By Jennifer P. Rendon
Jeffrey Celiz, who is now more known as Ka Eric Almendras, is ready to die for his cause.
“Mamamatay ako or papatayin ako, that’s something that I expect,” Celiz said during the Panay Peace Summit in Passi City, Iloilo.
But while he could live with that fact, the former Ilonggo activist and now spokesperson of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC), decried the alleged harassment against his wife and children.
When he came out as NTF-ELCAC whistleblower against his former comrades in Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army-National Democratic Front (CPP-NPA-NDF), Celiz said that it was his family who first tasted intimidation.
“Ang unang hinarass ay hindi ako. Alam nila na makapal ang mukha ko sa kontrobersya. Kaya ko silang kalabanin. Ang unang hinarass ang mga anak ko,” he said.
Celiz particularly pointed to lawyers Peter Melliza and Jobert Pahilga who allegedly took pictures of his family over Facebook.
“This is a cybercrime and I am entertaining to really file a serious case against them,” he said.
Celiz, whose wife was present in the summit, said his family didn’t know that he would come out. And so did his former comrades in the rebel movement.
He claimed that his act of fingering his former comrades was a confession of sorts.
In 2020, he claimed to be already working in covert special operations related to security operations all over the Philippines. He, however, did not elaborate on this.
Celiz said he was not supposed to come out but claimed to have been involved in the creation of NTF-ELCAC.
He claimed there were already doubts as to his involvement with ELCAC until Reylan Vergara, Karapatan-Panay Secretary General, revealed his involvement with the government through the National Intelligence Coordinating Agency (NICA).
“When I went out, sinunog nila ako ng tudo-tudo. Kulang na lang ibato nila ang septic tank sa akin. I expected that to happen. But nothing to lose for me. Mamatay man ako, mapatay man nila ako, this is redemption for me. This is the correct redemption for my life that I wasted with the CPP-NPA-NDF for 18 years,” he said.
Celiz admitted that the Philippine Army’s 3rd Infantry Division secures his family.
“And I think there is nothing wrong about that. For the Army, for the 3rd ID, for Major Gen. (Eric) Vinoya, for Brigadier General (Marion) Sison to provide security to my family is normal for this very serious situation that we are facing danger right now,” he said.
Celiz said that suspected rebels also went twice to his wife’s office at the Iloilo City Hall.
There was also an instance where their pictures were released online, an effort he believes that is meant to destroy him by implicating his wife and children.
“Had this affected my kids? Of course. Yung anak ko ayaw na mag-aral sa UP dahil sabi nila ang UP pugad ng aktibista at kalaban ka ng mga aktibista, baka pati ako i-bash. Baka pati ako insultuhin at bastusin,” he said.
This, he claimed, had some psychological and mental effect on his children.
“This is the price that I had to pay. This is not yet the end. Papatayin ako. Yes. I understand that. Can I live a normal life in Iloilo City? I don’t think so. Can I go back to Iloilo City and just stroll around here. Pwede naman but I have to face risk,” he said.
Celiz said he is fully aware that what he did to the CPP-NPA-NDF is beyond forgiveness.
He cited the case of Pablito Gepana, who allegedly turned his back to the movement in the 1950s but was killed by NPA hitmen in 1990 in Arevalo, Iloilo City.
“It will happen to us after 40 years or even 60 years. I hope this will end. I know them. We know them. This is something unforgivable for them. But we don’t care about that. What we care so much is mapigil ang recruitment ng kabataan at mapigil na ang pagdanak ng dugo sa atin. That’s our purpose. Nothing more,” he said.
Celiz also admitted that the military is paying him but only as consultant to its anti-insurgency initiative.
“We are paid consultancy fee. Nothing more than that. Hindi naman kami pwedeng magdemand ng milyon sa kanila,” he said.
Celiz also stressed that he never lived a luxurious life even though he was linked to slain Western Visayas drug lord Melvin Boyet Odicta or Mayor Jed Patrick Mabilog.
“Ang bahay ko ang bakod ay kawayan. Ngayon lang nagkaroon ng GI sheet. Ang mga second hand na bubong ko, the same. All my children are living below the life of middle class. They are all in public schools. We don’t live a life na maluho,” he said.
Celiz said he lives an abnormal life both inside and outside of the CPP-NPA-NDF “because I was involved in activities that you might only read in books.
“It’s true after all: a person could live multiple personalities in an instance,” he said.
Celiz said he took a lot of risks and he’s ready to pay the price for it.
