Elago: Complaint vs Anakbayan meant to ‘harass, silence’ progressives

Kabataan Party-list Representative Sarah Elago said on Saturday that the group is reviewing to protest ex-National Youth Commission chair Ronald Cardema’s substitution as Duterte Youth party-list nominee. Katrina Hallare/INQUIRER.net

MANILA, Philippines — The kidnapping and other complaints filed against leaders of Anakbayan are aimed at “harassing” and “silencing” progressive youth groups, Kabataan Rep. Sarah Elago said Thursday.

The Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) revealed during a recent Senate inquiry that they lodged kidnapping and other complaints against Anakbayan leaders over a “missing” senior high school student whom they allegedly recruited.

Elago expressed confidence that the complaints would not prosper as these were based on “fake news and false allegations.” She also pointed out that the student herself admitted that she willingly joined Anakbayan and was not missing.

“Nakabatay po ‘yan sa fake news at false allegations kaya po tayo ay tiwala na ito ay madali rin mababasura,” she said. “‘Yan ay isang harassment case lamang para patahimikin ‘yung mga national organizations na naninindigan laban sa mga pamamaslang kaugnay ng drug war at iba pang patakaran ng Duterte administration.”

READ: Minors joining leftist groups worse off than drug users, parent says at Senate probe

The Senate inquiry initiated by Senator Ronald dela Rosa, former Philippine National Police chief, was ultimately aimed at putting pressure on schools to allow uniformed personnel in their premises, according to Elago, as it is part of a systemic drive to repress students’ freedom to express and organize.

“‘Yung tunay na hangarin ay para i-pressure ‘yung mga school na baguhin ‘yung existing na kasunduan, mapapasok ‘yung police at military doon sa mga campus hindi lang sa UP kundi sa lahat ng mga educational institutions, na palabasin na ‘yung pagiging aktibista, ‘yung pagsasalita sa iba’t-ibang mga issue ay kriminal,” Elago lamented.

“Minamaliit at pinapatahimik ‘yung mga panawagan ng kabataan at ‘yung mga rason kung bakit ba sila lumalaban…” she added.

The party-list congresswoman, nevertheless, said they would look into the complaints of some parents whose children were recruited by leftists groups. /kga