Colmenares denies being a communist, laments 'red-tagging' of rights defenders

Senatorial aspirant Neri Colmenares on Tuesday denied the accusation that he is a communist and that his organization, Bayan Muna, is a legal front of the Communist Party of the Philippines.

"Hindi po ako komunista, tanong po iyan lagi, hindi po kami komunista," Colmenares said during his interview on Dobol B sa News TV's Ikaw Na Ba? when asked regarding claims that Bayan Muna is a legal front of the communist movement.

Colmenares, a student leader during the Martial Law years, said supporting nationalist policy does not make one a communist.

Sa ikalawang araw ng “Ikaw Na Ba? The Senatorial Interview 2019,” sina former Bayan Muna Party-list Rep. Neri @ColmenaresPH at former DILG Sec. Rafael Alunan III ang kikilalanin at kikilatisin ni Mike Enriquez.

Abangan ‘yan mamayang 8:00 a.m. hanggang 9:00 a.m. #DZBBIkawNaBa pic.twitter.com/KypcVI1dDQ

— DZBB Super Radyo (@dzbb) January 15, 2019

"Noong panahon ni [late President Ferdinand] Marcos, talagang tingin namin na dapat matanggal ang diktadura. Kasama po kami sa malawak na People Power na nananawagan na tama na, sobra na, palitan na," he said.

Colmenares said back then he was chairman of Student Catholic Action – Visayas region. "Pero hindi ibig sabihin nyan na komunista ka na just because you're espousing nationalist policy," he said.

Asked on whether Bayan Muna is a legal front of the CPP, Colmenares said, "Hindi."

Colmenares lamented that the "red-tagging" of opposition members and right defenders is still being practiced at present.

"Yung mga charge na yan, panahon pa yan ni Marcos. Lahat ng oposisyon, lahat ng lumalaban eh tatawaging komunista, tatawaging rebelde, hanggang ngayon po yan," he said.

Colmenares ran in the senatorial election 2016 and finished in the 20th spot.

He said he is drawing confidence from his stand on national issues which are, according to him, clearer compared to 2016.

“Ang kinaibahan ng 2019 sa 2016, ang 2019 po mas klaro ang mga isyu,” Colmenares said.

“Ang tanong po ngayon sa mga kandidato sa pagka-senador, ano ba talaga ang posisyon niyo sa excise tax ng TRAIN (Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion)? Sa contractualization, do you really fought for it before? Anong posisyon mo sa panghihimasok mo ng China? Are against it?” he said.

Colmenares said that he, through Bayan Muna, voted against TRAIN Law. He also filed a bill against contractualization and stood against the claim of China in the West Philippine Sea. —Joviland Rita/KBK/KG, GMA News