Secretary Salvador Panelo, Chief Presidential Legal Counsel (File photo)
MANILA – Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Salvador Panelo on Wednesday urged those who believed in communism to break away from armed groups whose goal is to instill fear and terror in the minds of the public.
In his online commentary show “Counterpoint”, Panelo said communism is not inherently bad or illegal but noted that armed groups like the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army (CPP-NPA) tarnished the good intentions sought by communism.
“Kung naniniwala kayo na maganda yung layunin ninyo, break away. Gumawa kayo ng sarili niyong grupo na hindi kasama yung mga komunistang rebeldeng gusto pabagsakin ang pamahalaan (If you believe your goal is good, break away. Create your own group that does not include the communist rebels who want to overthrow the government),” he said.
Panelo said communists should not react negatively when labeled as communists if they believed that their intentions are good.
“Bakit ba kayo nagri-react pag kayo’y tinawag na komunista? Unang-una, hindi naman krimen ang maging isang komunista. Ano bang masama kung sa pananaw ninyo maganda nag komunismo? Eh sa totoo lang maganda naman ang komunismo, ang problema nga lang yung pamamaraan ng pagtatayo niyo ng mga patakarang pang komunista ay dinadaan niyo sa armadong rebelyon sa pagpatay ng mga kalaban ninyo, pagpatay ng mga ayaw maniwala sainyo, pagpatay ng mga pulis ng mga sundalo, pagsira ng ari-arian. ‘Yan ang problema kasi (Why do you react negatively when you’re called communists? First, it’s not a crime to be a communist. What’s wrong about having communist ideology? To be honest, communism is good, the problem is when you carry out communism through armed rebellion by killing your enemies, killing those who don’t believe in your ideologies, killing cops and soldiers, and destroying property),” he said.
He said communists who refused to be associated with the CPP-NPA should wear their tag as a “badge of pride.”
“Kung naniniwala kayo dun sa inyong mga paniniwalang politikal na hindi naman tutungo dun sa armadong rebelyon, hindi po krimen ‘yan. Dapat nga pag kayo’y sinabihan ng ‘Komunista ka’ kung naniniwala ka diyan, that should be a badge of pride. Dapat nga magiging proud ka kasi tinutukoy ka na isa kang tao na gusto mong tumulong sa bayan (If you believe in that political belief that will not result in armed rebellion, that’s not a crime. When people say ‘You’re a communist’, if you believe in it, it should be a badge of pride. You should be proud because you’re being labeled as someone who wants to help your countrymen),” he added.
Meanwhile, Panelo urged the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) to also investigate atrocities committed by the CPP-NPA from 2010 to 2020.
“Dapat noon pa, matagal na ninyong alam ‘yan. Iniimbestigahn niyo lang pag mayroon kayong narinig na ‘O yung mga pulis, mga sundalo may ginawa ganito’ pero yung kalaban ng estado, ‘yun yung dapat ninyong i-concentrate (It should have been a long time ago. You only investigate reports that cops and soldiers do this and that but enemies of the state should be your priority),” he said.
Last week, the CHR vowed to investigate the 1,506 atrocities and International Humanitarian Law (IHL) violations committed by the CPP-NPA from 2010 to 2020.
This, after Brig. Gen. Jose Alejandro S. Nacnac, Director of the Armed Forces of the Philippines Center for the Law on Armed Conflict (AFPCLOAC) on May 20 submitted to CHR Commissioner Karen Dumpit a list of hundreds of willful killings by the CTG for the same 10-year period.
The CPP-NPA is listed as a terrorist organization by the United States, the European Union, the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the Philippines. (PNA)
