The Mindanao Indigenous Peoples Council of Elders and Leaders (MIPCEL) expressed its support to the National Intelligence Coordinating Agency (NICA) for exposing the “lies and deception” of the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army-National Democratic Front (CPP-NPA-NDF).

In a statement Friday, MIPCEL said it stands with NICA Director General Alex Monteagudo’s efforts to expose the communist terrorist groups’ (CTG) infiltration of the civil service sector and other branches of the government.

“He (Monteagudo) is exposing the modus operandi of the National and Regional United front Commission of the CPP in the operations of the Makabayang Kawani ng Pilipinas (MKP) and its Open organization COURAGE in infiltrating government bureaucracy and sabotaging government programs. We support this because we are also victimized by this kind of lies and deceptions,” the group said.

MIPCEL said some of its members had been victimized by the operations of the Underground Mass Organization (UGMO) in the IP sector, comprising of the Rebolusyonaryong Organisadong Lumad (ROL) in Mindanao and the Cordillera People’s Democratic Front (CPDF) in Cordillera.

“It is therefore high time that this bureaucratic infiltration is exposed and opposed as collaborating with terror organizations using our own government agencies and offices that they were able to influence,” it said.

MIPCEL also bared that KALUMARAN (Kusog sa Katawhang Lumad sa Mindanao), consisting of five Regional Federations formations in Mindanao and Cordillera People’s Alliance (CPA) in Northern Luzon, had crafted a narrative of self-determination and liberation to set the stage for the IPs to fight the Philippine government here and abroad.

In 2017 when Judy Taguiwalo, a prominent member of the leftist bloc, was Social Welfare and Development secretary, MIPCEL said the agency and PASAKA signed a cash-for-work program agreement in Region 10 and 11 to funnel funds to the leftist group.

The IP group also noted the CTGs “school offensives” that exploited the education system by registering Lumad schools under Save Our School (SOS), which allegedly became a milking cow for the communist rebel movement as they sought funds from international donors.

It also said the leftist-supported schools were used to produce child warriors for the NPA while demonizing the government in international venues.