Lorenzana says Joma Sison doing psywar tactics for blaming gov't for Sagay massacre
Published Oct 25, 2018 03:09 pm
By Francis Wakefield
Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana Thursday said that communist leader Jose Maria Sison's statement that the Duterte government is behind the Sagay City, Negros Occidental massacre of nine farmers is just part of his psywar tactics.
Sec. Delfin Lorenzana (Joseph Vidal/PRIB/ MANILA BULLETIN)
Lorenzana said such a claim comes from a man who he said is the mastermind of numerous atrocities including the Plaza Miranda bombing.
"Yeah right! Coming from the mastermind of the Plaza Miranda bombing, the killing of hundreds of New People’s Army (NPA) cadres suspected of being agents of the government, as well as assassination/killings of innocent civilians in the past 50 years?," Lorenzana said. "Come on, Mr. Sison! Don’t be quick to point your finger as your other fingers are pointing back at you," he added.
Lorenzana said Sison has been unmasked as the man behind these atrocities by no less than his former comrades. "Your psywar no longer works. Nobody, even your so-called fighters, believe you anymore," Lorenzana said.
Blood in their hands
On Wednesday, Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Chief of Staff General Carlito Galvez Jr. said that when the conclusive findings of the investigation have been released on the killing of nine farm workers, the Communist Party of the Philippines-NPA (CPP-NPA) and its front organization, the National Federation of Sugar Workers (NFSW), will have blood on their hands.
Galvez made the remark following a press briefing at Camp Aguinaldo to give an update on the incident and an ongoing investigation to establish the identities and motives of the perpetrators of the killing of the farm workers at sugar plantation in Sagay City, on Saturday, October 21, 2018.
Galvez said various government agencies including the Philippine National Police (PNP), National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), and the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR), are jointly working in the investigation to immediately solve the killing.
He said the results of the initial investigation laid out three possible scenarios that may have led to the incident, as authorities are looking at the involvement of other land claimants, the landowner’s private army, and the CPP-NPA.
"What is already known is that the victims are all recruits of the NFSW, a front organization of the CPP-NPA. In fact, they were recruited, after paying P500 for 1 hectare of land, less than two days before the incident," Galvez said.
Galvez said according to the families, residents, and local authorities in the area, the victims are not workers in the farm or claimants to the land. The Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) has also claimed that the victims are not entitled beneficiaries.
"They were brought there by their recruiters from the NFSW who left just before the shooting happened," Galvez said.
CPP-NPA Involvement
Galvez said the CPP has been hatching plans to oust the Duterte administration and this incident is part of their plan to rouse civil unrest and discredit the government.
He said the CPP's "Oplan Bungkalan", a nationwide campaign to mobilize farmworkers to rally for the cause of the communists marketed as a struggle for agrarian reform, is taking advantage of farmers and is using them as bait.
He said by manipulating, deceiving, and exploiting the needs of these farmers, the NFSW has put their lives in grave danger by pitting them against landowners and other land claimants in order to jumpstart an orchestrated nationwide protest by leftist groups.
AFP, PNP non-involvement
As to the alleged involvement of the AFP in the killing of nine farmers, Galvez said Agrarian Reform Secretary John Castriciones has already categorically denied the AFP and the police’s involvement in the killings and clarified that the incident is a land conflict.
"We call on leftist groups to substantiate their allegations and give the families some reprieve and consolation by not propagandizing and politicizing the incident," Galvez said.
Assistance and Justice
Galvez said the military has extended its sincerest condolences to the victims’ families and has provided assistance. "The AFP, DAR, DSWD, and local government unit of Negros are working together to give immediate and long-term aid for the victims’ families and to ensure that justice will be served. The government and its security forces will work together to resolve the social cancer and land conflict in the area," Galvez said.
Sec. Delfin Lorenzana (Joseph Vidal/PRIB/ MANILA BULLETIN)
Lorenzana said such a claim comes from a man who he said is the mastermind of numerous atrocities including the Plaza Miranda bombing.
"Yeah right! Coming from the mastermind of the Plaza Miranda bombing, the killing of hundreds of New People’s Army (NPA) cadres suspected of being agents of the government, as well as assassination/killings of innocent civilians in the past 50 years?," Lorenzana said. "Come on, Mr. Sison! Don’t be quick to point your finger as your other fingers are pointing back at you," he added.
Lorenzana said Sison has been unmasked as the man behind these atrocities by no less than his former comrades. "Your psywar no longer works. Nobody, even your so-called fighters, believe you anymore," Lorenzana said.
Blood in their hands
On Wednesday, Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Chief of Staff General Carlito Galvez Jr. said that when the conclusive findings of the investigation have been released on the killing of nine farm workers, the Communist Party of the Philippines-NPA (CPP-NPA) and its front organization, the National Federation of Sugar Workers (NFSW), will have blood on their hands.
Galvez made the remark following a press briefing at Camp Aguinaldo to give an update on the incident and an ongoing investigation to establish the identities and motives of the perpetrators of the killing of the farm workers at sugar plantation in Sagay City, on Saturday, October 21, 2018.
Galvez said various government agencies including the Philippine National Police (PNP), National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), and the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR), are jointly working in the investigation to immediately solve the killing.
He said the results of the initial investigation laid out three possible scenarios that may have led to the incident, as authorities are looking at the involvement of other land claimants, the landowner’s private army, and the CPP-NPA.
"What is already known is that the victims are all recruits of the NFSW, a front organization of the CPP-NPA. In fact, they were recruited, after paying P500 for 1 hectare of land, less than two days before the incident," Galvez said.
Galvez said according to the families, residents, and local authorities in the area, the victims are not workers in the farm or claimants to the land. The Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) has also claimed that the victims are not entitled beneficiaries.
"They were brought there by their recruiters from the NFSW who left just before the shooting happened," Galvez said.
CPP-NPA Involvement
Galvez said the CPP has been hatching plans to oust the Duterte administration and this incident is part of their plan to rouse civil unrest and discredit the government.
He said the CPP's "Oplan Bungkalan", a nationwide campaign to mobilize farmworkers to rally for the cause of the communists marketed as a struggle for agrarian reform, is taking advantage of farmers and is using them as bait.
He said by manipulating, deceiving, and exploiting the needs of these farmers, the NFSW has put their lives in grave danger by pitting them against landowners and other land claimants in order to jumpstart an orchestrated nationwide protest by leftist groups.
AFP, PNP non-involvement
As to the alleged involvement of the AFP in the killing of nine farmers, Galvez said Agrarian Reform Secretary John Castriciones has already categorically denied the AFP and the police’s involvement in the killings and clarified that the incident is a land conflict.
"We call on leftist groups to substantiate their allegations and give the families some reprieve and consolation by not propagandizing and politicizing the incident," Galvez said.
Assistance and Justice
Galvez said the military has extended its sincerest condolences to the victims’ families and has provided assistance. "The AFP, DAR, DSWD, and local government unit of Negros are working together to give immediate and long-term aid for the victims’ families and to ensure that justice will be served. The government and its security forces will work together to resolve the social cancer and land conflict in the area," Galvez said.