THE PHILIPPINE Army condemned the Communist Party of the Philippines–North Central Mindanao Regional Committee (CPP-NCMRC), accusing the underground group of romanticizing a “failed armed struggle” and exploiting vulnerable youth, students, and farmers as instruments for its warfare.
The military’s rebuke followed an armed encounter in Barangay Bakingking, Esperanza, Agusan del Sur, which resulted in the deaths of veteran regional cadre Julia “Ka Rida” Cagadas-Lastimosa, Rocha Mae “Ka Maki” Bihag, Tiloy “Ka Doydoy” Basahon, and Ringo “Ka Kikoy” Lindayo.
In response, the CPP-NCMRC released a statement honoring the slain members as “revolutionary heroes” and detailing their backgrounds, including Cagadas-Lastimosa’s decades-long underground involvement since the 1980s.
However, the Philippine Army issued a statement in response:
“The latest statement of the Communist Party of the Philippines–North Central Mindanao Region is another attempt to glorify an armed struggle that has brought decades of violence, suffering, and wasted lives to Northern Mindanao,” COL Louie Dema-ala, the Army spokesperson, said in a message to TIMES on Tuesday, Sept. 16.
” Instead of acknowledging the deaths of civilians, soldiers, police officers, and even their own members, they continue to romanticize armed violence and push an ideology that has already caused immeasurable pain to Filipino families and communities,” Dema-ala said. Too many lives have been wasted for an armed struggle that offers nothing but more death and destruction, “he added.
” Even more deplorable is the continued exploitation of our youth, students, farmers, and vulnerable communities as instruments of their armed campaign. Our young people should be in classrooms, pursuing their dreams and building their future—not being deceived, recruited, radicalized, and eventually exposed to armed conflict. Students are not cannon fodder. Our communities are not recruitment grounds. The future of our youth must never be sacrificed to the ambitions of an armed organization, ” he added.
” The people of Northern Mindanao have seen through this deception. They deserve peace, security, education, livelihood, and development—not another generation consumed by violence in the name of a failed armed struggle. The Philippine Army will remain resolute in protecting our communities and preventing the exploitation of our people, particularly the youth. Enough of sacrificing lives for an ideology. Northern Mindanao deserves a future built by its people—not a future dictated by guns, “the Army spokesperson further said.
