NATIONAL Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperon has asked the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) to block websites affiliated to and are supporting the terrorist organizations, particularly the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army-National Democratic Front (CPP-NPA-NDF).
The websites included in Esperon’s request are the following:
* National Democratic Front of the Philippines - https://ndfp.org/
* Jose Maria Sison - https://josemariasison.org/
* The Official Publication of the NDF - https://liberation.ndfp.org/
* Philippine Revolution Web Central - https://cpp.ph/
* Bulatlat - https://bulatlat.com/
* Hiyaw - https://hiyaw.net/
* PRWC Newsroom - https://prwcinfo.wordpress.com/
* Revolutionary Council of Trade Unions - https://rctundfp.wordpress.com/
* Compatriots-Revolutionary Organization of Overseas Filipino and their Families - https://compatriotsndf.wordpress.com/
* Save Our Schools Network - https://saveourschoolsnetwork.wordpress.com/
* UMA Pilipinas - https://umapilipinas.wordpress.com/
* Rural Missionaries of the Philippines - https://ruralmissionaries.wordpress.com/, https://rmp-national.weebly.com/
* Pamalakaya Pilipinas - https://pamalakayaweb.wordpress.com/, https://angpamalakaya.org/
* Amihan National Federation of Peasant Women - https://amihanwomen.org/
* Bayan - https://bagongalyansangmakabayan.org/
* Arkibong Bayan - https://www.arkibongbayan.org/
* International League of People Struggle - https://ilps.info/
* Pinoy Weekly - https://pinoyweekly.org/
* Counter Punch - https://www.counterpunch.org/
* International Action Center - https://www.iacenter.org/
* Monthly Review - https://www.monthlyreview.org/
* Peoples’ March - https://www.people-march.blogspot.com/
* Taga-Ilog News - https://blog-by-taga-ilog-news.blogspot.com/
* Partisan-News - https://partisan-news.blogspot.com/
* People Resist News - https://peopleresist.net/
“Indeed, the activities, in terms of recruitment, funding and propaganda, of these Communist Terrorist organizations should be stopped,” the NSA said in a letter addressed to NTC Commissioner Gamaliel Cordoba.
“Recently, social networking sites Facebook and Twitter have already started cracking down accounts and pages belonging to the Communist Terrorist Groups (CTG). They have established pervasive online presence through their websites that they continually use to publish propaganda and misinformation campaigns in order to malign the Philippine government, recruit new members, and to solicit funds from local and international sources,” it added.
As of Wednesday, June 22, majority of the websites mentioned are already inaccessible.
Pamalakaya condemned the NSA’s request.
“We denounce this attack against public’s freedom of information and speech. This desperate move comes from Duterte’s security cluster, headed by red-tagger Esperon. Down since last night, our website is the Filipino fishers’ major platform to amplify legitimate issues and calls,” it said in a Twitter post.
Bulatlat, an independent media outfit, also condemned Esperon’s move, which it tagged as a “brazen violation” of their right to publish, press freedom and freedom of expression in the country.
In a statement, presidential spokesperson Martin Andanar said Esperon is just doing his job.
“The recent move of the National Telecommunications Commission to block certain websites is upon the request of the National Security Council in performance of its mandate,” he said.
“Legal remedies are available to any party, including online media outfit Bulatlat, affected by this action,” he added. (SunStar Philippines)