AFP: NPAs are masters of deception

Calling the long-running New People’s Army (NPA) masters of deception, the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) expressed confidence that the public will eventually learn to ignore their "cheap propaganda."

In a statement, the AFP Civil Relations Service (CRS) branded as cheap drama the claims made by Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) founding chairman Jose Ma. Sison that the government was out to liquidate him at his home base in the Netherlands.

CRS chief Maj. Michael Samson said Sison is trying to portray himself as a hero by fooling the public into believing he is the target of assassination plots by top government leaders.

"Joma (Sison) is making a fool of himself. The Filipinos will not buy his cheap propaganda. His drama will be ignored by the analytical minds of his audience for lack of logic," Samson said.

Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez, on the other hand, also denied Sison’s claims that National Security Adviser Norberto Gonzales and Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita ordered an assassination.

Sison had also claimed the P1-billion anti-insurgency "murder fund" released by President Arroyo to the AFP would bankroll his liquidation and that of other communist leaders and supporters exiled in Utrecht, the Netherlands.

"Why would that be a murder if there is a war against insurgency? Why would that be a murder fund? It’s just like saying that all the Americans are murderers in Iraq and Afghanistan, the al-Qaeda are murderers when there is a legitimate combat operation, there would be no murderers. Even the Catholic Church accepted that," Gonzalez said.

He said the Philippine government could not send mercenaries to Utrecht on a mission to kill Sison since it would be a violation of the sovereignty of the Dutch government.

"That is not true. First, if we sent mercenaries, we would be violating the sovereignty of the Dutch. That will put to no use all the diplomatic initiatives that we have done with the Dutch government, Norwegians and Swedes," he said.

Gonzalez said the Philippine government is enjoying goodwill in the European community.

"So, why should we violate that existing cordial relations? I thought he (Sison) was the one who had sent a death squad against me, (and) against the President," he said.

Gonzalez bared an attempt on his life last week when one of his security men was confronted by an unidentified male who asked if his car was bulletproof.

"When my security man went to the comfort room, somebody followed him and asked him whether our car was bulletproof. Why would he ask that?" he said.

Gonzalez stressed that the question was suspicious, and that no one had the right to ask about his security arrangements, even out of curiosity.

Samson added Sison is apparently afraid of "the shadows of his own making."