The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) blamed the death of the 22-year-old daughter of Rep. Eufemia Cullamat to Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) founder Jose Maria Sison, as it offered its deep condolences to the family of the Bayan Muna partylist solon.
AFP spokesman Maj. Gen. Edgard Arevalo explained the pain that the family and relatives of Rep. Cullamat is no different from the families of soldiers who lost their kin in the five-decade long armed conflict between government forces and the communist rebels.
“The AFP deeply condoles with Congresswoman Eufemia Cullamat and her family for the demise of her youngest daughter Jevilyn Cullamat,” said Arevalo in a statement.
The 22-year-old Cullamat, the youngest child of the Bayan Muna representative, was killed in an encounter between communist rebels and Army troopers at around 4 p.m. on Saturday in Barangay San Isidro, Marihatag, Surigao del Sur. She reportedly serves as medical officer of the New People’s Army operating in the province.
Seized during the operation were five high-powered firearms, explosives, and other documents and paraphernalia.
“We grieve deeply with the Bayan Muna Representative and her family as we would for many Filipino families —including soldiers’— who have lost a father, a mother, son, daughter, brother, sister, or kin who died in this more than five decades of fighting,” said Arevalo.
The indigenous peoples in CARAGA region and other areas are pinned on the armed conflict between the government and the NPA for several years now.
The indigenous peoples in Mindanao have been accusing the government of neglect and said they are victims of injustice on the hands of powerful people in Mindanao who would steal their lands from them.
But for Arevalo, it is the deception of the NPA that encouraged some people, particularly the youth, to fight the government. He blamed Sison and other key leaders of the CPP-NPA for it.
“This senseless killing of and by fellow Filipinos—espoused and propagated by CTG (Communist Terrorist Group) leaders like Jose Maria Sison living luxuriously in some foreign land — should come to an end,” said Arevalo. (Aaron Recuenco)