Makabayan bloc lawmakers in the House and some progressive leaders have denied that they are members and leaders of the Communist Party of the Philippines-New Peoples’ Army (CPP-NPA) at the Senate hearing on red-tagging on Tuesday.
This was the response of the groups – led by the Makabayan bloc to Congress – after the National Task Force to End, Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) repeatedly linked them to the armed rebellion against the government.
It was only in October that the government task force presented an alleged former rebel Jeffrey “Ka Eric” Celiz, who will prove the allegations, even though he was included in President Rodrigo Duterte’s drug list.
“Tahasan kong sinasabi sa Komiteng ito [Sen. Panfilo Lacson] na hindi ako miyembro o opisyal ng [CPP]. Hindi ako rebelde o miyembro ng [National Democratic Front of the Philippines],” said Bayan Muna Rep. Carlos Zarate.
“Pilit kaming iniiuugnay sa terorismo. Ito ay isang malaking kasinungalingan.”
The Makabayan representatives were previously charged with kidnapping, child abuse, and human trafficking. However, the Department of Justice (DOJ) dismissed the case due to a lack of solid evidence.
Makabayan bloc: We are not members of CPP-NPA
They fear that red-tagging is being used in more serious human rights violations, fabricated cases, and extrajudicial killings of opposition leaders and critics.
According to Cristina Palabay at the same hearing, secretary-general of the human rights group Karapatan, lawyers Ben Ramos and Negros Occidental Councilor Toto Patigas were just a few of their members who got killed after being red-tagged on some posters in the Visayas. The poster has a police hotline attached.
Senior Superintendent Rodolfo Castil Jr., director of the Negros Occidental Police Provincial Office, admitted that he ordered the distribution of posters.
“Sa inyo pong narinig, nangunguna po tayo sa pagtutulak ng mga isyu ng mamamayan katulad ng repormang agraryo, national industrialization, pabahay, social pension, education at iba pa,” said Zarate.
“Nilalabanan din natin ang matinding corruption at maging ang issue ng pork barrel system.”
It will be recalled that Lt. Gen. Antonio Parlade, spokesperson of NTF-ELCAC, said that the government is currently monitoring the Makabayan bloc for being a “communist terrorist,” especially now that there is already an Anti-Terrorism Law of 2020.