“The education sector will suffer from huge budget cuts while the NTF-ELCAC [National Task Force to End the Local Communist Armed Conflict] enjoys a big allocation, or P10 billion budget for silencing the people’s dissent. Both the offices of Marcos Jr. and Sara Duterte will have bloated confidential and intelligence funds.”
It’s historically farcical as it is no less lethal that cold-war anti-communist crusade and red tagging trope earned new vigor at present. Our historical moment now is most decadent when the worst elite of the country captured the reigns of the state by corrupting the election mechanisms of formal democracy.
Women’s group Gabriela said the government should allocate zero-budget for agencies and instruments that “are at the forefront of silencing women and the rest of the Filipino people.
Wala sa lugar ni kakayahan ng NTF-ELCAC na magsuri ng mga akda. Kung gustong magsulat nila Badoy at Celiz ng literaturang “di subersibo,” magsulat sila. Ngunit malaking insulto sa utak nating mga Pilipino na diktahan ng isang “task force” para sugpuin ang rebolusyonaryong kilusan ang ating sensibilidad, panlasa at kakayahang magproseso ng nababasa at bumuo ng sariling kritika.
“Those defending their rights and that of others are being wrongfully painted as criminals through charges that are based on fabricated testimonies of soldiers or contracted witnesses, or on planted evidence.”
“The form and name is new, but basically, what we were 50 years ago is the same with what we are today.”
“We call on all the concerned sectors to stand together against the continuing wave of red-tagging and terrorist-labelling and to vigorously defend freedom of expression, freedom of the press, freedom of association and the right to peaceably assemble.”
Progressive party-list groups vow to be voices of dissent in a chamber that will most likely be a rubber stamp of the incoming administration.
“As a state-run news agency, PNA should observe the ethical standards of journalism, as government resources should be utilized for the public good.”
“Red-tagging is worse during elections as it aims to hinder the progressives from campaigning, such as the case of Robredo and her supporters,” youth leader Justine Mesias said.
Human rights lawyers said that Maj. Gen. Jovito Palparan Jr. enjoys special privileges and is being given special treatment while serving his sentence for the crimes of which he has been convicted and being detained to answer for his other crimes.