Senate President Vicente Sotto III
(MANILA BULLETIN FILE PHOTO)
National Intelligance Coordinating Agency (NICA) chief Alex Monteagudo claimed that the Senate of the Philippines is “manned” by members of a communist front organization just by the affiliation of its employees’ union a claim Sotto denied on Tuesday night.
The Senate chief, who has been a senator since 1992, said he would be the “first to sense” if the upper chamber’s employees are indeed engaged in such activities.
“Because of this, I am now inclined to support the criminalizing of red-tagging,” Sotto told reporters on Wednesday.
Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon earlier filed Senate Bill No. 2121, which proposes to define and penalize the crime of red-tagging with a jail time of up to 10 years, and perpetual disqualication from holding public office.
By ERWIN COLCOL, GMA News
Published April 7, 2021 3:31pm Senate President Vicente Sotto III on Wednesday said he is now inclined to support the measure seeking to criminalize red-tagging after the Senate employees union was accused of having links with communist rebels. In a text message to reporters, Sotto said that red-tagging of the Sandigan ng mga Empleyadong Nagkakaisa sa Adhikain ng Demokratikong Organisasyon (SENADO), a union of employees in the Senate, made him want to support Senate Bill 2121, or the proposed law defining and penalizing red-tagging. Because of this, I am now inclined to support the criminalizing of red-tagging, he said.
By CONSUELO MARQUEZ, GMA News
Published April 7, 2021 10:49pm
Presidential Communications Usec. Lorraine Badoy, also spokesperson of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict, at a Senate hearing on Dec. 1, 2020. Albert Calvelo/Senate PRIB The Senate bill that seeks to punish red-tagging will be used to silence those revealing communist rebels legal fronts, an official of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict claimed on Wednesday. In an online press conference, NTF-ELCAC spokesperson Undersecretary Lorraine Badoy said that the measure seeking to criminalize red-tagging was worrisome and dangerous for the country. This is precisely why the CPP-NPA-NDF (Communist Party of the Philippines -New People s Army- National Democratic Front) have been able to abuse and cause suffering of our people precisely because of legal covers, she said.
Atty. Joey Lina
Desperate times call for desperate measures. And the worsening public health crisis has intensified the desperation felt by many Filipinos.
Thus, leaders of the country’s top business and industry groups, including doctors’ and other professional organizations, have issued a frantic appeal to President Rodrigo Duterte and Congress leaders to make accessible the drug Ivermectin that is highly touted to be effective against the coronavirus.
In a letter signed on March 31, 2021, the multi-sectoral leaders pleaded with President Duterte, Senate President Vicente Sotto III, and Speaker Lord Allan Velasco “to give serious, urgent and immediate attention to Ivermectin as an inexpensive drug to prevent and treat COVID-19 during this public health crisis.”
Multisectoral group asks Malacanang to allow Ivermectin treatment for COVID-19 – Manila Bulletin mb.com.ph - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from mb.com.ph Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.