Power of the purse and of the Army pen

By Lt. Gen. Antonio Parlade Jr. / The Manila Times

THE verbal tussle between some members of the Senate and myself has escalated over the past week. It started with the community pantry in Maginhawa Street, which netizens and community members had brought to the attention of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-Elcac). I deliberately postponed making comments on that pantry because, first, I am convinced it is a very good project that people and organizations can emulate, albeit temporarily, during this time of hardship. Second, I wasn’t sure about the background of the organizers and the real agenda of the group. In fact, I was telling the members of the strategic communications or stratcom cluster to be cautious in approaching this issue as it could be a trap, a bait for them to attack us for red-tagging or red-baiting and make us appear to be insensitive to the conditions of the poor communities.

It was already becoming very clear that dubious groups were exploiting this otherwise noble initiative, with all the photos and videos shared by netizens of what some of these community pantries were doing other than sharing food: agitating people with hate slogans against the government, covertly distributing propaganda leaflets, asking people to sign blank sheets, and even conducting megaphone operations while distributing food. This was happening only in a few areas; the majority of the community pantries were quietly sharing food without fanfare. When the NTF-Elcac stepped in, there was an uproar, especially from middle forces. Never mind that the task force came in to perform its mandate to counter the propaganda that was visibly happening. People have no jobs, there is little food on the table, “well-meaning” groups came to alleviate their condition, a few posters here and there, and a media group on call in case the NTF-Elcac or the police would come and take the bait.

In hindsight, now we can say it was indeed a carefully laid trap.

With a well-prepared media, they were able to package the response of the government as anti-people, fascist, insensitive, uncalled for. With a little manipulation by the print media and the cunning way they played with our words, they were able to project the government and the NTF-Elcac as the villain attacking the Good Samaritan. Red-tagged, profiled, harassed, chilling effect, all terms coined in a seemingly well-orchestrated drama concocted by Armas, the Artista at Manunulat ng Sambayanan. As if in concert, all the anti-government forces and personalities, including those in the legislature, were quick to jump in. Siempre, trending. Fair game.