Last February 9, 2015, in time for the start of the campaign period for national candidates, a unit of the NPA-Front 21 set up a checkpoint in the national highway in Purok 2, Mabuhay, Bayugan City, Agusan del Sur at around 6:00 in the morning. Vehicles were stopped for more than 10 minutes in the Davao-Butuan national highway. More or less 25 vehicles were prevented from passing through.
The checkpoint was set up to serve as warning to politicians who have started campaigning for the reactionary elections, a reminder for them to abide by the policies of the revolutionary movement within its area. These revolutionary policies relating to the elections have long been enforced, and so the violation of these will surely derail the campaign of politicians/candidates or prevent them from campaigning.
The following are a few of the policies related to campaign activities of candidates within the revolutionary territory:
1. The revolutionary movement forbids candidates from bringing firearms while campaigning so as not to harass the people;
2. Candidates are forbidden to be escorted by AFP forces to avoid being caught in the crossfire as the NPA might launch tactical offensives against them;
3. Candidates that will campaign should obtain permission from the concerned NPA unit before entering the barrios so you will not be barred;
4. If for any justified reason a candidate would have to have armed PNP escorts, he should coordinate with the concerned NPA unit.
The Regional Operational Command (ROC) of the NPA-NEMR commands all units of the Red Fighters to implement appropriate action against candidates who will violate the revolutionary policies.
Based on this, we encourage all supporters of candidates and the masses to remind politicians about the revolutionary policies imposed on campaigning if they will enter your areas so they will not be disrupted.
The AFP spokesperson maliciously announced that Red Fighters confiscated the personal belongings of one retired Master Sergeant of the AFP during the checkpoint. The AFP declared this to besmirch the NPA. Not a single belonging have been taken by the NPA in said incident.
NPA forces strictly adhere to the Three Main Rules of Discipline and Eight Points for Attention. Disciplinary action is enforced on anybody who violate these. The following are the Rules of Discipline of the NPA:
A. The Three Main Rules of Discipline are:
1. Obey orders in all your actions;
2. Don’t take a single needle or piece of thread from the masses;
3. Turn in everything captured.
B. The Eight Points for Attention:
1. Speak politely;
2. Pay fairly for what you buy;
3. Return everything you borrow;
4. Pay for anything you damage;
5. Don’t hit or swear at people;
6. Don’t damage crops of the people;
7. Don’t take liberties with women;
8. Don’t ill-treat captives.
We should always remember that the bourgeois elections is a circus of power grabbing within the ruling class. It is deceitful, full of promises to alleviate the conditions of the people, fosters vote-buying, dishonest in the counting of ballots and uses firearms to win. It is not the solution to the abject poverty of the Filipino people. It is but a show happening every three years.
(sgd)
Ka Maria Malaya
Spokesperson
NDF-NEMR
