PHILIPPINE National Police Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (PNP-CIDG) director, Major General Albert Ignatius D. Ferro on Tuesday said they have filed criminal charges against self-exiled Communist Party of the Philippines chairman Jose Maria Sison and two other CPP/NPA/NDF personalities.

Their supposed crimes: allegedly recruiting a minor into the New People’s Army (NPA) who later cried she was raped by her comrades during her stay in the underground movement.

The official said that four criminal cases for violation of Republic Act 10364 or the Expanded Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act of 2012 and RA 7610 or the Special Protection of Children Against Abuse, Exploitation and Discrimination Act were filed against the Utrecht, Netherlands-based Joma Sison and Redsa Balatan before the Department of Justice on Monday.

On the other hand, the two other accused identified as Rey de la Peña alias ‘Reynaldo Santos’ and Joel Caliwliw were charged with four counts of rape.

Balatan is currently being held at the Nueva Ecija Provincial Jai in Cabanatuan City while de la Peña is at the Bambang Municipal Police Station lock-up facility in Bambang, Nueva Viscaya.

Caliwliw is being held at the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology-run provincial jail in Solano, Nueva Viscaya.

Maj. Gen. Ferro accompanied the principal complainant and two witnesses, all former NPA members against the accused. The complainant and witnesses gave their statements before the CIDG Anti-Fraud and Commercial Crimes Unit and Women and Children Complaint Unit and the CIDG Task Force Makabayan which readied the charges against the CPP/NPA/NDF personalities.

Balatan was included in the complainant after she was identified as the one who recruited the victim identified only as ‘Ka Shane.’

The confessed ex-NPA member said she was recruited by Balatan to first join the Anakbayan, described by the PNP-CIDG chief as a front organization of the CPP/NPA/NDF when she was only 14-years old.

Later, the complainant said she received radicalization courses from CPP/NPA/NDF radicalization centers before becoming an ‘urban operator’ of the movement.

She said that she eventually joined the NPA movement operating in the provinces of Nueva Ecija, Nueva Viscaya and Pangasinan under the Caraballo Guerrilla Front.

The complainant said she became a full-pledged NPA member at the age of 18.

“Ka Shane a was an example of a trafficked child who completed the cycle of the act of recruitment, deception and exploitative purpose to engage a child in armed activities by the communist terrorist group,” said Ferro in a press statement.

According to the PNP-CIDG director, the woman complained that in 2016, she was raped by de la Peña, then an NPA commander using the alias Reynaldo Santos. The following year, she claimed that she was also molested by one Alvin Soria alias ‘Ka Bunso’ whom she described as an NPA vice squad leader.

In 2018, the same woman said she was also sexually assaulted by Caliwliw whom she described as an NPA commander using the moniker ‘Ka Marcial/Joco/Daniel.’

Maj. Gen. Ferro said that when she tried to call the attention of their higher-ups, the woman claimed she became frustrated when she was mocked by her colleagues who accused her of having a post-traumatic stress disorder,’ a ‘sex addict’ and being mentally-deranged.’

Ferro said that the woman also was further angered when the medical assistance promised her by the movement did not materialize prompting her to come up with a decision to leave the rebel movement, contact her family and air her wish to surrender to authorities.

The official said they filed the criminal charges against Joma et al since they have the duty to serve and protect the country and its citizenry without prejudice or bias.

“The justice that Ka Shane’ wants to get is now in the hands of the DOJ based on the witnesses and pieces of evidence that the complainant and the CIDG presented. Hindi po natin isinasantabi ang pagtulong sa sinumang biktima ng krimen kabilang rito ang ating mga kababayang nagbalik-loob sa gobyerno upang mabigyang hustisya ang pananamantalang kanilang sinapit sa kamay ng grupong minsan nilang inaniban,” Maj. Gen. Fero said.