MANILA — A group of former communist rebels on Tuesday denied that their “revelations” against the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP) being linked with the Left is part of an orchestrated operation to intimidate the group into silence.
“Ang gusto po namin ay malinaw na sagot kung totoo bang legal front ng CPP-NPA-NDF ang NUJP (We just want to know the clear answer if the NUJP is a legal front of the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army-National Democratic Front),” Kilusan at Alyansa ng mga Dating Rebelde (KADRE) said in a statement.
Several Manila-based newspapers on Monday published the charges of a certain Ka Ernesto from KADRE against the union of journalists.
Ka Ernesto, who, according to reports is a former member of the NUJP, claimed that the union is connected with CPP founder Jose Maria Sison, adding that the group’s operations are run by communists.
NUJP on Monday night called the tagging as an “orchestrated effort” to intimidate its members.
In a statement, Ka Ernesto and KADRE spokesperson “Ka Isko” stressed that their report is not part of any operation to silence the group.
“Dapat din siguro na tignan mabuti ng mga ordinaryong miyembro nito kung katotohanan nga ba ang tinatahak ng kanilang pamunuan o baka naman may iba silang political agenda na pabagsakin ang gobyerno at estado at iluklok ang isang marahas na lipunan (Their ordinary members should clearly examine the group’s objectives or is there some kind of political agenda to bring down the government and establish a society full of chaos),” it said.
The NUJP has earlier rejected a previous accusation that the group is a legal front of the communist rebels.
