On March 15, government media outlet Philippine News Agency (PNA) published an article claiming that the Gabriela Women’s Party (GWP), a party-list group currently holding office in Congress, recruits for the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army-National Democratic Front (CPP-NPA-NDF).
In time with the observance of International Women’s Day on March 8, a special press briefing was held by the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC), where a certain Arian Jane Ramos, claiming to be an ex-member of the NPA, alleged that the GWP has been recruiting for the NPA as was her case.
CLAIM:
Gabriela Women’s Party recruits for the CPP-NPA-NDF
RATING:
FALSE
FACTS
GWP is duly registered with the Commission on Elections, the Securities and Exchange Commission, and holds a seat at the House of Representatives as a sectoral political organization representing the women’s sector.
Despite the lack of any substantial evidence that could link GWP with the CPP-NPA-NDF, the group has been a frequent target of red-tagging attacks, especially by officials of the NTF-ELCAC.
In an interview with Altermidya, GWP Rep. Arlene Brosas debunked PNA’s claim and said that Ramos, who spoke during the NTF-ELCAC press briefing, has never been a member of GWP nor is she aware of any Arian Jane Ramos and her purported affiliation with other organizations.
Brosas explained that GWP has represented the women’s sector in the party-list system of the House of Representatives from the 13th Congress to the present 18th Congress, stressing that amid all the accusations hurled against GWP, no court in the country has ever issued a decision that could prove that her group worked in cahoots with the NPA.
Brosas also disproved the allegation that GWP is using its members to gather funds from various organizations. “Hindi po nagso-solicit ang Gabriela Partylist, in fact bawal po sa’min ‘yan sa panahon ng election. Hindi namin ‘yun ginagawa at hindi namin ‘yun gawain,” Brosas stressed.
The legislator said that Ramos may be speaking under duress, and at the bidding of NTF-ELCAC officials. “Alam natin na ginagamit sila para gipitin, i-vilify ang mga legitimate organizations na alam natin kaiba ang opinyon sa kasalukuyang administrasyon. In fact we are in the opposition, therefore we are the target of those claims,” Brosas said.
Red-tagging attacks against GWP and other opposition parties and political figures may be part of the government’s playbook of discrediting the opposition through vilification, Brosas added. “Alam nila ang lawak na inaabot ng Gabriela. So that is why hindi lang naman tayo, even Leni Robredo, even Kiko Pangilinan, even mga artista ay nire-redtag. Because they would want na manahimik sa mga issues, crucial issues sa usapin ng gobyerno lalong-lalo na sa ekonomiya at lalong-lalo na sa karapatang pantao,” the legislator stressed.
WHY IT MATTERS
For years, the political opposition has been the subject of unrelenting red-tagging attacks by government entities and officials. The issue has become so pernicious that a Senate bill has already been filed – Senate Bill 2121, to criminalize “red-tagging by state agents.”
This is also not the first time that the state-funded PNA has engaged in publishing red-tagging articles, an act that has earned the ire of several groups as the said agency is funded by the public and has a P121.75 million budget for 2022. The PNA has posted the article on their Facebook page and has now reached 1,500 reactions, 398 shares, and 80 comments. -Rome Medina & Neil Dizon
Altermidya Network is part of #FactsFirstPH which brings together various sectors that are committed to promoting truth in the public space, and exacting accountability on those who harm it with lies. For those interested to join the initiative, email info@factsfirst.ph.
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