Alvarez’s red-tagging may signal crackdown vs militant solons — Makabayan

MANILA, Philippines — The House of Representatives’ Makabayan bloc on Thursday raised alarm over the accusation of House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez that some party-lists have ties with communist rebels.

In a statement, members of the Makabayan bloc called Alvarez’s insinuation that the militant solons are benefiting from the New People’s Army’s revolutionary taxation “malicious and dangerous red-tagging.”

“The malicious insinuation… is too absurd for further comment were it not for the real danger that he could be laying a preposterous predicate for cracking down on Makabayan on trumped-up charges,” they said.

The militant solons added: “This crude attempt to implicate the Makabayan bloc in the collection of revolutionary taxes is, if anything, only a means to further strengthen the administration’s objective to incriminate all of its ‘dissenter’ as either terrorists or terrorist financiers.”

In a statement Thursday, the House speaker defended the cuts in funding for projects of opposition lawmakers by implying some might have been getting money from communist rebels with whom they are ideologically aligned.

READ: Speaker goes on offense to defend cuts to opposition projects

Among the lawmakers who did not get funding for projects were members of the Makabayan bloc and of the erstwhile ruling Liberal Party.

The Makabayan bloc is composed of members of the ACT Teachers, Gabriela, Bayan Muna, Anakpawis and Kabataan party-lists.

The bloc, identified with the national democratic movement, has seven seats in the House. Support for and membership in activist groups, however, does not equate to membership in the Communist Party of the Philippines or its armed wing, the NPA.

President Rodrigo Duterte, as early as October, started accusing opposition groups of committing rebellion.

On December 6, Duterte signed a proclamation labeling the CPP-NPA as terrorist groups. Among the grounds the chief executive used in justifying his request to extend martial law in Mindanao for another year is the continued clashes of the government against the NPA.

READ: Why Duterte's 'red-baiting' of activists is dangerous

Diversion from pork barrel issue

Members of the Makabayan bloc said the red-tagging of militant solons shows that the House leadership “just wants to divert attention” from the issue of pork barrel in Congress.

“Speaker Alvarez should just stick to the issue of pork barrel at hand and not try to use a smokescreen or flagrantly justify the continued proliferation of patronage politics,” they said.

Alvarez, a solon from Davao del Norte, is an outspoken supporter of Duterte.

On Wednesday, Budget Secretary Benjamin Diokno said administration “allies will get more” from the 2018 budget.

Duterte signed the General Appropriations Act of 2018 on Tuesday. 

READ: Denial of funds for critical solons meant to 'stifle dissent,' 'silence opposition'