The newly released consultants for the peace negotiations between the communist-led National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) and the Philippine government have a message for the youth: Ditch “Pokemon Go” and try “Revolution Go.”
This was the advice of spouses Wilma and Benito Tiamzon—accused to be high-ranking officials of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP)—in a press briefing at the Immaculate Conception Multipurpose Center in Cubao, Quezon City, hours after their conditional release from the Philippine National Police (PNP) custodial center in Camp Crame.
“Para sa mga kabataang Pilipino at sa ibang kababayan na sa ngayon ay nahuhumaling sa paghuli ng mga monster—[sa] Pokemon Go—alam po ninyo, napakaraming tunay na monster sa ating bayan. Dapat po sanang pagtuunan din natin ng pansin na kilalanin at labanan ang mga monster na ito. Sa halip na Pokemon Go, mas maganda po sana ang Revolution Go,” Wilma Tiamzon said, breaking into a grin.
“Hindi naman po siguro magagalit si Presidente [Rodrigo] Duterte dahil galit din siya sa mga monster. At tsaka kaapelyido [naman] ni Bong Go,” the female Tiamzon quipped, referring to the President’s close aide.
Earlier this month, in an environmental summit in Davao, Duterte referred to oligarchs who only promote their self-interests as “monsters” he promised to fight.
It is this common ground for social reforms that make the Tiamzons hopeful that the peace talks will be successful under the Duterte administration.
“Kami ay naniniwala na bukas ang mainam na oportunidad para sumulong ang pag-uusap para makamit ang komprehensibong kasunduang pangkapayaan kaugnay ng makabuluhang repormang panlipunan, pang-ekonomiya at pangpolitika na kinakailangan para mabigyang wakas ang armadong labanan. Naniniwala kaming may sapat na kapasyahan ang dalawang panig na makamit ang ganitong pagkakasundo tungkol sa mga kinakailangang reporma,” Benito said.
The Tiamzons were arrested in March 22, 2014, in Cebu and are facing 30 criminal cases in four courts nationwide linking them to the armed communist revolution. Wilma described the criminal charges as “fabricated.”
The Tiamzons held the press conference on Friday along with other recently released political prisoners and NDFP consultants to the peace talks, among others Loida Magpatoc, who was also released from Camp Bagong Diwa on Friday, and Eduardo Genelsa, Ariel Arbitrario and Alfredo Mapano, who were released on Thursday.
There are 22 NDFP consultants to the peace talks, 15 of whom are already released from detention out of 17 newly released political detainees. The political detainees have been granted “conditional liberty” by their respective courts for a period of six months or while the peace talks are ongoing, said Cristina Palabay, secretary general of human rights group Karapatan, one of the groups supporting the release.
Four consultants’ bail petitions remain pending in their respective courts, while three have already been convicted and will require other modes of release.