Red Warning

(This is an opinion article written last  January 3, 2020. Though it is clearly outdated, the message is still relevant today as more people specially  female individuals are being maliciously red tagged by high ranking officials.)

Talk about change and you'll be branded as an extremist, care for the masses and they will call you a terrorist. Unfortunately I'm living in a society where activism is deemed similar to terrorism. Each words against the oppressive government can be used against me or anyone who voice out their unwelcome opinions against the rigged system.

Since when did genuine nationalism became a threath to national security? It seems like serious patriotism can now lead you into your own demise. Try to Talk about the societal problems, discuss the issues that remain unsolved, show the truth behind the oppressive system and you'll surely find yourself in an emminent danger, the danger of being red tagged.

The last days of October (2019) were filled with gruesome news about Farmers being shot dead while tending their farms, teachers injured in front of their own students, bishops who received harsh death threaths, journalists who were persecuted and human rights activists who were nabbed. All of them possesses the similar reasons why they were put on such situations—All of them were mistaken to be part of the Communist Front. 

No one is exempted on such attempts by this oppressive government to destroy the people who sees the reality of the current and past administrations. Even the student leaders and academic institutions are subjects to such persecution. Proving that Being honest today is a dangerous game, since when did telling the truth became a crime?

I remember how UP defended itself from military intervention. The reactionary forces forgot the fact that school publications are the voice of the people not the voice of the government. Publications are hubs of truth and must not be under any government control for political interests. It is the right of the students to think free and away from the grasp of any government plotted academic control. Responsible journalism does not mean writing according to what the government or the school want you to write, it is about showing the truth. Telling the people why problems happen, how this problems emerge, pinpointing the errors of the way people address it and offering solutions is the real meaning of responsible campus journalism.

I also heard of journalists who were labelled as a Communist rebel. I was like "seriously?", They were just presenting the both sides of a story and yet due to this strong resentment on people who are trying to show the real reason behind this situations, they became Target of unjust accusations. Due to such actions this journalists are now prone to extra judicial killing, their liberty and security is now threathened just because of a malicious allegation.

Speaking of Malicious Allegation, where in this goddamn world did the Armed Forces of The Philippines got the information that the NCCP (National Council of Churches In the Philippines) is a Communist affiliated group? How can they do that to a seriously religious group, Where are their brains located? On their feets?. Well what should you expect from their pea size brains, Those dimwits ,they've been doing such dirty tactics long before the issue of red tagging had emerged.

Guns versus pens, who would ever imagine that the government forces itself managed to shoot people armed with pen and the truth. Since January dozens of human rights activists, lawyers, party leaders and ordinary farmers were gunned down throughout the country and the perpetrators were the government forces itself. Some managed to survive like Brandon Lee, a native of Ifugao who was shot by soldiers of the 54th Infantry Battalion in front of his house for allegedly having ties with the CPP-NPA based on Ifugao. How can they shot a civilian with no strong evidence of him having affiliation with the communist revolutionaries? Brandon Lee is an ordinary human rights activists who writes on a weekly publication exposing the corruption of the government and hidden agendas on their unjust programs. The 54th battalion retaliated  and sent Lee warnings with murderous intents. Its a clear example of lawlessness among the people who were supposedly imposing the law.

Fighting for the poor is not a crime, the state should be proud of the youths, the activists, and our people who left their comfort zones to immerse with the masses and understand their needs. Instead of gunning young kids and poor peasants arguing that it is an ambush or hot pursuit why don't they defend the West Philippine Sea? Or battle the extremists from Mindanao?. 

I hope that I won't be added to the long list of people who will be killed for telling the truth. We only die once, if you're dead you won't feel it again so why don't stand for the truth? Hold on your beliefs and write for the truth. There is nothing wrong with symphatizing with the people's suffering and exposing the corrupted system. It's better to die speaking the truth than watching your contrymen became victims of the rigged system.

Resist Evil!!!