Don't be deceived by commies, gov't execs, employees urged

From the Philippine News Agency (Apr 8, 2021): Don't be deceived by commies, gov't execs, employees urged (By Perla Lena)

SUPPORT. Associate Provincial Prosecutor Flosemer Chris Gonzales, chair of the legal cooperation cluster and RTF6-ELCAC spokesperson, on Thursday (April 8, 2021) issued a statement supporting the claim of National Intelligence Coordinating Agency Director-General Alex Paul Monteagudo on communist terrorist groups' (CTGs) infiltration of government offices and government employee associations. Gonzales called on government workers to support the campaign against CTGs. (PNA file photo)

The Regional Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (RTF-ELCAC) in Western Visayas on Thursday called on all public officials and employees in government to support the all-out war against communist terrorist groups (CTGs) and their legal fronts.

Associate Provincial Prosecutor Flosemer Chris Gonzales, RTF6-ELCAC spokesperson, called on government workers not to be deceived by the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army (CPP-NPA) and its front organizations.

Gonzales, who is chairperson of RTF6-ELCAC legal cooperation cluster, said government employees who have sworn allegiance to the CPP-NPA and/or any of its legal fronts and finding it difficult to separate from the CTG “by all means, should resign from your post”, he said.

“You are doing the government and the Filipino people a great disservice,” he added.

The task force, in a statement, made the call in support of National Intelligence Coordinating Agency (NICA) Director-General Alex Paul Monteagudo's claim about the CTG infiltration of government offices and employees associations.

In a Facebook post on April 5, Monteagudo said Sandigan ng mga Empleyadong Nagkakaisa sa Adhikain ng Demokratikong Orgnisasyon (SENADO) is manned by the Confederation for Unity, Recognition and Advancement of Government Employees (COURAGE) and served as the “eyes and ears of the CPP-NPA-NDF to hijack government plans and programs.”

“That COURAGE is a legal front of the CPP-NPA whose primary task is to infiltrate various government offices and radicalize government employees, which would gradually weaken the government bureaucracy from within,” said

Gonzales called the act of Monteagudo is an “unprecedented move" as he “unmasked COURAGE in front of the Filipino people by stating the naked TRUTH”.

"The exposé is damaging to the group that strongly denied any and all ties to the CPP-NPA,” he said.

Gonzales said those who criticized the intelligence chief have not studied their history and “have greatly underestimated the resolve of this government to put an end to the 52-year-old communist insurgency that has claimed the lives of thousands of Filipinos”.

He added that since the CPP-NPA could no longer deceive the people, as their former cadres have also spoken, their propaganda machinery resorted to focus on “maligning and vilifying NTF-ELCAC and men of unquestioned integrity” such as Lt. Gen. Antonio Parlade Jr and Monteagudo.

Parlade is Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Southern Luzon Command chief and NTF-ELCAC spokesperson.

He said their commitment to exposing the “deceptive schemes” of the CPP-NPA “transcends beyond and above their call of duty.”

Politicking

Meanwhile, in a virtual press conference Wednesday, Gonzales reminded some legislators who “are confused as to the nature of their jobs and who are hell-bent on undermining the NTF-ELCAC and the campaign of this government against the communist terrorist groups” of their oath to protect the county from its enemies, local terrorists, particularly the CPP-NPA and its legal fronts.

“You are not there in Congress to spend the taxpayers' money to protect, promote, and advance the political agenda of your political parties. You must not collude with the enemies of the State and of the Filipino people. It is tantamount to treason and a betrayal of the public trust,” he said.

Gonzales expressed alarm that the Senate considered discussing a bill to criminalize red-tagging saying the Supreme Court has ruled that there is no such thing as red-tagging and senators must understand that as most of them are lawyers.

“Now to undermine the effort of the government in putting an end to this 52-year old insurgency is I think the height of what we call politicking on the part of the Senators. Because as we can see, those who are pushing through with the bill on red-tagging are those that are opposed to the government, the present administration I mean,” he said.

He added that it is "very irresponsible" for lawmakers to put national security in danger just because of politics and instead of supporting efforts of the government against the CPP-NPA, the senators opposing the current administration focused their resources to undermine the gains.

He called on Senators Franklin Drilon, Francis Pangilinan, Risa Hontiveros, and those belonging to their group to “transcend beyond politics”.

Bordering on treason

Gonzales said undermining the accomplishment of NICA in exposing the truth is “bordering on treason” as the primary job of the agency is to know the truth.

He added that the call of SENADO for Monteagudo to apologize as reported by inquirer.net is “unthinkable”.

“Why would a government employee apologize for doing his job? That’s out of the question in my opinion,” he said.

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

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1136163