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Terror tag on CPP-NPA a ‘death warrant’ for Duterte critics —solon


President Rodrigo Duterte’s proclamation tagging the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) and the New People’s Army (NPA) as terror groups is a virtual “death warrant” for dissenters, a militant lawmaker said Thursday.

At a press conference, Anakpawis party-list Representative Ariel Casilao said Proclamation 374 could be conveniently used by the government to “silence” Duterte’s critics regardless of whether or not they are part of the armed left.

“Essentially Proclamation 374 is a death warrant for all dissenters, critics, opposition, and even for the ordinary Filipino people, including you, media,” he said.

“Marami pong section doon at probisyon that can be used in convenience...just to silence, just to gag critics, opposition and even those who are not happy with the existing setup politically, economically, na kasalukuyang dinadanas ng ating mamamayan,” Casilao added.

Proclamation 374 cites Republic Act No. 10168, or "The Terrorism Financing Prevention and Suppression Act of 2012,” in its whereas clause. Casilao said this means the proclamation can easily enable government forces to come after what military parlance identifies as the left’s “legal fronts.”

To back up his claim, Casilao cited the deaths of parish priest and human rights defender Tito Paez, evangelical pastor Leovelito Quiñones, and human rights activist Jimmyliza Badayos, wife of an alleged NPA leader arrested in 2012.

“These are not combatants, these are not armed NPAs, but they are human rights advocates, they are critics against the extrajudicial killings, they are critics against the economic oppression, [the] onerous contracts, onerous agreements between the Philippines and other countries, pero ito ‘yung nagiging target,” said Casilao.

These events, the lawmaker said, are indicative of a “return” to the martial law era, or to the time of controversial Army general Jovito Palparan, whose counterinsurgency campaign Oplan Bantay Laya had been linked to extrajudicial killings and human rights violations. 

“Kung merong Oplan Tokhang Reloaded, merong Oplan Bantay Laya Reloaded sa ngalan ng Oplan Kapayapaan,” said Casilao.

For his part,  Alliance of Concerned Teachers Party-list Representative Antonio Tinio maintained that progressive groups’ actions are not acts of terrorism.

“Hindi terorismo ang ipaglaban ang human rights, ang right to due process ng bawat Pilipino lalo na ng maralita, hindi terorismo ang ipaglaban ang karapatan sa lupa ng mga magsasaka sa lupang ninuno, ng mga Lumad, at indigenous peoples, [ang] disenteng sweldo ng mga manggagawa, at ordinaryong kawani,” he said at the press conference.

Meanwhile, Bayan Muna party-list Representative Carlos Isagani Zarate slammed the timing of Duterte’s backing away from the negotiating table, saying that President’s intention for engaging in peace talks with the left was “for the rebel groups to capitulate and surrender.”

Tinio and Zarate have earlier decried Proclamation 374 on the grounds of its supposed targeting of legal organizations accused of providing financial support to the armed left.

The decades-long armed struggle in the Philippines’ countryside is one of the world’s longest-running communist insurgencies. —KBK, GMA News

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