MALAYBALAY CITY (PIA) — Conflict, danger, and a desperate search for justice shaped Roger Plana’s life for years.
Growing up in Comota, La Paz, Agusan del Sur, a community scathed by logging activities, 53-year-old Roger, once known to his rebel cadres as “Ka Helio,” felt the immense burden of injustice.
He recounted his grueling journey during a storytelling session at the Media and Information Officers Orientation Workshop hosted by the Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation, and Unity (OPAPRU) and the Philippine Information Agency (PIA) in Malaybalay City from October 2 to 3. Roger revealed that he and his comrades were already fed up and exhausted from the senseless fight against the government.
“The main reason I joined the NPA [New People’s Army] was the takeover of a logging company on our ancestral land, along with the lack of justice and violation of our rights,” he woefully narrated in Bisaya dialect.
This sense of displacement and oppression led him to the NPA, where he spent over two decades fighting for what he believed was right, only to realize the cost was far greater than he ever expected.
Pursuing justice in early years
In 1998, at age 27, Roger was recruited by the NPA as a local organizer. He said the call was powerful as he believed he could protect people and uphold their rights, fighting against perceived exploitation.
By 2000, he became an official of the Hingpit nga Organisasyon sa Masa (HOM), a grassroots group rallying farmers for the NPA’s cause.
But life in the NPA quickly proved hard. Roger faced the constant threat of military operations and struggles in the movement. The rigid lifestyle, internal conflict, and the persistent demands of leadership began to wear him down.
In 2005, an assassination attempt nearly took his life.
“Two masked men shot me, but by God’s grace, I survived,” Roger recalled. The attack left deep psychological scars, a harsh reminder that life within the organization was just as dangerous as the injustice he once resisted.
A steadfast struggle
Despite the hardships, Roger remained committed. In December 2005, he was transferred to Cagayan de Oro as a full-time organizer for Guerrilla Zone Preparation (GZP), covering Talakag and Baungon towns in Bukidnon. His work was indispensable to NPA’s operations, laying the groundwork for guerrilla activities.
By 2008, he shifted to legal operations as Secretary of the Regional Urban Committee (RUC) for KALUMBAY and the Peasant Bureau—organizations that covertly supported the NPA while operating under the guise of legal advocacy.
Over the years, Roger advanced through the ranks and became the team leader for the NPA’s legal operations in South Bukidnon by 2019. He managed “White Area” activities in inner towns and cities, focusing on recruitment, propaganda, fundraising, and influencing students and labor sector while avoiding direct encounters with government forces.
“Unlike the Red Area in rural and mountainous regions, where combatant guerrillas constantly face the threat of military operations, my new role in the White Area made life much easier. In this urban zone, I could move more freely without the intense pressure of armed conflict,” the former rebel explained.
In 2020, Roger joined the Southern Regional Committee 4 (SRC 4), eventually leading the White Area for SRC 4 and SRC 5. His leadership was vital in maintaining the NPA’s underground operations.
A turning point: Leaving the NPA
Yet, after years of living in the mountains, constantly evading military forces, and witnessing the suffering and loss of civilians, Roger’s resolve began to falter. By 2024, he had reached his breaking point.
In February 2024, after 25 years of nomadic life, Roger surrendered, marking a new chapter in life—a path toward reintegration into society and freedom from the NPA’s grasp.
“I left the movement due to a hard life in the mountains. The promises of justice and equality had long faded, replaced by the grim reality of endless warfare, constant hunger, and isolation from my family. Nobody from the NPA leaders cared about our lack of food sustenance. The people who once supported us with food and other necessities had stopped, leaving us struggling to survive in our subversive activities,” he said in a strained voice.
Since then, the government has helped him reintegrate into society, providing livelihood and offering amnesty for his involvement in the insurgency.
Roger now works with the Bukas Kalinaw Association Inc., a government program committed to helping his “Friends Rescued (FRs)” rebuild their lives. He helps in counseling, advocacy, community engagement, livelihood support, government coordination, conflict resolution, and peacebuilding.
A life reclaimed
But more than the livelihood support, Roger values the personal freedom his new life offers.
“The greatest gift I received from the government is the opportunity to live freely with my family. After years of uncertainty, conflict, and fear, I can finally look forward to a life of peace and stability,” he said.
He admitted that his ordeal reminds people of the challenges of those hooked in insurgencies. The stark realities of life within the NPA pushed him to rethink his decisions.
Today, Roger is a symbol of change and new beginnings. His journey underscores the value of peacebuilding as the government works to reintegrate more rebels. (RLRB/PIA-10/Bukidnon)
