AFP claims it has ‘truckloads’ of evidence to prove rights groups are CPP fronts

Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations Brigadier General Antonio Parlade on Saturday said the military has "truckloads" of evidence that human rights groups such as Karapatan are front organizations of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP), as he challenged its Secretary General for a one-on-one discussion on national television.

In a statement, Parlade claimed organizations accused Karapatan and Ibon of using human rights defenders as cover.

Cristina Palabay, Karapatan Secretary General, on Friday slammed the AFP for red-tagging them in several interviews and statements, despite having "no evidence."

Palabay added that the "Red October" destabilization plot failed last year as the AFP's the "false claims" were "built on untruths, fake news, and a sinister agenda to cripple the machinery of all those who remain critical to the Duterte government."

Palabay said "the military is not a credible institution" for insisting on their "laughable and unsubstantiated claims."

"I never said I don't have evidence to show they are communist front organizations. In fact we have a lot and Karapatan is worried about all these truth coming out now," Parlade responded.

The military official questioned Karapatan as a human rights advocate.

"Karapatan as HR defenders? Where were you when the NPAs have been killing the IPs in Mindanao, until now? Where is Karapatan when non-participating civilians were killed by NPAs? Karapatan is a kind of organization that is very selective in dealing with human rights. Selective in a sense that it only use human rights to defend its NPA allies," he said.

Parlade also said it was CPP founder Jose Maria "Joma" Sison himself who tagged Karapatan and Ibon as CPP front organizations and part of the International League of Peoples Struggles' (ILPS) network of organizations, with Sison as its chairperson.

"Thats the hardest truth Miss Palabay. I challenge you to prove your case [on national] TV... one-on-one. I will present to you trucks of [evidence] and you better be prepared to refute them all. Any time po," Parlade said.

"By the way aren't you wondering why you are still alive, despite your allegations that red-tagging endangers your lives from security forces? Think about that... teka hindi pala kayo naka program magisip. Magdakdak at mag-rally lang alam nyo," he added. — MDM, GMA News