Weaponizing the law

THE National Task Force To End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF ELCAC), crafted through the issuance of Executive Order No. 70, is once again being vilified and disparaged by the Communist Party of the Philippines - New People's Army - National Democratic Front (CPP-NPA-NDF) and its legal fronts for supposedly weaponizing the law- by using the laws of the Land to suppress dissent and critics.

The CPP-NPA-NDF‘s usual spokespersons are at their old deceitful tricks again. Expectedly, their arguments are loud but pitifully empty.

It is the CPP-NPA-NDF and their legal fronts that are weaponizing the law, and in the process, abusing the resources of the government, and bringing into ill-repute the judicial process of the country if their cases are found to be without cause and eventually dismissed. Proof of the pudding is their continuous filing of cases on alleged red-tagging, against the President of the Philippines, no less and other officials in the top echelon of government service,  but which were repeatedly dismissed by the courts, i.e., Court of Appeals, for utter lack of merit( vide, NUPL et al., vs. H.E. Rodrigo Roa Duterte, et al. CA GR SP No. 00067; KARAPATAN et al., vs. H.E. Rodrigo Roa Duterte, et al. CA- GR SP No.00066, WRA) to mention a few. Without a doubt, these cases are designed to harass the government officials and hamper the dutiful exercise of their government functions. Lately, another CPP-NPA-NDF legal front, IBON, weaponized the law again by filing another baseless case against Southern Luzon Command Chief Major General Antonio Parlade, Jr., Presidential Communications and Operations Office (PCOO) Undersecretary Lorraine Badoy, and National Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperon.

This is a pitiful case, awfully begging for immediate dismissal. The CPP-NPA-NDF had lost, miserably and repeatedly in the legal forum of their allegations of red-tagging, thus, they now try their luck before the Office of the Ombudsman in the hope of finding favorable judgment. But this case, as those previous before it, is perfectly bound to fail. It is never a crime to defend the State. In fact, the impleaded officials will be remiss of their sworn duty and obligation if they fail to inform and save the People from the enemies that lurk within their jurisdiction.

Anent the filing of cases against young members of communist terrorist groups (CTGs), there is no sense of triumph, but immense sadness and sorrow from the State, when cases of grave offenses are filed against young activist turned armed CTGs. These cases are reminders that the State must be consistently vigilant in steering its youth from the virus that is the CPP-NPA-NDF. Seemingly, not much is gained from these cases, an only due process taking its natural course with the hope that these deceived youth changed their ways and go back to the fold of the law. But, despite the lawful arrest of these young combatants, the State will be attacked once more on the following fronts:  First, the CTGS will use this arrest as illegitimate cause to again vilify, attack, and slander the government. Second, the CTGS will exploit and use the incarceration of these young activists turned armed combatants into justifying their illicit donation drives and again duping well-meaning people of their hard-earned resources. Third, the CTGs will again use their detention as a platform for their nefarious recruitment and radicalization of the youth.

The Republic, as an invigorated attempt to restrain this CTGs from recruiting its youth into the communist armed conflict, had a filed a historic case against the CTGs legal fronts, their top officials, and their recruiters for kidnapping, violation of international humanitarian law, and serious illegal detention, among others, in the courts using the theory of radicalization to show criminal complicity on the part of these people. Radicalization, a form of brainwashing, is a method used by the violent extremist organizations like the ISIS and the Abu Sayyaf to recruit youth into their violent propaganda. This is an evil tactic perfected by the CPP-NPA –NDF. This radicalization cases only prove the desire of the State to save its youth from the violent communist movement.

As the NTF70  had repeatedly stated, the Republic welcomes activism from its youth. It expects nothing less, for it is the youth’s solemn vow and duty to call on the government to institutionalize powerful changes and ensure societal justice. But it draws the line when one raises arm against the State as the same is an assault to the People and the principles it stands for. If this course is inevitable, the Rule of Law is supreme. 

NATIONAL TASK FORCE TO END LOCAL COMMUNIST ARMED CONFLICT