Senator Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III on Friday said he saw no reason why senators cannot write an official communication to the National Intelligence Coordinating Agency (NICA), and ask questions about its move to accuse the Senate's employees’ union of being linked to communist groups.
(Rio Leonelle Deluvio / MANILA BULLETIN FILE PHOTO)
In a virtual press conference, Pimentel said he would support Senate President Vicente Sotto III's move to send an official communication to NICA Director General Alex Monteagudo, as well as to the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC), about its red-tagging activities on the Sandigan ng mga Empleyadong Nagkakaisa sa Adhikain ng Demokratikong Organisasyon (SENADO).
“If he needs to put it in writing and he wants co-signatories, I’m willing to co-sign with him,” Pimentel said.
“I’m sure there are other senators who will do the same,” he added.
Pimentel, likewise, echoed Sotto’s belief that it was time to discuss the bill that aims to criminalize red-tagging activities.
He noted Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon has already filed Senate Bill No. 2121 or an Act Defining and Penalizing Red-Tagging.
“I think we should be careful. I think it's time we start discussing the bill …in that sense, this is a welcome development, this issue is now in the limelight,” he pointed out.
According to Pimentel, he saw no reason why SENADO was being linked to communism when it has been a legitimate organization advancing Senate employees’ rights.
“I don’t see why SENADO is being attacked and accused of being tentacles of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP). We should be careful of such accusations),” he said.
The Drilon-led Senate minority bloc, which include Senators Risa Hontiveros, Leila de Lima and Francis Pangilinan, have slammed Monteagudo’s red-tagging of the SENADO, saying the union “never acted as the eyes and ears of the CPP-NPA-NDF in the Senate to hijack plans and programs of the government.”
Because of this incident, Sotto, on Wednesday, said he was now inclined to support the bill criminalizing red-tagging.