From MindaNews (Nov 7): Dabawenyos protest Rep. Alcover’s visit
The mayor, a councilor and militant leaders here are protesting the upcoming visit here of ANAD (Alliance for Nationalism and Democracy) partylist Rep. Pastor “Jun” Alcover after he was declared “persona non grata” by the city council in 2010. Alcover is scheduled to join a congressional inquiry on human rights to be held here on November 8-9 (see separate story), according to Gabriela Women’s Party Rep. Luzviminda Ilagan, who will also be attending the hearing. “Dili siya dapat makatunob og yuta sa Davao (He is not supposed to step on Davao’s soil)”, she said. She noted that the city council did the right move to declare Alcover, together with Jovito Palparan, persona non grata. The two partylist representatives were quoted in a local newspaper back in 2009 as having said that Davao had become a breeding ground of the New People’s Army, leading to more violence in the city. Asked for a comment, Mayor Sara Duterte was quick to joke with her reply: “Magprepare mi og banda and red carpet (We will prepare a band and red carpet).” “Joke lang to ganina (The statement earlier was a joke). Unfortunately, we don’t have legal basis to prevent him from doing his job. It is enough that he knows he is undesirable and not welcome in the city,” she said. Duterte added: “And the best way to make him feel like an idiot is to ignore him.”... Also on Tuesday, militant groups staged a protest rally here to remind the city not to welcome Alcover come November 8-9. “We will stage a protest action outside the venue of the congressional inquiry if he will attend,” Sheena Duazo, of Bayan-Southern Mindanao, said. She pointed out that Alcover has no credibility to discuss human rights as “he himself is a violator of human rights.” Duazo cited that Alcover is guilty of red tagging or the act of subjectively branding someone as communist or member of the New People’s Army (NPA), noting that most victims of extrajudicial killings were also victims of red branding....
http://www.mindanews.com/top-stories/2012/11/07/dabawenyos-protest-rep-alcovers-visit/
Alcover and ANAD are strident anti-communists. Not surprizing that CPP front groups like Gabriela and BAYAN-Southern Mindanao attack his presence at the HR hearing.
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