By Jennifer P. Rendon
And just like that.
Without any fanfare, former Ilonggo activist Jeffrey Celiz admitted on Friday what some Ilonggos already knew: he is the “ace resource person” of Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Southern Luzon Command chief, Maj. Gen. Antonio Parlade, Jr.
On the same day, the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC), where Parlade also acts as spokesperson, presented Celiz as a key witness against cause-oriented groups with alleged links to the armed rebellion.
The military’s act has been branded as red-tagging which is seen to endanger the lives of militant group leaders.
Celiz told Daily Guardian that he was forced to come out after Lean Porquia, a former regional chairperson of the League of Filipino Students, “outed” his real identity.
Celiz, who first claimed in an earlier radio interview to be Eric Almendras, said he was a member of the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army (CPP-NPA) for 27 years.
Eric Almendras initially claimed in the radio interview to be a national NPA cadre and graduated from the University of the Philippines-Diliman.
But Celiz aka Eric Almendras is from Iloilo City and studied at the West Visayas State University-Main Campus in La Paz, Iloilo City.
With his real identity now out in the open, some observers believe that Celiz’s testimonies and his statements are now on shaky grounds.
But he quickly debunked such notion saying that the CPP-NPA-NDF, being a terrorist group, is capable of assassinating people like him who turned their backs to the organization.
Celiz said his decision to pose as a former student of UP Diliman and member of SAMASA or Sandigan ng Mag-aaral para sa Sambayanan and other organizations is part of intelligence protocols.
“Those are alias references and cover. My main purpose for assuming such aliases is part of assuming another personality to cover my tracks,” he said.
But with Porquia’s revelation, Celiz said he had to stand his ground.
Immediately after Celiz’s radio interview where he accused Ella Colmenares, sister of actress Angel Locsin, and members of the Makabayan Bloc as CPP-NPA members, Porquia immediately outed him through his Facebook page.
Without batting an eyelash, Porquia said Almendras is the same Jeffrey Celiz of Iloilo who could also be behind the killing of his father, activist Jose Reynaldo Porquia.
The older Porquia, then Bayan Muna-Iloilo City coordinator, instantly died from nine gunshot wounds in an early morning gun attack on April 30, 2020.
On top of Porquia’s killing, Lean said they have reason to believe that Jeffrey Celiz, who is behind the Ka Eric testimony, “was behind the abduction of Tita Luing Posa Dominado and former BAYAN Chair Nilo Arado in 2007; and killing of Lezo, Aklan SB member and Bayan Muna coordinator Fernando Baldomero.”
Lean also noted that Celiz is the person that Duterte accused as a drug protector in 2016. Celiz was also included in the narco-list where alleged drug lords Richard Prevendido and Melvin Odicta belong.
But Celiz has an explanation for his inclusion in the President’s narco-list: it was part of his cover story being a government agent.
“It was part of the government project or efforts where I am involved. It’s part of my confidential works in an effort to dismantle illegal drugs syndicates in Iloilo,” he said,
As to the allegations that he went missing for several years after he was included in the list, Celiz said the “eraser move” was also part of the plan.
“The idea is to relocate me outside of the region and assume another personality,” he said.
But with Porquia publicly calling him out, Celiz said he had to come out in the open and defend himself.
However, even without Porquia, several netizens have already pointed out the similarity between Celiz and the Eric Almendras, whom Parlade named as his resource person.
Observers threw shades at Celiz for assuming to be from UP Diliman when his voice and his manner of speaking were dead giveaways of his true identity.
HOLDING NPA ACCOUNTABLE
With his revelations, Celiz said his assassination is now in the CPP-NPA’s pipeline.
“It’s a very clear pattern of conditioning. The statement issued by Porquia points to the pattern of the CPP-NPA demolition and black propaganda jobs. They have to justify drastic actions against individual targets like me,” he said.
If the NPA has accused the government of red-tagging, Celiz said that NPA is into demonizing campaign to justify their assassinations.
“Now I’m holding them accountable,” he said claiming that Porquia’s statement is a way for the CPP-NPA to bring down former members who went mainstream.
“As a person, I’m not affected. But I fear for the security of my family,” Celiz said.
This, he claimed, is the reason why he distanced himself from them.
“Again, I’m holding Lean (Porquia) and the CPP-NPA responsible for the crime of assassination against me,” he said.
LEGAL FRONTS AS NPA UMBRELLA GROUPS
Celiz also stood pat on his claims that cause-oriented groups such as Gabriela Women’s Party, Bayan Muna, Anakpawis, and others are umbrella organizations of the CPP-NPA.
He cited four reasons to back-up his claims.
“First, there are documents and evidences recovered during encounters,” he said.
Second, he pointed to preponderance of testimonial evidences.
Next, correlations or pattern of circumstances.
“Fourth, there are testimonies ng mga ginawa namin,” he said.
SURVIVAL MODE
Celiz also vehemently denied that his coming out of the rebel movement to support the government is for his survival.
He said since 2008, at the time of former President Benigno “PNoy” Aquino, he was already supporting the government’s peace and security efforts.
“I just can’t define that due to confidentiality. Since 2008, I was already at the mainstream,” he said.
But in a statement on Thursday, Celiz claimed he has been with the CPP-NPA from 1988 (after he was recruited by the College Editors’ Guild of the Philippines) until 2015.
Apart from anti-insurgency, he said he’s been involved with anti-criminality efforts, including the campaign against illegal drugs.
Meanwhile, he also clarified that there are organizations that are deemed left-leaning but are not connected with the CPP-NPA. He cited Anakbayan for one.
SENATE INQUIRY
Celiz said they have been asking to be called to legislative inquiries to shed light on the red-tagging issues.
He claimed to have already manifested what he knows in an affidavit.
“We will ask them that it will be no holds barred, no parliamentary restrictions,” he said.
Senator Panfilo Lacson, chair of the Senate Committee on National Defense and Security, Peace, Unification and Reconciliation, on Wednesday filed a resolution directing the panel to “exercise its oversight authority over the defense sector on the issue of red-tagging/red-baiting of certain celebrities, personalities, institutions, and organizations.”
The probe is scheduled to start on Nov 3, 2020.
