Brosas to Gapay: Be more concerned with China’s increased militarization in WPS

Instead of threatening a legal action against the Makabayan bloc, Gabriela Women's Party Representative Arlene Brosas on Tuesday called on Armed Forces chief General Gilbert Gapay to be more concerned with China's increased militarization of the West Philippine Sea.

Brosas made the remark after Gapay reportedly said he was considering filing cases against the progressive lawmakers for supposedly helping in the recruitment for the New People's Army (NPA)

"Where is this energy when China is invading our territories? At least six Chinese military reclamation projects were completed in West Philippine Sea under Duterte's reign. It's outrageous that the military is more concerned with President Duterte's critics instead of focusing on the real and actual threat in this country," Brosas said in a statement.

"Duterte and his military lackeys keep saying that they have strong evidence against us, but so far what they have presented in public are witnesses with no personal knowledge and concrete proof that we are inciting violence," she added.

Brosas insisted that the Duterte administration's continuous red-tagging of members of the Makabayan bloc will only further disenfranchise the marginalized sectors that they represent.

President Rodrigo Duterte, in fact, threw another tirade against the progressive lawmakers in his televised address on Monday, saying that "the act of one is the act of all...the act of a soldier NPA is the act of Zarate, the congressman."

"The government is not only waging a war against the Makabayan bloc but also attacking the right of our constituents to have a representative in parliament," Brosas said.

"We call on President Duterte to address more important issues in the country: lack of aid amid typhoons and pandemic, worsening human rights violations, and mass unemployment," she added.

Earlier in the day, the Makabayan bloc challenged Duterte and other government officials to file cases against them if there is credible evidence to show that they are indeed connected with communist rebels.

"President Duterte and his ilk do not have any credible evidence against us, because if so they would have gone to court a long time ago," they said.

"They have been saying for the longest time that they have tons of evidence. Then present it in court now, not just rant about it," they added.—AOL, GMA News