The Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP) once again criticized the National Task Force To End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) for its new Facebook post labeling KMP and other progressive organizations as ‘terrorist groups.’ “The NTF’s ‘poisoned social media posts’ pose clear dangers to our organization, members, and affiliates. The NTF is maliciously redtagging and labeling us based on absolutely unfounded claims,”  says KMP chairperson Danilo Ramos.

“Established in 1985, KMP is a legal and democratic mass organization of Filipino farmers advocating for genuine land reform and free land distribution. It represents Filipino farmers who do backbreaking work in rice fields and plantations to produce rice and food for the population. It is grossly unfair and unjust for the NTF-ELCAC to continously redtag and malign our reputation which we have built for the past 35 years. We maintain the legality and legitimacy of our causes and activities in advancing the interests and welfare of the Filipino peasantry,” Ramos said.

The NTF-ELCAC social media post referred to a 1987 video clip of Prof. Jose Maria Sison giving a lecture in Brussels, Belgium, in which he mentioned organizations that are members of Bagong Alyansang Makabayan. The NTF-ELCAC sparingly presented the video clip out-of-context and insinuated in the social media post that it was Sison who “redtagged” the mass organizations. “The NTF-ELCAC can’t even present clear logic in its statements and analysis of facts. Are the words of a political exile more than three decades ago “evidence” of terrorism? With this thinking, how can the NTF-ELCAC properly identify so-called “terrorists” once the Terror Law take effect? This is nothing but sheer slander and defamation. This must stop,” says Ramos who asserted that KMP will take proper and legal actions regarding this matter.

Ramos added that the redtagging of KMP members have previously led to  illegal arrests and detention, charging of fabricated cases, and even the extrajudicial killing of farmers and peasant leaders. “Redtagging and ‘terrorist labeling’ cost lives. We will not condone and turn a blind eye on the NTF’s irresponsibility,” Ramos said.

On July 7, the Commission on Human Rights conducted an inspection of KMP National Office. Ronnie Rosero, CHR Investigation Division Officer-in-Charge, upheld that they have found no explosives, guns, ammunition, or any other illegal materials in the building. A Barangay Public Safety Officer was also present during the said routine office inspection. ###