Senator Vicente Sotto III was not convinced with the denial of the Makabayan representatives that they are not associated with the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) and the New People's Army (NPA).
“It's very difficult to dispute the statements and documents presented by the former rebels,” Sotto told reporters in a message after the Senate defense committee suspended Tuesday its second hearing on the “red-tagging” of groups and lawmakers by military officials.
Sotto was convinced, on the other hand, that progressive organizations are the “recruitment grounds” of the communist groups.
“I gave former Cong. Teddy a chance to answer the allegation vs Joma Sison and the legal fronts, but instead he said it's the recruitment ground of the CPP/NPA,” he said.
“Therefore, it's correct to warn the youth in joining such groups,” the Senate chief concluded.
Before this, Casiño, former Bayan Muna representative, said that Sison, CPP founder, was only making a distinction between the armed and legal democratic movement when he mentioned in a 1987 convention the Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan), Gabriela, the Kilusang Mayo Uno, Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas, League of Filipino Students and Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT), among others, as part of the party.
“Even while there are forces of armed revolution, there are the legal democratic forces in the Philippines,” Sison said in the video clip again presented by the government defense panel to the Senate committee.
“By making that distinction, Joma Sison is not saying that CPP is controlling everything, in fact, sinasabi niya nga na hindi nila kayang ipanalo 'yan eh (he was saying that they cannot even succeed with that revolutionary movement). So there are those legal democratic forces that they also have to contend with,” Casiño said.
Sotto then asked Casiño why then were the government's witnesses against them, those who identified themselves as former rebels, claimed to have been recruited by the groups mentioned by Sison.
In response, the former congressman said it has been the nature of revolutionary movements to recruit participants from “idealistic sectors of society” and cause-oriented groups.
“Of course, their first priority for recruitment would be the activists. It would be strange for them to recruit from the business sector, although I think they have been doing that,” Casiño noted.
“All the revolutionary movements, of course, they recruit from these kinds of cause-oriented groups... Ang point namin dito (Our point here is), that does not mean that the organizations kung saan nagre-recruit ang NPA, sasabihin na natin, 'Mga front 'yan eh. Mga bahagi ng armado yan' (where the NPA recruits its members should be tagged as fronts or part of the armed movement). That is a dangerous assumption to make, Mr. Chair,” he said.
Sotto then said AFP Southern Luzon Command chief and National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) spokesman Lt. Gen. Antonio Parlade Jr. was “correct” in issuing his controversial statements involving actresses Liza Soberano, Angel Locsin, and beauty queen Catriona Gray.
“Then Gen. Parlade's warning is correct, it has value? Mag-ingat 'yong mga sumasapi kasi doon tuma-target ang NPA, kasi sinasabi mo, syempre sa mga aktibista sila mag-iimbita...Then may value yong sinasabi ni Paralde (The Gen. Parlade’s warning is correct, it has value? Those who join these groups where NPA recruit members must be careful, because as you said it is from the ranks of activists where they recruit. Then Gen. Parlade’s warning has some value),” he said.
Casiño, on the other hand, clarified to the senators that they were protesting the supposed red-tagging of military officials not only due to their public pronouncements but also because of the accompanying operations that compromise their safety and rights.
“If those are mere words, we eat that for breakfast. But we look at this in the context or the operations of the NTF-ELCAC, of the counterinsurgency operations. Hindi lang po kasi salita, eh (Because it is not just words). May kasabay na (There are) military actions, operations,” Casiño said, citing the surveillance and alleged harassment.
“That is what we call the red-tagging, not the words but the totality of what is happening now. This is a systematic attack on these organizations that outs their lives in their danger, their rights, their liberties also in danger. Kaya po malakig bagay sa amin (That's why its a huge issue for us). Kung salita lang ho 'yan wala kaming problema (If those are mere words, we have no problem), but it's more than that,” he added.
During the hearing, Makabayan representatives denied that they are members of the CPP and NPA, a claim they said was baseless and repetitive.
Government security officials, however, stood firm on their allegations against the Makabayan lawmakers.