📷Former Bayan Muna Congresswoman and prominent Lumad leader Eufemia Cullamat
Former Bayan Muna Congresswoman and prominent Lumad leader Eufemia Cullamat has strongly criticized the EPANAW Sambayanan partylist, labeling it as a front for the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC). Cullamat’s statement comes in light of the partylist’s nominees, particularly Atty. Marlon Busantog, Lorraine Badoy, and Jeffrey Celiz,who have been closely associated with red-tagging activities.
Cullamat expressed deep concerns about the dangerous implications of allowing such individuals into Congress. “The trio has a very rabid red-tagging record that has caused many people their lives, limb, and liberty. Such a record is not fit to run under the partylist system,” she asserted. Cullamat further lambasted the nominees for exploiting the struggle of indigenous people for political gain. “They have bastardized the struggle of indigenous people by using their name and struggle just to get to Congress,” she said.
The former lawmaker also mentioned the Supreme Court’s recent decision against red-tagging, citing the case of Siegfred Deduro, a former Bayan Muna Partylist lawmaker. The Court granted a writ of amparo to Deduro, emphasizing that red-tagging and guilt by association threaten fundamental rights to life, liberty, and security. The decision underscored that such practices often precede extrajudicial killings and abductions.
Cullamat urged for a thorough audit of the NTF-ELCAC’s budget, highlighting the need for transparency and accountability. “EPANAW, it seems, is a front of the NTF-ELCAC, and the budget for the infamous task force should be thoroughly audited and accounted for,” she stated.
Cullamat concluded by calling on the public and fellow advocates to remain vigilant against narratives that endanger the safety and rights of indigenous peoples and activists. She warned, “Even now, they continue with their red-tagging ways, and it will only worsen if they get to Congress. We must not allow these dangerous narratives to prevail.” #
