By Dolly Yasa
BACOLOD City – The head of Task Force Kasanag, a civil society group here, said that their members and officers are not involved in any intelligence work against the New People’s Army (NPA).
TFK founder and commander John Chiong issued the clarification “to once and for all make it clear to the rebels that we are not the eyes and ears of the military.”
Chiong told reporters here Wednesday that when some of the members of his civil society group assisted a former NPA man to have his name cleared by the military, they were visited by armed men claiming to be rebels and were told to vacate within two days or they will be liquidated.
“Our members from Barangay Camindangan in Sipalay City simply assisted their fellow ex-rebel to clear up his name from the Philippine Army’s list (of NPA members). Now they are temporarily staying here in Bacolod because the NPAs have threatened them,” he said.
Chiong stressed that TFK has an alliance with the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) to promote peace and development but does not take part in intelligence work.
“Kasanag is just a facilitator of the concerns of people. We just refer them to the appropriate agencies and government offices. They just come to us and we assist them. Intel work we are not involved. We respect but do not take part in the AFP’s functions, the same way we respect the cause of the rebels. The fact that you (NPA) wanted our members to abandon their place is like … It is inhuman. The place they have been living is where they are living peacefully and earning for their living. Don’t be misled, we do not undertake intel works for the military,” Chiong added.
Chiong said he is willing to talk to the NPA to clear the misconception.
