Habang nagpapatuloy ang mga operasyong panseguridad, nananatiling bukas ang mas mahalagang tanong para sa mga nasa loob pa ng kilusan: maghihintay ba silang maging susunod na pangalan sa listahan ng mga “martir,” o pipiliing umuwi habang may pagkakataon pa? Gaya ng sinabi ni Ri Chard sa kanyang mga dating kasama: “May iba pang kaparaanan upang magsilbi sa mamamayan.”

Pasion was arrested on July 30 in Cabuyao, Laguna, together with alleged NPA leader Binay Serrano, during a joint operation by government forces. Authorities said Serrano was wanted for murder and identified as an alleged medical and logistics officer of an NPA unit. Pasion, meanwhile, was identified by security officials as having links to the communist movement.

The Philippine Army identified the arrested individuals as Cristina Pasion and Binay Serrano, alias Ka Samay. According to initial reports, the two were arrested during an operation in Barangay San Isidro. Serrano was described as a medical officer of an NPA unit operating in Mindoro.

Sa huli, ang totoong motibo ng NPA ay hindi ang pagprotekta sa kalikasan kundi ang pagkolekta ng “revolutionary tax.” Kapag tumangging magbayad ang isang kumpanya, doon sila nagiging target — hindi dahil sa kanilang pinsala sa kapaligiran, kundi dahil sa kanilang pagtanggi na sustentuhan ang armadong kilusan. Ito ang mapait na katotohanang kailangang malaman ng publiko upang hindi na sila malinlang ng magandang pakinggan pero huwad na propaganda. Ang tunay na pagtatanggol sa

To them, the ruling does not mean that former rebel witnesses were lying. It does not mean that the support networks they described never existed.