Condemn Absalon killers, not just the crime — Esperon
A DAY after FEU football player Kieth Absalon and his cousin Nolven were laid to rest in Masbate City, National Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperon called on the Makabayan Bloc in Congress and members of the opposition to condemn not only “the actions but the actors” in the killing which is the Communist Party of the Philippines – New People’s Army (CPP-NPA).
Esperon, who is also the vice chairman of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC), berated the legal fronts of CPP-NPA in Congress for condemning the act but not the perpetrators.
Presidential Communications Operations Office Undersecretary and NTF-ELCAC spokesperson Lorraine Badoy joined Esperon in slamming the Makabayan Bloc, particularly Carlos Zarate of Bayan Muna for denouncing the act but not denouncing the whole CPP-NPA-NDF.
Badoy called on Vice President Leni Robredo and Senator Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan to denounce the communist party and its armed rebels.
According to Esperon, the Left wings in the Congress should think that over saying “kasi parang lumalabas na kumakampi pa sila sa actors or perpetrators.”
“So, they are condemning the act, but they would not condemn the actors or perpetrators. Is there any imaginable detachment between the act and the actor or perpetrator… Para bang panloloko yata iyan ah. Paano naman magagawa yung act na walang gumawa?” he said during the weekly NTF-ELCAC press briefing.
Esperon said if leftist members of Congress, like those in the Makabayan bloc, start denouncing the violence of communist rebels in the Philippines, insurgents would eventually follow .
“Like for example, if you are a member of the communist parties of one of the countries of Europe, you do not go into armed revolution, you stand in Congress and debate with the other parties but never, never go towards armed struggle or armed revolution,” Esperon added.
Meanwhile, Lt. Gen. Antonio Parlade Jr., Southern Luzon command chief and NTF-ELCAC spokesman, confirmed that the Absalons — Kieth and his cousin Nolven, a labor leader, were still alive after being hit by the anti-personnel mines (APMs).
According to Parlade, four bikers who were with the Absalons witnessed that after being hit by the APMs, Kieth was already raising his hands, as a gesture of surrender to the NPAs, but the terrorist still shot him in the face, while his cousin took three bullets at the back.
Parlade said their joint operations of Philippine National Police (PNP) and the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) to hunt those responsible for the Absalons’ death will continue in Barangay Anas and Bolo in Masbate City.
He said the illegal firearms were already seized from the 12 members, however some members of the group – Sentro de Gravidad of the NPAs led by alias Star or Arnold Rosero are still hiding in the area. He is hopeful that the terrorists would not escape.
