Zarate: I am not an official of CPP
MANILA, Philippines — Bayan Muna Rep. Carlos Zarate vehemently denied before a Senate hearing on Tuesday that he is an official of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP).
“Tahasan kong sinasabi sa Komiteng ito, Mr. Chair, na hindi ako miyembro o opisyal ng Communist Party of the Philippines o (CPP). Hindi ako rebelde o miyembro ng NDFP (National Democratic Front of the Philippines),” Zarate said during the hearing of the Senate Committee on National Defense and Security, Peace, Unification and Reconciliation on the issue of red-tagging of certain personalities and organizations.
NDFP is the political arm of the CPP.
Zarate likewise reiterated that Bayan Muna was not created or is being controlled by the communist party.
“Tahasan ko ring pinasisinungalingan na ang aking partido, ang Bayan Muna, ay creation at kontrolado ng CPP,” he said.
(I deny that my partylist, Bayan Muna, was created and is being controlled by the CPP.)
“Ang Bayan Muna at iba pang miyembro ng Koalisyong Makabayan sa House of Representatives ay mga lehitimong mga partido na naniniwala sa paglahok sa parliamentaryong pakikibaka para sa pagsusulong ng mga reporma at pagbabago sa ating lipunan,” he added.
(Bayan Muna and other members of the Makabayan bloc at the House of Representatives are legitimate parties who believe in bringing our struggle for reforms to the parliament.)
Zarate noted that members of the Makabayan bloc were even the proponents of laws that catered to the welfare of Filipinos.
The lawmaker attended the latest hearing of the Senate committee on national defense after previously opting to skip the first hearing on red-tagging on November 3.
During the previous hearing, Lacson said Bayan Muna had requested a separate hearing without the presence of members of the military, especially Lt. Gen. Antonio Parlade Jr., who was recently under fire for the same issue.
