Brawner hits rebels' wrong ideology with extortion

TAGBILARAN CITY, Philippines — Outgoing Special Forces commander, Lt. Col. Romeo Brawner Jr. warned the public to discern the difference between real communism ideology and extortion by remnants of communist rebels who have now reduced to extortionist bandit group.

Brawner also warned that there have been remnants of the communist rebels who have penetrated some well-meaning non-government organizations such as the Hugpong Mag-uumang Bol-anon (Humabol) and Bayan.

“We treat these groups in a professional manner because if you look at them, maganda naman ang mga hangarin nila. Ang masama is when they start using their organization to deceive people. For example dito sa Humabol; let me specify that there is nothing wrong with a farmers organization. But what becomes wrong is when they use that organization to deceive people that ‘yong yuta ay binigay ng Humabol,” Brawner explained.

Brawner pointed out that Humabol has no power to distribute lands, because it is only the government, through the DAR, that can give lots to farmers.

“That’s what we are trying to explain. The enemy of the state is not the Humabol. Ang kalaban natin ay ‘yong mga tao sa loob who could be members of the Communist Party of the Philippines-National Democratic Front who are using the organization to deceive people,” he said.

He also admitted the military has been talking to the members and leaders of Humabol and that, in their rounds to the barangays, a lot of members of the organization also admitted having realized the truth, prompting them to “denounce their support to the CPP-NDF.”

In reaction, Humabol chairperson Danilo Olayvar clarified that the group never resorted to deception. In unity, Humabol constantly called for action from the DAR to fasttrack the distribution of CARPable lands to the farmers.

Humabol succeeded in causing the government to distribute the big landholdings in the towns of Trinidad, Mabini, Carmen, Alicia and Ubay, he said.

Olayvar said that whether Brawner likes it or not, the history of Bohol showed that it is through the vigilance and persistence of Humabol that the farmers succeeded in their endeavors, despite the loopholes of the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program of 1988.

Humabol was organized in 1980s by the poor farmers—most of them had no land of their own to till. The solidarity of the members created an image for the organization that persistently urged DAR to take action, which is the reason that the government agency accomplished its targets fast in the province of Bohol.

In organizing the Humabol, it is always projected that only through unity that the people will be empowered to push the government to reform any unreasonable program or policy, Olayvar added. - THE FREEMAN