamdaman ko sa mga NPA), dahil ang nababalitaan ko, pumapatay sila nang walang dahilan” (Before I was afraid of the NPA guerrillas, because I used to hear that they kill for no reason), said Agasen in another interview. “Nabago ‘yon nang mabihag ako. Nakita ko y’ong prinsipyo (nila) at sumusunod talaga sila sa kasunduan ng NDFP at GRP, y’ong CARHRIHL na tinatawag” (That changed when I was held as a POW. I saw that they are principled people, I saw that they follow the agreement between the NDFP and the GRP, which is called the CARHRIHL.)
The CARHRIHL is the Comprehensive Agreement on Respect for Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law, which was signed by the Government of the Republic of the Philippines (GRP) and the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) in 1998. It covers, among other things, the treatment of POWs.
Umali, for his part, told of growing up in Rizal and hearing about the NPA all the time, but he said he never thought of the guerrillas as bad people. “Hindi tumatanim sa isip ko na masama sila, hindi” (It never crossed my mind that they were bad people, never), he said in a separate interview.
The interviews were all conducted in the privacy of a makeshift tent, with the custodial team’s members all several meters away.
The three policemen all said their custodians treated them well. Asked if there was any incident in which their custodians hurt or threatened them, they all replied in the negative.
“Ibinigay nila ang karapatan namin bilang tao” (They recognized our rights as humans), Agasen said. “Ayos naman ang pagtrato nila sa amin” (They treated us well).
Cuntapay, Umali, and Agasen also said that their nearly three months in the guerrillas’ custody has given them more insights into why there exists a group like the NPA.
“And’yan sila dahil sa hirap ng buhay” (They exist because life is difficult), Cuntapay said. “Gusto nila, pantay-pantay ang lahat ng tao sa Pilipinas” (They want equality in the Philippines.)
“Ipinaglalaban nila y’ong mga magsasaka, y’ong…mahihirap” (They are fighting for the peasantry, the poor), Umali said.
“Ipinaglalaban nila y’ong pantay-pantay na pagtingin sa mayaman at mahirap” (They are fighting for equal treatment for rich and poor people), Agasen said.
“Ang naobserbahan ko sa kanila, kung ano ang kinakain ng isa, dapat gano’n din lahat” (What I observed of them is that what one eats, everyone eats.), Cuntapay also said. “Hindi puwedeng gutom y’ong iba, y’ong iba busog: kailangan, pantay-pantay” (It is never the case that others are hungry while one is full: everyone should be equal.)
They all cite among their most unforgettable experiences while in NPA custody the difficulties of having to walk through slippery mountain routes or having to swim through rapid currents. They also recall their pleasant surprise at discovering several kinds of jungle food which they never thought was edible. Cuntapay confesses that several times he had bouts with boredom.
The three policemen said they look forward to being able to return to police duty soon.(Bulatlat.com)
Just like other government employees, I silently support the cause of the progressive movement. Kahit nakakasuka na ang pinaggagawa ng Secretary namin…!!!
Here is the video link of the release.
Long live CPP-NDFP-NPA!Keep up the struugle. Majority of the masses are threaten but silently supporting the cause.
ha ha pano ba yan tama kau jan nasunod ang mga Hukbo ng Mamamayan s batas ng Digmaan.kabaliktaran sa ginagawa ng mga mersenaryong kaaway ng mamamayan na Hukbo ng mga mapagsamantala ang AFP,palibhasa tradisyon na nila yan sa gabay ng amo nilang Imperyalista,pro ang Hukbo ng Mamamayan hindi nila katulad.
Kya lng yung Video ng Opensiba sana mga kasama wag nyo na ipost sa http://www.youtube.com kasi iba ang dating eh, ako kaisa nyo s mga ipinaglalaban nyo pro nakakakilabot ang makatunghay ng ganun, Oo unawa ko civil war ito,usapin ito ng pangangailangan malinaw ang panig ng bawat isa, kanino ka ba sa mga mapagsamantala or sa mga lumalaban na tama s katwiran at principyo,parepareho tau pinoy pero bakit may nagpapagamit sa mga nagsasamantala hindi na din usapin ng Christianismo diba?kanino ka ba ke satanas or sa mga gusto makahulagpos sa ganitong kaayusan,mhirap makakita ng ganun oo malinaw ang pandarahas nila s mamamayan eh,pro sana wag nyo na ipakita sa youtube iyon magagamit lng na blackprops laban sa inyo alam ko kya natin pangatwiranan ito kung sakali pro sana wag nlng iba padin ang kultura ntin kung paguusapan ang karahasan, malinaw nmn sa akin demokratikong karahasan ang katumbas ng kahayupan ng mga buhong na militar laban sa mamamayan at tungkulin ng Hukbo ng mamamayan na parusahan ang mga buhong na ito. sabi nga ni Tagapangulong Mao eh, w/o the People's Army, people's have nothing,hindi nlng puro pagsasamantala nababago at nagbabago ang law of nature ang mga pinagsasamantalahan ay lumalaban na so nababalanse ang law of nature diba?nung nakita ko yung footage sa youtube grabe kinilabutan ako,im sorry tao lng din ako,at nakasaksi nadin ako ng actual na opensiba ng mga Hukbo ng Mamamayan magkahalong saya sapagkat nabigyan ng Hustisya ang kahuyupan na ginawa nila laban s masa at sadness kc kakawawa sila nagpapagamit sila s iilan pa panatilihin ang ang bulok na kaayusan so nakakaawa bkit di nila maunawaan yun,pro sa huli masaya ako way back 18 yrs old pa ako nun, ago pa yun,now mas maliwanag ang direksiyon ng Rebolusyon sa pinas at masarap saksihan lagi.
Mabuhay Kau mga Kasama, naway wag kayung panlalabuan sa inyong misyon,alam natin madilim ang daan sa pagtahak papunta sa liwanag,pro sa bawat pagkakadapa babangon tau,sa bawat isa na bumitaw s sulo patungo sa liwanag lagi at lagi my bago na hahawak nito.