“The victory of the Bakwit School 7 is a testament to the truth and the legitimacy of the calls of the Lumad and the existence of the Bakwit School. This victory only proves that the NTF-ELCAC only peddles lies and that their stories bear no truth nor any weight when it comes to the fight for social justice.”

“Under a regime that takes pride in treason, tyranny, mass murder and plunder, the legal standards are degraded to the level of murderers and the standard of learning is also demeaned when Marxism or communism is merely equated to terrorism.”

Renato Reyes Jr. of Bagong Alyansang Makabayan said the designation “is arbitrary, no clear standards, no specific terrorist acts cited, just a sweeping accusation.”

Esperon, who sits as the vice-chair of the terror council, refused to provide Associate Justice Estela Perlas-Bernabe the names of those they will designate as terrorists as it may preempt the ATC.

“It is not merely provocation. What I fear about is the phrase ‘provoke the government’ is too vague so as to include any kind of provocation. It did not say that to provoke a government to do or to abstain from doing an act. Just it stated that to provoke the government.”