Army troops recover Bayan Muna campaign materials from NPAs

Army troops seized campaign materials of the Bayan Muna party-list group abandoned by the New People’s Army (NPA) rebels during an encounter in Davao City recently, the military said yesterday.

The recovery of the election materials bolstered accusations that Bayan Muna is one of the left-wing party-list groups directly supporting the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army (CPP-NPA) in its continuing armed struggle to topple the government.

Maj. Ernesto Torres, Army spokesman, said more than 50 pieces of Bayan Muna campaign posters were recovered by elements of Task Force Davao in Barangay Eden, Toril District following fierce fighting Wednesday last week.

Two soldiers were killed in the gun battle, while the insurgents also reportedly suffered heavy casualties.

Aside from the campaign posters, soldiers also recovered pocket-sized calendars along with 52 rounds of M60 machineguns, two improvised land mines and medical kits.

"Following the recovery of these campaign materials, we challenge the NPA leadership to prove that they are in no way associated with any politician who is running in the May elections," Torres said.

In a video clip released by Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief Gen. Hermogenes Esperon Jr., CPP founding chair Jose Ma. Sison was shown naming Bayan Muna as one of the numerous communist legal fronts supporting the armed struggle.

Also identified by Sison as communist fronts are the women’s group Gabriela, the labor group Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU) and Pambansang Kilusang ng Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (PKMP).– Jaime Laude