AND so it came to pass.
I am referring, dear readers, to the “challenge” raised by PCOO undersecretary Lorraine Marie Badoy, to the members of the ‘Makabayad,’ err, ‘Makabayan’ bloc, in Congress that she would resign provided they publicly denounce the CPP-NPA.
Usec Lorraine, of course, has long been on the crosshairs of the so-called ‘militant’ members of Congress and their mass organizations because of her chutzpah, her courage, in mincing no words in labeling them as members and leaders of the CPP thru their “front organizations.”
And reeling and smarting from the dare, Rep. Carlos Zarate of Bayan Muna said Usec. Lorraine is in “no position” to make “any condition” on any member of Congress and that she should also make her allegations “under oath.”
Well, it that applies to Usec. Lorraine, that should also apply to Zarate and his fellow members in the Makabayan bloc, should it not?
Are they also willing, to state under oath, that they are not or have not been, members of the CPP and that to prove this, they would also denounce the party and the NPA as soon as they receive the written resignation of Usec. Badoy?
If both happen, they would make great news indeed.
***
Unfortunately for the Makabayan bloc, the accusation of Usec. Lorraine and others in government against them– that Bayan, Bayan Muna, KMU, COURAGE, ACT and the LFS, among others, are CPP front organizations—is old news, really, dear readers.
If they are seeking someone to blame for this ‘red-tagging’ they should focus their tirade against CPP founder, Jose Maria Sison.
The “blabbermouth” that he is, Sison, as soon as he got away from the Philippines in 1987, made a major speech in Brussels where he actually named the above organizations as the “legal democratic forces” of the CPP-NPA (see related story in this edition).
It is “unfortunate” for the Makabayan bloc because, somehow, the video of that speech is still in existence and is now freely available.
In other words, Sison’s verbal confirmation of their real “character” is there for all to see and hear and the only way Rep. Zarate and his group can dispute this is to, well, denounce Joma, probably sue him for libel, in order to “prove” they are not closet communists.
As for Usec. Lorraine merely repeating what Joma had said, does that constitute a “crime” at all? Or do they want Joma’s speech to be played in the plenary of Congress?
The world has changed so much today that Filipinos are no longer easily persuaded with acid-laced comments coming from even members of Congress. And most especially, from members of Congress. The ordinary people now have accessed to information. They now can find the “truth” on their own.
Hindi na sila madaling “utuin” ngayon.
The world has changed so much today that whatever legalese the Makabayan bloc resorts to in order to avoid a “showdown” with Usec. Lorraine, the only way they can save their credibility is to answer her dare: denounce the CPP/NPA.