DAVAO CITY (PIA) — The former leader of the New People’s Army (NPA) challenged her former comrades to utilize the strategies and tactics they learned from the communist movement to foster peace in the nation.
During the 1st anniversary celebration of the Insurgency-Free Davao Region, Arian Jane “Marikit” Ramos, former secretary of Guerilla Front 55, affirmed that the scheme used by the NPA, along with the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) and the National Democratic Front (NDF), to revolt against the government can be redefined to help bring about development and progress through sustainable peace.
“Consider this: the same strategy we used inside the movement, educating and convincing people to take up arms, can be redirected towards education for peace,” Ramos elaborated.
During the 1st anniversary celebration of the Insurgency Free Davao Region, Arian Jane Ramos aka Marikit, former secretary of Guerilla Front 55, dares the CPP-NPA-NDF to redirect efforts towards peace building. (Photo:10ID)
She also encouraged those active NPA members to surrender and initiate an intellectual and spiritual revolution within themselves.
“It is time to confront the harsh reality; the revolution we once envisioned, the government we aimed to overthrow, will never materialize through armed struggle,” she said.
Challenging the CPP-NPA-NDF legal fronts
“To those who might be hiding behind legal front organizations, let’s play a game of truth or dare. The truth is, we know you’re out there,” she said.
Ramos also dared members of the legal fronts of the CPP-NPA-NDF to come out and champion their respective causes without disguise, adding that “genuine advocacy stands out without smoke and mirrors.”
Even with profound differences, she still felt that they have the same ultimate objective with these legal fronts, which is to safeguard the nation against external threats.
“Let our diversity be a source of unity and strength, rallying us to protect our motherland from external adversaries,” she said.
Since her surrender, Ramos has been active in championing the shielding of the rights of the indigenous peoples and their ancestral domain, especially in Talaingod, Davao del Norte, where her former guerilla front operated.
A challenge to the Congress
Ramos also took a stride toward the lawmakers in Congress and even invited them to visit Davao City and be immersed in the realities of conflict-resilient areas.
She dared legislators to talk to the people they represent and craft policies based on their struggles and aspirations.
“Ask them the tough questions: “Kamusta ang kinabuhi? Unsa na ang inyohang natagamtaman? (How’s life? What have you experienced so far?) Let the raw, unfiltered voices of the people resonate within you.”
Photo: 10ID
Ramos emphasized that in the stories of the people lies the power to unite the nation and transform the rhetoric of democracy into tangible change.
The former NPA leader made such remarks as she noted the existence of a ‘sinister undercurrent’ in Congress.
She also accused the CPP-NPA-NDF of twisting the grievances of the people to fuel divisive propaganda and perpetuate war.
Among those who grace the 1st anniversary celebration of the Insurgency Free Davao Region are Davao City Mayor Sebastian Duterte (middle), and Presidential Assistant for Eastern Mindanao Secretary Leo Tereso Magno (white barong). (Photo: 10ID)
Presidential Assistant for Eastern Mindanao Secretary Leo Tereso Magno affixes his signature in the Commitment Wall after pledging to sustain peace in Davao Region. (Photo: 10ID)
Davao commemorated its first anniversary as an insurgency-free region on October 22, 2023, at the Arcadia Event Center in Davao City.
The event was graced by Presidential Assistant for Eastern Mindanao Secretary Leo Tereso Magno, Davao City Mayor Sebastian Duterte, Eastern Mindanao Command Deputy Commander Brigadier General Consolito Yecla, 10th Infantry Division Brigadier Allan Hambala, and Indigenous People Structure (IPS) Executive Council Member and Director of the Ancestral Domain Management Office Tumanoron Boyson Anib Sr. (MLU/PIA Davao/Photos from 10ID-Philippine Army)
