Elago slams NICA chief for social media posts linking her to NPA recruitment

Kabataan party-list Representative Sarah Jane Elago on Tuesday denounced the "irresponsible" social media posts of National Intelligence Coordinating Agency (NICA) director-general Alex Paul Monteagudo linking her to recruitment of communist rebels.

"Ang NICA Director General rin ay nagbabahagi ng mga peke at nakapapahamak na content tulad nito na nagsasabing sinabi ko raw na: 'Halina kabataan, sa bundok ay magkandirit. Mga uto-uto sa NPA ay sumapi,'" she said during the Senate Committee on National Defense and Security, Peace, Unification and Reconciliation hearing on red-tagging.

Elago showed a compilation of supposed social media posts of Monteagudo containing her pictures and alleging that she is a recruiter of the New People's Army.

"Is this what NICA calls truth-tagging, Mr. Chair? Hindi po ba nakakabahala na kailangan pang ipaalala ng kabataan sa ating na premier intelligence agency: Think before you click. Consider the source before sharing content. Nakakahiya po kung galing sa NICA at Secretariat ng Anti-Terrorism Council tapos hindi man lang marunong mag fact-check," she said. "This irresponsibility is a dangerous threat to our democracy."

Elago also claimed that the posts from some social media pages managed by the police and military "undeniably" show that attacking and besmirching the names of critics of the administration is now a national policy.

During the hearing, Elago denied that the Kabataan party-list is affiliated with the CPP and recruits combatants for its armed struggle.

She demanded accountability on the red-tagging allegedly perpetrated by state security forces.

"Nandito ako dahil hindi natin pahihintulutan na walang nananagot sa mga paninira na ginagawa sa ating mga kabataan. Nandito ako hindi lang para sumagot, kundi maningil ng pananagutan sa lahat ng pangdudusta na ginawa sa akin," Elago said.

Monteagudo, on the other hand, said red-tagging is not a policy of the state.

"Hindi po kami nagre-red-tagging. Hindi po polisiya ang red-tagging. Hindi po polisiya ng gobyerno," he told senators during the security sector's turn to speak.

"Ang ginagawa po ng gobyerno ay pinapaalam po sa lahat ng kababayan natin sa buong bansa ang katotohanan tungkol sa CPP-NPA-NDF at ang kanilang front organizations na nambibiktima sa ating mga kabataan, ating mga indigenous people, at ating mga kababayan," he added. —KG, GMA News