MANILA, Philippines (Updated 4:19 p.m.) — Members of Anakpawis party-list were arrested in Cavite on Thursday as presidential campaigns argued about supposed communist infiltration in an episode that has become familiar to groups that have been red-tagged — linked to the communist armed struggle for being activists and dissenters.
In a statement, lawyer Barry Gutierrez, spokesperson for Vice President Leni Robredo parried accusations from a Cavite congressman and warning from Sen. Panfilo "Ping" Lacson of infiltration by so-called communist fronts and a potential coalition government with the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People's Army-National Democratic Front.
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"For the record, there is no 'coalition government' being contemplated, and to leap to the absurd conclusion that there is, based on self-serving reports, supposedly 'validated' by someone desperate for a seat in the party-list elections, is the height of irresponsibility," Gutierrez, a former party-list representative of Akbayan, said.
He said the red-tagging was "fear-mongering in a cynical effort to dampen the energy, enthusiasm, and commitment of the people's campaign that has emerged to provide massive support to VP Leni's candidacy for president."
Activists warn of Cavite 'crackdown'
Earlier Thursday, labor group Kilusang Mayo Uno issued an alert of a "crackdown" in Bacoor, Cavite on activists and campaigners of Anakpawis party-list. Anakpawis is part of the Makabayan bloc that has endorsed Robredo's run for president.
According to the alert, residents as well as campaigners of Anakpawis in Sitio Silingan in Bacoor were arrested in what was supposedly an anti-drug operation.
Police allegedly entered the home of Johmelda Lucernas, who was hurt in the arrest.
"Pinaputukan din ang asawa ni Joel Salabanya na kasalukuyang Vice Chair ng Anakpawis Party-list Cavite habang si Joel ay sinuntok at inagawan ng cellphone," the alert read.
(They shot at the wife of Joel Salabanya, the vice chair of Anakpawis Partylist Cavite. They also punched Joel and took his cellphone)
The activists arrested in Bacoor have since been released.
In a separate alert, regional rights alliance Defend Southern Tagalog reported that Anakpawis regional coordinator Jonathan Mercado was taken from Silang, Cavite and into the custody of personnel of Police Regional Office 4A.
"He was assisting farmers in the area. Mercado is feared to be held incommunicado by Cavite police, as human rights teams have not located Mercado yet," Defend-ST said.
Philstar.com has sought comment from Police Maj. Mary Torres Crester, public information officer of Police Regional Office 4A, but she has not responded as of this post.
Members of the Makabayan bloc are among the activists groups that the government has repeatedly accused of being "communist fronts", accusations that the groups have constantly rejected.
The arrests come within days of the commemoration of the "Bloody Sunday" raids that left nine activists dead across the Calabarzon region
READ: A year since 'Bloody Sunday' raids: 34 cops face murder raps, harassment of activists continues
Trillanes: No communists in Robredo campaign
Former Sen. Antonio "Sonny" Trillanes IV, a former Navy officer and among the leaders of the rightist Magdalo group during the Arroyo administration, clarified on Thursday that there are no communists in the Robredo campaign.
In comments directed at Lacson, Trillanes said: "[Y]our intel sources are wrong, and that Ka Eric you cited is a fraud."
Trillanes was referring to Jeffrey "Ka Eric" Celiz, who claims to be a former rebel and who frequently features in press conferences and shows of the National Task Force to End Communist Armed Conflict. Apart from working with NTF-ELCAC, Celiz is a nominee of Abante Sambayanan, a party-list claiming to represent former rebels.
Celiz claimed, citing a text message from an unnamed former rebel, that the allegations of communist infltration at a Cavite rally over the weekend were true.
"I am inside the campaign team of VP Leni and I don't see any communists here. VP will never agree to that. Her military advisers could attest to this too," Trillanes said in a tweet on Thursday.
It is not illegal to be an activist, a leftist or even a communist in the Republic of the Philippines.
In response to Trillanes' statement, Lacson said that he had an intellligence source and that the supposed intelligence had been validated by Celiz's claim. He also said that his statement was purely out of concern.
Lacson, a former national police chief, earlier Thursday said the possible "infiltration" in Robredo's campaign is "really worrisome."
"If those in the campaign were not aware of this, they should consider themselves warned and take appropriate action. If they are a willing partner, they should consider the consequences of their actions — we simply cannot afford to have a coalition government with a movement whose sole objective is to seize power," Lacson said in a statement.
In a separate statement, the Magdalo party-list called the allegations "merely black propaganda" that it said only "arose after the series of crowd-filled campaign rallies of VP Leni."
"Further, many former high-ranking officials of the military and police have given their endorsement to VP Leni. With their access to reliable intelligence and reputations on the line, I do not think they would be supporting someone with ties with the NPA," Rep. Manuel Cabochan III (Magdalo party-list) said.
Rep. Jesus Crispin Remulla (Cavite) over the weekend claimed that the students at the Cavite rally "looked like activists" and jumped to the conclusion that these were trained by the NDF, a group that the Anti-Terrorism Council has designated a terrorist organization.
Red-tagging has been commonly used by the government agencies and officials against environmentalists, human rights workers and journalists regardless of ideology. — with a report from Angelica Y. Yang