The Market Monitor Minding the Nation's Business
National Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperon admitted that the Makabayan bloc in the House of Representatives is not involved in any illegal activity, amidst the red-tagging controversy between state forces and leftist groups.
Esperon however said the Makabayan bloc seem indistinguishable from being an organization that supports worthy advocacies and that who support communism and armed rebellion.
“They are not doing anything illegal in Congress. They are not. But there are underground organizations that they, whether wittingly or unwittingly, support those who are connected with the Communist Party of the Philippines and the New People’s Army (NPA) and the underground National Democratic Front,” he said in a recent interview.
Esperon said they conduct “manual surveillance” on elected members of the Makabayan bloc, even without a court order after they were considered a security threat or supporting groups who are threats to security.
Esperon believes disqualifying the Makabayan bloc as party-list representative is also an option.
He said they should face the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) in ongoing Senate hearings conducted by Sen. Panfilo Lacson on alleged red-tagging.
Esperon insists Ella Colmenares, sister of actress Angel Locsin, is a member of the NPA. He also said he believes the allegations of a supposed former communist rebel who testified at the Senate hearing.
Meanwhile, Malacañang rejected a proposal by some senators to realign the P19-billion anti-insurgency fund under the NTF-ELCAC to disaster relief efforts and COVID-19 response in next year’s budget.
“I think there is no need to realign the funds because ELCAC’s budget goes to areas where there are insurgency problems. We know that there should be progress and development in these areas so that the problem of insurgency will be eradicated,” said presidential spokesman Harry Roque.
Bi-partisan senators expressed support to calls to realign the NTF-ELCAC fund in next year’s budget for the government’s response to the pandemic and housing.
