CPP objects to AFP checkpoints in tremor-hit areas

Aside from food and water, residents displaced by the earthquake in Makilala, Cotabato province, are asking for tarpaulin sheets, or “trapal,” a material suddenly in demand for evacuees who need to put up tents. (Contributed photo)

LUCENA CITY, Quezon, Philippines – The Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) strongly denounced the order of Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana to set up military checkpoints to regulate and facilitate the movement of relief operations.

“From the point of view of humanitarian work, Lorenzana’s order is completely unacceptable. In this time of crisis, every help is needed, not only that which Lorenzana will allow,” Marco Valbuena, CPP public information officer, said in reply to a solicited reaction via email on Sunday.

He said Lorenzana’s order aims to prevent the CPP and its military wing, the New People’s Army (NPA) rebels from declaring a temporary ceasefire, even if for a few days, to do relief work.

“This will, however, not prevent the NPA and revolutionary forces from continuing to extend relief work and assisting the victims from rebuilding their homes and farms,” Valbuena said.

Valbuena accused Lorenzana of “imposing his counterinsurgency mindset with relief work as he wants the military to monopolize and control everything.”

“This will make it difficult for many people, organizations and agencies to contribute to efforts to extend help to the earthquake victims. In the end, Lorenzana’s order will make earthquake survivors victims twice over,” he said.

On Saturday, Lorenzana ordered the military to set up checkpoints in earthquake-affected areas in Cotabato and Davao del Sur provinces.

“The checkpoint shall control the ingress and egress of people in evacuation centers to ensure that only legitimate and authorized relief workers are granted access to evacuation centers, and receive relief goods and supplies for distributions to the evacuees,” Lorenzana said in his Martial Law Instruction Nos. 02 dated Nov. 2 from the Office of Martial Law Administrator.

Martial law is still currently in effect in Mindanao until the end of 2019 due to the threat from Islamic extremists since the Marawi siege, which started on May 23 and ended on Oct. 23, 2017.

With the order, Valbuena said they wouldn’t be surprised if Lorenzana would deny emergency relief supplies from reaching people who the military suspect of supporting the revolutionary movement.

Earlier, Valbuena claimed that Lorenzana’s designation as point-person in all relief efforts in tremor-stricken Mindanao was in reaction to their recent announcement that the NPA and allied forces in the revolutionary movement would help earthquake victims and assist relief and aid workers in far-flung areas.

“Duterte won’t allow the NPA to help earthquake victims,” Valbuena said in his comment emailed to the Inquirer.

He conceded, however, “that counter-insurgency and relief work do not work well together” and thus “a problem.”

On Friday, Valbuena announced that the NPA rebels in Mindanao was studying the possibility of declaring a temporary unilateral ceasefire to help earthquake victims and assist relief and aid workers in far-flung areas.

Valbuena said the CPP had also ordered the communist guerillas to exert efforts to help tremor victims. He said the Red-fighters in Mindanao and their allies could assist in rebuilding damaged homes, and repairing farms and community facilities.

“The NPA can secretly work with relief organizations who wish to deliver food and other supplies to the difficult-to-reach areas,” Valbuena said.

The deaths caused by the powerful series of earthquakes that hit Mindanao starting on Oct. 29 had already climbed to 17, NDRRMC said. Over 29,000 families have been affected by the tremors.

/atm