Cavite Governor Jonvic Remulla will not permit red-tagging in the province, and his recent statement has made that clear.
According to the Cavite governor in a Facebook post, a red-tagging incident occurred on a Cavite State University webinar attended by over 1,000 freshman students for their National Service Training Program (NSTP) orientation last Oct. 24.
During the talk, a speaker from the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) tagged some groups and activists as “communist terrorists.” This “concerned” Remulla, especially after prominent personalities like Miss Universe 2018 Catriona Gray, celebrities Angel Locsin and Liza Soberano and Manila City mayor Isko Moreno were recently red-tagged as well.
With this, he announces the ban on materials that promote red-tagging across the province. This serves as the first reported effort from a governor against anti-communist activities of the military.
“Let me assure you that if you or any of your men put up similar posters or tarpaulins in the Province of Cavite, they will NOT last a day! I will personally lead the effort to tear your propaganda posters down,” warned the governor.
“Brand me a communist if you will but it is my sworn duty to defend Cavite’s record in holding the insurgency at bay. Ultimately, the fight against the appeal of joining the insurgency starts with jobs, justice, and the commitment of [the] government to uphold their obligations to the people. Slogans, red-tagging and threats will never prosper nor win. Rather, it is good governance as well as the sincerity and will to serve that shall triumph and prevail,” he also wrote.
Remulla’s post also called out NTF-ELCAC spokesman and Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Southern Luzon Command Lt. Gen. Antonio Parlade, Jr. for branding public personalities as sympathizers of left-wing groups for speaking out—and for Moreno’s case, taking down a poster that said communists were “persona non grata” in Metro Manila.
Header photo from Inquirer.net
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