Sara a truth-teller, not red-tagger – NTF-ELCAC

MANILA, Philippines — Contrary to how critics have been describing her, an official of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) said Vice President Sara Duterte is not a red-tagger but someone who tells the truth.

In an interview with “The Chiefs” on One News on Tuesday night, NTF-ELCAC legal cooperation cluster chair Angie Miranda said it is erroneous for Duterte’s critics to say she has a penchant for linking groups to communists.

“She is just telling the truth. She is a truth tagger,” Miranda said.

Meanwhile, the Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) and other cause-oriented groups have expressed concern over Duterte’s designation as co-vice chair of the government’s anti-communist task force, accusing her of being a red-tagger.

In the same television interview, former Bayan Muna party-list representative Teodoro Casiño said Duterte has linked the ACT with communist rebels.

Casiño found it ironic that Duterte is the current secretary of the Department of Education (DepEd) despite her attacks on the ACT.

“This is the officially recognized union of our teachers and she called them communist terrorists,” he said.

With Duterte at the NTF-ELCAC, Casiño is worried Duterte will continue to red tag teachers whom she believes are affiliated with communist groups.

He called for her removal from DepEd: “Our students and teachers deserve better.”

Miranda disputed Casiño’s statement, as she noted that the late Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) founder Jose Maria “Joma” Sison was the one who identified the groups that are affiliated with the CPP.

“You know who started this all? It’s Joma, the president of the CPP,” she said.

Miranda was referring to a video clip of a younger Sison enumerating organizations such as Gabriela and Bagong Alyansang Makabayan, which are affiliated with the CPP.

She stressed that being members of a left-leaning group does not automatically put their lives in danger.

“There is no red tagging as a criminal offense or an offense,” she said.