Councilor, lawyer, militants tagged as rebels in poster

A POSTER that bears faces of suspected communist rebels in Moises Padilla, Negros Occidental, features a councilor, a lawyer, and activists.

The poster, which bears the faces of more than 60 personalities who were allegedly insurgents, was reportedly being put up in various areas of the town by state forces, according to National Federation of Sugar Workers (NFSW).

Among those in the poster are Escalante City Councilor Bernardino Patigas, former secretary-general of Northern Negros Alliance of Human Rights Advocates, and National Union of Peoples' Lawyers-Negros secretary-general Benjamin Ramos, who had worked with peasant and human rights groups.

Also included are leaders of militant groups. They are Bayan-Negros chairperson and NFSW secretary-general Christian Tuayon, Karapatan-Negros secretary-general Clarizza Singson, Unyon ng Manggagawa sa Agrikultura secretary-general John Lozande, Juluis Dagatan, Ronald Evidente, Ma. Rina Amacio, Rogina Quilop, Lary Ocena and Anecita Rojo.

A message that states "CNN PERSONALITIES, if seen in the area, please text 09099191720" was seen at the top of the poster.

CNN refers to the acronym Communist Party of the Philippines-New People's Army-National Democratic Front (CPP-NPA-NDF), which is being used by the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).

Tuayon, when sought for reaction, said his group strongly condemned the action, as it poses danger to their lives.

He said they believed it was perpetrated by the AFP and the Philippine National Police.

He said this is a "desperate move" of the Duterte government because they failed to stop the revolutionary movement.

Earlier, the Department of Justice (DOJ) came out with a list of alleged officers and members of communist groups in the country.

The list of over 600 individuals, which includes United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Victoria "Vicky" Tauli-Corpuz, was allegedly part of DOJ's petition asking the Manila Regional Trial Court to declare the CPP and the NPA as terrorist organizations.

Among the personalities were the 55 Negrenses, including the activists in the poster.

Brigadier General Eliezer Losañes, commanding officer of the 303rd Infantry Brigade of the Philippine Army based in Murcia town, and Senior Superintendent Rodolfo Castil Jr., director of Negros Occidental Police Provincial Police Office, could not be reached for a comment Monday night, April 16.

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