MANILA, Philippines — The indignation rallies held in different parts of the country against the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) on its 51st founding anniversary on Thursday were dismissed as utter misuse of public funds by Bayan Muna Rep. Eufemia Cullamat.
In a statement, Cullamat condemned the “seeming continued use of government funds by fly by night groups formed by the military and the police to Red tag and set up for attack progressive party-list groups under the Makabayan bloc and to sabotage the peace talks.”
“Sa halip na gamitin ang pera ng bayan para mas pahusayin ang paghuli sa mga kriminal at kurakot ay binabanatan ang mga progresibo na nagbabantay laban sa korapsyon at katiwalian sa bansa,” she said.
(Instead of using public funds to hunt down criminals and the corrupt, they threaten progressive groups fighting against corruption in the country.)
Make the peace talks work
Instead of holding rallies, she said concerned parties should support the resumption of peace talks between the government and the National Democratic Front of the Philippines, CPPs political arm.
Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan) secretary general Renato Reyes also condemned the rallies, calling these as the attempt of “peace spoilers” to impede the peace talks between the government and the communist insurgents.
“Today’s coordinated ‘rallies’ by the National Task Force to End Local Armed Conflict purportedly against the CPP [were] utter waste of taxpayers’ money and is a great disservice to the nation,” he said in a separate statement.
“The peace spoilers in the regime are at it again, trying to derail the talks and poison the air with black propaganda,” he added.
LGUs behind the rallies
According to Philippine National Police (PNP) spokesperson Brig. Gen. Bernard Banac, the rallies were “led and initiated” by local government units and non-government organizations, and were “supported” by the police “by way of providing security.”
“All LGUs and government agencies including the PNP are mandated to initiate activities towards the attainment of goals under the EO No. 70,” he told INQUIRER.net, referring to the executive order that created the task force against local communist insurgency.
The rallies were meant to “denounce all forms of violence, terrorist actions, and atrocities” by the CPP-NPA, read a report from the Police Regional Office-Cordillera.