Elago denies Kabataan Party-list group recruiting for NPA

MANILA, Philippines — Kabataan Party-list Rep. Sarah Elago on Tuesday denied being part of the communist movement, or that the youth organization that she represents is an “NPA recruiter,” as claimed by the military.

“Hindi ako NPA. Hindi ako NPA recruiter. Hindi po bahagi o front ng CPP  (Communist Party of the Philippines) ang Kabataan Partylist. Hindi NPA Recruiter ang Kabataan Partylist. Hindi rin ito nagrerecruit para maging NPA,” Elago said at the continuation of the hearing of the Senate committee on national defense probing the red-tagging on certain personalities and organizations.

(I am not a member of NPA. I am not an NPA recruiter. Kabataan Partylist neither part nor a front organization of the CPP. It is not recruiting members to become part of the CPP.)

Elago also said it is “illogical” to say that the partylist is being used to recruit NPA members if it is indeed true that there are members of Kabataan who later became communist rebels, adding that several members of the partylist have ventured in different professions.

“May kalayaang magdesisyon ang bawat miyembro kung anong landas na kanilang tatahakin sa buhay (Every member of the organization has the right to choose the path in life that they want to take),” she added.

She also said it is better to respond to the root causes on why some Filipinos still join armed groups and rebel against the government, instead of throwing accusations to progressive groups.

Elago, who turned emotional at the latter part of her statement, likewise denied the claim of a certain Lady Ann Miranda, the witness previously presented by the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-Elcac). Elago said she did not attend an “underground meeting” at the University of the Philippines College of Law, contrary to the allegation by Miranda.

“Una, hindi ko siya kilala. Pangalawa, wala akong dinadaluhan na sinasabing underground meeting (First, I don’t know her. Second, I did not attend the said underground meeting),” Elago said.

The House lawmaker also denied that the CPP chooses the nominees of Kabataan Partylist and others groups under the Makabayan bloc during elections.

EDV