The capture of Jovencio Balweg

BEHIND THE SCENES
Alfred P. Dizon

(Diego Wadagan, spokesperson of Agustin Begnalen Command-New People’s Army writes this week’s column. We welcome any comment from those alluded to for printing).

The Philippine National Police and the politicians of Abra are celebrating because of the alleged capture of Jovencio Balweg, and the surrender of his wife Carmen and their son, Jovencio Jr. The Cordillera PNP and the National hierarchy of the PNP are harking over their achievement. Gov. Takit Bersamin and former Gov. Andres Bernos even joined the press conference in Camp Crame. They have prematurely anticipated the end of the national democratic revolutionary struggle, particularly in Abra.

According to news articles, Jovencio Balweg was captured on May 18, 2009, at Camp 7, Baguio City. Carmen Balweg was persuaded by Jovencio to surrender an hour after his capture, and Jovencio Jr. was also persuaded by his parents to eventually surrender on May 20. They were immediately brought to Camp Dangwa and were later taken to Camp Crame.

They allegedly declared their support and allegiance to the reactionary government of the Republic of the Philippines, and “committed to help in peace and development initiatives in the province” of Abra, including “providing tactical and strategic information” on the revolutionary movement and it’s leaders.

Jovencio and Carmen Balweg’s service to the Filipino people and the revolutionary movement cannot be understated. Harsh guerilla life, which they have lived for three decades, took a toll on his health. Building their family amidst a raging revolutionary war brought immense sacrifices to each family member, their three sons growing up with relatives and foster parents.

Weaknesses and mistakes they have committed cannot overturn their revolutionary contributions, unless they capitulate to the reactionary government, and turn against the people and the revolutionary movement to which they have exemplarily served in the past.

Jovencio Junior has long been inactive in the revolutionary movement, as he fell sick in 2006 and eventually succumbed to pressures of building his own family since 2004. His surfacing has long been awaited and surrendering with his parents seemed to be the perfect timing; at least for him and PNP.

Government propagandists are feasting on the Balweg family. The hype on brother-versus-brother have been revived, even as the Filipino people have long judged Conrado Balweg and his bandit group Cordillera People’s Liberation Army as a rebel-turned-criminal/PAG (private armed group) and have been relegated to the dustbin of history.

Accusations against the Communist Party of the Philippines-NPA-Cordillera People’s Democratic Front have been rehashed, dragging it’s good name in the dirty and bloody war of the Abra warlords, while deliberately underplaying the main role of officers and men of the PNP and the 41st IB in intensifying the bloody rampage of Abra warlordism, acting as legal goons serving both warring factions.

So called “peace and development” initiatives have been revived, but will surely fall prey to bandits in government legally stealing from the people’s coffers, and pocketing most of the meager “social integration program” assistance to rebel returnees.

But just like the festivities in fiestas so commonly held in every barangay in the Philippines, the celebration of the PNP and the some Abra politicians over the “return into the folds of law” of the Balwegs are mere sideshows that cannot change the conditions that propelled the national democratic revolution for the past four decades.

The fact is the semi-feudal and semi-colonial system is in dire crisis, and even the entire world capitalist system is currently in an unprecedented recession. The conditions in the Philippines are always ripe for waging revolution.

Leaders are important in any movement or organization. But revolutions are waged by the people. The national-democratic revolutionary movement had experienced tactical setbacks in the past; we have seen the death, arrest, disappearance, torture, and incarceration of cadres, red fighters and activists alike; and we have seen the surrender and capitulation of others in the past.

But not only has the national-democratic revolutionary movement persisted, it has gained strength and further rooted itself amongst the people nationwide. The resilience of the revolutionary movement is due to the fact that material conditions are ripe for revolution, and the people, not the leaders alone, will wage revolution until final victory is achieved.