Interior Secretary Eduardo Año slammed Thursday the Makabayan bloc House members for refusing to denounce the CPP-NPA-NDF despite its “horrendous crimes.”
The DILG chief expressed his dismay by Makabayan’s “blind eye to the thousands of atrocities committed by the atheist communist-terrorist group.”
Año, who was also a former military chief, referred to the Communist Party of the Philippines, the New People’s Army (NPA), and the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP).
“If you cannot even condemn the perpetrators of these horrendous crimes against the people in your capacity as elected public officials, there is definitely something wrong,” Año said.
He said Makabayan bloc’s refusal to denounce and distance itself from the CPP-NPA-NDF and their criminal activities is “a clear and indisputable betrayal of public trust.”
“As elected government officials receiving salary, emoluments, and benefits from government, they are morally, ethically, and legally required to denounce the communist terrorists whose main objective is to overthrow the government that they are part of,” he said.
During the Senate hearing on alleged red-tagging on Tuesday, Bayan Muna party-list Representative Carlos Zarate and former lawmaker Teddy Casiño said they do not consider the communist groups as enemies.
“Definitely, we do not consider them as enemies. They are committing an illegal act, but we do not judge them to be enemies,” Casiño said.
Año slams Makabayan bloc for not condemning CPP-NPA-NDFP
Zarate shared the same belief and noted that declaring the communists as enemies would close the doors for discourse.
“My personal belief, ‘yung mga taong ang option nila ay mag-armas, mahirap po na ikondena sila outright dahil naniniwala ako na may social na kadahilanan ito,” he said.
Año said the statements of Makabayan representatives are clear attempts of the group “to wash their hands of the blood of the thousands of victims of CPP-NPA-NDF atrocities through the years.”
“Nakakakilabot na tinatawag lamang nila ang walang habas na pagpatay ng mga inosenteng tao, mga pulis at sundalo bilang isang pamamaraan para kanilang tahasang maipahayag ang kanilang agenda,” Año said.
Año said the Makabayan bloc members, as elected government officials, are mandated under the 1897 Constitution to denounce the CPP-NPA-NDF.
He added that the CPP-NPA-NDF is the biggest violator of human rights in the Philippines.
“Aside from killing soldiers, police, and government officials, the party is also infamous for its internal purges, which has killed some 3,000 to 7,000 lives, including the Inopacan, Leyte massacre where 67 comrades were summarily executed upon orders of the CPP,” Año said.
The Senate hearing on alleged red-tagging would resume on December 1.