NPA using housing units occupied by Kadamay?

PANDI, Bulacan, Philippines —Housing units in government projects occupied by members of the urban poor group Kalipunan ng Damayang Mahihirap have been infiltrated by New People’s Army (NPA) rebels, according to a splinter group of Kadamay. 

Jeffrey Ariz, the leader of the breakaway group, said communist rebels are using some of the housing units to train NPA recruits. 

“They have been conducting teach-ins... Some of them... have been doing house-to-house visitation... in search for recruits as young as 11... and to intimidate  us,” Ariz said. 

He said their former colleagues also occupied idle units in three other housing projects in this town intended for government workers to be displaced by infrastructure projects in Quezon City.

“I don’t know if President Duterte knows this... the President had only allowed us to occupy housing units here at Villa Luis,” Ariz said. 

One of the residents cited the Atlantica project in Barangay Mapulang Lupa, which was transformed into a recruitment and training center of NPA recruits.  

Lt. Col. Julio Eugene Osias, 7th Infantry Division spokesman, said they are still validating the allegations of the splinter group.

“We have seriously taken these concerns... It’s a police matter for now,” Osias said even as he noted that the military is conducting a parallel investigation of the issues being raised by both parties. 

Death threats

Ariz sought police assistance yesterday, saying those who bolted Kadamay are receiving death threats.

“We were given two options... to rejoin the group or be dead,” he said.

Ariz said among the reasons they bolted Kadamay was because its leaders forced them to join anti-government protests and pay a fee amounting to P150. 

At a meeting with Chief Inspector Manuel de Vera, Pandi police chief, Ariz said Kadamay leaders also threatened to eject them from their units.

Ariz said they mobilized their members into groups to check on each other.

Pat Tupas, Pandi-Kadamay spokesman, denied Ariz’s allegations, saying the latter left their group over alleged anomalies. 

Tupas said Ariz is facing an investigation in connection with Kadamay’s missing funds. – With Rhodina Villanueva