Gov't workers must be protected from Reds' exploitation: DND exec

From the Philippine News Agency (Mar 18. 2021): Gov't workers must be protected from Reds' exploitation: DND exec (By Priam Nepomuceno)

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The Department of the Interior and Local Government's (DILG) move to discourage its employees from joining groups suspected to be affiliated with the communist terrorist group only seeks to protect them from exploitation, a defense official said on Thursday.

"The directive from DILG Assistant Secretary for Public Safety and Security Alexander Macario is intended to ensure that our public servants are not exploited or used to undermine the government and the stability of the Republic," Defense Undersecretary Reynaldo Mapagu said in a press statement.

Mapagu, also head of E-CLIP and Amnesty (EAP) Cluster of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF ELCAC), said they strongly support Macario's move.

"Indeed, the move should not be construed as an infringement on the rights of employees to join associations," he added.

He noted that it is just a reminder for civil servants to remain loyal to the country and the Filipino people.

"The government, for its part, shall ensure that the Constitutional rights of every Filipino are protected, regardless of one's political affiliation. As we continue the hard work of dismantling the discord sown by the CPP-NPA (Communist Party of the Philippines-New People's Army) in various sectors of our society, we are hoping for the public's continued support in unmasking the duplicity of the communist terrorist group," Mapagu said.

On March 10, the DILG issued a memorandum directing its regional directors to identify who among its employees are members of two progressive groups -- the Confederation for Unity, Recognition and Advancement of Government Employees (Courage), a network of workers’ unions in the government; and Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT), the union of public school teachers.

Bayan Muna Rep. Ferdinand Gaite denounced the memorandum, describing it as “blatant terrorist-tagging” and “an unwarranted act of harassment and intimidation.”

The CPP-NPA is listed as a terrorist organization by the United States, the European Union, the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the Philippines.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1134033