NZ mum on call to send Joma home, says group

MANILA -- Since anticommunist group Liga Filipinas Independencia launched a campaign in April to bring Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) founder Jose Maria “Joma” Sison back to the country, the Embassy of the Netherlands in the Philippines has kept its silence on the matter.

This was pointed out by the organization as it staged a rally anew on Tuesday, calling for the accountability of Sison and the embassy’s prompt cooperation on the issue.

“Parang binabalewala nila eh, dapat inaksyunan nila ‘yun. Yung arrest warrant, parang balewala ang korte natin, hindi ginagalang ang korte ng Pilipinas (It looks like they are neglecting it [our demands] they should have taken action. The arrest warrant [was already out], it appears as if they are not respecting the Philippine court),” former rebel and member of the anti-communist group, alias “Ka Dario” said in an interview.

The group has staged peaceful protests at least 11 times in front of the Dutch Embassy in Makati City this year.

In their latest protest action, they stressed that “the protest will continue, until there are actions (from the embassy).”

“He needs to take responsibility from his action, he is required by law to appear to court. Face the reality, face the trial,” Ka Dario added.

The group also urged the Dutch embassy to look into the situation of Filipino youth “who are dragged into this deception,” referring to children allegedly recruited to join the armed movement.

“Ang grupo ng mga magulang na ang mga anak ay na recruit sa armed struggle, matagal na ring hinihintay ang pagresponde ng gobyerno ng Netherlands (The parent group whose children

were recruited to the armed struggle are waiting in vain for their response).” Mothers claiming that their children were taken away by youth organizations previously appeared in public to share their struggles and seek help to claim their children. Bagong Bukas Center League of Parents of the Philippines (LPP) spokesperson Remy Resideo, meanwhile, expressed her gratitude to the public for supporting their fight to “claim their children back from militant organizations Anakbayan and Kabataan”. She also shared that the group is on the final stages for the proposed Bagong Bukas Center, a building that will serve as the venue for the rehabilitation of recruited activists when they decide to go back home and end their involvement with the communists. “Pina-finalize pa namin para masimulan na ang construction ng building. Kawawa naman ang mga kabtaaan kung hindi natin sila tutulungan (We are already finalizing [the proposal] so we can start with the construction of the building. We don’t want to leave the children alone in that situation),” she said in an interview. “Kahit mabawi natin sila ay kailangang mai-rehabilitate pa rin sila para mawala sa kanilang isipan ang mga tinuro ng mga communists na maling ideology (Even if we get them back, we still have to rehabilitate them so we can wash off from their mind the wrong ideologies taught by the communists),” Rosadio added. On November 12, member of “Hands Off Our Children” Relissa Lucena, attended as a complainant on the fourth hearing of the preliminary investigation on the kidnapping case she filed against militant group leaders including Kabataan Party-list Rep. Sarah Elago, whom she refers to as “the notorious recruiter”.