ANAKPAWIS party-list has renewed its call for the abolition of the National Task Force to End Local Armed Conflict (NTF ELCAC) after a Manila court junked the Justice Department’s bid to declare the CPP-NPA as a terrorist organization.
Ariel Casilao, Anakpawis national president and former representative, welcomed the decision, saying the court has made it clear that “activism is not terrorism.”
“Dapat isuksok sa mga kukote ng pasista sa gobyerno (the fascists in the government should keep this in mind),” he said. “Magsilbi sana itong legal guide sa Legislature, at humakbang na sila para i-repeal ang Executive Order 70 na nagbuo ng NTF-ELCAC, na siyang punong kapural ng nationwide red-tagging campaign sa mga ligal na aktibista (May this serve as a guide for the Legislature to repeal Executive Order No. 70 creating the NTF-ELCAC, which is leading the red-tagging campaign against legal activists).”
Casilao said the NTF-ELCAC “is the real terrorists and not the CPP-NPA.”
“Dapat ipanawagan ng malawak na mamamayan ang pagbuwag rito bilang pagtaguyod ng karapatang pantao (The people should demand for its abolition in protecting human rights),” he said.
Casilao pointed out that the ruling even quoted that an “activist,” as defined by the Council of Europe, “is someone who actively campaigns for change, normally on political or social issues.”
He said the group has been a usual victim of red-tagging and their local leaders were always accused of being members of the NPA, adding that nearly 400 peasants, worker leaders and members fell victim to extrajudicial killings under the Duterte administration after being systematically red-tagged.
Casilao said he expected “that fascists in the government would totally oppose the decision as they were ideologically averse to the principles of the Bill of Rights.
“Allergic ang mga ito sa (they are allergic to) freedom of expression, association, peaceful assembly at (and) petition for redress of grievances,” he said.
