CPP/Ang Bayan Daily News & Analysis: DILG using red-tagging as election tool—CPP

Ang Bayan Daily News & Analysis (Tagalog edition) posted to the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) Website (Oct 19, 2021): DILG using red-tagging as election tool—CPP

The Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) today slammed the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) for threatening politicians it is accusing of “supporting the NPA” with prosecution under the terror law saying this shows how red-tagging is being used as a political tool against candidates in the 2022 elections who are critical or unsupportive of the Duterte regime.

In a statement last week, the DILG emphasized that it will “actively seek disqualification” of those whom it claims are associated with the CPP or support the New People’s Army (NPA) “through financing.” It warned politicians against abiding by the policies of the revolutionary movement with regard the conduct of their electoral campaign in NPA areas.

CPP Chief Information Officer Marco Valbuena said that “these thinly veiled threats are directed against politicians critical of the repressive policies of the Duterte tyrannical regime.”

“The DILG’s threats of linking candidates to the CPP or NPA are akin to hanging the Sword of Damocles over their heads, similar to the sham ‘narco list’ used by Duterte against opposition politicians to threaten them with murder unless they bow to Duterte’s tyranny,” added Valbuena.

Valbuena said the revolutionary movement will continue to implement policies governing the conduct of the reactionary elections in the areas of operation of the NPA to protect the interests of the people against violence by armed goons or police and military escorts of campaigning politicians.

The CPP information officer urged all candidates to consult with representatives of local units of the NPA or organs of political power so that they can be briefed over these policies. He reiterated that these policies are equally applied to all political parties and candidates.

Valbuena said the DILG and PNP directives are in conjunction with the National Task Force-Elcac’s rolling campaign against progressive partylist groups running for congressional seats. Kabataan Partylist and Gabriela Women’s Party, both part of the Makabayan bloc in Congress, are facing disqualification cases in Comelec lodged by the NTF-Elcac.

“These directives are evidence that the Duterte regime is doing everything in order to remain in power amid rising people’s disenchantment over its failed pandemic response, widespread corruption, treason, and crimes of mass murder,” said Valbuena. (CPP Information Bureau)

[In the face of the rapidly changing political and economic situation in the Philippines, as well as around the world, the newspaper Ang Bayan publishes daily news and analysis on key issues facing the proletariat and the Filipino people, as well as the oppressed people among others. Here you will find the latest news and articles of Ang Bayan.]

https://cpp.ph/angbayan/dilg-using-red-tagging-as-election-tool-cpp/