THE TRUTH ABOUT THE CTM’S COFFER

Agnes Lopez Reano

 

          

          “Only the members of the Higher Organ enjoy and use the revolutionary taxes being collected from the logging concessions, businesses, and masses”, this is the revelation of a former NPA Political Guide or Giyang Pampolitika operating in the hinterlands of Aurora Province.  Ka Angel surrendered a month ago to the 48th Infantry Battalion, 702nd Infantry Brigade together with her husband, who like her honestly and religiously served the armed component or the NPA believing that they are serving the Filipino people.

 

            Maricris Payongayong or better known in the hinterlands of Aurora Province as Ka Angel joined the NPA while she was a second year college student at UP Diliman and taking up Mechanical Engineering.  While a freshman she was first enticed to attend different forums tackling different social and economic problems, and was later on encouraged to join the Anakbayan.  According to Ka Angel the last forum that she attended as an Anakbayan member and before joining the NPA was held at the UCCP Headquarters along EDSA Avenue.  After a week she was given the teaching MKLRP or Maikling Kurso sa Lipunan at Rebolusyong Pilipino, then took the oath as an official member of the Kabataang Makabayan. In October of 2005 she was promoted as Party Member and was sponsored by a certain Ka Eboy, whom she met while having her basic masses integration at Krus na Ligas in UP Diliman.

           

          As member of the Kabataang Makabayan she was tasked to recruit students inside UP Diliman and later on was assigned as the Team Leader of RKL or Rebolusyunarong Kilusang Lihim and was elevated as its Political guide or the Giyang Pampolitika. During this time she was a constant figure in mass protests and mass demonstrations.  She further disclosed that they held lightning rallies and big mobilizations monthly that it became their routine.  Instead of going and attending their classes, according to Ka Angel they spent most of their time in the streets joining mobilizations.  She then exposed that during her second semester in the first year level she incurred failing grades that in her second year at UP Diliman she decided to become a full time activist and later on decided to join the NPA.

          

 

          Ka Angel bravely disclosed that they imposed revolutionary taxation on all logging concessions in Aurora province, imposing a 30 cents per board feet, which according to her clearly shows that the NPA’s collection may range from half a million pesos to a million pesos per month.
           
            According to the revelations of Ka Angel there is a very distinct discrimination between the political cadres of the NPA and the ordinary red fighters.  She disclosed that even the simplest needs of the red fighters; the most basic which is food clearly shows the disparity of the treatment inside the movement.  Political cadres can enjoy good food while the ordinary red fighters finds it the most pressing problems where and when to get their food supply.  In one situation where they are requesting that they be given pork or chicken meat they are told that there is no fund intended for it.  She lamented that when they were students and enticed to join the NPA the concept of equality is constantly drummed up in their consciousness that she thought it will be the cardinal rule inside the revolutionary movement.  Unfortunately “equality” is not the rule but instead those who are privileged are the members of the Higher Organ or HO and are the ones given “special treatment”.

 

            She further added that the discrimination is very much apparent even in personal things like toiletries.  Members of the Higher Organ or the Political cadres have their own individual deodorant while ordinary red fighters have to share one plastic of “tawas” for the whole squad.