‘Red-tagging’ bill seen to get Senate ok

AFTER failing to get majority support for the bill he has filed that seeks to criminalize “red-tagging,” Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon, must have been smiling these days as the Senate majority, headed by Senate President Vicente Sotto III, now said they are “inclined” to support its passage.

This, after National Intelligence Coordinating Agency (NICA) director general, Alex Paul Monteagudo, accused the Senate’s union, the ‘Sandigan ng Nagkakaisang Empleyado sa Adhikain ng Demokratikong Organisasyon (SENADO), of being the “eyes and ears” of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) “to hijack government plans and programs” over its affiliation with ‘COURAGE’ (Confederation for the Unity, Recognition and Advancement of Government Employees).

Officials from the national security establishment averred that COURAGE is a front organization of the CPP purposely established to organized workers in the government sector to support its ultimate goal of bringing down the government thru armed force.

Monteagudo’s position is also supported by the ‘National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict’ (NTF-ELCAC).

‘Change of heart’

After conducting three public hearings late last year on the issue of red-tagging, the Senate Committee on National Defense and Security, Peace Unification and Reconciliation, chaired by Sen. Panfilo Lacson, concluded there is no need to ‘criminalize’ the term created by CPP front organizations to throw off the government in going after them.

Under Committee Report 186 that was submitted to the Senate plenary last February 22, 2021 and finally approved, with amendment, last March 10, 2021, it stated that there are already enough existing laws that can be used by aggrieved parties to bring to court those who accused them of being members of the CPP and its armed wing, the New People’s Army (NPA), both of which are classified as “terrorist organizations” here and abroad.

It also called on the so-called ‘Makabayan Bloc’ in Congress to denounce the CPP-NPA to back their defense that they are not members or officials of the CPP-NPA. The bloc, however, still refuses to do so to now.

(The only amendment to the report was the inclusion of the call for NTF-ELCAC spokesperson and concurrent Southern Luzon area commander, Lt. General Antonio ‘Jun’ Parlade, to be removed from the task force but this did not happen).

Drilon then last March 24, 2021, filed SB 2121, seeking to criminalize and penalize red-tagging by imprisonment of upwards to 10 years plus perpetual disqualification to hold public office. The proposal was largely ignored by many of his peers, however.

But with the NICA and the task force now seen as ganging up on the Senate union (and other government unions who opted to continue with their affiliation with COURAGE), most senators had decided to close ranks behind the Senate employees.

After Monteagudo’s accusation first came out last April 6, 2021, Sotto, the following day, said he is “now inclined to support the criminalizing of red-tagging,” adding, the “prudent thing” the NICA chief should have done is to first “consult” him before hurling the accusation.

As of this writing, Sotto said he is yet to receive any list from Monteagudo as regards the members of the Senate union identified as “sympathizers” or actual members of the CPP, adding the information, if provided, would be treated as “confidential.”

Sotto, like other lawmakers and his predecessors in the Senate’s top post, expressed incredulity over the NICA chief’s accusation, noting, among others, that he has been a senator since 1992 and has noticed nothing wrong or suspicious as regards the union’s activities.

Sotto is also presently working out with SENADO the terms of the chamber and the union’s fourth ‘collective negotiations agreement’ (CNA). The union is the recognized and registered collective negotiating arm of Senate employees before the Senate leadership.

In another social media post thru his Facbook account last April 7, 2021, Monteagudo rachet up the controversy as he not only accused SENADO president, Rosel Eugenio of being a “leader” not only of COURAGE, but also, of the ‘Makabayang Kawaning Pilipino’ (MKP), the CPP’s underground organization in charge of running its legal front organizations in the public sector like COURAGE.

The official also made similar accusation against Erwin Ocson, president of the Supreme Court Employees Association (SCEA), which is also affiliated with COURAGE.

‘Why pick on us,’ SENADO wants to know

At a virtual press conference last April 9, 2021, also attended by Sen. Aquilino ‘Koko’ Pimentel, a former Senate president, Eugenio said the “question” bothering them is “why” Monteagudo and the NTF-ELCAC has targeted them for red-tagging, further asserting that the accusation has given them “nightmares.” She said the accusation is “malicious” as it described them as “terrorists.”

“We are unionists, not terrorists,” Eugenio stressed.

“Maraming mga mahahalagang bagay na dapat pagtuunan ng pansin ng ating pamahalaan, ang problemang dulot ng pandemya, ang kakulangan ng ayuda sa mamamayan, ang malaking bilang ng mamamayang nawalan ng kita at kabuhayan, ang pagtaas sa singil sa kuryente, ang pagtaas ng preyo ng baboy at manok at iba pang bilihin, at ngayon, ang patuloy na pananakop at presensya ng Tsina sa Julian Filipe reef,” reads part of Eugenio’s prepared statement.

Pimentel, for his part, also expressed amazement over the charge, noting that it was under his term as Senate President (July 2016 to May 2018) that the Senate and the union successfully concluded their third CNA. Pimentel said he “studied” SENADO’s demands and found them “reasonable” and which made him conclude the CNA with the union.

Pimentel also expressed disbelief the union is serving as the “eyes and ears” of the CPP in the chamber as claimed by the NICA chief. He noted that as a legislative body, most of the works and documents of the Senate are readily available to the public.

“I cannot understand what is the use of ‘communist agents’ to get information from an institution where almost all (documents and information) are public documents,” the lawmaker said.

Pimentel added that should Sotto sponsored a resolution asking the NICA and the NTF-ELCAC to “correct” their claim and “apologize” to the chamber if they cannot back their allegation, he would be “glad” to co-sponsor it. “Ilabas nila ang ebidensiya nila, hindi yung mere labeling,” he dared.

As of last count, the union has already 8 senators—Franklin Drilon, Koko Pimentel, SP Sotto, Risa Hontiveros, Leila de Lima, Kiko Pangilinan, Nancy Binay and Panfilo Lacson– who have expressed support to them and against the accusation raised by Monteagudo.

The number is enough to assure the passage of Drillon’s bill, at least at the committee level.

Pimentel added the unionists would definitely be called as ‘resource persons’ “to share your experience” (on red-tagging) once the Senate started hearing SB 2121.