Badoy twits Makabayan Bloc, Karapatan: 'Denounce NPA IHL violations'

PRESS RELEASE

NTF-ELCAC MEDIA BUREAU

Undersecretay Lorraine Badoy, National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) spokesperson for Social Media and Sectoral Concerns, issued yet her strongest challenge to the Makabayan bloc and self-proclaimed rights group Karapatan to condemn the Communist Terrorist Groups (CTGs) for committing thousands of atrocities and violations of the International Humanitarian Law (IHL).

"Their silence is deafening. Why are they silent?," Badoy asked during the weekly virtual press briefing of the NTF-ELCAC held last Monday, referring to leftist lawmakers as well as the militant group Karapatan, who both claim to represent the people, particularly the oppressed.

It should be recalled that the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) has recorded a total of 1,506 violations of International Humanitarian Law (IHL) committed by the Communist Party of the Philippines through its military wing, the New People's Army (NPA) just in the last decade, including the abduction of 544 children and forcing them to become “child warriors”. The CPP-NPA form the core groups of the National Democratic Front (NDF).

“Ito, maliwanag o! Maliwanag ang karumal-dumal na pinaggagawa ng CPP-NPA-NDF sa ating mga kababayan na walang kalaban-laban. Bakit kayo tahimik? I-denounce ninyo! Karapatan Tina Palabay, i-denounce ninyo ito, iyong kababuyan na ginawa ng CPP-NPA-NDF na sabi ninyo ay you’re not part of.” Badoy said that her call seems to have fallen on deaf ears.

“I want to challenge Caloy Zarate, Sara Elago, Eufemia Cullamat, Arlene Brosas, France Castro, Ferdinand Gaite, to condemn these crimes that were done on our people. They’re self-professed defenders of the Filipino people, That’s what they tell us they are. Iyon ang kanilang claims ‘di ba? Kahit iyong Karapatan ‘di ba iyan iyong ipinaglalaban ninyo ‘di ba?” the spokesperson said during the briefing.

Referring to the Makabayan lawmakers as the “Joma Sison bloc”, Badoy insisted that the majority them are being used by CPP-NPA-NDF. “Hindi natin puwedeng maliitin itong pagtatahimik ninyo in the face of such terrible crimes against our (people), hindi ba? I mean, when we look at these numbers they’re not just numbers, they’re people and people who love them.”

Badoy pointed out that the leftist groups were only interested in raising funds and has collected millions of dollars in foreign donations by misrepresenting themselves as human rights advocates. “Iyan iyong—diyan kayo kumukuha ng pinagkakakitaan ninyo ‘di ba? Sa international audience na iyan ang raket ninyo ‘di ba? Iyan ang pakilala ninyo na kayo ay lumalaban para sa karapatan ng Pilipino.”

Badoy also took note of the atrocities committed by the terrorists groups against indigenous peoples (IP). “The CPP-NPA-NDF kasi ang tingin sa mga indigenous peoples natin ay hindi tao, parang tsinelas. Wala silang pakialam kaya nga si France Castro at si Satur Ocampo ganun-ganun na lang kung kini-kidnap iyong mga anak natin, iyong mga indigenous peoples ‘di ba? Wala silang pakialam. Kahit mamatay iyan wala silang pakialam. Pinagkukuha iyong mga anak ng indigenous peoples, ilang tribal leaders ang pinagpapatay ‘di ba?

She added that the continued refusal of the Makabayan bloc and their affiliated militant and left-leaning groups like Karapatan to condemn the CPP-NPA-NDF is “irredeemable."

Founded in 2009, the Makabayang Koalisyon ng Mamamayan or Makabayan bloc is a coalition of twelve party-lists political parties in the House of Representatives. Current members of the group serving in Congress are Cullamat (Bayan Muna), Gaite (Bayan Muna), Zarate (Bayan Muna), Elago (Kabataan Partylist), Castro (ACT Teachers Partylist), and Brosas (Gabriela Women’s Party). The bloc is headed by Ocampo and Lawyer Neri Colmenares.