Word: victus
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Dates: during 1980-1989
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...fellow guerrillas call him Ka Victus--Ka being short for kasama, or comrade, in Tagalog. He is like many of the Filipinos who have joined the New People's Army in the past few years. An activist since his student days, Victus, 36, became disillusioned with the political system after losing an election for town councilor in 1980. Dressed in a yellow T shirt and sporting a mustache and small beard, he speaks earnestly about Philippine Communism. "In central Luzon, many Communists like me are not direct victims of Marcos," Victus acknowledges, "while in Mindanao, many join the party because...
...When Victus and his comrades decide to extend their Communist campaign to uncharted territory, they typically select a remote group of villages that have received little largesse from the central government. The first step is to dispatch an advance team to live in the home of a local family. Unlike government soldiers, whose own legacy to the village may be a trail of stolen chickens or worse offenses, the guerrillas try to behave courteously, listen sympathetically and pay their way. A nun or priest often adds a reassuring presence. They begin by organizing teach-ins and drawing out the villagers...
...rebels and their political allies stress "simple living and hard struggle." Before a person can join the party, says Ka Victus, "we must change him entirely, re-educate him and indoctrinate him." Once inside the party, he continues, "if you want to court a girl, you must submit her name, and she will be investigated." On matters of internal discipline, the guerrillas can be ruthless. If a rebel discredits the insurgency, says Victus, "the N.P.A. will kill its own member...