Farmers group Buhi Aksyon para sa Kauswagan kag Pag-Amlig sang Siguridad (Bakas), together with Paghidaet sa Kauswagan Development Group (PDG) Inc., vehemently refutes the veracity of a news report published on Digicast Negros last July 25, tagging them as front organizations of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP).
In the news report written by Mark Garcia published by Digicast Negros, it was alleged that a certain “Ariel,” a supposed member of the Buhi nga Aksyon para sa Kauswagan kag Pag-amlig kag Siguridad sang Mangunguma kag Mamumugon (BAKAS), surrendered to the police, claiming association with PDG Inc.
The association has called these claims malicious and fake, emphasizing that such allegations aim to tarnish PDG Inc.’s reputation and endanger the lives of its staff, volunteers, and the members of the farmers’ associations they serve.
PDG Inc. has been serving the rural poor and marginalized sectors in the Province of Negros Occidental since 1987. BAKAS, on the other hand, operates as an autonomous organization of small farmers in Brgy. Orong, Kabankalan City, Negros Occidental, independently implementing its programs and projects in line with its own vision and mission.
Both PDG Inc. and BAKAS are recognized and accredited by the local government of Kabankalan City, and they collaborate as partners in implementing agrarian reform and sustainable food production to uplift the conditions of small farmers in the area.
To verify the authenticity of the report, PDG Inc. conducted its own investigation with the officers and members of BAKAS. They emphatically denied having a member named “Ariel” on their roster, nor did they have any knowledge of someone from their locality surrendering to the authorities as an armed member of a communist organization.
Elpidio Paglumutan, the Chairperson of the Bakas Association, also dismissed the Digicast report as purely fictitious.
Additionally, Paglumutan revealed that the association’s leaders have been subjected to unwarranted scrutiny by the military’s 62nd IB, who sought to obtain confidential documents pertaining to their programs. The association condemns such harassment and regards it as an attempt to tarnish their reputation and undermine their genuine efforts to support the community.
“We categorically deny any involvement with the Communist Front Organization or any form of subversive activities,” said Paglumutan. “We are committed to defending our land rights and improving the livelihoods of our members and the local community.”
Eduardo C. Florendo, President of PDG Inc., expressed concern over the continued dissemination of disinformation and fake news by authorities, leading to severe consequences such as vilification, illegal arrests, detentions, abductions, and even extrajudicial killings.
He pointed out a previous incident in 2018 when a tarpaulin, featuring individuals falsely tagged as rebels, which included the late Atty. Benjamin Ramos Jr., then Executive Director of PDG Inc. Atty. Ramos was later murdered in Kabankalan City, and the case remains unsolved to this day.
PDG Inc. urges the public to join them in denouncing disinformation and red-tagging and to call for the repeal of the Anti-Terror Act.
Paghimutad 