Best in deception goes to Karapatan
Karapatan, an organization moonlighting as a human rights organization but in truth and in fact, a front organization of the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army-National Democratic Front has its secretary general awarded by two embassies from the European Union for alleged work on human rights.
The celebration of actual works in promotion of human rights is but right to be honored, no doubt.
To be sure, the award by the said embassies is made in good faith, but the recipient is just an embarrassment. Their shameless positioning for human rights awards is part and parcel of their modus operandi of hiding in plain sight. Appearing to be legitimate social workers but “predatory wolves in sheep’s clothing”.
Genelyn Dichoso, regional secretary-general of Karapatan for many years, surrendered this year. She testified that their work as Karapatan “human rights workers” includes recruitment of fighters for the CPP-NPA-NDF’s armed wing. Her conscience led her to surrender, as her recruits ended up dead. Her testimony was made under oath, open to any challenge.
Alex Pacalda and Glendhyl Malabanan, Karapatan workers, were arrested as NPA combatants, terrorizing the countryside. There was a great howl of protest that they are just human rights workers, but evidence presented in court, including videos of them in combat trainings, irrefutably demolished their claim as human rights workers.
Honey Suazo and Fred Cana are Karapatan “human rights workers” whose task is to bail out arrested top NPA leaders including Zaldy “Ka Jinggoy” Cañete and Hernando “Ka Adoy” Llorente. Their bail documents are public records.
Recently, the Armed Forces of the Philippines filed before the Commission on Human Rights documents showing more than 1,600 cases of human rights abuses of the CPP-NPA-NDF.
The National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-Elcac) Legal Cluster has inventoried more than a thousand criminal cases perpetrated by the CPP-NPA-NDF pending before our judicial processes.
Sambayanan, an organization of former rebels, identified Karapatan as one of the CPP-NPA-NDF front organizations. They made such testimony in congressional inquiries, under oath. No cases of perjury were filed against them.
Those who desire genuine peace for this country, our works while many and arduous, to be silent is not one of them. This is the truth, and the truth does not need an award to be true. –ATTY. MARLON BOSANTOG, NTF-Elcac Legal Cooperation Cluster spokesperson