Militar nag-sorry sa UP alumni na inilistang NPA

Humingi ng tawad ang isang unit ng Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) sa mali-maling impormasyon na inilabas na nagtuturo sa ilang graduates ng Unibersidad ng Pilipinas na diumano’y naging New People’s Army (NPA) member kahit walang katotohanan.

Ika-21 ng Enero, 2021 kasi nang maglabas ang Facebook page na AFP Information Exchange ng listahan diumano ng UP alumni na naaresto at napatay daw bilang NPA.

Nasa 28 katao ang tinukoy ng AFP bilang NPA sa nasabing paskil, kasama na ang ilang opisyal ng gobyerno, abogado, mamamahayag, negosyante at artista.

“We sincerely apologize for those who were inadvertently affected by inconsistencies regarding the List of Students who joined the NPA (Died or Captured) that was posted in the AFP Information Exchange Facebook account,” ayon sa page, Linggo.

“That article has since been immediately taken down or deleted from our social media accounts. The Office of the J7, AFP is already conducting an internal investigation as to how the list got published. Personnel who are responsible will be held to account.”

Ang J7 ay ang code para sa Civil-Military Operations Office.

Inilabas ng AFP Information Exchange ang paumanhin matapos kilalanin ni Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana na mali-mali ang listahan, dahilan para tawagin niya itong “unpardonable gaffe.”

Nangyayari ang lahat ng ito ilang araw pagkaraang buwagin ng Department of National Defense (DND) and UP-DND Accord — isang kasunduang nagbabawal sa basta-bastang pagpasok ng AFP at Philippine National Police (PNP) sa UP nang walang pahintulot ng unibersidad.

Kasama sa mga tinukoy na “NPA members” kuno sina dating Department of Health (DOH) undersecretary at PhilHealth president Alex Padilla, Institute for Social Entrepreneurship in Asia president Marie Liza Dacanay, playwright na si Liza Magtoto, business journalist na si Roel Landingin at dating Environment Undersecretary Elmer Mercado — na pare-parehong kumundena sa listahan.

“I find this ‘yung ginawa ng AFP information management center as despicable,” ani Padilla, na dating government peace negotiator, sa media conference ng Right to Know Right Now Coalition.

“I’ve never been with the NPA. I have been with the government for 20 years or more . . . Kaya talagang nakakatawa kung hindi naman nakakalungkot itong listahan ng AFP.”

Nag-iisip nang magkaso ang marami sa mga mali-maling inakusahan sa ngayon, gaya na lang ni Raffy Aquino, miyembro ng Free Legal Assistance Group (FLAG).

“It is unthinkable that despite the millions of taxpayers’ money poured into military intelligence, the AFP is making such baseless accusations, in the process violating the civil liberties and putting at risk the lives of responsible citizens who are actively contributing to nation-building in their chosen professions,” sambit ni Fidel Nemenzo, chancellor ng UP Diliman, sa isang statement.

“We are worried that a military database that is riddled with factual errors may unduly become the basis for overt and covert military action against our students and alumni across four decades or more.”

Binanatan naman ng Bayan Muna party-list ang kasundaluhan sa kanilang ginawa, habang sinasabing hindi sapat ang pagso-sorry sa kapinsalaang naidulot.

“A public apology is good but this red tagging practice of the Duterte administration has to stop and cases should be filed for those responsible for these continued spreading of wrong information and fake news,” ani House Deputy Minority leader at Bayan Muna Rep. Carlos Isagani Zarate, Lunes.

“They are putting the lives, limbs and liberties of those they are falsely naming and they should be taken to account for that.”

Kinastigo naman ni Bayan Muna Rep. Ferdinand Gaite ang nasabing listahan, lalo na’t “truth-tagging” at hindi “red-tagging” ang tawag ng gobyerno sa pag-uugnay ng mga progresibo sa NPA at Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP).

Dagdag pa niya, tila nagiging “oxymoron” na ang pariralang military intelligence dahil sa mga ganitong kamaliang pwedeng magharap sa marami sa panganib.

“Iyan ang gagawin nila kapag hinayaan silang mag-militarisa ng mga paaralan—with impunity silang magtututuro ng kung sinu-sino, lalaganap ang kaliwa’t kanang pangha-harass sa mga guro, mag-aaral, at kawani, at maaaring maulit ang mga pagdukot o arbitraryong pag-aresto sa kampus kagaya noong panahon ng Martial Law,” ani Gaite.

“Hindi pwedeng paikot-ikot tayo sa cycle na yan, ang kailangan ay tuldukan na itong red-tagging nila.” (Daris Jose)