NTF-ELCAC elated by ‘expulsion’ of NPA-linked orgs from Congress

From the Philippine News Agency (May 22, 2022): NTF-ELCAC elated by ‘expulsion’ of NPA-linked orgs from Congress

The National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) is elated by the electoral loss of party-list groups linked to the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People's Army-National Democratic Front (CPP-NPA-NDF).

In a press statement on Sunday, NTF ELCAC spokesperson for sectoral concerns and Communications Undersecretary Lorraine Badoy thanked Filipinos for not voting for Reds-linked party-list groups Bayan Muna and Anakpawis.

“The expulsion, particularly of Bayan Muna, is of notable worth because for 21 years, they have formidably sat in Congress, garnering the allowable maximum seats, three–while using the immense powers of Congress to destroy our people and our country and wasting the precious time of our real Representatives in Congress with their filibustering and their constant obstruction of important legislative work meant to move our country forward and ease the burdens of the most marginalized among us,” Badoy said.

She said Bayan Muna is “on its way to extinction” with just a little over 200,000 votes compared to over a million in the 2019 elections.

“We applaud the Filipino people for closing ranks behind our President, Chair of the NTF ELCAC, and heeding his call to defend and protect our country from these ruthless urban operatives of [CPP founder] Joma Sison/CPP-NPA-NDF by fully using the power of your vote. Truly, you understood so well that your vote is not only your right but your power. And you flexed it mightily,” she added.

According to Badoy, voting Reds-linked party-lists out of Congress is “the fiercest expression” of Filipinos’ love for the country by giving protection to the most helpless, such as children, indigenous peoples, and the poor.

She also thanked Filipinos for slashing in half the number of seats in the House of Representatives for what she described as “urban operatives of the CPP NPA NDF.”

“From around 3 million votes they garnered in the 2019 elections, they could only manage a little over a million votes in this year’s elections,” she added.

However, Badoy said the NTF-ELCAC is “saddened” that other left-leaning party-list groups, such as Kabataan, registered an increase to half a million votes.

She blamed losing presidential candidate Vice President Leni Robredo’s collusion with the CPP-NPA-NDF as a factor in Kabataan’s three more years in Congress.

“We attribute these votes to the treachery of Leni Robredo who colluded with the CPP-NPA-NDF which have co-opted Robredo followers in the youth sector and are now being radicalized and targeted for recruitment into this communist terrorist organization,” she said.

Robredo’s camp has repeatedly dismissed these allegations as “red-tagging”.

Badoy said NTF-ELCAC work “is not done” because there are still three Reds-linked party-list groups in Congress -- Kabataan, Alliance of Concerned Teachers, and Gabriela.

The NTF-ELCAC has filed cases of disqualification and criminal cases against the CPP-NPA-NDF fronts and will file even more, Badoy said.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1175064