Former Bayan Muna representative and Lumad leader Eufemia Cullamat strongly condemned the renewed wave of red-tagging against the Talaingod 13 after the Court of Appeals upheld the unjust ruling against them.

“When unable to counter the truth, (the state) weaponizes red-tagging,” Cullamat said. The lawmaker made this remark in response to the latest red-tagging campaign by retired general Antonio Parlade, who teamed up with traitor to the revolutionary movement Arianne Jane Ramos.

“No child or parent filed a complaint. No harm was proven. But the teachers were convicted,” Cullamat said. “Red-tagging covers up the truth.”

The lawmaker said red-tagging is not used for discourse but as preparation for violence. It is a counterinsurgency tactic which first vilifies, then expels, and finally indicts and imprisons.

She condemned the NTF-Elcac for its role in filing fabricated cases against the Talaingod 13.

“NTF-Elcac always uses insurgency to justify militarization in rural communities and to suppress people’s initiatives,” she said. “(C)olluding with NTF-Elcac are warlordism and political dynasties like the Libayao family that has ruled over Talaingod from the Marcos dictatorship up to the present.”

Cullamat named Jose Libayao as the local warlord who gained power through his connection to logging operations. He was previously security guard who was not a local to Talaingod but became the town mayor through his collusion with the company for denuding the forest. Cullamat condemned his family member Pilar Libayao for continuously collaborating with NTF-Elcac to vilify the Talaingod 13.