Godless Communist Fronts Weaponize Jesus to Shield an NPA Combatant
- Word on the Street
- 8 hours ago
- 3 min read
Word on the Street is Kontra-Kwento’s letter to the editor. Send yours to kontrakwento@gmail.com
Even the Messiah is not safe from being hijacked by those who reject Him.
This Holy Week, while Christians reflect on Christ’s suffering, arrest, torture, and crucifixion at the hands of unjust authorities, a different kind of blasphemy is unfolding. Self-proclaimed “Christian” youth groups and known communist front organizations are dragging Jesus Christ into their propaganda machine to defend Charlize “Ceeka” Garzon, who was arrested on March 29, 2026 in San Jose, Occidental Mindoro, and identified by authorities as being a member of the New People’s Army (NPA).
The Student Christian Movement of the Philippines (SCMP), together with Karapatan and Bayan, released a press statement on April 2 likening Garzon’s detention to Jesus’ Passion. They claim she is a “civilian” suffering “physical and psychological torture” under the Armed Forces of the Philippines. They even staged a protest called “Kalbaryo sa Katawhan” during Holy Week, complete with street theater about oil prices and government “impunity.” They insist that if you don’t question the military’s handling of Garzon, you are crucifying Christ all over again. A bit of a stretch, don't you think?
This is not piety. This is cynical, godless exploitation.
The Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) and its armed wing, the NPA, have always been proudly atheistic and anti-religion. Marxist-Leninist-Maoist ideology, the very foundation of the CPP-NPA, views religion as the “opium of the people.” For decades, the CPP and the NPA have considered religious faith as a polar opposite of revolution. Now, their front organizations, many of them already exposed by former members as machinery of the CPP in the urban centers, suddenly discover Jesus when one of their own gets arrested.
The hypocrisy is staggering.
SCMP, Karapatan, and Bayan Southern Mindanao Region invoke the suffering Messiah to demand Garzon’s immediate release while conveniently forgetting that the NPA continues to commit atrocities: ambushes on soldiers and civilians, child recruitment, and extortion that funds their “revolution.” Garzon is no random artist caught in the crossfire. She is described by security forces as an active NPA combatant operating under the guise of cultural work, a classic tactic of the movement’s “arts and culture” cadre.
Yet these groups wrap her in the language of the Gospel. They compare her “Calvary” to Christ’s. They accuse the AFP of “Marcosian-style impunities” and “de facto martial law.” All while ignoring that red-tagging is not the invention of this administration. It is the natural consequence of the CPP-NPA’s own decades-long policy of infiltrating churches, schools, and NGOs to recruit and radicalize.
If Jesus were here today, would He really stand with armed insurgents who bomb government soldiers, burn private property and assassinate local officials? Would the Prince of Peace bless a movement whose ideology explicitly rejects God and has spilled the blood of thousands of Filipinos?
The Roman authorities of Jesus’ time feared a man who preached love, forgiveness, and justice for the poor. The communist fronts today fear something else: accountability. They fear that the public will see through their tactic of using the sacred symbols of Christianity to launder the image of an armed terrorist group that has killed more Filipinos than any “red-tagging” ever has.
True Christianity calls for justice, yes, but also for truth. It does not demand the release of combatants simply because they claim to be “artists” or “youth activists.” It does not equate legitimate law enforcement operations against a proscribed terrorist organization with the crucifixion of the Son of God.
The real scandal this Holy Week is not Garzon’s arrest. It is the shameless profanation of Christ’s name by godless fronts who have spent decades fighting the very faith they now pretend to defend.
Filipinos who value both faith and country must see this for what it is: propaganda dressed in a crown of thorns. We must reject the manipulation. We must stop allowing communist organizations to crucify the truth, and the name of Jesus, just to protect their armed operatives.
The Cross stands for sacrifice, redemption, and love. It was never meant to be a shield for the NPA.
And for my former comrades in the movement, especially those detained and charged with terrorism related cases, I offer a verse from John 8:32 (NIV):
“... If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
Comments