National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) spokesperson for Social Media and Sectoral Concerns, Undersecretary Lorraine Badoy (File photo)
MANILA – Undersecretary Lorraine Badoy, National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) spokesperson for Social Media and Sectoral Concerns, issued yet her strongest challenge to the Makabayan bloc and self-proclaimed rights group, Karapatan, to condemn the Communist Terrorist Groups (CTGs) for committing thousands of atrocities and violations of the International Humanitarian Law (IHL).
"Their silence is deafening. Why are they silent?," Badoy asked during the weekly virtual press briefing of the NTF-ELCAC held last Monday, referring to leftist lawmakers as well as the militant group Karapatan, who both claim to represent the people, particularly the oppressed.
The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) has recorded a total of 1,506 violations of IHL committed by the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) through its military wing, the New People's Army (NPA) just in the last decade, including the abduction of 544 children and forcing them to become “child warriors”. The CPP-NPA form the core groups of the National Democratic Front (NDF).
“Ito, maliwanag o! Maliwanag ang karumal-dumal na pinaggagawa ng CPP-NPA-NDF sa ating mga kababayan na walang kalaban-laban. Bakit kayo tahimik? I-denounce ninyo! Karapatan Tina Palabay, i-denounce ninyo ito, iyong kababuyan na ginawa ng CPP-NPA-NDF na sabi ninyo ay (It is obvious! The abomination of the CPP-NPA-NDF against our helpless countrymen is obvious. Denounce them! Karapatan Tina Palabay, denounce the atrocities of the CPP-NPA-NDF which you said) you’re not part of,” Badoy said, adding that her call seems to have fallen on deaf ears.
Badoy challenged the Makabayan solons that include Carlos Zarate, Sara Elago, Eufemia Cullamat, Arlene Brosas, France Castro, Ferdinand Gaite, to condemn these crimes “that were done on our people".
“They’re self-professed defenders of the Filipino people, That’s what they tell us they are. Iyon ang kanilang claims ‘di ba? Kahit iyong Karapatan ‘di ba iyan iyong ipinaglalaban ninyo ‘di ba (That’s their claims. Even Karapatan, that’s what you’re fighting for, aren’t you?” Badoy said during the briefing.
Referring to the Makabayan lawmakers as the “Joma Sison bloc”, Badoy insisted that majority of them are being used by the CPP-NPA-NDF.
“Hindi natin puwedeng maliitin itong pagtatahimik ninyo (We cannot ignore you silence) in the face of such terrible crimes against our (people), hindi ba? I mean, when we look at these numbers they’re not just numbers, they’re people and people who love them,” Badoy said.
Badoy said the leftist groups were only interested in raising funds and have collected millions of dollars in foreign donations by misrepresenting themselves as human rights advocates.
“Iyan iyong—diyan kayo kumukuha ng pinagkakakitaan ninyo ‘di ba? Sa international audience na iyan ang raket ninyo ‘di ba? Iyan ang pakilala ninyo na kayo ay lumalaban para sa karapatan ng Pilipino (That’s where you earn money. The international audience is part of your scheme. You introduce yourself as fighting for Filipinos’ rights),” she said.
She also took note of the atrocities committed by the terrorist groups against indigenous peoples (IPs).
“The CPP-NPA-NDF kasi ang tingin sa mga indigenous peoples natin ay hindi tao, parang tsinelas. Wala silang pakialam kaya nga si France Castro at si Satur Ocampo ganun-ganun na lang kung kini-kidnap iyong mga anak natin, iyong mga indigenous peoples ‘di ba? Wala silang pakialam. Kahit mamatay iyan wala silang pakialam. Pinagkukuha iyong mga anak ng indigenous peoples, ilang tribal leaders ang pinagpapatay ‘di ba? (The CPP-NPA-NDF threats indigenous people not as humans, but just like slippers. They don’t care that’s why France Castro and Satur Ocampo kidnap our children, the IPs. They don’t care. Even if the children die, they don’t care. They kidnapped the children of our indigenous peoples, several tribal leaders have been killed),” Badoy said.
She added that the continued refusal of the Makabayan bloc and their affiliated militant and left-leaning groups like Karapatan to condemn the CPP-NPA-NDF is “irredeemable".
Founded in 2009, the Makabayang Koalisyon ng Mamamayan or Makabayan bloc is a coalition of 12 party-list groups in the House of Representatives.
Current members of the group serving in Congress are Cullamat (Bayan Muna), Gaite (Bayan Muna), Zarate (Bayan Muna), Elago (Kabataan Party-list), Castro (ACT Teachers Party-list), and Brosas (Gabriela Women’s Party). The bloc is headed by Ocampo and Lawyer Neri Colmenares. (PR)
