Posters showing militant leaders as rebels surface

BAGUIO CITY, Philippines—Posters portraying leaders of militant groups and a group allied with the Aquino administration as communist rebels have surfaced in Ifugao province, and some of their subjects are complaining that these have put them in danger.

The posters, put up by a group called the Ifugao People’s Council, described former party-list Representatives Satur Ocampo and Teddy Casiño of Bayan Muna, Liza Maza of Gabriela and Risa Hontiveros of Akbayan as New People’s Army (NPA) members.

Ocampo, Casiño and Maza are some of the harshest critics of President Aquino, while Hontiveros is an Aquino ally who ran for senator under the administration ticket and lost in the 2013 elections.

The council also identified Beverly Longid, of the party-list Katribu, Jude Baggo of the Cordillera Human Rights Alliance and Emerson Soriano of the Cordillera People’s Alliance as communist rebels.

Longid said the colored posters were captioned with, “Rupa ken nagan dagiti NPA nga agsusuweldo (Faces and names of the NPA who are receiving salaries).”

She said she received text messages from friends on Feb. 25 about the posters that appeared in the towns of Banaue and Lagawe, the capital.

“I can always take such accusations and persecution in stride—and probably others, too—knowing there is no truth to it. However, many might believe and take action on it,” Longid said in a letter to the Inquirer.

Ifugao Rep. Teodoro Baguilat Jr. said reports of the posters had reached him and their display might have been timed with a visit there of another party-list, ACT Teachers.

“I find no other reason behind this latest attack but to intimidate me and veer the public and myself from my advocacy for indigenous peoples’ rights and human rights,” Longid said. Vincent Cabreza, Inquirer Northern Luzon