Just answer challenge, AFP to Makabayan bloc

Major Gen. Antonio Parlade, Jr., AFP Deputy Chief of Staff for Civil-Military Operations (PNA Photo)

MANILA— The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) on Thursday stood by its claim against Makabayan party-list groups who recently filed a complaint before the Commission on Elections (Comelec) over a Facebook post accusing them as legal fronts of the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army (CPP-NPA).

“Bakit nagagalit ang Kamatayan (Makabayan) Bloc sa sinabi ng Civil Relations Service (CRS) na sila ay may parehong adhikain ng CPP-NPA? Ito naman ang sinabi ni CPP Chairman Jose Maria Sison sa kanyang video (Why is Kamatayan Bloc angry over what CRS said that it has the same goal with the CPP-NPA? This was mentioned by CPP Chairman Jose Maria Sision in his video),” Major Gen. Antonio Parlade, Jr., AFP Deputy Chief of Staff for Civil-Military Operations, said in a statement, referring to the left-leaning legislators at the House of Representatives.

“Ito rin ang patuloy na sinasabi ni Jose Maria Sison tungkol sa kanyang mga ‘progresibong kaalyado na makikita natin lahat sa International League of Peoples Struggle (ILPS) at rebolusyonaryong website (This is also mentioned by Jose Maria Sision about his progressive allies we see in International League of Peoples Struggles and in revolutionary websites),” he added.

‘Hiding’

Parlade questioned why Kabataan Partylist Rep. Sarah Elago was angered over the post when she is in fact “hiding” under a legal front of the CPP-NPA.

“Meron ba pagkakaiba si Elago at ang mga Kabataang Makabayan na namatay na sa bundok kasama ang NPA? Wala, maliban sa patay na ang mga kabataan na sumama sa underground habang si Elago ay buhay pang nagtatago sa Kamatayan Bloc (Is there a difference between Elago and the Kabataang Makabayan who died in the countryside along with the NPA? Nothing, apart from the fact that the children who joined the underground movement died while Elago is still alive hiding under Kamatayan Bloc,” he said.

He also questioned ACT Teachers Rep. France Castro and other “kadres” teaching revolution in leading Philippine universities like the University of the Philippines and the Polytechnic University of the Philippines.

Parlade also took a swipe at Gabriela Party-list Rep. Emmi de Jesus and challenged her to comment on the 12 children called “Hagibis” who were recruited by members of the NPA in Mindoro, and 10-year old Armando Nuguit who died after NPA members threw bombs at goverment troops in Las Navas, Samar.

In the statement, he also asked the difference between Katribu and PASAKA, an organization which a certain Datu Kaylo Bontulan belonged.

“Wala, pareho sila ‘front’ ng CPP pero si Datu Kaylo ay patay na sa enkwentro laban sa gobyerno noong nakaraang lingo at si Katribu ay pinagbunyi na lang ang kabayanihan ni Bontulan sa libing nya sa Davao kahapon (Nothing, they are both CPP fronts but Datu Kaylo died in an encounter against government troops in the past week while Katribu just praised the heroism of Bontulan in Davao yesterday),” he said.

‘Black tag’

He said rather than a “red tag,” a “black tag” is more suited to the Makabayan coalition, given the atrocities it has done to the people.

Parlade challenged the group to condemn the acts of the NPA.

“Puwede niyo bang i-kondena ang mga teroristang NPA sa mga pinagagawa nilang karahasan? Kung hindi niyo magawa ito, wala nga kayong pinag-iba kay JoMa Sison, sampo ng kanyang kampon sa Kamatayan Bloc (Can you condemn the terrorist NPA for its atrocities? If you can’t do this, then you aren’t different from JoMa Sison and his allies in Kamatayan Bloc),” he stressed.

He also called on all Filipinos including parents and politicians to stop believing the leftist organization.

“Idadamay at ipapahamak lang kayo habang sila ay nagpapasarap at nagtatago sa legalidad ng Kongreso (They will only put you to danger while they enjoy and hide in Congress),” he said.

In the Facebook post of AFP-CRS last April 13, it tagged the Makabayan as “house fronts” of the CPP, NPA, and the National Democratic Front.

“The Makabayan bloc in Congress is the extreme-left bloc at the House of Representatives and at the same time, is considered as the legal front of the CPP-NPA, and performing tasks as part of the revolutionary movement‘s tactic to exploit the Legislative branch of the government,” the post stated.

On Wednesday, the Makabayan Bloc coalition, consisting of Bayan Muna, Anakpawis, Gabriela, ACT Teacher, and Kabataan, filed an electioneering complaint at the Comelec and denied that the candidates of these party-list groups are terrorists and legal fronts of the CPP-NPA.

Named as respondents in the Comelec were Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana, AFP Chief of Staff Gen. Benjamin Madrigal, Jr., AFP-CRS Commander Major Gen. Bienvenido Datuin, and officers responsible for the alleged negative campaign.

Parlade earlier said communist rebels and their supporters are using “red-tagging” of their front organizations as a way to prevent “truth to be out in the open,” and a smokescreen to the House of Representatives from conducting a probe into the Salugpungan schools being operated by the CPP-NPA.

The CPP-NPA is listed as a terrorist organization by the United States, European Union, United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the Philippines.